Everyone knows that high heels hurt your feet, so you usually try to wear flat shoes that are comfortable and versatile.
But many people don’t know that the wrong flat shoes can hurt their feet.
Even some popular online celebrities are also “hidden crisis”.
1. “Footstepping” Internet celebrity shoes – very comfortable but hurts the arch
(Source: a sharing platform)
Recently, shoes with a “feeling of feces” are particularly popular, “as if stepping on clouds” and “feeling of feces is absolutely amazing!”
It sounds like the soles are so soft that they are so comfortable!
But I would advise you not to add to your cart-
Because of the soft sole, it’s not good!
First, when we wear a shoe with a soft sole to deform, the bottom of the foot is very unsupportive.
At this point, our arches tend to collapse.
The “arch” here is a structure on our feet.
Arch
In simple terms, it is a set of arched structures formed by the bones of the foot, with the help of ligaments and tendons.
It acts like a “shock absorber” that keeps our feet stability and resilient , buffer the vibration and pressure generated when we walk, run and jump [1].
(Source: runrepeat.com)
And wearing shoes that are too soft is like building this bridge into the mud.
Not only will it make the foot unstable when landing[2], but it can also cause the arch of the foot to bend and sag due to prolonged stress, so the surrounding ligaments have to work harder to maintain the arch normal form.
(Source: Internet)
Over time, soft tissues such as ligaments may be chronically damaged, the soles of the feet are prone to soreness when walking, and the risk of functional flat feet is increased.
Seeing this, you may think it’s okay, but what if often wearing soft-soled shoes will affect the shape of the legs?
Yes! Wearing soft-soled shoes every day may affect the knee joint.
I wonder if you’ve ever tried walking barefoot on the sand and slippery snow.
At this point, due to the wet ground, our toes tend to huddle and knees bend to enhance grip.
Similarly, if the sole is too soft, it is like laying a layer of soft sand between the sole of the foot and the floor, in order to stabilize the foot., The knee will buckle inwards, and the muscles on the back of the calf will also work hard.
(Source: Internet)
Wearing these shoes for extended periods of time can change your gait before you know it, which can damage your knee and calf muscles.
(Source: a sharing platform)
Also, the collapse of the medial arch can also change the angle of the ankle joint, resulting in a varus deformity of the knee joint.
(Source: pinterest)
The most intuitive performance is walking with X-shaped legs.
(Source: Tencent Video)
2. Muffin bottom snow boots, Martin boots – injured joints
(Source: a sharing platform)
In winter, many girls like to wear platform shoes.
Because of their thick soles, not only can they increase the height by four or five centimeters, but they are also very comfortable to step on, much easier to wear than high heels.
But many girls don’t know that platform shoes are not as bad as high heels.
First of all, platform shoes are thick and flat on the front, bottom, and heel, which makes them more comfortable to wear, but the balance is also greatly compromised.
Put on the platform boots, it is like walking on stilts, shaking, once walking on uneven roads, extremely easy to sprain the ankle.
(Source: pinterest)
Secondly, the platform insole raises the foot, will move the body’s center of gravity forward, change the normal line of the human body, and cause hyperextension of the knee /strong>.
The long-term tension of the knee joint will increase the pressure, which will increase the wear and tear of the ligaments and cartilage around it.
Therefore, long-term use of platform shoes increases the risk of osteoarthritis and chondromalacia.
3. Exquisite small shoes – easy to hurt the soles of the feet
Many girls like to wear ballet-like pumps and small leather shoes for work and shopping, which are exquisite and lightweight.
(Source: Homemade Jigsaw)
However, ballet shoes are too flat, which is not a good thing.
This is because the flat sole will make the arch unsupported, making it easy to feel tired when walking, and it will also increase the risk of arch collapse.
In addition, in order to be light and thin, the soles of such shoes are often made very thin, and there is no special buffer layer, so the shock absorption function is generally poor.
Long-term wearing of these shoes may cause excessive force on the feet when walking and standing, which may induce ligament inflammation and plantar fasciitis.
Finally, small shoes are generally shallow and have no laces.
Therefore, the heel of the shoe is easy to rub against the heel repeatedly, the toe is narrow, and it is easy to wear on the instep and toes, and the pressure on the sole of the foot is also very large, which is very Easy to grind out corns.
(Source: Internet)
Sothese shoes are nice to wear occasionally with nice clothes.
But really not for long term wear!
If you wear it for a long time, you still have to choose a pair of comfortable shoes, so that the jiojio who works hard for us can have a long standby time!
1. Moderately soft and hard soles
As we’ve said before,soles that are too soft have poor support, and soles that are too hard don’t provide cushioning.
It is very easy to identify whether the shoes are too hard. If you feel nervous after wearing them, it is inconvenient to walk, and it affects your strength. All are too hard.
See if the sole is too soft, you can see if the shoe bends too much in the forefoot.
(Source: pinterest)
2. The upper can be soft, but the upper should be hard
The upper is softer, and it is not easy to squeeze the instep and toes.
A stiffer upper helps us maintain the stability of the ankle and heel, allowing us to walk with a good gait.
The test method is also very simple, press the shoe stick, no collapse is qualified.
(Source: The Michigan Podiatric Medical Association)
3. Support the arch
The middle of the shoe should preferably have a arch pad, which is slightly stiffer and provides better support for the arch, and it is not easy to get tired when walking.
When testing the support, you can twist the shoes to see if the middle part will be twisted. Shoes with moderate hardness have better torsion resistance in the middle part.
Examples of good distortion resistance:
(Source: Internet)
4. A round toe is better than a pointed one
Shoes should not only follow the foot, but not loose, but also ensure that there is space and no squeezing.
(Source: My Foot Function)
In general, shoes that conform to the direction of your toes are more comfortable.
(Source: barefootshoefinder.com)
A round head has more room than a pointed head and puts less pressure on the toes and soles.
Finally, and the most important point: Even if the marketing and Internet celebrities boast, it does not mean that this pair of shoes is worth buying. We pay.
Reviewer
Liming Cheng| Chief Physician, Department of Orthopedics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital
References
[1]Babu D, Bordoni B. Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Medial Longitudinal Arch of the Foot. [Updated 2021 Aug 11]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562289/
[2]Robbins S, Waked E. Balance and vertical impact in sports: role of shoe sole materials. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1997 May;78(5):463-7. doi : 10.1016/s0003-9993(97)90157-x. PMID: 9161362.
[3] E. R. Waclawski, J. Beach, A. Milne, E. Yacyshyn, D. M. Dryden, Systematic review: plantar fasciitis and prolonged weight bearing, Occupational Medicine, Volume 65, Issue 2, March 2015, Pages 97C106, https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqu177
[4] Sun X, Lam WK, Zhang X, Wang J, Fu W. Systematic Review of the Role of Footwear Constructions in Running Biomechanics: Implications for Running-Related Injury and Performance. J Sports Sci Med. 2020 Feb 24;19(1):20-37. PMID: 32132824; PMCID: PMC7039038.
[5]Reeves, Mark, The Athletic Shoe. California School of Podiatric Medicine Biomechanics II Class. Samuel Merritt College. Room TC 9, 4 April 2007.
[6]Williams B. A three point approach to testing running shoes. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research. 2010.
[7]Branthwaite H, Chockalingam N, Greenhalgh A. The effect of shoe toe box shape and volume on forefoot interdigital and plantar pressures in healthy females. J Foot Ankle Res. 2013;6: 28. Published 2013 Jul 25. doi:10.1186/1757-1146-6-28
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