Your feet have been holding your weight and helping you move from one place to another all your life. It is important to look after them by wearing well-fitting shoes that offer support, protection, balance and grip. If you do not wear proper shoes, it can cause adverse foot conditions.

Ingrown Toe Nails

When your shoes are too small or taper too much at the end, they crush the toes together and because of lack of space, the toe nails start growing into the skin of the toes instead of out. These toe nail problems can cause inflammation, swelling and tenderness.

Blisters

These are caused when tight fitting footwear rub against the skin of the feet causing friction. It can occur with any kind of shoes, but especially with new shoes that your feet are not used to. It will settle down as your feet get used to them. But, if it doesn’t get better, it may be because the footwear is not the right fit for you.

Heel Pain

Plantar fasciitis is heel pain that usually manifests in a flat-footed person. It is characterized by the inflammation of the heel. Heel pain can be made worse by wearing ill-fitting shoes especially when playing a sport or doing an aerobic exercise like jogging.

Also Read: Are your shoes giving you enough support?

Bunions

This is a protrusion at the base of your big toe and can be more pronounced in some people. When the big toe is pressed too much, especially inside footwear that doesn’t fit, pressure is placed on the joint and it becomes red and tender.

Athlete’s Foot

This is a fungal infection that occurs due to wet or sweaty feet, stuffed inside tight-fitting shoes. It can cause bad smelling feet and if left untreated it could get infected causing other complications.

To avoid foot problems, make sure you always wear footwear that fits you well. If you develop foot ailments in spite of wearing proper shoes, consulting a podiatrist and getting a treatment plan or customized footwear is a good idea.

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