Can Lack of Arch Support in Sandals and Flip Flops Cause Foot and Leg Problems?

Spring Signals the Beginning of Sandal and Flip Flop Season

If you’re a skier, you are probably not wondering when the first day of spring is, for those of you who have forgotten, it is March 2oth. So, warm weather followers start organizing your shoe closet and start moving your sandals and flip flops to the front of the line. Everyone still traveling to warm weather vacation spots to get away from the remaining month of winter is way ahead of the game. In many parts of the world it is always sandal and flip flop season. If you’re traveling or live in warm climates such as South Florida, Mexico, Southern California, The Caribbean or Hawaii, sandals and flip flops are always the comfort footwear of choice. Warm climates means your feet will have plenty of opportunity to spread out and not be encumbered in closed shoes. However, your feet will still take a beating because of the lack of support sandals and flip flops provide. Whether shopping all day, working long hours, sightseeing while on vacation or dancing all night long wearing sandals or flip flops can translate into a whole lot of foot and leg problems if you wear them all day long.

Common Problems from Wearing Sandals and Flip Flops

As a podiatrist, the most common problems that I see in my office during sandal and flip flop season are tired feet, arch cramps, muscle spasms, calluses on the heel and ball of the foot, blisters on the toes and lower leg pain such as shin splints.

Blisters on the toes can occur while wearing sandals because the foot is sliding forward and there is too much friction between the top of the toes and the top of the sandal. Calluses can form on the bottom of the heel because friction too, side to side movement of the heel against the sandal will cause a thick callus to form. If there is too much build up of tissue the skin can crack or fissure causing heel pain. Calluses can also form on the balls of the feet because of friction and can be very painful. Using moisturizing creams with exfoliating agents and Urea will definitely help reduce the skin problems in the heel.

“Shop till you drop takes on a whole new meaning”

Shopping all day or standing on your feet for hours wears you out and results in tired feet, arch cramps, muscle spasms and shin splints. This can be lumped into one cause, abnormal pronation where the arch excessively collapses during the normal gait cycle. This leads to the muscles in the arch of the foot and lower leg to fatigue and tire because of the increased stress resulting in an overuse phenomenon causing foot and lower leg pain. The trigger is wearing non supportive sandals or flips flops. Ouch!

So, the type of foot structure one has, whether it is a high arched or flat foot can cause vulnerability and problems when wearing flip flops or sandals. Women who have high arches may be more susceptible because of a more pronounced arch angle in their foot, therefore placing increased pressure on the ball of the foot and arch. However, a flat foot which indicates that the arch of the foot has collapsed will also cause their share of problems. Arch pain, tired feet, cramping and joint discomfort in the foot are just a few symptoms experienced after long hours on your feet. Biomechanically speaking the foot is unstable and slides around when walking in those types of shoe wear. Toes will curl downward and try to grab the ground because of the instability in the joints of the foot. The muscles in the front of the lower leg will fire continuously and eventually fatigue and become tight and sore.

First Aid for Feet…..Sandal and Flip Flop Solutions

Supportive arch supports such as custom orthotics is the best way to control foot function during the normal gait cycle when wearing sandals and flip flops. The problem is finding an arch support that can fit into a flat sandal, flip flop or dress sandals. There are arch support products available that can stick on sandals or flip flops and provide the needed support to make those types of footwear foot friendly.

To treat arch pain, joint pain, muscle soreness or cramps after a long day of standing on your feet use topical homeopathic anti inflammatory creams or gels such as Traumel®. Ice therapy can also be very affective to calm down acute foot problems. There are gel insoles products that can be frozen or placed in a microwave to take the edge off very quickly.

Sandals and flip flops are worn by thousands daily; wearing ones that are cute, stylish and supportive will allow you to walk happily ever after in style and pain free.

HELP ME IS IT A SHOE PROBLEM OR A FOOT PROBLEM!!!

What can you do to make your uncomfortable shoes comfortable……

In order to make those uncomfortable shoes more comfortable, you have to become your own shoe doctor! Shoes are designed to be hot and sexy; they are not always made to be comfortable. So the question is... Is it a shoe problem or a foot problem that makes shoes uncomfortable?

