We take them for granted. Our feet, our shoes. But are you taking care of them? We dig our heels in, kick up dust, use of feet to open doors, pick things up, catch things when they fall, stub our toes and yet we expect our feet and our shoes to keep on keeping on. (Have you heard of a pedicure? They're not just for women.)
When considering shoes we often look for fashion, yet expect, no demand, functionality too. Manufactures will try to offer some benefits such as arch support, or stabilizers in the higher heels, yet we can be very demanding on our feet and shoes. We're teetering on stiletto heels or grinding our heels in regular shoes or perhaps we have pronation (which is like your car needing an alignment), and we have uneven wear in the soles of our feet. That's a lot of pressure, literally, day in and day out.
There's a helpful saying, don't stand when you can sit and don't sit when you can lay down. This is great advise for not only your feet, but you legs and back. For ladies especially, when you can, if you lay on a bed or couch and put your heels and legs against a wall often, this can help alleviate varicose veins. We are often standing for long periods of time, or walking a lot, especially in heels and this is known to wreak havoc on our legs and lower back. Especially women who have children and carry them around on their hips.
Of course, it's fun, sexy and sultry to wear stylish shoes, just be smart about it. Take care of your feet and they will take care of you. You can find gel pads and cushions, arch support and other helpful tools at most stores today to help prevent a myriad of trouble.
Regular foot check ups are best, especially if you are diabetic.
Healthy feet are happy feet!
for more on foot health:
http://www.foothealthfacts.org/content.aspx?id=1141
