Does this sound familiar?
You leave the house at the crack of dawn, drop the kids off at school, dash to the office, power through your work day…running from meeting to meeting. Fight traffic on the way home, blast your way through the grocery store and barely make it home in time to throw together some semblance of dinner before you’re off again to hockey, cheer or dance practice. If you’re lucky it ends there and there are no late PTA meetings or late night work obligations you have to force yourself out of the house for again. By the time you mange to lay down your weary head you can feel your heartbeat pulsing in your feet, your calves are screaming and your lower back aches….but you looked good, because you were rocking those killer heels you picked up on sale last weekend. Admit it, you’ve been then, sacrificing comfort for looks. Vanity insanity is real and I’m as guilty as the next girl.
Why do we do this to ourselves? Put fashion before function. It’s important to give your feet a fighting chance! No matter how often you wear heels, you’re not superwoman. Whether it’s just for a night on the town, or a full day of meetings there are ways you can decrease discomfort and protect your back. There are a couple of tricks we can try to make sure we are taking care of our feet, and ultimately our whole selves. These tips, provided by the Ontario Chiropractic Association, include:
Cushion the blow, and use padded cushions in the front of your shoes. These will help provide added support for the balls of your feet and keep your toes from getting squished into the front of your shoes.
Bring a spare pair of shoes. If you’re wearing new shoes, or something that you know can cause you aches and pains, make sure you bring a spare pair that can provide you support and comfort.
It’s also important to remember that it’s not only sky-high heels that can be painful, but poorly chosen running shoes and sandals can also do damage to your joints and lower back. Flip-flops may give your feet some relief from the summer heat, but reality is that many rubber flip-flops don’t offer your feet the support they need. Wearing shoes with little (or no!) arch support can result in the overuse of muscles and tendons not only in your feet, but your hips, ankles, knees and back – which can result in undue stress and pain. How often have you seen women walking though amusement parks, or out exploring a new area in nothing but their flip-flops? They might as well be in bare feet!
Your choice of running shoe is equally important. These shoes may seem comfortable in comparison to some of your high heels, but it’s important to choose the right runner for your foot. According to the Ontario Chiropractic Association, depending on whether or not you have high or low arches will reflect the type of shoe you need to ensure you have the proper support. The top three things to keep in mind when choosing a running shoe are: the shape, the construction and the midsole.
The Ontario Chiropractic Association warns that poor footwear can cause problems for your feet, knees, hips low back as well as your spine. Perhaps it’s time to invest in a new pair of shoes! When it comes time to shop for new shoes, consider the time of day you’re going. Did you know that not all hours are the same when judging the fit? It’s true. You should shop for new shoes in the afternoon or evening, as your feet tend to accumulate fluid and swell throughout the day. Shopping for shoes in the morning could lead you to purchasing ill-fitting footwear. When summer comes there’s even more fluctuation in how much your feet may swell, so shopping for shoes in the late afternoon or in the evening will help you find footwear that is comfortable from sun up to sundown.
Take the time to look after your feet, you’re joints and lower back will thank you!
For more information on bones, muscles, joints and the central nervous system, and as a resource to find a local chiropractor if needed please visit www.chiropractic.on.ca.
To help you put your best foot forward one lucky reader of How To Survive Life In The Suburbs will win this sweet “Pampered Feet Prize Pack” ARV $100.00!
Open to Canadians Only, excluding Quebec, and to all those who have reached the age of majority in their Province. Closes July 31st, 2016. Please enter by commenting below and using the Rafflecopter form provided. Good luck!
I have picked bad fitting shoes because they looked so cute. I now only pick comfortable shoes.
I wore this really pretty spike heels. Gorgeous purple colour to work over 10 hours on my feet. 🙁 I cried at the end of the day. But it completely my outfit and got lots of compliments! 🙂
When my daughter got married I picked a pair of shoes and wore them for the first time without breaking them in. By the time I had gone back and forth to the kitchen many times to check on the food prep I had blisters. I ended up wearing no shoes for the rest of the night and very sore feet for days.
I always choose the impractical shoe-the one that looks prettiest and hurts the most. I think as we’ve been conditioned to believe pain is pretty when it comes to shoes. And I think we go ahead and do it by rationalizing we won’t wear them for a long time ie. Just a couple of hours. I pay dearly for those “couple of hours” and I continue to put myself through the same torture time and time again.
Shoes that hurt my feet I have worn many times as if I have an event to go to and I want to look nice. Than my feet pay for it. But I feel that I am only wearing them for a few hours so I think that is why I do it.
I did! It was for a concert, and I was literally bleeding because the were just so wrong! I will never sacrifice comfort for looks ever again! …but I did look good! lol
You bet….sometimes pretty & sparkly is what you need no matter if they are comfy! Every girl needs a sparkle or 2 once in awhile!!
My wife doesnt wear high heels but long walks in flip flops are her downfall (mine as well) With her running after the kids all day while im at work all I can do to help is foot rubs at night.
I have many times picked a pair of shoes because of how they look and suffered because they were not comfortable. The last time was a couple summers back for a wedding
Yes, I’m definitely style over sensible. I’m short, so wear heels almost every day. At least wedges I summer aren’t as bad on the feet. 😉
I wore my pretty new sandals on a hike. I had seven blisters by the end and my husband had to piggy back me for the last 2 kms or so. That was a mistake I will never make again!
Yes when I got married. Big mistake! I should have worn a really long dress and comfortable shoes!*l*
Sadly no I have not, I’m tall already so I never wore heels, all I ever wore was flats or runners and everyday for 24 years it was steel toe work boots for my job
Yes, I have
I have but mine don’t count, I’m in a wheelchair. LOL. My mom however does this all the time. She wears uncomfortable shoes while carrying my ass around the house. Sometimes I wonder why she feeds me so much. Anyways, this prize pack would totally help her.