Don’t Give Up on Footwear

Maggie was having tremendous problems getting a good fit with her footwear. She wrote, “This is by far the most frustrating thing I have experienced in my quest to find my personal ‘very best way.’ Occasionally I have come up with a combination that has had very acceptable results, only to have the same strategy fail miserably on the next outing.”
     Charlie was another. He asked for advice after working hard to rid his feet of calluses. It worked for a long time and then, one day, his feet got trashed during an ultramarathon.
     There are many more. Some have never had problems while others have had lots. I like to hear from those who never have foot problems. They may be doing everything right, be genetically blessed with good feet, and likely, have put lots of miles on their feet in order to have the right conditioning. Others, like Maggie, have tried every idea under the sun—without success. These are the ones I love to talk to. They are dedicated to finding what works and will give up at nothing.
     Maggie, Charlie, and others are on a quest to find the best fit, and shoe and sock combination possible. They love their sport. They love being outdoors, running hiking, walking. It is a part of who they are. But they want to do it with happy feet.
     Maggie described her feet to an online hiking forum and told us what she had tried, and what worked (not much) and what didn’t work (lots). Many fellow hikers responded with their idea. Many were very good. In the end, I printed out about 10 pages of back and forth emails, read them to grasp what had been suggested and tried, and made my own recommendations. What a learning experience.
     You may be frustrated like Maggie. My advice? Don’t give up. There is a solution. There are shoes out there that will fit. With the search you’ll learn about fit, socks, insoles, orthotics, lacing techniques, heel counters, forefoot width, pronation, supination, shoe lasts, narrow feet, wide feet, Morton’s toe, bunions, and much more. Read shoe reviews in magazines. Do Google searches on different shoes with the word ‘reviews’ in the search box. Quiz your shoe store salesperson. Ask questions. Try different pairs by different manufacturers. Do not leave the store with a shoe that doesn’t feel ‘right.’ Don’t settle for 2nd best. Your feet deserve the best.
     Next time we will talk about what changed. It’s the important question.