The answer is both!

Structural reasons:

The reasons why the foot can be the problem are because it may be too wide for a normal last shoe because of lumps and bumps that can develop on sides and top of the foot. They are bone deformities called bunions, hammer toes and bone spurs. The ones associated with the great toe are known as a bunion (Hallux Abducto Valgus) foot deformity, the fifth toe deformity is called a tailor’s bunion and on the top of the toes, hammertoes can develop. Bone spurs can form on the top of the foot. These boney problems can cause skin irritations, superficial skin ulcers, corn formations and calluses on the ball of foot. Ouch!

The foot can also be too narrow and create problems when wearing shoes. Women who have a narrow heel have a terrible time finding shoes that fit properly. When you walk the foot will slip or slide in the shoe and blisters can develop on the back of the heel or on the tops of the toes. A bone spur can form on the back of the heel because of this and this is called a “pump bump”. This occurs because of friction or repetitive rubbing of the foot against the lining of the shoe either in the heel counter or toe box.

Hormonal reasons:

Women’s feet can also change during pregnancy because of the hormone called relaxin which is released in your body during pregnancy. Relaxin targets weight baring ligaments in the pelvis during child birth. It also affects the ligaments in the arch of the foot which can cause them to stretch and the foot may get longer and wider. Therefore, over the course of a pregnancy feet can change a shoe size becoming larger. Unfortunately once they change size, it’s permanent and does not return back to the original shoe size. Shoe companies must love this naturally occurring phenomenon.

Could it be the shoes?

Yes, shoe designs can be a factor; some of the hottest shoes on the market are not always the most comfortable shoes to wear. Ladies, you know the ones! There are certain parts of every shoe that can commonly cause problems. The toe box may be too shallow or narrow causing skin irritations or a prominent seam may be present in the lining of the toe box and rubs the sides or top of the toes. Shoe designs can also be hazardous to your foot’s well being. If the slope of the shoe is too acute it could place pressure on the ball of the foot or it could affect the arch resulting in muscle spasms and cramping.

Become your own shoe doctor:

To become your own shoe doctor, you do not have to go to podiatry school! All you need to do is follow these recommendations and you “will walk happily ever after “. When purchasing a new pair of shoes check to see if there is enough wiggle room in the front of the shoe (toe box) so your toes are not cramped or feeling unnecessary pressure. If you see redness on the top or sides of your toes after trying on a new pair of shoes, that is an indication that they are to tight and could lead to developing corns, blisters and subsequent pain when wearing them for long periods of time. If you only plan to wear them into restaurant and kick them off once you get there, you are probably safe. Always make sure that you have at least a thumbs width between your longest toe and the end of the shoe.

Shoes that are slightly too big because your foot is narrow can cause the heel to pop out of the back, foot slippage or arch cramping when walking. Placing over counter arch products in your shoe such as Instant Arches ® can prevent the foot from slipping forward, pain in the ball of the foot and the arch from cramping. Another tip is to place an extra insole in the shoe which would fill in the extra space. Look for shoes that have soft fabrics so it can accommodate the annoying lumps and bumps often found on your feet. Shoe repair shops can also be helpful because they have the ability to stretch shoes and soften the leather if they are to narrow or increase the room in the toe box creating more wiggle room.

Doctoring your feet:

There many types of gel pads or toe caps that you can find over the counter to place around your toes to prevent corn and blister formation on the sides and tops of your toes. Moleskin, Band-Aids and metatarsal arch pads are also helpful to prevent skin irritations and reduce callus formation.

Messaging your feet with moisturizing cream will soften and hydrate rough, dry and fissured skin as well as relaxing the foot after a long day. This should be done before you fall asleep so it will have the opportunity to get absorbed. Look for moisturizing creams infused with ingredients such as Urea, Aloe, Vitamin E, Chamomile and Pure Essential Oils.

Information sources:

Going on the web is another source to find ways to make your shoes more comfortable, web sites such as ShoesTV specialize in helpful information about shoes.

