What Makes a Shoe “Foot Healthy”?

If you’re like me, finding shoes can be a complicated task. Trying to find a shoe that looks and feels good can sometimes be an impossible task. I would always hear the term “foot healthy” shoe, and before coming to The Right Shoe, I honestly didn’t know exactly what that meant. I always thought if it felt good, then it was fine. After joining The Right Shoe team here at Martin Foot and Ankle, I learned a lot about what shoes can do (the good and the bad) for your feet.

My training and shadowing of our podiatrists here at Martin opened my eyes to what a proper “healthy” shoe can be, and what can happen to your feet after years of wearing improper, and non-supportive shoes. So I am here to help you on your journey to a “Foot Healthy” shoe for all your different needs.

Here are three important things to look for in your next shoe:

Rocker Sole/Bottom

foot healthy rocker bottomYou may have heard the word Rocker sole before, and for good reason. It is a great shoe design built to reduce the stress on the foot due to loss of function and flexibility. The Rocker Bottom design can compensate for loss of motion, with a rolling the step kind of feel. This also shifts the wearers’ weight to the back, to give comfort and relief of many forefront foot pains.

 

Available at The Right Shoe:
Rocker Sole/Bottom shoes

 

Arch Support

foot healthy Arch supportGood arch support is always a great thing to have in your shoes. Our arches can be victim to some heavy abuse and wear. On average, our aches can bear up to 200,000 lbs. for every mile we walk, and this can mean development of pain and irritation from that constant pressure and impact. Getting a shoe with built in arch support helps hold up the arch and keep it from collapsing. A good arch support can help prevent many musculoskeletal problems and over pronation, Arch supports can be built into shoes, but if not, orthotic inserts can always be purchased to slip into your shoes and give your arches the support they need and deserve.

Available at The Right Shoe:
Orthotic Inserts

 

Shock Absorption

foot healthy shock absorbtionWe all want our feet to feel the best they can, but with lack of cushion and shock absorption some shoes can be unbearable after only a few short hours. Having a shoe that has good shock absorption is key to keeping your feet and body in good shape. The constant impact of walking and other activities can take its toll on your feet. This everyday trauma can cause stress fractures, inflammation, and other foot problems that we see every day. Materials like cork, polyurethane, and memory foam are often built into shoes to give good cushion and impact absorption.

Available at The Right Shoe:
Work shoes, Athletics Shoes

 

At The Right Shoe we offer many styles that offer these three awesome features. From our casual clogs with their nice rocker bottoms, to a great summer sandals with built in arch support and cork shock absorption. We have many options to help your feet on their journey to better “Foot Health”. Stop in and we will be happy to go through our selection and their benefits, and help find “The Right Shoe” for you!

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Comments

  1. I think it is important to point out shock absorption and arch support. I think that if you use shock absorption and arch support then your feet will always feel great and it will prevent further issues from happening. I would love to learn more about keeping my feet healthy.

  2. I guess I never realized how important the arch of our foot was. Currently I am wearing a pretty flat shoe. I hope that wont cause to many problems with my feet. I will have too look more into it. thanks for sharing.

  3. It’s good to know that a shoe needs to be “foot healthy.” I had never really thought about shock absorption, but it makes sense. I wouldn’t want a shoe that is flat and hard, without any pads!