Why Supportive Shoes are So Important for Your Feet

When you’re playing sports, your feet face far more pressure than they do on a normal day. Sudden direction changes, artificial surfaces such as turf, and sudden starts and stops dramatically increase your risk for ankle sprains, torn ligaments, and hard-to-heal injuries such as Jones fractures. For that reason, picking a generic pair of supportive shoes isn’t enough to prevent sports injuries. Instead, you’ll need to look for shoes specifically designed to support the moves of your chosen form of exercise. 

Running

Runners need to select lighter shoes that have plenty of flexibility. At the same time, the shoes should have lots of traction on the soles, to keep you from slipping during training. Finally, look for pairs that provide additional cushioning and stability to help reduce your risk for running injuries. 

Basketball

When you hit the court, you’ll have to quickly change directions as you cut to the hoop then fall back on defense. Unfortunately, these quick shifts put lots of pressure on your ankles. That’s why most ball players prefer high tops, for added ankle stability designed to prevent rolling injuries. 

Football or Soccer

When you’re playing on turf or grass, you’ll need to swap supportive shoes for cleats. These shoes are designed to keep you stable on unforgiving or slippery surfaces. But, if not fitted properly, they can actually harm your feet, as their hard exterior shell can lead to black or ingrown toenails if your feet slide around and slam into the end of the shoe. Furthermore, it’s important to select pairs that aren’t too stiff, since they can leave you with foot and heel pain, especially if you spend lots of time wearing the cleats on the field. 

While proper fitting is critical for preventing sports injuries, it’s equally important for everyday foot gear. Now, if you think that’s obvious, think again—in a study published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, researchers revealed that up to 72% of people in the US wear the wrong size shoe for their feet. And that can cause a whole host of problems.  But how can you tell if you’re one of the majority of Americans wearing the wrong shoe size? Here are some clear signs that it’s time to get those feet measured again. 

Effects of Wearing Supportive Shoes That Aren’t the Right Size

If you’re wearing shoes with an ill-fitting toe box then your toes will give you the first cry for help. If the shoe is too tight, your toenails may change color or even detach, because of the pressure the toes experience from getting pressure along the shoe edge.

Blisters are another sign of a shoe that’s too big—or too small. If you wear a size too large for your feet, they’ll slide around in your shoes, causing blisters to form from the friction. At the same time, tight shoes will also rub against your feet, again leaving you with blisters.

Heel pain could also be a sign that your shoes don’t fit your specific foot type—especially if you have a flat foot or high arch. If you pick a shoe that doesn’t support your biomechanics, you could put pressure on your plantar fascia, and develop chronic heel pain. In some cases, choosing a shoe designed for your specific foot type can solve this problem. Other times, though, you’ll need the added support of a custom orthotic to prevent pain and other complications.