Foot Health—The Natural Way

The human foot has approximately 26 bones, plus muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. The feet bear the weight of the body. A person will generally walk an average of 70,000 miles per lifetime—not an easy task, especially if you are overweight or have muscular-skeleton issues. Good fitting socks and footwear are essential if you want to prevent years of pain, discomfort, and expense.

Socks

The feet have an extra layer of protective cushiony skin that sheds, often leaving the heels dry and rough. Feet also contain sweat glands that secrete about a dozen gallons of sweat per foot per year. Unless you wear moisture-wicking socks, most of that moisture will end up being absorbed by your socks, keeping your feet wet. Moist feet will soften, making it easier to develop blisters.

Although cotton has great absorbency, it doesn’t allow the moisture to evaporate. Look for socks with a cotton-blend; the blend should be composed of wicking material such as Thermolite, CoolMax, or Holofil. In the winter, wear wool socks; its natural fibers provides warmth even when wet.

The next issue is one of proper fitting. I hate when my socks fall down my leg or bunch up into my shoe, exposing the back of my foot and heel, making it difficult and uncomfortable to walk. I constantly have to stop to pull my socks up or to dig inside my sneaker to fix the sock.

If the sock is too large, friction will increase, resulting in blisters. Too large a sock will also result in the footwear feeling tighter. Conversely, if the sock is too small they will restrict your circulation and heat your feet. Socks should be smooth against the skin with no poking seams or irritated material. Toes need room to wiggle in a sock just like they do in footwear.

Choose gender-specific socks. For example, kids’ socks are designed for the small and growing foot. Women’s socks are made for the smaller foot, more rounded toe box, and narrower heels than her male counterpart. Unisex socks are not designed for both, but use the male foot as a model.

Shoes

Our feet do the most growing during puberty and then level off. However, pregnancy and age will cause our feet to widen. If we wear ill-fitting shoes, our toes will eventually show signs of bone deformity in the shape of bunions, hammertoes, corns, and calluses.

Surprisingly most people, especially women, wear shoes that do not fit correctly. The shoe is either too narrow or too wide, slides back and forth, pinches in-between the toes or on the top of the foot.

It is important to try on shoes later in the day as our feet can swell a little. Always try on both shoes as one foot is usually slightly larger than the other. Your toes should be able to move around the box of the shoe and not be pushed against each other. If you can’t push down on your big toe to get at least ½ inch of space, then wiggle your toe and push it up against the top of the shoe to see if you have room.

Never buy shoes that hurt, even a little—don’t make the mistake of thinking that shoes have to be broken in. It is not the shoe that gets broken in—it’s your foot! If the shoes hurt in the store, they are going to hurt worse outside when you are wearing them all day.

Many people are very frugal when it comes to buying shoes. You only have one pair of feet, so treat them well and they will treat you well for years to come. If you buy cheap shoes, man-made materials, shoes that trap air rather than allow the air to circulate, and shoes that are ill-fitting, then you will suffer in the long run and spend more money in seeing a podiatrist.

Start instilling the benefits of good foot maintenance in your children when they are young. Children under the age of one do not need shoes (unless it is cold outside and you want to protect the feet). Children need to learn how to walk, and it is easier barefooted so they can feel the texture and contours of the ground while learning to have the foot hit the floor in the appropriate way. They can’t do this easily if their feet are stuffed into poor-fitting little shoes. As soon as the child is walking you should take them to a children’s shoe store to have the foot measured and to observe the child walk to assess any potential foot issues. Salespeople are not trained for the special needs of a child’s foot.

Footwear should be replaced when worn out. Check for holes, a rundown sole, uneven heel wear, or if the cushiony insole area is worn away. You could certainly have the shoes repaired but why bother when there are plenty of great discount shoe stores springing up all over the country. Stores like DSW, Off-Broadway Shoes, Famous Footwear, and others offer name-brand and excellent quality shoes at a fraction of their original price.

Hygiene

In addition to proper foot gear. good hygiene is imperative. This entails clipping and filing toenails, keeping feet clean and dry, and maintaining soft and smooth skin.

Healthy feet should not feel hot and sweaty. Nor should you suffer from foot odor, itchiness, or discoloration. Your toenails should be smooth and soft—not hard, brittle, and overgrown, which usually results from fungal infections.

Freedom of movement is more than just the muscles of your arms and legs; it includes your feet. Don’t take them for granted.

Dr. Linda Mundorff