Stop Pain at The Source: How to Buy Good Shoes That Don’t Hurt Your Feet
There’s nothing worse than walking around with pain in your foot – or at least trying to. Foot pain can cause you to build up a limp as an effort to compromise the severity of the discomfort you feel. More so, it can lead to lower levels of activity that create other health problems, even emotional issues.
You owe it to yourself to take the best possible care of every inch of your body. As far as shoe shopping goes, you don’t have to bend over backwards to find good shoes for your feet. You just have to re-think the buying process a bit and educate yourself about what you need!
Here are 7 tips to keep in mind when shopping for good shoes, whether you prefer to do so online or in person.
1. Identify What’s Causing Your Pain
You can’t treat foot pain if you don’t know where exactly it’s coming from. There are 26 bones in each foot and ankle, plus 33 different joints and over 100 muscles.
Clearly, this means it’s not enough to say you have “foot pain”!
You have to find the source of the pain in your foot. Go to a foot specialist and get x-rays done or at least consult a physical therapist about the discomfort you’ve been experiencing. Medical professionals can give you the answers you need to understand which parts of the foot aren’t working as they should and what you can do to ease the pain.
This is particularly smart to do when you’re looking for good shoes for your children or elderly parents. Medical insights help you understand the foot pain you’re helping them treat despite the fact that you can’t feel it yourself.
If you didn’t realize how important your choice of shoes is for your little ones, view here to get a bit of background information as to why the right shoes matter.
2. Notice the Natural Arch of Your Foot
One of the main things a doctor will point out is the natural arch of your foot. This is an important detail to keep in mind when shopping for good shoes. Your arch may require more support than most, or, it might be in your best interest to start wearing shoes that are flatter in design.
Either way, you won’t know until you get professional insight. Understanding your foot’s arch is a huge step in the right direction when shopping for new, better shoes.
3. Think About Your Level of Daily Activity
Maybe the reason you feel so much pain in your feet is that you’re either over-active or not active enough.
Standing on your feet all the time puts more strain on them than necessary – just ask a waitress, nurse, doctor, or teacher. People in these professions (and many more) are on their feet throughout most of their day.
Asking the feet to work so hard so often builds up pain, but, this can happen because of a high level of inactivity, too. If you’re someone who spends most of the day sitting or laying down, your feet are likely to feel strained when you do happen to stand for a long period of time or walk around a bit.
There’s a healthy level of activity to aim for. This ranges based on age and other health conditions, and it may change if your foot has a serious type of pain that needs treating – like a bone fracture or a sprained ankle.
4. Pay Attention the to Shoe’s Material
Another thing to keep in mind when shopping for good shoes is the material the shoes are made of.
You want your pain relief shoes to be breathable and light. This is common in athletic shoes, but it’s not unlikely in some shoes that are made of leather or even suede. The catch is you have to look into the quality of the materials and pay special attention to the soles as well.
5. Consider the Break-In Process
As comfortable as soft leather can be, it can also be a real pain to break-in. You want to avoid such an experience as much as possible if your foot is already in pain.
Even if a pair of shoes is supposed to be super comfortable after the break-in process, you can’t afford to wait for this step to pass. You need to be able to access the ideal level of comfort from the moment your new shoes arrive at your door. That may mean compromising the look of leather for a more functional kind of fabric.
6. Read Consumer Reviews
If you’re shopping for good shoes online, one of the best things you can do is read consumer reviews. Reviews make your expectations more clear. They tell you what you’ll really get out of a new pair of shoes and help guide your search in the right direction.
Pay special attention to reviews that mention foot issues or pain and how a certain pair of shoes eased that. Remember, you’re not the only one dealing with foot pain, and heeding the advice of others with similar conditions can significantly impact your buying decision for the better.
7. Don’t Rely on Shoes Alone to Treat Your Pain
Keep in mind that even the best shoes won’t treat your foot pain entirely.
You may also have to look into purchasing special soles or even investing in professional treatment depending on how intense your foot’s condition is. Your daily habits will also improve or hinder the healing process.
All of these small decisions add up to make the big difference you’re looking for. Buying the right shoes plays a role in your foot’s pain relief, but it’s not the full story.
Find Good Shoes That Are Comfortable and Stylish
Here’s one more thing to remember while shopping for good shoes: you don’t have to compromise style just because you’re looking for better form! There are plenty of comfortable shoes out there that can help your pain and go with your personal style, too.
You just have to know how to find them.