Did you know everybody's feet are different, yet you see people every day wearing the same shoes? How do you know what shoe is best for you and your feet? Well, comfort and proper fit are always the way to go, but the type of foot you have is very important in choosing proper shoes.
Most feet fall into what is called a neutral foot, meaning not too flexible and not too stiff. People who have neutral feet need to find a shoe that has a little bit of stiffness or rigidity. This type of shoe gives a bit of support which most feet need, but not too much that would limit the movement of the foot. People who have very mobile or flexible feet need a more stiff or rigid shoe. This type of shoe is very stiff and will help control the excessive amount of foot movement giving it more support. Finally, those with very stiff or rigid feet need a more flexible shoe. The shoe will still give the foot support, but allow the foot to move more. The last thing you would want to do is wear a very stiff shoe with a foot that does not move, that would make it move less. Vice versa, if you have a very mobile foot and wear a very flexible shoe, your foot will not have any external control and support and will continue to move too much.
So, now that you know what type of feet there are how do you know what shoes are flexible and what shoes are rigid?
Well SPOILER ALERT, flip flops and flats are not good for anyone's feet. Bummer right? However, there are still other shoes and sandals that can help support your feet in the way they need.
First, to find an appropriate shoe you get to go shopping! When you find a shoe that you like, you want to test it in 2 ways to see if it is rigid or flexible.
- Grab the heel and the toe of the shoe, one hand on each end, then bend the shoe in the middle.
- Grab the heel and the toe of the shoe and twist the shoe, like twisting a towel.
The amount of bend and twist the shoe has will show you the flexibility or rigidity of the shoe. The more bend or twist, the more flexible the shoe, and the less bend and twist the more rigid the shoe. Simple, right?
Your Fyzical therapists at Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centers can educate you on proper shoe wear and assess your feet for mobility and pronation to provide you better insight into proper footwear that can, believe it or not, help alleviate foot /ankle pain, knee pain, hip, and back pain.
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