Deer Ridge Custom Shoes: Custom made shoes handmade in Vermont for a comfortable fit

Deer Ridge Custom Shoes -- Walk the Ridge

Footnotes Winter 07-08

Footwear - Fit and Function

We are built for motion. Highly complex and perfectly engineered to tackle an endless variety of terrains and tasks, our feet propel and stabilize us. Our shock absorbing arch, large compact heel bone and leveraged propulsion allow us to walk and stand erect, making us unique in the natural world. Technically, our feet are created to walk and walk and walk.

In our daily lives, most of us wear shoes the majority of our waking hours and just expect our feet to do their job. We hope that the feet of our youth will be the feet of our adult life. Choosing to ignore the natural spreading and lengthening that may occur with our feet over time, we commonly opt for fitting our feet to the shoe size worn ten or twenty years earlier. Truly, we often think more about how our feet look in certain shoes than how they feel. In extreme cases, people have had their feet altered surgically to adapt better to a specific shoe style. Obviously, there exists a gap in our culture that is allowing us to ignore or even abuse our faithful feet until they begin to fail us.

Next time you are pushing your feet into that favorite pair of shoes, consider the following foot facts. Perhaps you will rethink how you treat your feet. Of the more that 206 bones in your body, ¼ of these are in your feet, along with an amazing array of 107 ligaments connecting them all together. Of the 19 muscles and tendons in your foot, 18 are on the bottom (plantar surface) and another 13 leg muscles also end in the foot. The fat pads on our feet are ten times thicker than the skin on any other part of our body. Our feet contain the largest amount of sensory nerves of any body part to help us interface with our environment. Each day the physiological act of walking helps to pump from 15 to 25 gallons of nourishing and cleansing blood through the arteries and veins of your feet and back up into your body. Your feet contain around 120,000 sweat glands and expel more toxins via sweat glands than any where else on the body, approximately ½ pint on a normal day. Clearly, there is a lot of activity going on here that is important and life giving to the rest of the body.

To fully understand the importance of why keeping our feet healthy translates into a healthier lifestyle, we first must gain a better grasp on how this important and complex congruence works. Most simply, while walking, the tight and compact heel bone (calcaneous) withstands the initial impact of our steps, then stabilizes our balance and our body weight. It passes that energy forward through the midfoot (the metatarsals). The outside of the foot bears most of the weight at this time as the longitudinal arch in the inside of your foot responds like a shock absorbing resilient spring. Again, this energy moves forward along to the forefoot where the ball of your foot and your toes (phalanges) are positioned to propel the foot forward. Together, all of the toes grip and push to send the foot into swing phase.

The topic of foot biomechanics, or how we walk, is extremely complicated and involved but it is important to know that each section of the foot has a specific function and its proper functioning is critical in order to effectively walk. To allow our feet to do their job, we must wear shoes that promote proper functioning of our feet. In other words, our shoes must fit our feet while standing and in motion..

This is especially important if you are older. Remember, although we are not growing in the classic sense of the word, our feet may still be changing in shape, width and length. Our feet may also lose some of their fat padding on the bottoms of their feet. Our joints may seem stiffer or more swollen. The ligaments and tendons in our feet may become looser or tighter. Some people notice that the balls of their feet are aching or burning. Bunions, calluses and red areas of irritation may appear. Our walking form may have changed drastically along with the changes in our feet allowing for overpronation ( rolling too far inward on heel strike), oversuppination (walking almost exclusively on the outside border of your foot) . You may find yourself altering your normal stride, or compensating, to avoid using a part of the foot that hurts.

Even on a normal day for a perfect foot, the foot changes in volume, shape and proportion with every step as it moves from static (not moving) to dynamic (moving). Our feet can change up to 1 or more shoe sizes due to common swelling and use. Each step we take for granted sends tiny tremors through our entire skeletal system. Coupled with the aforementioned changes that occur naturally, and unnaturally, as we get older, properly fitted shoes become even more paramount to proper functioning when we walk.

What can you do to address these changes and ensure the best fit? Firstly, get to know your feet. Where are the problem areas that nag at you? Where are your aches, pains, and irritations? Do they burn or throb? What are they telling you and what should you do about it. How do your feet feel when they are in your shoes? How do they feel at the end of the day after you take off your shoes?

