Do Your Feet Hurt?

By Diane Miller
HPR Intern

We all know how miserable it can be to have tired/achy feet. Especially for people like nurses, waitresses and runners who are on their feet constantly. Having sore feet can be quite nagging and irritating when all you want to do is concentrate on your job, but instead your mind is overtaken by your screaming feet.

I have been a runner (competitive and for wellness) for over a decade. On top of that, for over five years I have sold footwear at the areas largest retailer for casual and athletic shoes – Scheels. Although I may not be a podiatrist, [and] according to what customers tell me, I have found that many podiatrists know very little about what the footwear world has to offer. and I have also found that many of them don’t educate their patients about proper fit. For over five years I have been dealing with people’s feet issues, because at Scheels, people come with [specific] questions expecting us to know the answers. And the fact of the matter is there are answers to solving your feet problems. The answer could very well be as simple of a fix as re-fitting your shoes. When you shoes fit well, you can prevent a world of pain and also prevent foot surgery.

For part one of my article, I would like to [Let us or Let’s] focus on self-induced foot pain. Here’s an all too common self-inducing way to make your feet hurt: wearing your shoes too small. I’m not sure if people are just self-conscious about possibly looking like a clown, but in the all years I’ve sold footwear I have found this to be one of the most common reasons for foot pain.

Here are some classic symptoms to help you figure out if you are be wearing your shoes too small:

1. Your toes get sore after wearing the ill fitting shoes for a while
2. Your feet go numb or feel tingly
3. The ball of your foot gets sore (your toes connect to the ball of the foot)
4. If you are a runner and you’ve lost a toe-nail
5. If you are a runner and you’ve gotten a black toenail
6. You have a bunion or are developing a bunion – notice a bone sticking out the side of your foot?
7. Your toes are starting to curl inward – a.k.a. hammer toes
8. Your’re older and have arthritis in your toes

So, let’s start with reassurance. People don’t judge others negatively for having big feet. Have you ever looked at a person and thought, “My goodness, her feet are disgustingly huge!”? I wear a size ten and when I tell people that they say, “Really? I would have never guessed.” That is because no one pays attention!

How you can tell if you are wearing the right size?

1. Check where the end of your toe is – always check from a standing position. Make sure you have a thumb’s width between the end of your toe and the front of the shoe. Any less than that, I highly consider going up at least a half size. If your toe is pushing out the front, go up a full size or consider getting your foot re-measured altogether.
2. A comfortable shoe should never squeeze the sides of your foot. Granted you don’t want to swim in your shoes, but it’s better to be generous than stingy in the width. It is okay if a shoe happily hugs your foot, but keep in mind your feet swell the longer you stand, walk, or run.

It’s true. High heels are terrible for your feet because they squeeze the front of your foot into its opposite shape, all the while creating even more pressure by lifting your heel far off the ground. This is how arthritis can develop in your toes. Heels may be okay if you are mostly seated, but they [heels] are guaranteed to cause pain if you are standing for awhile. Ever wondered why Crocs are so popular? Obviously it’s not the looks. People stand by that brand whole-heartedly because of the comfort. One of the major reasons why they are so comfortable is because they are wide.

With that said, here are some common objections toward going up in shoe size:

1. “This is the size I’ve always worn.” – That doesn’t mean your foot hasn’t changed in size. Yes, it’s true your foot size can change as you age. Also, every brand can run differently in both length and width.
2. “My heel slips.” – It is way more important you get a proper fit in the front of the shoe, than in the back. It is rare that a minimal amount of heel slippage will give you foot pain or even blister. In fact, I see blistering happen in the heel more often from people who wear their shoes too small. Try re-lacing your shoe differently and see if that helps. If you absolutely can’t get over it, move on to another brand.
3. “I don’t like sloppy fitting shoes.” – There is a difference between sloppy fitting and having just a thumb’s width of room around your toes.
4. “I’m afraid they will stretch.” – Shoes can stretch some in the width (if they are leather), but they most certainly will not stretch in toe box. Also, do you really want your feet to suffer while waiting for the shoe to stretch, uncertain that it will even stretch where you want it to in the first place?
5. “My arch doesn’t feel like it’s in the right place.”  I think this is a case where you may be over-thinking it. Fitting a shoe is a lot less complicated than you think. If the arch feels slightly off, it is not going to cause your foot to hurt. There is no evidence toward this objection.

I’ve seen people who will spend hundreds of dollars on awesome shoes and not realize they are wasting their money because are buying them too small. For too many, the consequences lead to surgery, hurting their pockets (and well being) even more. Foot surgery is far too common, and in the majority of cases, it can be prevented. It all starts with proper fitting shoes.

Stay tuned for part two where I will discuss heel pain solutions—a.k.a. the forever dreaded… plantar fasciitis.

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