Supportive footwear
Footwear is one of the most important things we wear, but many people are not making the best choices. This can cause a number of problems, including discomfort and even long-term health problems, but there are simple solutions available that can sort things out.
Most people look for two things when buying shoes - style and comfort. The reasons for this are obvious. A new pair of shoes has to look right for their intended purpose, whether that's work, a special occasion or just relaxing socially. What looks right is mostly down to personal taste, although things like workplace policies might need to be considered too.
The second factor is comfort. This one is obvious; where possible people prefer to wear shoes that don't hurt their feet, although there are exceptions; some of us are willing to suffer almost anything to look our best, even if that means shoes that strain the leg muscles or hurt the feet. Unfortunately that can lead to problems of its own; high heels, for example, make legs look better by forcing the muscles in the lower leg to tighten and that can lead to shin splints or even stress fractures. There isn't much that can be done about that, so for people who wear heels it's important that the shoes you wear the rest of the time are as comfortable as possible to give your feet and legs a chance to recover.
What most people don't consider is how healthy their footwear is. Most just assume that if it's comfortable it's pretty much OK, and leave it at that. Not so fast, though. Comfortable shoes can still have issues that you don't notice and that will cause you discomfort in the long run. The main one is a lack of support.
Shoes can provide support in several ways; hiking boots, for example, reinforce the ankle with sturdy laced uppers and a padded collar. What we're looking at here, though, is more important and that's the support your footwear gives to the soles of your feet. It's vital that your feet are properly supported, even if you're not standing on them all day; if you're sitting at a desk your feet will still be on the floor and taking at least part of your body's weight. Your shoes need to help distribute that weight correctly. Unfortunately, much of the time they don't do this and weight is concentrated on the wrong parts of the foot. This can lead to stress being transmitted higher up the skeleton, which can cause problems with the joints - especially the knees and hips - and even the spine.
The problem is that everyone's feet are a different shape, but shoes don't allow for this. Obviously it's impossible for every pair of footwear to be custom made, so manufacturers have to aim for the average. The only choice most of us have when it comes to fit is shoe size, and even that's not exact. A few brands, especially for sports shoes, may offer a range of width fittings, but that's about it. It doesn't even come close to covering the range of individual variations.
One way to remedy this is by using custom insoles. These aren't the simple foam sheets that often come with new shoes or can be bought over the counter; they're specially moulded to fit your feet perfectly and give the best possible support. Buying them used to be a difficult process that involved making plaster casts and waiting for weeks, but that's now changed. Insole specialist 3DSoles has developed a new process using modern technology to make it easy and fast. Image recognition technology combines three images of your feet to make a computer model, which is then exactly replicated in ABS plastic by a 3D printer. Using this as a template insoles are made to the perfect shape and turn any shoes into supportive footwear. With these custom insoles your shoes won't just feel better to wear; they'll be better for your health, too.
Most people look for two things when buying shoes - style and comfort. The reasons for this are obvious. A new pair of shoes has to look right for their intended purpose, whether that's work, a special occasion or just relaxing socially. What looks right is mostly down to personal taste, although things like workplace policies might need to be considered too.
The second factor is comfort. This one is obvious; where possible people prefer to wear shoes that don't hurt their feet, although there are exceptions; some of us are willing to suffer almost anything to look our best, even if that means shoes that strain the leg muscles or hurt the feet. Unfortunately that can lead to problems of its own; high heels, for example, make legs look better by forcing the muscles in the lower leg to tighten and that can lead to shin splints or even stress fractures. There isn't much that can be done about that, so for people who wear heels it's important that the shoes you wear the rest of the time are as comfortable as possible to give your feet and legs a chance to recover.
What most people don't consider is how healthy their footwear is. Most just assume that if it's comfortable it's pretty much OK, and leave it at that. Not so fast, though. Comfortable shoes can still have issues that you don't notice and that will cause you discomfort in the long run. The main one is a lack of support.
Shoes can provide support in several ways; hiking boots, for example, reinforce the ankle with sturdy laced uppers and a padded collar. What we're looking at here, though, is more important and that's the support your footwear gives to the soles of your feet. It's vital that your feet are properly supported, even if you're not standing on them all day; if you're sitting at a desk your feet will still be on the floor and taking at least part of your body's weight. Your shoes need to help distribute that weight correctly. Unfortunately, much of the time they don't do this and weight is concentrated on the wrong parts of the foot. This can lead to stress being transmitted higher up the skeleton, which can cause problems with the joints - especially the knees and hips - and even the spine.
The problem is that everyone's feet are a different shape, but shoes don't allow for this. Obviously it's impossible for every pair of footwear to be custom made, so manufacturers have to aim for the average. The only choice most of us have when it comes to fit is shoe size, and even that's not exact. A few brands, especially for sports shoes, may offer a range of width fittings, but that's about it. It doesn't even come close to covering the range of individual variations.
One way to remedy this is by using custom insoles. These aren't the simple foam sheets that often come with new shoes or can be bought over the counter; they're specially moulded to fit your feet perfectly and give the best possible support. Buying them used to be a difficult process that involved making plaster casts and waiting for weeks, but that's now changed. Insole specialist 3DSoles has developed a new process using modern technology to make it easy and fast. Image recognition technology combines three images of your feet to make a computer model, which is then exactly replicated in ABS plastic by a 3D printer. Using this as a template insoles are made to the perfect shape and turn any shoes into supportive footwear. With these custom insoles your shoes won't just feel better to wear; they'll be better for your health, too.
