2008 Woodie Awards
New shoes take away foot blues
Valerie Spencer
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: TruLife
Shoes can change a person's life. Just ask Cinderella.
Or ask the millions of people who are wearing shoes every day that don't fit their feet properly. Both feet and shoe brands are made differently, and wearing shoes designed to fit another type of foot can be harmful to an individual's physical health. It's not just heels and flats that are the culprits, either. Even tennis shoes not properly fit to someone's feet can cause foot, knee, hip and back pain.
Michael Bird, associate professor of exercise science, is a biomechanist and a runner. He said that getting the right kind of shoes, especially for someone involved in any athletic activity, is important.
"You have to know what kind of shoes are appropriate for you," Bird said. "Shoes are designed to provide cushion for what happens between your foot and the ground."
Bird said problems with the fit and type of motion control shoes have can lead to problems in areas of the body other than the feet.
"If your shoe fits improperly, you may adjust the way you walk or the way you run to that," he said. "And depending on how you adjust to it, it could lead to knee pain, or it could lead to back pain, or it could lead to hip pain."
Bird said he suggests doing a self-check of any footwear problems by looking at the wear patterns on the bottoms of shoes.
"That might provide a hint about what kind of gait patterns you have and what kind of shoe might be most helpful," he said.
Another course of action to take is to check out a store that specializes in shoe fitting, like freshman Marissa Chaplin did.
"I hadn't gotten a new pair of tennis shoes since I was a freshman in high school, and they were starting to look a little worn down," she said. "I knew it probably wasn't good for my feet because they were starting to hurt a little bit when I wore the shoes."
Chaplin said a friend told her about a store near her at which the employees could analyze her feet and the way she walks and then suggest specific brands of shoes that would work best for her feet and walking style.
Or ask the millions of people who are wearing shoes every day that don't fit their feet properly. Both feet and shoe brands are made differently, and wearing shoes designed to fit another type of foot can be harmful to an individual's physical health. It's not just heels and flats that are the culprits, either. Even tennis shoes not properly fit to someone's feet can cause foot, knee, hip and back pain.
Michael Bird, associate professor of exercise science, is a biomechanist and a runner. He said that getting the right kind of shoes, especially for someone involved in any athletic activity, is important.
"You have to know what kind of shoes are appropriate for you," Bird said. "Shoes are designed to provide cushion for what happens between your foot and the ground."
Bird said problems with the fit and type of motion control shoes have can lead to problems in areas of the body other than the feet.
"If your shoe fits improperly, you may adjust the way you walk or the way you run to that," he said. "And depending on how you adjust to it, it could lead to knee pain, or it could lead to back pain, or it could lead to hip pain."
Bird said he suggests doing a self-check of any footwear problems by looking at the wear patterns on the bottoms of shoes.
"That might provide a hint about what kind of gait patterns you have and what kind of shoe might be most helpful," he said.
Another course of action to take is to check out a store that specializes in shoe fitting, like freshman Marissa Chaplin did.
"I hadn't gotten a new pair of tennis shoes since I was a freshman in high school, and they were starting to look a little worn down," she said. "I knew it probably wasn't good for my feet because they were starting to hurt a little bit when I wore the shoes."
Chaplin said a friend told her about a store near her at which the employees could analyze her feet and the way she walks and then suggest specific brands of shoes that would work best for her feet and walking style.
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