How Comfortable Are Your Shoes?

VIEW
SLIDESHOW

How many pairs of comfortable shoes do you own? I mean really really comfy, the kind you could spend the night dancing and marching in? So naturally I’m not talking about flat shoes – oh, no! I’m talking about those highly covetable stilettos or towering heels you’ve fallen madly deeply in love with!

Either the heels bringing you misery, either the straps cutting your foot’s delicate skin with every step, those shoes we love so much put us through hell. And we’re happy to put up with that as long as we’re in fashion. Aren’t we? It appears that more than 3 Million British women have received medical care because of their shoes! How irrational is that?

How far are you willing to go for a pair of ill fitting but oh-so damn good looking and fashionable shoes? (I had to put up with a pair of fire red peep toe pumps for few hours – at the end of those grueling few hours, I had bleeding blisters on my feet – I tossed them in the back of my closed and they remained there ever since.)

Studies even indicate that despite of the practical evidence that high heels are a real nuisance for one’s health, over 70% of high-heels wearing women blame it all on fashion and style. Everyone should, however, be aware of the simple truth – fashion designers aren’t doctors. They have no health-improving interest and, generally, no wellbeing interest in their customers whatsoever.

women often wear high heels at work, as this infographic proposed by myoptumhealth explains the multiple implication of the type of footwear we work in

See also: The latest shoes straight from the runway (Burberry)!

It’s all about ‘looking good’ and each person has her or his own definition of good, hence the many shoes (and whatnots). But footwear, like anything else, requires a bit of information and education in order to make the best choice. You won’t choose your car just because it looks good. There are so many other features that are far more relevant at times than, say, the shape of the headlights. Did you know that more you increase the height of your heels, more you put your general health at risk?

it’s capital to know how wearing a certain type of shoes will influence your look and general health as some of the facts gathered by aquapillar into a helpful infographic can demonstrate

Contrary to what you may think after reading the above, flip flops are considered some of the most health-endangering shoes? But that’s mostly because of the bacteria you can take on while wearing such open footwear. What do to, you may ask yourselves – wear comfortable shoes that don’t go above 1 inch heel height and walk barefoot whenever you get the chance (and it’s safe to do so) – at home, in your garden, on the beach. After all, we weren’t born with shoes stuck on our soles!

Stephanie Hew designed a factual infographic showing how shoes influence our lives

See also: The Wedge Sneakers, past years most successful footwear is fading at last!

There is, however, a very important way to cheat our way into comfortable shoes, whatever the type of footwear we’d be wearing: insoles. Yes, do not be afraid of the word, and certainly not of the concept! Chosen carefully, the right insoles will provide arch support where the construction of the shoe didn’t, it will provide the cushioning necessary for our bones to feel less rigid against the shoes soles and general overall comfort because it follows and compliments the natural anatomy of the human footprint. The best way to achieve the right support is by customizing your footbed and making it unique to your own foot like the video above suggests it’s best.

Comfortable shoes have an entirely new significance right now, haven’t they?