If the Shoe Fits, Wear It

Walking is transportation in its most basic form. The feet are an essential part of moving a person from point A to point B. If the feet are not healthy, movement in any direction becomes uncomfortable. It is critical to protect the feet from injuries. Sharp objects, hot surfaces, and the everyday forces of nature can cause injuries to the feet.

Individual Personnel Carriers commonly referred to as shoes, aid in protecting the feet from injury. When hasty selection takes preference over a careful decision-making process, or style becomes more important than comfort for the shoes you choose, going barefooted will probably cause you less pain and perhaps fewer injuries to your feet. If you do not wish to hinder the most basic and reliable form of transportation, it is extremely important for you to know how to select proper fitting footwear.

Size Matters- Buying Shoes That Fit

Blisters, corns, bunions, hammertoe, ingrown toenails and athletes' feet are just some of the maladies, which can stem from poor fitting shoes. Damages to the nerve, muscular, and skeletal systems, are some of the more serious side effects of ill-fitting shoes.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." is one of Benjamin Franklin's most famous quotes. The same practice is applicable for shoe shopping. If you know what to look for in a shoe, and how to prevent future shock to your feet, you're well on your way to walking the walk.

Let's Go Shoe Shopping

We'll wait until the end of the day. Your feet aren't as big in the morning. After being active all day the feet have a tendency to swell up a bit. You'll probably get a better fit on the shoes.

If it has been a few years since you bought your last pair of shoes, measure your feet. You should measure your feet while standing up. The muscles and bones often stretch, as you get older, so don't be surprised to find that you need a larger shoe.

Make sure you have plenty of toe room. Your toes shouldn't be touching the front of the shoe. If the toes do touch the tip, upsize the shoe. A good distance between toe and tip is one-half of an inch.

Get a good fit all the way around; Top, sides and bottom. Ensure the widest part of your foot fits the widest part of the shoe.

Try on both shoes and walk around the store to see if they feel good. The reason for not trying on just one shoe and walking around is one foot might be larger than the other foot.

Make sure the shoes feel good now. If you think that after a tight fitting shoe is broken in, they will fit better, you had better think again. Some do. Ask yourself a question. Is it going to be worth the pain waiting for the shoe stretch factor to take effect, if it ever does?

Bring a pair of socks just like the socks you will be wearing with your new pair of shoes. Remember cotton is thicker than rayon, and rayon socks are thicker than nylons.

Looking Good vs. Feeling Good

Buying the latest trends or styles in basic footwear may keep you in the limelight. You might even pay a high price for shoes seen only in a fashion magazine. Poor fitting, stylish shoes will impede your ability to enjoy many of the things you bought the shoes for in the first place. If you are willing to pay the price, not only in money, but also in discomfort and possible injury, buy all means go for it.

If buying the shoes to make your feet feel good, increases your enjoyment of daily activities, and you know without doubt you made a good investment in footwear, you chose wisely.

Traveling from point A to point B will be just another walk in the park.