The new year is approaching soon and what better way to treat yourself than with a brand-new shoe. Many people think choosing a shoe is as easy as finding the best-looking shoe but that is not the case. There are a few key things to look for in your next shoe and today we’ll tell you all about it!

Shoe size

First things first, shoe size. No shoe can be great without a proper fit. When picking out shoes the rule of thumb is to have about 3/8” to 1/2” space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. This will help to prevent your feet from banging against the end of the shoe and will allow for room for swelling of the feet. But don’t just think only about shoe length, think about width too! Anyone measuring your feet should touch on this but you don’t want pressure on the foot from the sides. Making sure your shoes are also the proper width is key. Nobody wants bunions!

Firm midsole

You can think of a great pair of shoes as the foundation for your body. And with any strong foundation stability is key! And this applies to shoes too. When looking for shoes do the “twist test”. This involves twisting the base of the shoe, and if the base can twist/bend greatly there’s a good chance your foot will do that too. When putting orthotics into these types of shoes this twisting can occur there too, making the orthotics less effective.

Heel counter

Any great shoe should have a strong heel counter. This is the portion of your shoe that wraps around your heel and works to control ankle motion during gait. One simple way to test the heel counter is to simply push down on the back of the shoe. The heel counter should not buckle inwards, if this occurs you should think about switching choices!

Rocker sole

A rocker sole is best described as when the sole of the shoe is rounded upwards from the ball of the foot to the toes. This simple thing helps promote your foot in toe off during gait which is important to making you move faster and getting pressure off your forefoot quicker during gait. Most shoes will have this, but best way to look for this is to push down on the toe box of the shoe, this should cause the end of the shoe to quite literally rock.

What do I do next?

Stop on by to your nearest local BioPed Canadian Certified Pedorthist today! We will get you started off on the right foot with an in-person shoe fitting. At these appointments we will get you fitted and test out some new shoes that will work for your lifestyle. No matter what the size we’ve got you covered!

What we wear on our feet is important. The cushion, the support, the width, the length, the enclosure; all of it matters. Our feet are used all day long. Making sure your shoes fit right is a simple way to take care of the feet that take you through your day. Sometimes over-the-counter footwear, even orthopedic footwear, just doesn’t do the trick, and we need to make modifications to keep our feet happy.

What’s the best way to tell if you need to modify your footwear? If you experience foot pain or discomfort in your current footwear, a BioPed Pedothist can determine which shoes are most suitable for your feet and even modify them to accommodate your foot condition.

Signs you may need footwear modifications:

Modifications to footwear are prudent for many reasons. In addition to removing pressure from painful areas and giving more appropriate support to those in need, traditional footwear sizes and fit may need to be adjusted for feet that are thicker, wider, or have bony prominences like bunions, bunionettes, or dorsum exostosis (a bump at the top of the foot). Footwear modifications may also be a solution for someone who needs additional support but is unable to financially afford custom-made orthotics.

Most common footwear modifications:

External modifications – permanent changes made to the outside of the shoe

Stretching – When a shoe feels too tight overall or in a specific spot, such as over a bunion or hammer toe, shoe stretching can be used to adjust the upper’s width. A full stretch or spot stretch (more targeted) takes approximately 48-72 hours, during which time the shoe remains on the stretcher to allow the upper material to adjust. Generally, this is effective for tight spots or general tightness caused by lack of depth or soft tissue movement during standing. Foot deformities and structural changes to the foot’s shape would require more drastic treatment, though they are much less common.

A lift or rocker sole – If you have a leg length discrepancy from a congenital disorder or a broken leg in childhood, adding sole height to the shoe of the shorter limb will improve your posture and gait. As well as adding a lift, make sure the sole is rockered, so moving through gait and toe off are easier, and pressure on the ball of the foot is reduced.

Toe slider – In the event of a shuffle gait or neurological deficiencies from a stroke or MS diagnosis a toe slider can increase the life of a shoe and reduce the occurrences of tripping and falls. This is done by heat moulding RCH 500, a plastic, to the area concerned around the toe to reduce friction.

Internal modifications – permanent and sometime impermanent modifications to the insole of the shoe

Internal metatarsal pads – Forefoot pain, also known as metatarsalgia, can be debilitating and is localized to the ball of the foot. Often this is due to a dropped transverse arch, which supports the metatarsal heads and the toes. By adding a small hill just behind those bones on the insole of the shoe, it supports that arch and relieves pressure and discomfort. This is done by adding a preformed metatarsal pad bilaterally (to both sides) to support the foot and offload the painful areas, improving comfort.

Internal heel lift – This is an impermanent modification, a wedge that fits under the insole. This can be used to treat conditions such as leg length discrepancy or achilles pain so long as the correction height can fit comfortably in the shoe without raising the heel too high. The EVA wedge is typically no higher than 6mm and can range in density depending on the cushion requirements of the patient.

Excavations – Excavating under areas of high pressure, for example under a corn or callus, can relieve pressure by offloading the painful area and most times, prevent these calluses or corns from returning as aggressively. These excavations can then be padded with a layer of PPT for cushioning in the event that we are adding comfort for an arthritic joint, or a bony bump.

When is it time to consider custom shoes?

If you have a congenital foot deformity such as clubfoot, or and advanced condition such as charcot foot, or have had a foot amputation that makes even modifications to over-the-counter footwear unsuitable, it may be an indication that custom shoes are in order. BioPed Footcare Clinicians can assess your footwear needs, perform modifications as needed and recommend custom footwear if the situation calls for it.