Flat Feet – is it a shoe problem or a foot problem?
Flat Feet – is it a shoe problem or a foot problem?
Having wide feet can be a vey painful situation, not only physically, but mentally. Many people are teased in school and some even at home. ‘At least you can balance that large head of yours’ was just one of the many painful things my family teased me about when I was little. Luckily these days we have a solution for almost everything if you just know where to look!
What causes wide feet? You may well be born with a wider foot than other people. This does not make you disabled although it can cause an immense amount of physical pain if you do not wear the correct shoe. Sometimes it happens when you are pregnant. Weight can also play a role. Obesity is not a joke and getting used to a more active lifestyle can be prevented if your running shoes hurt your feet. Another cause can just simply be that with age, the tendons and muscles in your feet start to relax and enlarges the feet. Long amounts of time spent standing can also be very damaging to feet and can make them larger because of the weight being distributed constantly. If the problem is mostly genetic, remember that genetics often skip a generation and we should listen to our children when they complain of sore feet! You might not have the same problem as your child and you will do well to listen and then rectify it by ensuring that your loved ones are wearing the correct shoes.
If you don’t have bunions already, you are a lucky person and should continue looking after your feet! Bunions and injuries can also cause ‘normal width’ shoes to hurt the wearer. So there are many many reasons why a person would try a shoe specifically made for wider feet. Your feet directly have an influence on your back and posture and therefor buying the correct shoes is essential. It doesn’t have to be boring and ugly though.
According to Dr Oliver Zong from Manhattan, more people have wide feet than ever before. Cold this be the rise in overeating? Funny how people tend to live longer these days but more people have wide feet. if you find it difficult to make an appointment with a podiatrist, the first step will be to invest in a shoe made for wider feet. You will be amazed at how comfortable you will feel immediately. Even the way you stitch up the laces can make a difference so remember this when buying shoes. Lace ups are a good idea to give your feet an extra inch or so of pain free shoe-space.
There are tips you can follow that will not cost you an arm and a leg. Firstly, and I am sorry to be harsh, but no high heels. High heels are damaging to your spine as well and can cause long term back and foot problems. Ok, if you wear them when going out to dinner, you will only have to walk from the car to the restaurant, maybe a bathroom trip, and then walk back to the car. This is not the end of the world but working in high heels daily is just not good for you!
Measure your feet at night and not first thing in the morning. Also, wear warm socks when you go shoe shopping as you will get a more realistic sense of what the new shoes will feel like when you have had them on for a whole day. If you go first thing in the morning, your feet will still be smaller and not as swollen. You may buy a shoe that fits in the morning but hurts in the afternoon.
Another obvious answer will be soft materials and sandals. You cannot however run in sandals and many sneaker companies have developed brands specifically for wide feet. Sandals are not always an option so you can try the brand name Toms for a funky shoe with a great fit.
For the more active shoe wearer, what about trying a name like Nike or Adidas? Yes, we all know that they had their origins in Nazi Germany but they do have two of the most recognized brand names in the world. Nike has a range of AIR shoes that everybody seems to agree is a perfect fit for wider feet. There are at least five shoes at Nike that you can look at. The top five Nike shoes are the Air Zoom Pegagus, the Air Zoom Vomero, the Nike Downshifter, the Flex Experience and the Air Zoom Structure. Doesn’t it make you want to jump for joy in your new Nikes?
Budding basketball players can try the Nike Airjordan XIII. They are perfect for basketball and hiking it seems.
If it is fashion that concerns you, try the brand name Yeezy. The Yeezy Boost 350 seems to be one of the best names in wide feet footwear. Also the Airmax Thea is a great fit for ladies, whether pregnant or not, it sports lightweight cushioning to make the whole foot feel more comfortable. It is like you are walking on a cloud barefoot. I can go a whole day in mine and this includes setting up the tent and hiking. But they are also really stylish and I prefer them to many other brands. Just because I have wide feet, doesn’t mean that I cannot also look good. And having a very nice shoe definitely means that less people notice how wide they are. Play to your strengths by decorating your wide feet with comfort and support.
I hope this helped you to understand your feet a little bit better and hopefully it made the decision process a little easier. Don’t let wide feet keep you from enjoying life to the fullest. You can have wide feet and still lead an active, fairly pain free life.
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