THE FOOTWISE GUIDE TO SHOES

The human foot is an advanced mechanism, containing 26 bones, 126 muscles and ligaments and 33 joints. How each of these components behaves and works together creates an almost endless variety of foot movements. By understanding the characteristics of your feet and analysing the way they move, FOOTWISE can help you chose the shoe that suits you best.

• Consider trying on shoes at the end of the day when your feet are at their largest
• Bring wear the socks or stockings which you intend to wear with the shoe
• Heels: If you wear high heels, try to limit the time you spend in them. During the day, wear flatter shoes and then enjoy your heels in the evening when going out. However when out, take your high-heeled shoes off as often as you can (e.g. slip tour feet out while at a restaurant). Also, try to restrict your daily shoes to a height to no more than 1½ - 2 inches inches. The heel takes a great proportion of the weight when heel striking, so allow the heel to have as broad a base as is possible
• Heel Counter: this is the part of the shoe that locks the shoe to your foot and prevents the heel form sliding out of the shoe. Not all shoes have a heel counter and this is one of the most important aspects of a good fitting shoe. Try, whereever possible, to buy shoes that have a heel counter that follows the contours of the heel
• Sole: The whole of the sole should be flat and only raising slightly up under the toes. This simply helps encourage ‘toe-off’ and prevents the wearer from tripping. Again, the broader the sole, the better the pressure distribution
• Upper: The upper part of the shoe should ideally be leather. This is for two reasons; breathability; and leather’s moulding ability, which ensures a more comfortable fit
• Inner Lining: ideally this should be leather, ‘Goretex’TM or ‘Sympatex’ TM to ensure the proper airing of the foot . The inside of the shoe should be smooth and seam free.
• Fastenings : These are essential for good fitting shoes and ideally should be laces, velcro or straps. Many designs of slip-on shoes are either kept on by being to small or by encouraging the wearer to curl or spread their toes, leading to an abnormal gait

• Fit: There should be a 1cm gap between the longest toe and the end of the shoe. The shape of the shoe at the front should match the shape of the foot, and the width of the shoe should correspond with the widest part of the foot while standing.. Your shoe width size should match your foot width. Have your feet measured,since our feet are often not the size they were when we were last measured as a child! This will also determine the correct width/size ratio of your foot-you may be wearing the wrong size to accommodate extra width.