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The Physical Effects of Wearing the Wrong Shoes

It seems that everyone these days is becoming more and more health conscious. There are concerns about chemicals in the water supply, pandemics, genetically altered foods and mercury in fish. The touted benefits of supplementation and low-carb diets are never ending. People have to think about the health risks and benefits of many things, including shoes. Wearing the wrong shoes can pose very real and serious health problems that can affect various parts of the body, including feet, ankles, knees, hips and the back.

  1. The Foot

    • An ill-fitting shoe can cause permanent damage to the bones of the foot. The most common type of shoe to cause this type of trouble is the high heel. A shoe that fits too tightly around the toes can cause ingrown toenails from too much pressure on the surrounding skin. Ingrown toenails are extremely painful and can lead to infection. Any shoe that isn't properly fitted can cause painful corns and calluses. Wearing shoes that do not offer proper arch support can cause the arch of the foot to collapse. This can lead to problems in other parts of the body.

    The Ankles

    • High heels can cause permanent damage to the ankles and surrounding areas. Any shoe with a heel more than two inches high can cause shortened calf muscles and a shortening of the Achilles tendons. If your feet or knees are forced out of alignment by an improperly fitted shoe, it may result in ankle instability and make injury up to four times more likely to occur.

    The Knees

    • High heels and shoes with improper arch support cause the knee to be thrown out of proper alignment. A knee that is out of alignment can lead to excessive wear and tear on the joint and the surrounding cartilage. This eventually may lead to osteoarthritis, a painful and degenerative disease of the joints.

    The Hips and Back

    • When arches collapse, the knees drop and pull the hips out of alignment, leading to pain around the hip joints and unnatural wear and tear on the hips. When the hips are forced out of proper alignment, the back takes the brunt of the damage. The rest of the spine has to overcompensate to help keep the body balanced. The muscles are forced to work unevenly, leading to low back pain and sometimes even pain in the upper back and neck.

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