Shopping for the correct pair of shoes requires more than just choosing on style, considering we spend so many hours on our feet over a lifetime! Wearing supportive shoes can help you get through the day without discomfort, particularly if you spend a lot of time on your feet. Wearing ill-fitting shoes can result in aching feet, as well as cause or exacerbate further issues such as bunions, planter fasciitis and hammer toes.
In addition to helping you feel comfortable and preventing issues, wearing shoes with good support can have influence on your whole body and how you function throughout the day. Forbes Footwear, Australia’s experts in shoes, share some pointers on what makes a shoe have good support.
Arch support
Some people are born with flat arches, most of us find our arches continue to “flatten” as we get older. Arch support in a shoe helps your arch stay as intended, thus taking pressure off the tendon that runs under your arch. A falling arch can result in pressure not only in the feet but up the legs and in to the back. Arch supports assist in distributing pressure evenly across your feet; when the pressure is even across your feet, it improves the alignment of your entire body! Good arch support can prevent and relieve the discomfort of common foot conditions.
Heel Support
Most quality shoes will have a “Heel Counter” built in. This is the stiff support you feel around the back of the shoe. The helps to prevent your feet rolling in or out while you walk.
Adjustability
You’re feet are larger in the evening than they are in the morning. It makes sense – we’re standing and walking the majority of the day, compressing our spines. Features such as laces or velcro provide fitting adjustments that help in accommodating differing foot shapes to reduce unnecessary movement and slipping, and provide support where you need it. If you’re wearing a shoe and the fit isn’t quite right, the small muscles in your foot are overused to keep the shoe in place.
Good shock absorption and extra cushioning
Cushioning in a shoe can come from the innersoles or built in padding underfoot, as well as the materials the sole of the show is made from. Often the price variances reflect the raw materials used in the sole composition.
Choosing a shoe with good cushioning can reduce the impact on your feet and joints from standing, walking and running.
Correct fit
People with hard-to-fit feet dread purchasing new shoes as they are always too small, too narrow, too big, too wide or simply uncomfortable! Finding a pair that fits well and looks good feels like an impossible task.
Incorrect fitting shoes aren’t just a hindrance to walk in; the constant friction and uneven pressure distribution can actually lead to associated issues such as rubbing, blisters and corns. Forbes Footwear understand the complexities of an ideal fit and offer a wide range of shoes to accommodate tricky sizing. Finding the perfect shoe size is game-changing!
Find supportive shoes at Forbes Footwear
Shoes with good support are key to living a good life. To get your dream pair of shoes, visit the team at Forbes Footwear. They’re the longest operating retail store in Hornsby, servicing the community since 1940. Forbes Footwear supply innersoles and orthotics and specialise in providing supportive, comfortable and stylish shoes at a great price. View the range online today or visit in-store for an expert fitting to ensure you’re matched with the perfect shoe!