Women often come to the office saying they wear “good shoes” and don’t know why their feet hurt. For many patients, a good shoe means not wearing a high heeled shoe. Companies advertise foldable flats as a remedy to long nights in high heeled shoes. But could flats be bad for our feet? The answer is YES! Super thin flat shoes that can bend easily to fit into your purse are bad shoes. Their lack of support puts strain on the plantar fascia band, Achilles tendon, and calf muscle. Wearing ballet slippers, slides and flip flops that collapse can lead to stress fractures, aggravate plantar fasciitis, and worsen Achilles tendonitis. These shoes can also predispose people to knee, hip and back injuries. Better shoe choices include a block or stacked wedge heel, and supportive sandals and loafers. You don’t have to buy all new shoes though, putting an orthotic in your favorite pair of flats is an excellent option. A podiatrist can make you a custom pair of orthotics for your flats. Our Healthy Steps store has off the shelf inserts and stylish supportive shoes available. The rule of thumb for finding the right shoe whether it be a flat or heel is: if you can roll it up, it’s not a good shoe… keep looking!
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