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Shoes Causing You Foot Pain?

By Kim Schworm Acosta

Painful feet? Aching toes? You're not alone! A whopping 84 percent of women say they've experienced at least one foot problem, according to a recent survey from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA). Yet the majority also report that they haven't had their feet measured in five years, and 20 percent say they wear painful shoes at least once a week.

"In 90 percent of people who suffer from bunions, hammertoes, pinched nerves, ingrown toenails and corns, the shoe is the culprit," says Carol Frey, M.D., a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery and clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Even if you know better than to wear high heels day in and day out, you may be unwittingly contributing to your foot pain by committing one or more of the following footwear fouls:

Footwear Foul No. 1
Clinging to the shoe-size you wore when you were 18 Ligaments and muscles relax with age, causing feet to flatten and lengthen as you grow older. A few extra pounds can also contribute to wider feet. So have your feet measured the next time you buy shoes and every couple years after that -- especially if you've gained 20+ pounds in the meantime.
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