Know your footwear
Footwear are garments for foot which are being use for protection from surface texture and temperature. Use of foot wear can be seen since very ancient time of human civilization. Foot wear specially shoe primarily serves to ease off locomotion and prevent injuries. This is also a fashion symbol. Dress shoe specifically serves this purpose but essentially they are not agronomical for regular use. Footwears can be of different type depending on their shape and purpose of use. Followings are the basic types of footwear
- Boots
- Shoes
- Sandals
- Slipper
- Specific Footwear for different activity and purposes
- For different sports
- For Different Dancing performance
- For different industrial use
- Orthopaedic shoe
- Traditional Footwear
Commonly used footwears are shoe, sandals and slipper. Shoe is better for regular use although some fashion shoes are not. Different parts of shoe serve different purpose to protect and give support to out foot. Knowing how the different parts are put together and what they do? You can take proper decision what kind of shoe you need to buy. Sometimes we become tempted at the look of fashion shoe. This is specially true in case of sneaker where need comfort rather than fashion.
Depending on foot shape and work requirements different types of footwear and shoes are recommended. Sometimes special alterations are required to accommodate a deformed foot to ease off symptom, improve activity and also preventing development of life-threatening condition. Wearing a wrong type foot wear can induce not only foot problem but also knee, hip and spine problem. One should know his requirement and foot type and choose the right foot wear to get maximum comfort, protection and prevent development of any lifestyle related orthopaedic conditions.
What the right shoe should do?
- Cushion your foot – Midsole, the main part of the shoe should provide cushioning to your feet.
- Support your foot – Should aid the alignment of your feet when it touches the ground.
- Feel comfortable –Should feel comfortable immediately from the first wear.
- Fit well – Wide enough and long enough to fit your feet. The shoe should feel snug but not tight.
What harm a wrong shoe or foot wear can do?
- Increases possibility of injury
- Makes the existing foot, knee, hip or spine problem more symptomatic
- Prolong wearing of fashion shoe especially high heel can induce different foot pain, toe deformity as well as back pain, knee pain
- Prolong use of tight toe box shoe increases the chance of developing toe deformity, metatarsalgia, corns and callouses
How to buy a proper shoe?
- Buy your shoes after exercise or at the end of the day when your feet are at their largest due to swelling
- Wear the same type of socks that you intend to wear with your shoes
- Always measure your feet at the store before buying a shoe
- Make sure that you can wriggle all your toes when you wear them. Toe box region should be deep and roomy and it should be a thumb width longer than the longest toe.
- Walk and run to make sure they feel comfortable.
- Ensure that the shoe grips your heel, it does not slips inside or comes off the shoe.
- Examine the soles, they need to be strong and also have good grip on all kind of surface. It should bend only where your foot bends, at the joint of big toe. It should resist being twisted.
- Heel should not be more than 2.5 cm.
- Feel the inside of the shoe; any tag, seams or other material should not cause irritation.
- Analyse for what purpose you buying shoe