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The 80/20 Rule
Let’s be realistic. For many
occasions such as weddings,
dinner parties or cocktails
with the girls, women will
often select fashion over
function - no questions asked!
However, when it comes to
more practical situations such
as your daily walk to and from
the office, working in a retail
scenario or any job that de-
mands standing while being
dressed to impress, fashion
should come second to having
a functional, pain-free shoe.
To address this requirement,
Pedorthists will often suggest
that their patients follow the
“80/20
rule.” Eighty percent
of the time, when you are at
work, doing housework or ex-
ercising, wear sensible shoes.
For the remaining twenty
percent of the time, feel free
to let fashion be your guide!
For the dedicated high heel
wearers out there who think
the pain is only temporary,
think again. Research shows
that habitual high heel use
can increase your risk of
developing medial knee
osteoarthritis, a degenerative
disease of the knee joint.
Wearing high heels alters the
forces acting through the knee
joint and imposes more force
along the inside of the knee -
a predisposing factor to devel-
oping medial knee osteoar-
thritis. A second concern with
fashionable footwear is pointy
toed shoes or too narrow of a
toe box. Compressing the foot
into a narrow shape (such as
a pointy toed shoe) can lead
to painful forefoot conditions
such as a Morton’s neuroma
(
compression of a nerve) or
Hallux Valgus (bunions). Both
a Morton’s neuroma and/or
bunions can require corrective
surgery if severe enough, so
again, proof that the pain is
not always temporary.
What to do about
a shoe
Now that we have your atten-
tion (hopefully) regarding the
risks associated with pointy
toed high heels, here are
some characteristics to look
for when shopping for practi-
cal dress shoes.
Round or square
toe box
The roomier the toe box the
better. A good test is to stand
with your foot on top of the
shoe and see how many
toes splay outside of the toe
box. Stay away from 2 or 3
toed shoes where only 2-3 of
your toes are actually in the
toe box! Many women don’t
realize that even dress shoes
come in multiple widths. Your
Canadian Certified Pedorthist
can measure your feet for both
length and width to make
sure you are getting the best
fitting footwear. If your fore-
foot is wider than a “D” width,
it is highly recommended that
you purchase shoes that come
in wider widths to decrease
your chance of developing
bunions or Morton’s neuroma.
Low, stable heel
Choose shoes with a solid
heel, such as a square heel or
a wedge design. As for heel
height, research recommends
wearing heels 1.5 inches or
less to minimize excess forces
from occurring at the knee.
Cushioning
Look for shoes with cushion-
ing under the heel and ball
of the foot. Many shoes will
have a removable foot bed
that your Pedorthist can either
replace or modify according to
your needs. Also, make sure
the heel counter (the back of
the shoe) is cushioned and/
or lined so it does not cause
blisters or friction.
Still want more
advice?
Book an appointment at
your local BioPed clinic with
a Canadian Certified Pedor-
thist. He/she will perform a
biomechanical assessment of
your foot structure and gait
mechanics. Your Pedorthist
will then provide you with
particular brands and styles
of shoes to try based on
your specific foot structure
and needs.
Dress for (Foot Health) Success.
What To Look For
in a Dress Shoe
Many women face the ultimate dilemma of
fashion versus function when it comes to
selecting shoes. Can the two ever meet? Are
we forced to pay a painful price in the name
of fashion? In this article we offer some tips
and tricks when it comes to selecting footwear
that will suit both your functional and
fashionable senses!
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