pthom3000August 17th is national love your feet day.
The only way to get the proper fit is to have your foot measured with a Brannock device. Charles F. Brannock first developed the foot measuring device in 1925 and has become the international standard for measuring feet. In our increasingly ‘self-serve’ retail sector, automatically having a store clerk measure your feet is a rare thing indeed.
According to podiatrists, the top five foot problems caused by ill-fitted shoes are:
- Plantar fasciitis. Wearing soft-souled shoes with little or no arch support is usually the culprit.
- Bunions. Lack of space in the toe box is usually to blame for this. Shoes that are too tight and high heels are usually the problem here.
- Corns. Very similar to bunions only they will a hard core centre. This condition is also caused by tight fitting shoes lacking room in the toe box.
- Ingrown toe nails. Although trimming toe nails improperly is the common cause; high heals and even tight socks can encourage the toe nails to become ingrown.
- Hammertoe. Again tight fitting shoes and high heals. Still needing more room in the toe box.
What most people do is simply go up a size. The problem with that is it has a negative effect on your gait. Which in turn can lead to knee, hip and back problems. So in closing, get your foot measured. Having the correct length and width is crucial to happy feet. If the clerk does not offer, then ask for your foot to be measured and write it down for future reference.
I have literally taken a page out of our Osteofit handbook about shoe safety:
The following recommendations for daily foot care are from MedMD:
- check feet daily for cuts, sores, swelling and infected toenails
- give them a good cleaning in warm soapy water; avoid soaking on a regular basis as this tends to dry out the skin
- dry feet thoroughly especially between the toes; then moisturize skipping between the toes
- trim toenails straight across and file if necessary to avoid ingrown toenails
Pedicures on a regular basis (evert 4-6 weeks) are a great way to keep your feet happy and healthy. Just a follow up to these helpful hints; if you have diabetes; foot care becomes paramount. Do NOT neglect your feet.
Socrates wrote: “When our feet hurt; we hurt all over”.
Clever fellow 😉