Regardless of how uncomfortable your shoes were or how uncomfortable your feet were in shoes,

with these tips, “you can now walk happily ever after!"

www.instantarches.com

Shoes, Your Best Friend or the Enemy?

Ladies, now that it is Fall and the weather is beginning to change, so is your shoe wardrobe. A new season has arrived. Closed shoes and boots, here I come! So how long can your feet survive in closed shoes before they are kicked off under a dinner table? That is the million dollar question? Sometimes, shoes can be categorized by the length of time one can wear them, five, fifteen, thirty or sixty minutes. Women spend thousands of dollars each year on the latest or hottest designer shoes at their favorite shoe stores whether they are comfortable or not. Buying shoes is not always about comfort, it is more about what shoes go with what outfit. However, once in the closet these shoes become the enemy. They can cause blisters, unknown bumps on toes or the back of the heel bone (pump bumps), arch cramps, skin irritations (corns and calluses) and pain, “Ouch”! Fortunately, not all shoes cause these types of foot problems, just the ones that usually go with most outfits!

Gone are the days in most areas of the country where women can get away with wearing open sandals, slides, flip flops or backless heels every day and dine in comfort unless you live in warm weather climates. The reason why it should be an endless summer for your feet is because sandals, slides, flip flops and backless heels are more comfortable to wear. They accommodate many of the different lumps and bumps that feet have. Strappy sandals are great for women who have foot problems such as bunions or hammertoes (crooked toes). Bunions and hammertoes develop because of unstable foot biomechanics (abnormal pronation) which weakens the muscular structure around first metatarsal and lesser metatarsal joints.

Bunions are a bony prominence on the side of the great toe (head of the first metatarsal bone) that can be very painful in closed shoes. They develop because of a muscle imbalance around the great toe joint. The soft tissue surrounding the great toe joint weakens and the arch collapses causing bunions to form. Hammertoes are bumps on the top of the 2nd through 5th toes and rub the top or side of the shoe. They are also caused by a muscle imbalance in the feet. The long plantar flexor tendons on the bottom of the foot that attach to the ends of the toes are stronger than the long extensor tendons which run along the top of the foot and attach to the ends of the toes. This imbalance causes the toes to bend downward causing hammertoes to form. Pump bumps (retrocalcaneal exostosis) are bone spurs that forms on the back of the heel bone due to excess motion of the rear foot in the shoe. Women with narrow heels are predisposed to this condition. During the gait cycle shearing forces or friction can occur along the back of the heel bone when you are walking in closed shoes. This can ultimately lead to developing bone deposits in the back of the heel.

Foot problems can be genetically predetermined. Looking at your grandparents and parents feet can give you a tremendous amount of insight in why those lumps and bumps have appeared. When your foot hits the ground all the joints and muscles in your feet have to adjust to the forces created by your walking. Therefore, your feet can slide in shoes causing friction, developing corns and blisters on the tops or ends of your toes or thick calluses on the balls of your feet. It is the movement of bones rubbing against each other or against one of the shoe surfaces like, in closed shoes. Strappy sandals can fit around the bunion and hammertoe deformities and not irritate it. Closed shoes are less accommodating and potentially cause more problems.

Solutions: To extend the length of time you can wear your shoes because of a lump here and a bump there look for closed shoes made of soft leather. The leather would mold around bony prominences in the foot and not irritate the skin. Another way to create more room in a shoe is taking it to a shoe repair shop to have them stretch that part of the shoe that causes the irritation. Doctoring up shoes has been going on for years and years. Putting insoles in a shoe, moleskin around toes, heel protectors along the lining of the back of the shoe or a metatarsal pad in the front of the shoe to take up room is helpful especially if you have narrow bony feet. Custom made orthotics or over the counter foot products like Instant Arches® are very helpful in providing support, comfort and often times prevent foot slippage. Preventing sliding in shoes will reduce friction minimizing corn and callus development. The internet is now a great source to find new products on the market to help solve these problems as well. If you need professional help consult a podiatrist in your area.
So, for those women who live in cold weather climates, summer is only 10 months away.