Tips to choose the right orthopedic shoe for you

If you have to wear an orthopedic shoe yet you have never felt comfortable while wearing them, most likely is because you have chosen the wrong type of shoe for you.

Comfort and shape are two things to take into account while selecting the right orthopedic shoe for you. 

Wearing orthopedic shoes doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style either. Since many footwear brands are in fact orthopedic.

To choose the right orthopedic shoes for you it’s better to choose a shoe you like, instead of expecting others to like them. Otherwise, you won’t be able to determine what is the right kind of shoe for yourself.

Another tip which can be very useful is to consider comfort while buying shoes. If a shoe doesn’t feel comfortable then you shouldn’t buy it. Remember to buy shoes at the end of the day, since your foot naturally expands with use during the day and may swell in hot weather.

Also, try to wear the same type of socks that you intend to wear with the new shoes and try to stand in the shoes. Walk around in the shoes to determine how they feel, always find shoes that fit from the start. Don’t think that the shoes will stretch with time. They won’t.

Try to turn the shoes over and examine the soles. Take a sole test as you walk around the store. Do the soles cushion against impact? Try to walk on hard surfaces to see how the shoe feels on your feet.

Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help from the store assistant. Ask her or him to measure your feet every time you buy shoes because your feet might become wider and larger as you get older. It’s also very common for one foot to be slightly larger than the other.

Remember what the right orthopedic shoe can do for you:

• Cushion the foot: the midsole is the one that provides cushioning. However, shoes don’t reduce the force that goes through the body that much. But they do increase the time taken for that force to apply, so the body has time to adapt.

• Supports the foot: your shoe should aid the alignment of your foot when it touches the ground.

• Feels comfortable: your shoe should fit immediately comfortable from the first time. 

• Fits well: your shoe should be wide enough and long enough to fit your fit. The shoe should not feel tight. 

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119