Your Choice in Shoes and How They Affect Your Health

Can you imagine how it must have been years and years ago when humans had to walk barefoot? Yes, it doesn’t matter what the terrain or the weather was like. These days, no one hardly leaves their home without any footwear. The fact that there’s a shoe store practically everywhere makes walking around without shoes simply unimaginable.

When you go online to look for shoes or try on pair after pair in a shoe store, all in your quest to find the perfect designer pumps for work, your health is probably the last thing on your mind. What most people do not know is that poorly-designed footwear or ill-fitting shoes can actually cause various health problems that may either be short- or long-term, and they can affect different parts of your body. That’s why it is very important that more than the style factor, we consider what we put on our feet for health reasons.

Here are some of the health problems that may be caused by the wrong choice of footwear:

Nail and Fungal Problems

Nail and fungal problems are quite common in Canada. Ingrown toenails are caused when the sides of your nails pierce their surrounding skin. They can be anything from a slight nuisance to something that’s really painful and uncomfortable. Fungal toenail infections can be unsightly, what with the discolouration and nail brittleness they cause. They can also cause further complications when the infections spread. You should avoid tight footwear and hosiery because these can both cause damage to your nail and create a moist environment, which we all know is what fungal spores need to thrive.

Corns

These are hard, dead skin that you might find over a joint or any bony prominence. They may be caused by prolonged pressure to a specific spot in your foot that happens when you wear ill-fitting footwear. If your shoes are a little loose, they may allow your feet to slide or put excessive pressure on specific areas of your feet.

Back Pain

Back pains are probably the last thing you’d think would be associated with your choice of footwear. The truth is, lumbar intervertebral disc compression which results from wearing poor footwear can cause lower back pain. So it’s best that you stick to low shoes whenever possible, and if you need to wear high heels, ensure that they are really well-made and that you do not wear them for extended periods.

Joint Pain

If your shoes do not provide sufficient support, they can ultimately lead to different sorts of joint problems, including knee pain and arthritis. This is because your knees have to bend more to compensate for the reduced shock absorbing at your feet when your heel hits the ground when you’re walking. Aside from that, your front thigh muscles also have to work harder for a better push off when walking.

These are just some of the most common health issues that are associated with wrong footwear choice. So when you go shoe-shopping next time, make sure you look beyond what’s in this season!