Style…brand…price? What do you shop for in athletic shoes? Experts say at the 'sole' of many women's aches and pains is bad footwear."We see patients all the time wearing inappropriate shoes for the activity," says Christian Royer, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.Runners wearing tennis shoes, tennis players wearing cross trainers it's one major mistake say experts. Another big problem is buying too small.
"People don't realize that their shoe size changes over time and that their foot can get bigger and wider as time goes on," says Dr. Royer. "And most people haven't had their foot measured in years."
Dr. Royer says that your foot can not only grow through the years, but throughout the day as well. Because of normal swelling, the afternoon is the best time to shop, and don't forget to take a test-run before you buy.
"Don't believe in the myth of breaking the shoe in," advises Dr. Royer. "If the shoe doesn't feel good in the store, no matter how good it looks, you need to get a different shoe."