The best and worst shoes for your feet

The right shoes can help prevent foot, leg and back pain. Jocelyn Curry, D.P.M., a podiatrist, says proper footwear matters because support from the ground up affects your body’s overall alignment.

Shoes to avoid

Fashion shoes may look attractive, but they aren’t doing your body any favors. Dr. Curry says the worst types of shoes for your feet include:

• High heels. Three- to four-inch heels change the alignment of your body, which puts extra stress on your legs, hips and back. Regularly wearing high heels can shorten and tighten the Achilles tendon, making flat shoes uncomfortable or painful to wear. High heels increase pressure on the ball of the foot, which can thin its natural padding and reduce cushioning. All of this extra pressure can also lead to calluses.

• Pointed-toe shoes, particularly high heels that scrunch your toes together. These can aggravate an existing bunion, which is a hard lump on the joint of your big toe. The unnatural position of high heels can cause the toes to contract and curl, leading to a condition called hammertoe. Hammertoe requires medical intervention to correct.  

• Flip-flops. Flat flip-flops provide no support. Lack of proper foot support is a leading cause of plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinitis. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the plantar fascia, the ligament that supports the arch, becomes strained and inflamed, causing heel pain. Achilles tendinitis is caused by poor foot mechanics, leading to overstretching of the tendon. This sometimes leads to bone spurs. The thong flip-flop can also cause hammertoe as the toes constantly struggle to hold the foot in the shoe. 

• Ballet flats. Ballet flats are equally bad for your feet as flip-flops because they, too, provide little support. There is no arch system to help absorb the brunt of the pressure the feet endure every day.

• Flexible shoes. If you can bend and twist a pair of shoes with ease, Dr. Curry says they are not supportive enough. Shoes with good arch support will be difficult to manipulate. She warns against buying any shoes that can bend in half.

The best shoes for your feet

Dr. Curry says the best shoes for your feet include:

• Wedge heels. In lieu of high-heeled stilettos, consider wearing a slight wedge shoe with no more than a ½- to 1.5-inch wedge. This slight angle can provide better support and balance.

• Sneakers. While athletic shoes are generally supportive, most should be replaced after about six months or 500 miles of use. If they’re worn out, you could set yourself up for injury.   

Switch up your footwear

Alternate your shoes daily. Avoid wearing the same shoes more than four to five days in a row. Rotating your footwear reduces the overuse of a muscle group or set of joints.

Dr. Curry recommends wearing the right shoes for the occasion. Wear supportive shoes, such as sneakers, when exercising or spending long periods on your feet.  

“You only get one set of feet in this lifetime,” says Dr. Curry. “It’s important to take care of them properly. The sacrifice of wearing the latest fad in shoe wear is not worth the health risk of permanent foot deformities with accompanying knee or hip pain.”

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