You May Be Surprised To Learn Which Shoes Are Best And Worst For Your Feet

Many people have the idea that walking and running barefoot is the best thing for us and undoubtedly if our lives supported that kind of lifestyle, we would probably have a lot fewer foot problems. But in the Western world, we are brought up wearing shoes from an early age, and for that reason most of us need to continue to do so.

We all like to kick off our shoes at home or on the beach and waddle about in socks or barefoot, but for the majority of the time our feet are in shoes.  And in terms of footcare, what you do for the majority of the time is what really matters.

So what sort of shoes are best for us? Possibly not what you think!

Take flip-flops for example

Many assume that there is nothing better for feet than flip-flops since they’re soft, flat and do not enclose the foot.  In fact they have a lot wrong with them and should only be worn occasionally. The main issues are that the soles can easily be punctured by sharp objects – most of us have had a stone stuck in the sole of one.  Unfortunately because people leave litter on beaches, broken glass and other sharp objects are often to be found there which will easily pierce the sole of a flip-flop.

They also offer no cushioning from the shock of walking on hard surfaces like the sidewalk.  When we walked on yielding surfaces like sand and mud, the foot’s in-built shock-absorption was perfectly adequate.  

The other issue with flip-flops is that you have to maintain your toes in a curled position in order to hang on to them, because they do not fit around the foot and have no fastening. This means that if worn regularly for prolonged periods your toes are permanently flexed, leading to shortening of the tendons underneath them. So you end up with ‘clawed’ (permanently curled) toes. 

Curling the toe raises the height of the bony toe joints, so that they will be rubbed by other shoes which enclose the foot. This will lead to the development of callus (hard skin) and corns (painful circular patches of hard skin with a central hard core) on top of the toes, which are unsightly as well as uncomfortable.

This leads to strain in the Achilles tendon or adapting walking style to overcome not being able to get the heel to the ground.

So keep your flip-flops for occasional short periods of wear only, and only in your garden or around the pool.

Other kinds of bad footwear – clogs, flats and canvas shoes

You know those rubber clogs with holes in the top and strap around the back that are sold as being healthy for feet? Well I’m sorry to have to tell you, but they’re not. 

Aren’t flat shoes the best ones to wear?

Compared with high-heels of three inches or more, flat shoes are going to be better for our feet. But, as mentioned for flip-flops, completely flat shoes are not without harm.  Many people find flat shoes uncomfortable because they cannot stretch their Achilles tendon sufficiently to bring the heel easily to the ground.  This can lead to strain of the tendon, or adaptation of walking style to get around the problem. 

One of these adaptations is seen in children with a ‘bouncy’ walk – they effectively walk on their toes because they cannot get their heels to the ground because of tight Achilles tendons. The other adaptation is to pronate the foot excessively, which is a rolling inwards motion which lowers the arch. It is a way of progressing the gait (walking) cycle without having to bring the heel into full contact with the ground. But it brings its own problems and can lead to foot, knee, and hip pain, among other things.

And while much higher heels of three inches or more can cause problems if worn for long periods or regularly, the occasional outing in them is not a problem – we all have to live a little!

Many shoes are not supportive enough for daily wear

Finally, flip-flops, canvas shoes and ballet flats, offer no foot support whatsoever.  Many of us have abnormalities of gait (walking) such as excessive pronation or supination, which lead to strain on our feet and joints.  A supportive shoe, being stiff around the heel counter (the part of the shoe which encloses the heel) will help to counteract these abnormal movements of the foot. 

This is one of the reasons that excessive wearing of slippers is also bad for us and older people especially should be encouraged to wear more supportive shoes in the house. 

Among the most supportive shoes are sports sneakers or athletic shoes, as they are designed to support the foot during the rigors of athletic performance.  Good quality ones have a very stiff heel counter – you should find it hard to squeeze the sides of the heel together between your fingers and thumb – and offer more shock-absorption than most shoes.