Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Shoe Shape vs. Foot Shape

I recently saw a Rachel Ray segment that talked about "foot shape" and how wearing a shoe that is a different shape than your foot can cause deformities such as bunions and hammertoes.  If only it were that simple!

"Foot shape" as referred to in the piece is more a result of the length of your toes.  Some people  have longer second toes and others have a longer great toe.  Either way, you need to fit shoes to the longest toe.  BTW- it is said that those with longer second toes are natural born leaders!

Toe box shape - square, round or pointed -  is only one factor in shoe construction and the way they affect the feet.  Heel height, the cut of the toe box and the point at which the pointed toe shoes curve  are even more important factors!  A pointed shoe that has an extended (faux) toe can be quite comfortable for many women no matter which toe is longer.  Similarly, rounded toe shoes can often cut across the bunion area and be quite a problem.



Finally, I want to make sure everyone understands, shoes do not cause bunions!  Bunions are caused by a combination of foot type, genetics and are influenced by daily shoe wear.  Certainly, if you wore a narrow, constrictive shoe 24 hours a day for years, your foot would take on that shape; but that is rarely the case! 

7 comments:

  1. I think shoes shape is more comfortable than foot shape.
    When you wear high heels foot shape, the length of the muscle between your heel and your knee is shortened. While wearing high heels, pulling that muscle isn't a problem.

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  2. Actually, you bring up a good point. If you always wear the same height heel, your tendon and muscle will become contracted making it difficult to wear other heel heights. I always recommend to my patients that they alternate their heel height to avoid that problem. And cetainly stretching the achilles tendon is very important for women who wear heels.

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. Would you say having bunions affects your outcome of the shoe? My wife and I live in IL and need to find some "bunion friendly" shoes. Any help?

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