Conditions

It is reported that up to one in every six people--have   trouble with their feet, often resulting from improperly-fitting shoes. This   represents a huge public health risk.

We’re all susceptible to foot and ankle injuries,   but we can reduce our risk for them by wearing properly-fitting shoes that   conform to the natural shape of our feet. In selecting shoes, keep this basic   principle of good fit in mind: Your feet should never be forced to conform to   the shape of a pair of shoes.

Although style is often a key consideration in   choosing a pair of shoes, the most important quality to look for in   shoes-from a practical standpoint-is durable construction that will protect   your feet and keep them comfortable. Shoes that do not fit can cause bunions,   corns, calluses, hammertoes, metatarsalgia and other disabling foot   disorders.

Recommendations for Footwear

There are various  tips to help you reduce your risk of foot problems. You   might find this guide useful when you’re shopping for shoes for you and your   family:

 
• Have both feet       measured every time you purchase shoes. Your foot size increases as you       get older.
 
• Try to wear a       shoe with a slightly lower heel ideally no higher than 2 1/4 inches.
 
• Try on new shoes       at the end of the day. Your feet normally swell and become larger after       standing or sitting during the day.
 
• Shoes should be       fitted carefully to your heel as well as your toes.
 
• Try on both       shoes.
 
• There should be       1/2-inch space from the end of your longest toe to the end of the shoe.
 

               Fig.2. Radiograph of foot squeezed into a high heeled shoe.

 
• Fit new shoes to       your largest foot. Most people have one foot larger than the other.
 
• Walk around in       the shoes to make sure they fit well and feel comfortable.
 
• If you wear       Insoles or orthoses make sure that your shoes fit comfortably  with these inside.
 
• Sizes vary among       shoe brands and styles. Judge a shoe by how it fits on your foot not by       the marked size.
 
• When the shoe is       on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.
 
• If the shoes       feel too tight. don't buy them. There is no such thing as a       "break-in period."
 
• Most high       heeled-shoes have a pointed. narrow toe box that crowds the toes and       forces them into an unnatural triangular shape. As heel height       increases, the pressure under the ball of the foot may double, placing       greater pressure on the forefoot as it is forced into the pointed toe       box.