Your feet have a tough life and there are many possibilities for injuring them. Fortunately, good shoes can help you prevent certain problems that are also very common: more than half of people over the age of 50 have at least one deformity in their feet or toes.
And it’s not easy to find your way around the almost infinite choice of shoes: from flip-flops to construction boots, or from Phentex slippers to high heels and walking shoes.
Review the following points as you answer these questions. Some of these may seem obvious to you, but they will ensure that you cover the entire yard when it comes to your shoe needs.
Advice from physiotherapist Denis Fortier on the essential criteria for choosing the right shoes
1. Their materials should feel comfortable to you, right from the first try.
Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you’ll be more comfortable in a few weeks when your shoes have taken the shape of your feet
2. Their shape respects your body shape.
The shape of the feet varies considerably from one person to another, whether it is the length, width or height of the forefoot. The arch (or plantar arch) is certainly the part of the foot that raises the most questions from my patients. Shoes should support this arch, nothing more. It is therefore necessary to avoid having a part of it not in contact with the shoe, just as it is not recommended to wear models that exert pressure on the arch of the foot. Pressure points should also be avoided, regardless of their location.
3. They should be flexible, meaning you can twist and bend them relatively easily.
If you are using your shoes on an uneven surface, such as hiking in the mountains, a little less flexibility will be preferable in order to protect your feet.
4. Their weight is relatively low.
This feature will allow you to save energy by reducing cardiovascular muscular effort. An advantageous weight for a walking shoe is approximately 300g, this figure being variable depending on your morphology and the activity you will practice. The best way to estimate the weight of a shoe is to compare it with other models.
5. Their front part allows your toes to move.
The muscles in your toes and arches are constantly challenged during walking, stair climbing, running, jumping, and standing still. It is important that your toes are able to move within the shoe to maintain healthy foot biomechanics.
6. Their rear part allows your feet and ankles to move in all directions without blocking movements.
This criterion, however, must be adapted to the activity you will do with your shoes. The general principle is the same as for the previous criterion: the musculature and mobility of the foot and ankle must be able to function normally when you wear your shoes.
7. They must be relatively low and stable.
Your body’s center of mass (or center of gravity) is already high up, near your navel. A high sole or heels have the effect of raising its position and, very often, increasing muscular effort and overusing balance reactions, particularly those of the lower limbs and trunk. If you wear your shoes for a short time, the importance of this criterion is reduced.
8. The grip of the soles must be good and suitable for your activity.
Poor grip (too high or too low) unnecessarily increases muscle activity and the risk of falls and injuries; ankle sprains and, in older people, hip fractures are among the most common.
9. It saves you energy.
The previous criteria will help you meet this one. It is especially important for people with reduced physical abilities as well as during sports activities.