Wide Shoes for Ladies and 6 Awful Consequence of Wearing Tight Fitting Shoes
It is a shocking statistic but, according to a recent poll by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, almost 4 out of every 10 women buy shoes knowing they do not fit.
Furthermore, nearly 2 out of every 10 men do the same.
There could be several reasons for this including fashion (some people will put up with the pain to wear 'this-seasons' footwear) and vanity (not wanting to admit that you're really a UK size 8).
However for a growing number of people it could simply be that there are not enough variety of wide shoes for ladies, men and kids readily available on the High Street, that combine the width fitting and the 'look' that the customer is wanting to achieve.
Until recently, wide fitting shoes were sold as comfort shoes.
High Street brands would design and develop 'comfort' lines that were practical and offered soft leather uppers and padded soles.
These were great for older generations who had foot problems (from wearing badly fitting shoes in the past!) and comfort alone was their buying decision.
But as our population gets bigger, even young children and young women are having larger, wider fitting feet and there is now a growing feeling that this sector of the market needs to be tapped into.
Recently several celebrities 'came-out' and admitted what foot size including: • Kate Winslet, the actress UK size 9 • Kate Silverton the BBC newsreader, UK size 9 • Macy Gray the recording artist UK size 10 So what are the ugly consequences to your feet of wearing tight fitting shoes? 1.
Bunions - These are where the big toe is not properly aligned at the joint with the rest of the foot and instead curls inwards towards the rest of the toes.
In some extreme cases the big toe actually crosses over the other toes.
As a consequence the inside joint of the foot swells and walking can become painful.
How many times have we seen pictures in a press of models and movie stars squeezing their feet into strappy heeled sandals? Victoria Beckham in particular has dreadful bunions.
In some cases the only way to treat bunions is with painful surgery.
To think, this could have been avoided if correctly fitting shoes had been available and worn.
2.
Corns - these are sores that appear on the foot where there has been a considerable pressure on the foot over a period.
These again are very painful and due to wearing footwear that is too tight.
3.
Flat Feet - This is where the inner arch of the foot has collapsed or never existed in the first place.
An arch can collapse if you wear poorly fitting shoes, particularly during physical, high impact sports.
If you do have the misfortune of suffering flat feet you will know that not only are they incredibly uncomfortable to walk on, but they can also lead to back problems.
4.
Hammer Toes - these are very common and usually occur when the second toe (which can often be the longest toe) has been pushed up into a V shape.
The top of the V then rubs on the shoe and creates a corn which can be very painful.
5.
Ingrown Toe Nails - As well as being caused by having poorly cut toe nails, tight fitting and short shoes can impede the growth of the toe nail, and lead to its growth back into the skin.
This can lead to inflammation and infection and in some cases the only treatment is the removal of the nail.
6.
Sweaty Feet - If the foot is under considerable pressure from a tight fitting shoe, then often there is no room for the air to circulate and feet soon start to sweat.
As well as causing blisters and a bad odour, bacteria can soon breed leading to Athletes foot which is a fungal infection.
So, now that you are aware of these 6 gruesome consequences please think wisely when you next buy a pair of shoes, particularly if your feet are wider fitting.
With kids, men and women all getting longer and wider feet, the High Street is slowly and surely starting to react to this demand.
A range of footwear brands now cater for a variety of different foot widths so that wide shoes for ladies, gents and children can now be found.
One great place to look for shoes stockists catering for wide fitting shoes is on-line where several retailers offer honest feedback on their range and give advice on how the footwear fits and measures to ensure your feet are cared for correctly, but that you still look fab!
Furthermore, nearly 2 out of every 10 men do the same.
There could be several reasons for this including fashion (some people will put up with the pain to wear 'this-seasons' footwear) and vanity (not wanting to admit that you're really a UK size 8).
However for a growing number of people it could simply be that there are not enough variety of wide shoes for ladies, men and kids readily available on the High Street, that combine the width fitting and the 'look' that the customer is wanting to achieve.
Until recently, wide fitting shoes were sold as comfort shoes.
High Street brands would design and develop 'comfort' lines that were practical and offered soft leather uppers and padded soles.
These were great for older generations who had foot problems (from wearing badly fitting shoes in the past!) and comfort alone was their buying decision.
But as our population gets bigger, even young children and young women are having larger, wider fitting feet and there is now a growing feeling that this sector of the market needs to be tapped into.
Recently several celebrities 'came-out' and admitted what foot size including: • Kate Winslet, the actress UK size 9 • Kate Silverton the BBC newsreader, UK size 9 • Macy Gray the recording artist UK size 10 So what are the ugly consequences to your feet of wearing tight fitting shoes? 1.
Bunions - These are where the big toe is not properly aligned at the joint with the rest of the foot and instead curls inwards towards the rest of the toes.
In some extreme cases the big toe actually crosses over the other toes.
As a consequence the inside joint of the foot swells and walking can become painful.
How many times have we seen pictures in a press of models and movie stars squeezing their feet into strappy heeled sandals? Victoria Beckham in particular has dreadful bunions.
In some cases the only way to treat bunions is with painful surgery.
To think, this could have been avoided if correctly fitting shoes had been available and worn.
2.
Corns - these are sores that appear on the foot where there has been a considerable pressure on the foot over a period.
These again are very painful and due to wearing footwear that is too tight.
3.
Flat Feet - This is where the inner arch of the foot has collapsed or never existed in the first place.
An arch can collapse if you wear poorly fitting shoes, particularly during physical, high impact sports.
If you do have the misfortune of suffering flat feet you will know that not only are they incredibly uncomfortable to walk on, but they can also lead to back problems.
4.
Hammer Toes - these are very common and usually occur when the second toe (which can often be the longest toe) has been pushed up into a V shape.
The top of the V then rubs on the shoe and creates a corn which can be very painful.
5.
Ingrown Toe Nails - As well as being caused by having poorly cut toe nails, tight fitting and short shoes can impede the growth of the toe nail, and lead to its growth back into the skin.
This can lead to inflammation and infection and in some cases the only treatment is the removal of the nail.
6.
Sweaty Feet - If the foot is under considerable pressure from a tight fitting shoe, then often there is no room for the air to circulate and feet soon start to sweat.
As well as causing blisters and a bad odour, bacteria can soon breed leading to Athletes foot which is a fungal infection.
So, now that you are aware of these 6 gruesome consequences please think wisely when you next buy a pair of shoes, particularly if your feet are wider fitting.
With kids, men and women all getting longer and wider feet, the High Street is slowly and surely starting to react to this demand.
A range of footwear brands now cater for a variety of different foot widths so that wide shoes for ladies, gents and children can now be found.
One great place to look for shoes stockists catering for wide fitting shoes is on-line where several retailers offer honest feedback on their range and give advice on how the footwear fits and measures to ensure your feet are cared for correctly, but that you still look fab!
