Has your doctor told you to get a "good shoe" or are you
looking for that one good shoe? Most of us perceive a good shoe to be
an athletic shoe. Many come to us saying their doctor told them to get
a New Balance shoe. Does that mean you can only wear athletic shoes and
if when you aren't you are in Bad Shoeville? What about those of us who
don't want - or aren't allowed - to wear athletic shoes to work? And
what about not wanting to wear athletic shoes with our skirts or suit
and tie (that seems reasonable enough, right)?
With the notable exception of high heels and flip-flops, most styles
of shoes have the potential to meet the criteria for being a good shoe.
Here are the criteria:
Adequate toe room. This means you can
wiggle your toes while standing in your shoes. If you have to take
your shoes off to wiggle your toes, you don't have adequate toe room
in the shoe.
Able to accommodate arch supports. If your arch supports are custom
made and only fit in your athletic shoes, Smart Feet has thinner arch
supports that you can put in casual and dress shoes.
Right width and length. It is rare for any of us to always wear
the exact length and width shoe because shoe sizing is not standardized.
What one company calls an 8, another would call and 8 1/2 and the same
with widths. 89% of those tested by both feel and measurement are in
the wrong shoes for the size of their feet. Most tend to err on the
side of their shoes being too short and too narrow, and that feels
natural to them. An experienced shoe fitter is one who fits by measurement
and feel and can get you into the right shoe for your foot.
Firm heel counter. A firm heel
counter is one where it is firm at the lower end of the heel and sides
of the heel. The top part can be soft. If the whole heel counter is
soft or not there at all, your foot will suffer from it.
Steel or plastic shank.
When a shoe doesn't have a connecting shank, the shoe - and your foot
- will collapse at mid step.
Adequate cushioning. Women's pumps and men's dress shoes have thin
leather soles. This is not good cushioning, even when the shoe meets
all the other criteria. When you need to wear a thin-soled shoe, make
it when you will be sitting more than walking and where you can take
the shoes off after 2 hours or so. Most shoes being made today are
of unisole construction. That means they are made of softer materials
that are thicker in the sole with no differentiation between the heel
and the rest of the sole. They do look more casual but since leather-soled
shoes are being phased out of the market, the definition of dress shoes
is being relaxed where the sole of the shoe is concerned.
Welcome
to Smart Feet! 