Blog Post: Choosing Shoes? Get Help!
It all started with these bad orthotics. Actually, it all started with these bad feet. I got fitted for a third pair of orthotics a couple of years ago. They promised good arch support since I have falling arches and tend to over-pronate (bear weight on the inner soles of the feet). Once I had foot surgery and got clearance in the spring to walk greater distances, I decided to treat myself to a new pair of shoes. Only wide-width shoes fit with the orthotics. Brooks is known for its excellent support for pronators like me and also comes in a wide width, so I bee-lined toward them. After a few little laps around the store, I decided to get my usual size 9½ in a wide with.
I joined an exercise meetup group and handled the workouts well overall, but an eight-mile walk/run hurt a lot more than expected. Once home, I realized, alarmed, that my big toenails were bruised. Everything hurt. I chalked it up to my arthritic feet and decided to cut down on my distance. Yet, I wondered if there was anything more I could do. . . .
So, I asked my foot surgeon to fit me for a pair of orthotics through his facility. I picked them up the other day and tried them out while wearing my current shoes. The doctor looked concerned and started asking questions, which led to some questions of my own. I was directed to the shoe store part of the facility. I’ve had gait analysis done years ago, but this particular session was especially eye-opening. My biggest foot concerns were addressed in a 15-minute appointment:
ISSUE: Bruised toenails; jammed big toe
REASON: Shoes that are too small. My big toe was butting up against some detailing in the top of my shoe, which was causing unnecessary trauma. I need to run in shoes a half-size larger than I typically wear.
ISSUE: Strained/cramped pinky toes
REASON: Over-compensation (shoes plus orthotics). Even with the original insoles removed, the arch-supporting Brooks shoes fitted with my orthotics actually caused me to supinate (bear weight on the outer blades of the feet). I thought that the two would help support each other, but instead they compounded into something painful.
ISSUE: General trauma, blisters, wear and tear
REASON: Shoes that are too wide. As it turns out, those wide old orthotics forced me to purchase wide shoes to accommodate them. Plus, a specialty shoe store (incorrectly) led me to believe I have wider-than-average feet. When the shoe is too wide or too long, the foot crashes around upon impact when running, wreaking havoc on the whole foot.
The verdict? I ended up with a shoe with only minor arch support in a regular-width size 10. The staff examined my gait on the treadmill and measured angles on video still frames. They agreed that they’d found a much more comfortable—and safer—shoe.
Shopping with no guidance, I had ended up overcompensating for issues, some of which weren’t even present. If you feel any discomfort when running or walking, it’s a good idea to have a professional help you determine if your shoes are the proper balance and fit for your feet. Properly fitting shoes can help prevent unnecessary wear and tear and even injury—not just to the feet but also to ankles, knees and back. I can’t wait to feel how these new shoes and orthotics help me go the distance toward becoming a bona-fide runner—now in a healthy, safer way.