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April is Foot Health Awareness Month

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), one in every six people has trouble with their feet. The main cause is very preventable - shoes that do not fit properly. Estimates show that foot problems in the U.S. can result in over $3 billion a year in added health care costs.

You can reduce their risk of foot injury by wearing shoes that fit to the natural shape of your feet, not the other way around. Shoes that do not fit can cause bunions, corns, calluses, hammertoes and other disabling foot disorders. Preferred Care is committed to helping you lead a healthier life, which includes making it easier for you to protect your feet!

Buying the Right Footwear for Healthier Feet

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has developed shopping tips that can help reduce the risk of foot problems with new shoes:

• Measure both feet every time you purchase shoes - foot size often increases as you get older.
• Women should not wear a shoe with a heel higher than 2-1/4 inches.
• Try on new shoes at the end of the day - feet normally swell 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.
• Fit new shoes to your largest foot - most people have one larger foot.
• Walk around in the shoes to make sure they fit well and feel comfortable.
• Sizes vary among shoe brands and styles. Judge a shoe by how it fits on your foot not by the marked size.
• You should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes when wearing the shoe.
• If the shoes feel too tight. don't buy them. There is no "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.

Properly fitted shoes not only help you get around without pain and discomfort, but can help lower health care costs through simple preventive measures like those listed.

For more information:

• Visit the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Patient Information Web site.
• Find the Right Footwear for Your Foot Problem in Preferred Care's online Health Encyclopedia.

Posted: April 2005
Last updated: March 27, 2006