What is this: two arcs that form a triangle and consist of 26 parts? Clearly: the foot! This marvel of biomechanics works in tandem to help us walk safely upright, maintain balance, and carry our full weight through life day after day. On average, humans circle the earth four times in the course of their lives with it.
Feet need care
A foot is not only made up of 26 individual bones, but has 22 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles. This means that our feet withstand around 450 kilograms of pressure weight with each normal step.
But for them to work together properly, we need to treat our feet with care. Especially important: suitable footwear! Many people squeeze their feet into shoes that are rather too small. In addition, most shoes conform to current fashion standards, but not to the natural shape of the foot. Synthetic material also harms the feet.
Foot problems caused by inappropriate shoes
If you wear the wrong shoes, you will get problems with:
- Unpleasant callus thickening and corns.
- Sweaty feet and fungal infections
- Infections of the nail bed
- Torn cornea
- Ingrown toenails
Shoes must fit
When buying shoes, you should therefore not primarily pay attention to brand and color, but to the fact that the shoe fits well. It helps to postpone the purchase of shoes to the late afternoon or evening, because then the feet have already done much of their daily work and are optimally supplied with blood by the movement. In addition, if you sit a lot and tend to have swollen feet, avoid buying shoes that are too tight when you try them on in the evening.
In addition, you should always try on both shoes and focus especially on the fit of the left shoe. Due to the pumping action of the heart on the left side of the body, for many people the left foot is slightly thicker than the right. While the difference is hardly noticeable when you just look at it, it is noticeable when you buy shoes.
5 tips for buying shoes
When buying shoes, take the following tips to heart for healthy footwear:
- Try on new shoes in the afternoon or evening.
- Always try on both shoes – note that the left foot is usually a little thicker.
- Do not wear new, not yet broken-in shoes for more than half an hour.
- Feet after wearing examine for pressure points. For pressure points that are still reddened after about ten minutes, the shoes must be widened in the appropriate places.
- For children: Buy the shoes neither too small nor too big. Measure the foot best exactly, because the inner length is often very different for the same size and different shoes. So shoe sizes offer only an approximate guide. Also pay attention to the appropriate width – quite a few manufacturers specify this additionally.
