The Best Ways to Have Healthy and Happy Feet in the Sumertime [SPONSORED]

By Ujjwal K. Datta, DPM, FACFAS

The summer season is a great time to get out of the house and enjoy the warm weather. For the ladies it’s important to purchase proper shoes when going out, as well as in everyday life, to avoid pain and potential problems with their feet. We've partnered with Raritan Bay Medical Center to provide you with some simple tips to avoid problems with your feet.

The majority of women prefer to wear high-heeled shoes while going out for any formal event or for a night out with friends and family. Unfortunately high-heeled shoes can cause pain, deformities and damage to the feet that can remain problematic for years to come.

To prevent this from happening try to avoid shoes that are narrow and pointy in the front. Selecting shoes with heels less than two inches can also go a long way in reducing foot pain. High-heeled shoes transfer excessive pressure to the forefoot which can disrupt the body’s alignment and can lead to conditions such as bunions, hammertoes, corns and calluses, neuromas, Haglund’s deformity (aka “pump bump”), ankle sprains and back pain from chronic use.

High heels can also cause instability while walking on uneven and/or slippery surfaces, leading to falls, which can cause sprains, strains and fractures of the foot and ankle.

If a heel higher than two inches is a must, make sure that the heel of the shoe sits more or less directly under the heel counter (where the heel of your foot would sit inside the shoe) and not the anterior (front) of it. That way center of gravity will not be violated. However, my recommendation of heel height not exceeding two inches still stands.

Also, make sure you have enough room in the toe box and ensure that the shoe is appropriate in width. And keep in mind that it is best to buy any shoes at the end of the day to allow for natural swelling to be a factor while choosing the appropriate width of the shoe.

A special thanks to our partners Raritan Bay Medical Center for providing these insights to keeping your feet healthy during the summertime. For more information, visit their website by clicking HERE.