If you’ve ever hobbled off of the dance floor at a wedding with your heels in hand, or if you’ve ever found yourself looking forward to the moment you go home after a long day spent in meetings, so you can slip your new pair of suit shoes off – you’ll know shoes can easily cause foot pain.

This holds true for all types of footwear, not just the fancy kind…

Exercise shoes, office shoes, sandals, and that pair of weekend running around shoes we all have – they can all lead to painful feet too.

But before you throw out every pair of shoes in your wardrobe – let’s talk about your feet.

A lot of us are unaware of just how big of a role feet play when it comes to supporting your body.

Feet play the big job of supporting your body weight and take the impact of standing, walking, running and everything else you do throughout the day.

Your feet are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints and OVER 100 muscles, tendons AND ligaments – so when your feet don’t get the support they need, it’s no wonder why you can get issues!

A lack of support can also cause pain beyond your feet – your knees, back and other parts of your body begin to overcompensate, which can lead to pain in those areas too… not good.

With all of the above in mind – here are 6 shoe mistakes that cause foot pain, are you making any of them?

1. You’re Unaware of Your Arches

Generally speaking, there are two types of feet:

1. High arched
2. And, low arched

And the demands for these two types are quite different!

For someone with high-arched feet – they have taller gaps on the soles of their feet.

For someone with low-arches – the curves between the balls of the foot and heels are closer to the ground.

The curve of your shoe should support your arches so they can, in turn; support the rest of your feet and body. A good running shop, shoe shop, or even a physio clinic with a special machine – can figure out what’s best for you.

We customise shoes for patients all the time, and the difference in their pain means they can get back to walking around comfortably and independently again.

2. You Choose Your Running Shoes for Appearance

Have you ever bought a pair of running shoes because you think they look good? You’re not alone, we have all done it!  But the truth is, picking the right performance shoe should be a strategic process.

When you need a new pair of trainers, go into a specialty running store and speak with a specialist. You need to consider things like the type of exercise you’ll be doing – running over 20 miles outdoors each week is VERY different from doing Pilates classes a couple of times a week.

If you can afford to, have a couple of kinds of trainers for the workouts you do most often.

Wearing a tennis shoe for running, or a basketball shoe for weightlifting, can encourage injuries – choose wisely.

3. You “Break In” Your New Pair Of Shoes

While it’s true that some shoes made of multiple materials, like hiking boots, might need some “breaking in” before you can get to the point where you feel like you’re walking on clouds – you should be careful not to rush the process.

Your shoes need to become accustomed to your feet over time to avoid pain and those nasty blisters that so often come with a new pair of shoes.

Instead of pushing through the pain – wear your shoes in a little at a time until they loosen naturally. Whether you’re doing this at home or while you’re out and about getting jobs done – keep a pair of socks and plasters handy to prevent blisters.

4. You Walk Around Barefoot At Home

As soon as you step through the door do you throw your shoes off and that’s you done for the day?

For a lot of us, taking our shoes off is one of the best feelings! But for some people, walking or standing barefoot on surfaces like hardwood floors, marble or tile puts stress on the structures of the feet either causing or making pain worse over time.

This can happen when the fleshing parts on your heels and balls of your feet which help cushion our bodyweight wear down.

If you have foot pain that feels worse when you walk around barefoot – get a pair of slippers to wear around the house to ease the pain.

5. You’re Still Wearing That Worn Down Pair Of Boots From 2014

Many of us only throw away a pair of shoes when they’re looking a bit worse for wear and worn down.

But once the sole of your shoe starts to break down, it changes the way your foot strikes the ground which can cause pain in your feet, hips, knees and back – this can also happen before your shoes start showing obvious signs it’s time for a brand new pair!

Depending on your activity level, it takes a few months to a year of daily use to wear out footwear.

If you really love a pair of shoes get them resoled or add an insert to help prolong their wear.

6. You Don’t Use Insoles

Depending on your foot type and foot pain, you might already have the insoles that come with your shoes – however, they may not be right or even supportive for you.

To ease the pain, stop it from getting worse or even to prevent it from coming on – it’s a smart idea to get yourself a pair of customised insoles, also known as Orthotics.

True custom made orthotics are not available in shoe stores, in retail stores and even pharmacy’s.

A true custom orthotic is one that matches your foot’s arch height (with modifications), width, and of course, length. The shell should be up to your metatarsal heads (3/4 length) with the heel cupped perfectly around.  True custom orthotics are made ONLY when a laboratory receives an impression of your foot – ideally from a 3-d laser scanner. They also act to make activities such as running, walking – even standing – more efficient. What’s more, they can act to redistribute pressure on the bottom of the foot to relieve pain from excessive pressure or calluses.

The orthotics produced at T4 Physio by the latest 3D Printing machine are top of the range. The orthotics are flexible, very strong and durable for all weather/sports they come in 14 different colours. The unique selling point for our custom-made orthotics is they come with a 5-10 years Guarantee plus they’re made to fit your arches perfectly.

Book a free consultation with our foot specialist to find a simple solution to your problem and stop replacing expensive trainers unnecessarily.
Click the link to book now https://v7sarspa.pages.infusionsoft.net

The takeaway: Your feet are probably doing way more than you give them credit for, so they need shoes to match.

The right choices for you will depend on your activity levels, height, weight, walking and running style. But if you’re experiencing any kind of foot pain that lasts for days, it makes it almost impossible to live your life as normal.

If you’d like to talk to an experienced Specialist Physio about the possibility of you wearing Prescription Orthotics and decide for yourself if they will add value to your health, like it does so many other people, then please call Sue our lovely front desk superstar now on 0330 175 9838 or email info@t4physio.com to book your free consultation with our foot specialist