The Sole Connection: How Shoes Can Impact Your Health

Choosing the best shoes for our general foot health can be a little difficult- and even costly. Most people prefer general sneakers, heels, slippers, or sandals for their daily wear. However, when it comes to our optimal foot health, it's important to know what is best to purchase and invest in the long run. Wearing the correct footwear can also save you from chronic lower back, knee, hip, and leg pain, correct posture, protect against potential injury and falls, or conditions such as painful bunions.

High heels are a great example of footwear to avoid- if possible. The height that it provides can alter your posture and alignment of your body, and can create unnecessary tension on the heels of your feet. Flat shoes, such as flip flops, are not ideal either. It may provide little to no support on your arch system, which is what helps absorb the pressure your feet experiences daily.

When we choose footwear that affects our lifestyle, we may not notice it instantly, but as the months of wear go by, we can question why after running a few miles, your back aches, or after a shift at the office, your leg muscles feel tight.

Great shoes that you can focus on purchasing are athletic footwear, because they specialize in durability, breathable material, long distance walking and running, provides flexibility for optimal movements, and more. It’s important to include these details when shopping for footwear. Narrow and wide feet, or low to high arched feet, are also important details to note.

1. Myrtue Medical Center. "Proper Shoe Gear is Essential for Healthy Living." myrtuemedical.org, 2 May 2024, www.myrtuemedical.org/blog-news/2024/may/proper-shoe-gear-is-essential-for-healthy-living/.

2. Piedmont . "Best and Worst Shoes for Your Feet: Piedmont Health." Piedmont.org, www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/the-best-and-worst-shoes-for-your-feet. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.