Buy a Good Pair of Shoes
The shoes you wear every day can affect the health of your feet, your knees, your back, and all the way up the spine. Choose a quality pair of shoes that provides the support your arches need.
Steps
- Pick shoes that do not provide ankle support, since they may be better for everyday use. Wearing basketball shoes or high-tops regularly could weaken the ankles.
- Pick a pair of shoes that does not narrow too much in the middle of the outsole. The bottom of running shoes looks like a footprint, which does not provide stability.
- Pick a style with material that breathes or a design with perforations that will not trap moisture.
- Bend the front of the shoe upwards. Only the front third should bend up. The rear two-thirds of the shoe should be strong and difficult to bend.
- Grab the shoe at the front and back and try to twist it (by rotating your hands in opposite directions). The shoe should not be easily distorted or deformed.
- Press against the counter (the back spine of the shoe) and squeeze the sides of the counter, which support the heel, to check that they are strong and not easily deformed.
- Ask for a measurement of your foot size. To check, remove the insole and compare it against your foot. The insole should be longer by about the width of your thumbnail. If one foot is slightly bigger than the other, accommodate the larger foot.
- Check the stitching for quality, especially along the baseline, inside and out. (Demo pairs are typically of low quality.)
- Give the shoes a test drive. Reject the design if your foot rolls outward or either heel lifts out. Although some materials like leather will stretch over time, too much tightness can cause discomfort over long durations.
- Cautiously walk on a linoleum or vinyl surface outside the store to make sure the shoes don't squeak or slip. Squeakiness depends on the texture and material of the outsole and is a result of friction with laminate flooring. In contrast, insufficient friction is dangerous. A good pair of shoes can deliver both safety and quiet.
Tips
- Shoes must be flexible or your foot will fight them as it rolls through each step.
- The optimum time to try out new shoes is in mid-afternoon, since that's when feet swell to their maximum, in general.
- Don't shop for shoes in a haste. Sufficient time should be given before selecting a pair.
- Measure your feet once a year. Your foot size will change throughout your entire life.
- Know the material by smelling it. Natural leather will not smell, but artificial / synthetic ones will have a peculiar smell.
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