Common Shoe Styles That Can Cause Foot Pain And Injury
Although it might seem hard to believe, wearing the wrong type of shoes on a daily basis can lead to a foot injury that could require surgery to repair. You've probably worn shoes that caused foot pain at the end of the day, and if you ignore that pain on a frequent basis, you could be damaging your feet. Here's a look at some shoe problems that contribute to foot pain.
Pointed Tips That Crowd Toes
It's usually best to choose shoes for daily wear that have wide toe areas so your toes aren't squeezed together all day long. Crowding your toes can lead to a bunion or hammer toe. When these conditions are bad enough, they could need surgery to end the pain and repair the deformity. Shoes with tight toes can also lead to corns and other skin irritations. These problems develop over time when you wear pointed toes on a daily basis. You can avoid these problems by wearing shoes with wider toes regularly and saving pointed toes for special occasions.
Shoes With High Heels
High heels are often combined with pointed toes for an attractive shoe. However, this combination can cause foot problems if you wear high heels often. The problem with these shoes is that the elevated heels cause increased pressure on your toes so they are more forcefully squeezed against the ends of the shoes. This increases the risk of toe problems. High heels also cause increased pressure on the ball area of your foot that can lead to pain and stress fractures. Also, if you wear high heels often, they might affect the tendons in your feet since your feet are kept at an abnormal angle all day. This could lead to tendonitis and chronic foot pain.
Flat Sandals With No Support
Flat sandals don't provide any support for the arches of your feet and that can lead to tendonitis and plantar fasciitis if you wear them for long periods of walking. Flip flops are often difficult to walk in, especially if it's raining, so you can slip out of them and cause a foot injury. Plus, thin sandals don't offer any foot protection at all so your feet are vulnerable to all types of injuries when you walk through grass, over rocks, or on hot surfaces. Flat sandals should be worn occasionally and in appropriate places such as the beach or city pool and not as shoes you wear to work daily.
Wearing the right shoes and discarding them when they're worn down will help you avoid unnecessary foot pain, but sometimes even the best shoes need help with padded inserts or orthotics. If you have frequent foot pain, don't ignore it because you could be causing damage to your feet. Instead, let a podiatrist diagnose your problem and recommend treatments and shoes that eliminate your pain so you can stay active and not have painful feet at the end of the day.
For more information, reach out to a company like East Village Foot & Ankle Surgeons.