Are Your Shoes Comfortable?

I’ll admit it. I’m a foot watcher. Wherever I go, I look at feet.
     If the person is wearing sandals, I notice toes and heels. Are the toenails trimmed and clean? Are the heels smooth or callused? I also notice the sandals. Are they worn down so the person is walking on the sides? Are they gunky and dirty? Many times dirty sandals means equally dirty and uncared for feet. If the sandals are worn down and dirty, I can’t see how they could be comfortable.
     If the person is wearing shoes, I notice the shoes and take in the structure of the shoe. Many times I see shoes that are worn in the heels or sides, so much so that the foot is canted towards one side. Often the uppers are worn through or so lifeless that they offer no support. I notice the laces. I really find it interesting to watch the shoe as they walk. Often times you can see the lack of support as the foot moves through it foot strike motion. Those shoes offer almost no support and usually no cushioning. They can’t be comfortable.
     I think many people wear the same shoes day after day, never really noticing that the shoes just plain aren’t comfortable anymore. They have become so used to the way the shoe feels that they don’t sense that the shoe isn’t doing its job anymore.
     Are your shoes comfortable? Do your feet feel good in the shoes? When you put them on and after wearing them for a full day? This goes for your everyday shoes as well as your dress shoes and sports shoes.
     When I wrote Fixing Your Feet, I made sure to include a lot of tips about making sure your shoes fit well. In fact I feel fit is the most important factor in preventing foot problems, from blisters to calluses and everything in between.
     I encourage you to learn more about making sure your footwear fits. Let’s keep your feet happy.