Everyone likes brand new shoes. And shopping for new footwear in a shoe store is fun and rewarding as well. The normal lifespan of a shoe is about a few months to years, depending on the quality of the product, your usage, and upkeep. Meanwhile, shoes are a vital piece of apparel, so, it has to be of high quality. And one important thing you need to remember while buying new footwear is that you are making an investment in foot health. But, how does your footwear become the best and worst thing about your health?
Your foot is a vital part of your body, and the body is like a chain of connected joints and muscles. And since the whole body’s weight is supported by your feet, anything that happens to them affects your mobility and creates a chain reaction affecting your entire or major parts of your body.
Your foot can indeed tell a lot about your health and also warn you about underlying health conditions. Your feet have many nerve endings, and the whole body can be affected by any issues that damage those nerves and muscles. The way you walk, run, and carry heavy objects will affect your backbone as well. Hence, it is necessary that you find a perfectly fitting pair of shoes to safeguard your health.
This article discusses the health conditions caused by the usage of ill-fitting footwear.
The issues caused by wearing the wrong pair of shoes can be classified into short-term and long-term issues.
Short-Term Issues
Bad nails: Ill-fitting Shoes can damage your nails, causing breakage or bending downwards. It will also create a fungal problem as a result. So, avoid airtight and uncomfortable footwear.
Athlete’s foot: It is a common condition caused by a dermatophyte (a fungal species that lives on the skin). It will cause inflammation, flaking of the skin, and itching.
Corns: This is a condition in which the dead skin around your toes becomes hard, and this occurs due to prolonged pressure exerted on the particular area. It is caused not only because of tight-fitting shoes; even if your shoes are loose, they will slide and rub on the toe skin, and you will experience the same thing.
Long-Term Issues
Bad Posture/Back Pain: The heels of your shoes do affect your back. If the heels are too high and have improper placement or size, it will directly affect the lower and middle back muscles. In some cases, you may even experience body aches because of walking in ill-fitting shoes for hours.
Joint Pain: The knees are most affected because of wrong footwear. If the footwear doesn’t have a proper supportive structure, your knee joint will suffer serious issues.
Collapsed Arches: If you wear footwear that doesn’t offer appropriate support, you might experience fallen or collapsed arches. This condition happens when the muscles at the back of the leg and Achilles tendon are tight when running or walking. It will further strain the ligament that supports the arch, the tendon of the muscle, and the plantar fascia. The continuous stress on these body parts causes the lowering of the arch and associated pain in the arch increases.
These are the major issues caused by wearing improper footwear. Hence, next time you are at a shoe store, ensure that you buy a shoe of the right fit, quality and comfort. Nevertheless, your health is something that is everything, right?