Is your choice of shoes contributing to back and foot pain?

The foot is an extremely complicated structure, consisting of 26 bones, 33 joints, and many different muscles, tendons and soft tissues.¹

The foot acts as a shock absorber when you walk and propels you forward. With proper footwear, walking is a healthy form of activity. But with the wrong shoe, the strain that walking places on the feet can cause real problems. The impact of each step you take applies a force on the foot that’s 50% greater than the force of the body’s weight alone.¹

In adults, foot pain is fairly common. For example, in Australia around 1 in 5 people report foot pain, aching or stiffness.²

Many foot problems – and in particular, toe problems – are caused, or made worse, by shoes that don’t fit properly. Shoes with narrow, pointed toes squash the bones and tendons of the foot into unnatural shapes, and over time, can cause some painful problems.¹

Of course, it’s not just the feet that can suffer, back pain can also be caused or worsened by wearing improper shoes.³ That includes shoes that don’t provide enough support, don’t have enough cushioning to absorb shock, or don’t fit the natural shape of the foot.

Wearing shoes with heels can be especially hard on the back. Indeed, many doctors believe that high heels are responsible for many back and foot problems in women.⁴ They may look attractive, but high-heeled shoes place the walker on the tips of their toes, causing the pelvis to arch forward and change the curvature of the back, altering the balance of the pelvis and spine.^3,4

Good shoes vs bad shoes

Here are some common ailments, and the most helpful types of footwear to try:¹

Toe problems

• Corns and calluses: Try wide, box-toed shoes, and cushioning on problem areas
• Ingrown toenails: Try sandals or open-toed shoes
• Bunions: Wear soft, wide-toed shoes or sandals
• Hammertoe or claw toe: Try wide, box-toed shoes with toe pads

Problems in the front of the foot

• Metatarsalgia (pain in ball of the foot): Wear wide, box-toed shoes
• Stress fracture (pain beneath second or third toe): Try low-heeled shoes with stiff soles
• Sesamoiditis (pain in ball of foot beneath big toe): Wear low-heeled shoes with stiff soles and soft padding

Problems in the back of the foot

• Plantar fasciitis (heel spurs): Buy a cushioned insole and cut a hole over the painful spot
• Bursitis of heel: Try a heel cup insert
• Haglund’s deformity (swelling on back of heel, or ‘pump bump’): Wear soft shoes and heel pads
• Achilles tendonitis (inflammation of the Achilles tendon): Try cushioned insoles, tendon straps, and/or heel cups
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome (pain, tingling, or numbness along the bottom of the foot): Specially-designed orthotic inserts are best
• Flat feet/PTTD (Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction or ‘fallen arches’): Try custom-made insoles, especially for children

Children also need shoes that fit well, so have your child’s feet measured and change shoe sizes regularly to allow room for growth.⁵

Always see your doctor if any foot or back pain is severe, or lasts longer than a few days. They may refer you to a podiatrist, or foot specialist.