F THE SHOE FITS, wear it. Just make sure it really fits.
At some point in their lives, 75 percent of Americans suffer foot pain, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association. A recent study found that 12 percent of Americans experience pain from their shoes.
Feet, and the shoes we put them into, may be more important than people think.
Wearing shoes that don't fit can wreak havoc on feet. An ill-fitting pair of shoes can give a person heel pain, arch pain and pain in the balls of their feet. And when the feet hurt, other areas of the body can hurt as well.
The two feet contain a quarter of all the bones in the human body. If these bones are misaligned, they can cause pain in a person's knees, hips and back.
Other painful results of poorly fitting shoes include blisters, ingrown toenails and bunions, which can lead to infection or even surgery.
"I don't think a lot of people are used to what you feel when you put on comfortable shoes," said Leroy Bailey, who works at Comfort One Shoes on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg.
For 19 percent of the people whom the APMA surveyed, foot pain was so bad that it prevented them from taking part in certain daily activities.
The consequences of wearing shoes that don't fit can be especially serious for diabetics.
While shoes that don't fit properly can cause rubbing and calluses in anyone, diabetics have a more difficult time fighting infection. And if infection in a foot goes untreated, amputation may be the only solution. According to the APMA, diabetes is the leading cause of nontraumatic lower-extremity amputations in the United States.
It may take more time and patience to find a shoe that fits well. But even for those without serious underlying medical conditions, it can be time well spent.
Jeff Van Horn, owner of the specialty running store VA Runner in Fredericksburg's Central Park, said he sees customers with foot pain every day.
"I'm confident that through the use of properly fitted shoes, the pain can be relieved and prevented from coming back," Van Horn said.
No more 'fad' shoesBarbara Posey believes in the power of a good pair of shoes.
While trying to lose weight brought on by a thyroid problem, she became frustrated that a chronic knee problem caused too much pain for her to exercise. She even had to use a walking stick because the condition caused her knee to give out with no warning.
Then in May, she bought a pair of Masai Barefoot Technology sneakers.
Designed with extra cushioning in the heel and a rocker bottom, which naturally propels the wearer forward, the MBTs are advertised as shoes that offer a constant workout.
Once equipped with the new shoes, Posey was able to walk five to seven miles a day. She ultimately lost 60 pounds.
"In two months, I had to send them back for new soles," Posey said. "I don't like to take them off."
Although her knee still aches sometimes, Posey no longer fears falling down, and she leaves the walking stick at home. Her husband, Bob, bought two pairs and noticed that his lower-back pain disappeared.
Finding the right shoes brought joy to Kris Samarov as well.
When she got into her 30s, she said, her left hip started hurting so much that she couldn't sleep on her left side. She switched to shoes known for their comfort, such as Clarks, in hopes that her pain would subside. And it did.
With the new shoes, her hip pain decreased, especially on the days when she was on her feet a lot at her old teaching job.
The real fix came when a podiatrist prescribed orthotics, custom-made inserts for her shoes.
"I don't buy the fad shoes anymore," said Samarov, as she tried on running shoes recently at VA Runner.
Everyone from podiatrists to shoe salesmen recommends buying shoes at actual shoe stores instead of general merchandise stores. Shoes may cost less at general retail stores. But the cheap prices are possible because manufacturers use inexpensive materials, which sacrifice vital aspects of comfort such as arch support and heel cushioning.
The reality is that a comfortable shoe often is a more expensive one.
"The more expensive the shoe, you're getting a better product," said Dr. Ross Girvan of Fredericksburg Foot and Ankle Center.
Bailey, of Comfort One Shoes, explained that a more expensive shoe means more expensive materials, which often make for a well-cushioned shoe with good foot support.
"With shoes, you really get what you pay for," he said.
Yet people shouldn't buy shoes based on price or brand name alone. The most important factor in judging a shoe is how comfortable it feels on the first try.
"It comes down to what feels good on your foot," Girvan said.
While many people think that they can break in a new pair of shoes, this idea is a myth, said Dr. John Cook of Central Virginia Podiatry.
"Thinking you're going to break in a shoe means you're destroying something you paid for," Cook said. "If they're not comfortable when you put them on, you've got the wrong shoe."
A painful rite of passage?Mechelle Sharp of Fredericksburg believes a little discomfort comes with any new pair of shoes.
"Blisters are pretty common when you wear a new pair," Sharp said as her 13-year-old daughter, Suzanne, shopped in a local department store for a pair of black pumps with a low heel. "That's why I buy leather. If you get a good pair, you can wear them for years."
Sharp isn't alone in thinking blisters are a rite of passage with a new pair of shoes. Many women equip their heels and toes with Band-Aids before a night out in fashionable shoes.
According to the APMA, only 35 percent of people choose shoes based on comfort over style.
Cook, who typically wears Clarks' standard tie-up men's shoes, said it is usually women who care more about the style and color of their shoes.
"One of the things most women don't realize is that people are usually five feet away," Cook said. "If they were more concerned [about whether] their shoe fit, they would realize the shade doesn't matter."
Women are four times more likely than men to suffer foot pain. High heels may be part of the reason. The APMA reports that high heels over 3 inches put seven times the normal pressure on the ball of the foot.
But that doesn't mean fashionistas should throw out all of their stylish shoes.
"It's OK to be stylish for short periods of time," Girvan said.
Bailey agrees.
"If you buy a shoe like a stiletto, have it on for a couple of hours, not eight hours at work," Bailey said.
Otherwise, you may suffer the consequences. Some of the most painful results of poor-fitting shoes are neuromas. These enlarged growths of nerves result from bones and other tissues rubbing against a nerve. While a change of shoes and extra padding usually fixes them, surgery is sometimes needed to remove neuromas.
Bunions, another common complaint, are preventable for most people. Shoes that are too tight or narrow cause the big toe to turn inward, leaving a bulge on the outside of the foot where the big toe meets the foot. Wearing looser shoes can relieve pain, but some bunions need surgery to fix them.
Diabetics should be especially careful to avoid tight-fitting shoes. Many diabetics lose sensation in their feet, and unless they inspect their feet daily they may not realize that the shoe is rubbing their foot or toe to the bone.
Bailey, of Comfort One Shoes, suggests that diabetics stay away from shoes with a lot of stitching, which can rub.
Diabetics also need to buy shoes with a large amount of space around the toe and wide width to ensure good circulation.
Finding a good fit isn't impossible. Shoe-buyers just need to go with their instincts, and buy only shoes that feel good from the moment they try them on in the store.
"[If] we can find anything to complain about, that's a reason not to get it," Van Horn said.
To reach KATHRYN MOLINARO:
Email: kmolinaro@freelancestar.com