Although there are a number of guidelines that will help you find the healthiest shoe, everyone’s feet are different. Your age, overall health and walking and running styles will all play a role in which shoe is the best fit for you. Fortunately, a plethora of research has been conducted to help people find the ideal shoes for their feet. Follow along with this guide to learn which comfort shoes in Rochester Hills, MI scientists say are the healthiest for your feet.
What are healthy feet?
In order to find out which shoe is the healthiest, you must first understand the characteristics of a healthy foot. For most people, a healthy foot is strong and stiff, as this helps to cut down on the risk and occurrence of injury and deformity.
It can also help your feet to make sure your rotation includes more than one pair of healthy shoes. Finding one good pair of shoes that you can wear everyday seems like a perfectly fine idea, but over time this will stress the same muscles in your feet, leading to a potential fracture.
Finding healthy shoes
One of the first things you must do to find the healthiest shoe is determine the right size and fit for your foot. In addition to being uncomfortable, shoes that are too narrow or too short can cause issues such as bunions or corns, and put you at a higher risk of falling or tripping when walking or running. Heel elevation will also be a factor, and both older and younger adults should try to choose shoes with a thin and flexible sole, and low, broad heels for stability. Make sure that any shoe you wear is firmly connected to your foot with laces, Velcro or straps.
Your feet need exercise, too
Just like the rest of your body, the muscles in your feet need ample exercise. Shoes function as a stiff substitute for the ground, and while this sounds like a good thing, they could actually cause you to use your feet muscles far less than you should, as the stiffness should actually be in your foot and not in the shoe. This can lead to weak feet that have a higher likelihood of becoming flat. Research has shown that flat-footed individuals are more likely to experience back pain, as well as knee pain and cartilage damage. On the other hand, minimal shoes that mimic walking with bare feet eliminate the arch support, as well as the confining toe box, encouraging strong, stiff healthy feet.
If you find that you have been wearing the incorrect shoe for many years, it is best to make the transition to healthy shoes gradually, so as not to cause injury to your foot with the sudden change. Here at Haig Shoes, we understand the importance of foot health, which is why we make it our top priority to make sure that you walk out with a pair of healthy comfort shoes in Rochester Hills, MI. To take care of your feet, and subsequently the rest of your body, make sure you give us a call or pay us a visit today!