Choosing the wrong footwear is like “putting your foot right into trouble”. Find out just how much harm, the wrong footwear can do to your body alignment. A lot can be said about women and their heels. After diamonds, any woman’s next best friend is her favorite pair of shoes! Women are indeed big on foot accessories, and one could make a fortune, solely by catering to a woman’s undying love for footwear. Even an ordinary and homely kind of woman cannot resist the urge of owning at least half a dozen different pairs of shoes, at any given point. Footwear in women ceases to be ‘just footwear’; it is just as important as jewelry and clothes. For some women, footwear is primarily about style, splendor and conspicuous consumption (read show off); and if there is any room left, then comes comfort & protection. But did you know that the choice of your shoes can largely determine how good or bad you feel, health wise as well? So how can your shoe-style affect your health? Feet are the body’s foundation and anything that affects the feet, is going to affect the rest of the body, either on the muscular level or skeletally. So, no matter what brand or type of footwear you choose, the main consideration is whether it affects the feet and consequently the body, in a positive way, or not. Footwear affects the toes, metatarsals, insteps, tendons, heels and ankles; so if there is any adverse pressure at any, or all these points, it could well throw your body’s balance, mobility and gait, out of gear. Here are some of the ‘worst shoes ever’ that women should use, with extreme discretion.
Stilettos
These derive their name from their likeness to an assassin’s narrow-bladed, throwing knife. True to their name, a pair of stilettos can be a real killer too! They might look absolutely ‘killer cool’ on your feet, while simultaneously, being the absolute assassins for your body. Yes, those very ‘hot and happening’ stilettos that you love to flaunt, can put fiendish pressure on the balls of your feet, causing your pelvis to actually tilt forward abnormally and shift the very axis of your body balance. Wearing stilettos for long periods of time can cause pinched nerves that usually result in nightmarish lower back and ankle pain.
Platform heels
A heel, is a heel, is a heel! Whether it is a high heel or a platform heel, it still has its adverse effects on the female skeletal system. Platform wedges also exert pressure on the balls of the feet and result in the forward jutting of the body. If your posture is nothing to write home about, then by opting for these, you actually increase the risk of some serious pain in your spine and neck. Just because the wedge is cushioned, most women think it would take care of the pain factor; but the fact is that the cushioning can cause a foot-brain disconnect, as the foot may not be able to receive the right signals from the brain, with regards to ground awareness. Over a period of time, the body’s sense of balance is disrupted and the result could be a rather curious, shuffling gait.
Flats
Now, if you were to go to the other extreme, shunning heels altogether and only wearing flats, you’d think you’d have resolved all your heel-related woes, right? Well, not quite! Flats can also be disastrous, albeit in totally different ways. Flats, or ‘ballet flats’ as they are called, can bother your feet by not providing enough cushioning or arch support. People with flat feet will not benefit by wearing flats, in any way whatsoever. However, flats are a safer bet compared to heels, as they actually exercise the feet and make them stronger. So while going in for your next pair of flats, the least you could do, is to ensure that they have some sort of a heel, even if it is just a ‘shadow of a heel’. This, can provide the necessary cushioning for your feet and prevent tendonitis and other conditions, which are usually the outcome of wearing the wrong kind of flats.
Flip Flops
Flip flops can be really a flop! Shocking as it may be to you flip flop lovers, these are not entirely innocent, leaving the better part of the foot exposed. They are no great shakes when it comes to arch and toe support either. The big toe can hang out and this may result in injuries, or even toe fractures, bunions or warts in certain cases.
Pointed Shoes
Pointy toed footwear might look great, but it cramps your toes into a narrow space, causing aches, pains, sprains and even fractured toes. Rounded fronts are much preferable, as they give your toes a breathing space. If you insist on wearing pointed slippers or shoes, ensure that the shoe starts tapering off beyond your toe line and the narrow space, still allows for a comfortable stretch of your toes.
Shoe-Ins
Which styles of shoes are the kindest to your feet?
Low heels: Go for footwear with heels that measure two inches or lower. These won’t alter the way your muscles work as much, or add extra pressure to the balls of your feet.
Stacked or thicker heels: Spindly stilettos make for unstable feet. A slightly chunkier heel helps keep the foot in alignment and reduces the risk of straining ligaments.
Wide toe boxes: A rounded toe gives the foot enough room to move naturally. A pointy toe can squash toes, but “if the point begins to narrow beyond your toes, it can be OK,” says podiatric surgeon Marlene Reid.
Feet defeaters
These shoe styles can be problematic. - Heels over three inches: “They increase the pressure on the balls of the feet”, says Marlene Reid. So, if you have to wear them, limit it to only a few hours at a time.
- Platforms: “A shoe should bend at the ball of the foot,” says Reid. A stiff style prevents natural foot movement, which is exactly what platform shoes usually do.
- Flat shoes, flip-flops and ballet flats usually offer no arch support. Wear shoes with a wide ¼-inch heel.
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