KOCHI: Shoes are facilitators of health and fitness. We almost walk five times the circumference of the earth in an average lifetime. Yet we seldom pay attention to our feet and footwear in spite of them bearing the entire body weight and primary movers of the human body.
Most of us prefer having a single pair of shoes to serve all purposes of walking, running, gym activities, etc., but believe it or not, it is crucial to not defeat the purpose of different shoes according to the sports biomechanics and agility required.
Proper walking shoes are fundamental in maintaining correct walking technique, as well as preventing injuries. It maintains proper biomechanics of the foot as well as all the other joints connected to foot while walking.
The benefits of a scientifically designed comfortable shoe outnumber the cost of investment around it. Repetitive issues of acute or chronic episodes of musculoskeletal issues of back pain, knee pain,
foot pain, in fact even neck pain and headaches would come down if a wrong shoe was a cause for them.
The right pair of shoes help keep your body safe from injury. Shoes are undoubtedly facilitators of fitness. Without the correct fuel, you are likely to damage the engine of a car, similarly, without the right fit of the shoe, you are further prone to suffer severe injuries. Good quality shoes made for a wearer’s feet, provide unique fit, and comfort. Every shoe break after constant usage as it ages.
Whenever a patient goes to a doctor with any kind of head-to-toe issue, the first thing that is checked is their foot arch and the correspondingly worn shoe. 95% of the time they are a misfit, and thus a change of footwear immediately helps relieve the pain drastically by 30-40%.
The Indispensable prerequisites for the right pair of shoes are:
1. Stability
Good stability and cushioning throughout the range of movement of the walk
2. Flexibility
Shoes should provide an easy push-off phase (basically the toe-off phase of the walk)
3. Comfort
The shoe should adequately fit, especially around the heel and the mid-foot with some room for toe-off in the forefoot.
What harm can a wrong pair of shoes do to the body
Tight-pointed shoes may cause corns, bunions and other toe deformities such as hammer and claw toes, cross-over toes, and ingrown toenails. Great chances of falls in the elderly due to wrong-fitting shoes.
High heels can cause back pain, headaches, ankle injuries, sprains and plantar fasciitis.
Wearing flat surfaces shoes, with little to no arch support, keeps the feet from functioning optimally and can lead to knee, hip, and back problems. Lack of arch support is the commonest cause of a painful heel condition called plantar fasciitis advancing into a calcaneal spur at times.
Wearing misfit footwear forces the joints of the body to compensate for the faulty foot angulators leading to a long-term functional and structural change in the body. After logging between 300 to 400 miles in your walking shoes, it’s time for new ones.
How to select the right shoes
The human feet tend to swell up as the day progresses, consequently, the foot is bigger in the evening compared to earlier in the day, thus measuring your foot size later in the day. Try the shoes with the type of socks that you wear on a regular basis. As e-com is growing by leaps and bounds, we are highly tempted to buy cheaper available options to look trendier on a regular basis.
But when it comes to feet, the quality of shoes matters more than the number of them stacked in the wardrobe. While buying shoes, stand and check your feet size, as your foot will go for maximum stretch in this position. When you move your ankle up/down, in and out, the shoe should not come out. You should be able to move your toe up and down.
Adequate padding is required at the same time a snug fit over the heel and midfoot helps to walk those miles at ease. A quick way to assess one’s arch is to stamp on wet sand or draw your foot on a piece of paper. One can get a fair idea about the arch pattern.