Choosing the right shoes

Recommendations for choosing the right shoes

When the bones of the skeleton are in an unnatural position, be it the position of the back or pressure on the arch of the foot, the bones begin to deform, trying to adapt to the conditions in which they find themselves. Since these conditions are unnatural, changes in the structure and position of the bones have detrimental consequences for human health. Moreover, these consequences over time begin to affect other organ systems: blood supply, metabolism. Consultation with an orthopedic doctor and their prescription of a course of therapeutic treatment and physiotherapy can significantly improve the course of the disease. But it is obvious that it is better to avoid its occurrence altogether. And if everything is more or less clear with posture problems, then choosing shoes that will not harm health sometimes becomes a problem. But it can be solved.

First of all, when choosing shoes, you should be guided not by aesthetic, but by practical considerations.

You should understand how often and how long these shoes will be used, in what conditions, and how much stress will be placed on your feet. Shoes should be soft, and the folds that form when they are bent should not be large, so as not to cut into the foot when walking. At the same time, the softest sole is acceptable for shoes that will be worn on relatively soft surfaces. For walking on asphalt, the sole of the shoe should still be a little harder (but moderately!), so that you do not feel every pebble.

There are obvious rules for choosing shoes that, unfortunately, are not followed. For example, you cannot take a pair of shoes that are noticeably smaller or larger. Even if they are worn in, and this does not happen quickly, the strain on the feet will be noticeable. It is highly desirable that the shoes assume wearing an insole or half-insole (it is placed only under the heel, while the insole is under the entire sole of the foot). Arch insoles prevent the development of flat feet or significantly help slow down the development of this disease.

As for heels, everyday shoes should have a wide heel no more than 3-4 centimeters high. Yes, wearing a stiletto heel is allowed, but if you accustom your foot to it, the arch of the foot is deformed, certain problems with the bones arise, and this causes pain and fatigue in the legs. The vulnerability of the foot is that it is not monolithic, but is a structural formation consisting of many small bones.

When choosing shoes, it is important not only how comfortable they sit in a standing position, but also how a person feels while walking. It is necessary to try on both shoes, making sure that your feet are equally comfortable, and that there are no painful sensations or inconveniences.

It is best to choose shoes at the end of the day, since feet have normal, natural swelling, so they increase somewhat in the evening. If a rigid back is better for outdoor shoes, then it is better to wear fabric shoes at home. And in any case, avoid plastic and an abundance of seams.

Features of the shape of shoes correctly selected for health

There are parameters for choosing shoes, following which will help to avoid the formation of flat feet or gout due to certain deformations. These rules include:

• Avoid wearing pointed-toe shoes for long periods of time, as not only can the bones of the foot become deformed, but the bones of the toes, compressed over a long period of time, also gradually begin to change their shape.
• The heel should not only be low, but also wide enough so that when walking, there is a natural, not too much and not too little tension on the feet.
• It is advisable to wear shoes made of natural materials that allow moisture and air to pass through. This advice concerns not so much orthopedics as blood supply and general hygiene, but it would be a mistake to remain silent about this.
• The ankle should be fixed, but not too rigidly. This rule especially applies to sports shoes.
• You cannot neglect specialized shoes. For example, football boots or aerobic shoes have special protective inserts designed to withstand the risk of injury in a particular sport.
• To learn about your individual needs when choosing shoes, you should make an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. His consultation is especially necessary if you already have certain pathologies associated with the structure of the foot. X-ray diagnostics or magnetic resonance imaging during a patient examination can reveal certain deviations even before they begin to manifest themselves, so you should not neglect regular medical examinations either. But at the same time, it is worth remembering that choosing comfortable shoes that do not cause deformation of the position of the bones of the foot is, in fact, the same part of a healthy lifestyle as, for example, quitting smoking.
• Although many people now associate insoles with therapeutic shoes (and therefore people with healthy leg bones neglect them), this is not entirely true. In fact, insoles are a desirable part of any shoes, so when choosing shoes, you should proceed from the presence or possibility of placing this tool for preventing foot diseases there. Recently, special massaging insoles have also appeared that put pressure on the active points of the foot (and there are a lot of them there), which provides a kind of massage right while walking. Although in general their use produces a beneficial effect, it would not be superfluous to consult an orthopedist about these insoles.