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The next line of attack is to make sure that when you need to buy new shoes, they fit your foot’s shape as it is today. While there are some excellent, customer service oriented shoe stores that take the time and have the knowledge to properly fit footwear to their customers, often times it is hard to find good knowledgeable help when purchasing shoes. If you find that is the case, here are some suggestions to help you in your search for better fitting shoes. One handy trick is to lift up the shoe, flip it over and see if the shape of the bottom mirrors that of your foot. You can also pull out the insert and make sure it matches the shape of your foot. The insole reflects the shape of the shoe last (a form that resembles the foot upon which the footwear is constructed). If it angles away from your foot, you can be sure it will try to force your foot into that same angle. While standing on the insole look to see if your foot stays on. You may notice that the sides of your foot are hanging over the edge and you need to get a different width. Be sure you try this in the afternoon when your feet are their most swollen. Do not make the mistake of buying shoes that are too long in order to find the right ball width.

Next, put the insert back in and check that you have ample toe room. Be sure the toe box is high enough, especially if you have been told you have hammer or claw toes or if you see little abrasions or corns on your toes where they have been rubbing in previous shoes. See if you can wiggle your toes. There must also be enough toe space at the end of the shoe to avoid injury to toes and toe nails and allow healthy toes to help with propulsion and balance. ‘Healthy toes’ does not mean nicely painted, it means functioning properly.

Most experts agree that you should stand and walk in your shoes when trying them on. The shoes should not bind the foot or constrict blood flow and must also allow for the daily expansion of your feet. If you can push your toes forward to touch the front of the shoe and then slide your index finger behind your heel, this is about 3/8 to ½ of an inch and is ideal. The heel should fit snuggly, be firm but able to move with your foot as it bends. The shoes must be flexible enough to move with your foot and bend where your foot bends - at the ball of the foot and not in the arch.

If you are already wearing orthotics, bring them with you. Only buy a shoe with a removable insert. Insist on trying them on with the orthotics to be certain there is enough depth as most inserts are only 1/8 inch thick and meant to compact when you wear them. If there is enough room, but they do not seem to ‘set’ in the shoe right, it is best to have the maker of your orthotics fit them to your new shoes. Some signs that the orthotics are not fitting right are if you feel like you are standing up too high, feel unstable or if your foot simply keeps coming out as you walk. The orthotics must be stable in the shoe and still allow you enough heel depth to keep your heel inside the shoe and avoid heel slippage.

If you do not wear orthotics and painful feet are still a problem, even after getting the ‘right’ shoe, make an appointment to see your doctor. Your physician will recommend a specialist or send you to a Pedorthist (health professional who fabricates orthotics and orthopedic shoes). Foot orthotics are much more than inserts. They can be made of an unlimited number of materials from firm and supportive to resilient or cushioning. Many biomechanical, support and cushioning problems are readily solved with the correct orthotics.

There is a lot of discussion and many recommendations surrounding the right amount of toe spring and heel height for walking shoes. While these may indeed aid in ease of walking by pre-positioning the foot, they may also hinder the foots natural functioning and gait cycle. For proper foot health, the least heel is the best heel. Any amount of heel changes the distribution of your body weight by moving it forward and thus may help propel you. However, this puts unnatural amounts of pressure on the balls of your feet. If the shoe flexes properly, the amount of toe spring should not be an issue as the balls of your feet and toes are flexing to propel you forward. If you walk well barefoot, you are walking without artificial heel lift or toe spring. In this case, you are allowing for full natural functioning and optimizing the natural pumping action of your feet (like a second heart), which is best for your body overall. It is important, however, to have enough midsole cushioning to protect your feet from unnaturally hard surfaces. More than enough will interfere with the shoes ability to flex properly and thus hinder your ability to walk.

When commercially available shoes are unable to satisfy your fit and function needs, custom shoes may be the answer. Many custom shoe customers have specific limitations that cause discomfort when they stand or walk. Often, boney prominences such as bunions, unusual toe positions or surgical procedures can lead to pain that can be alleviated by a custom shoe that is created for that foot shape. However, many people simply have extremely large or small feet, very narrow or unusually wide feet or a combination of a wide forefoot and a narrow heel. You may have a leg length discrepancy, excessive pronation or suppination, a higher than average instep or an allergy to a material like latex. Or perhaps, you simply want an all leather walking shoe with built in arch support. For the ultimate in individualized fit and unique styling, custom shoes address the features and needs that mass produced shoes cannot.

You may be able to find your own perfectly fitting shoes in a large department store, a specialty shoe store or in a custom footwear shop where they are handmade for your own unique needs. Being sure you find shoes that work well because they fit properly, is especially important as our feet and needs continue to change. They should provide comfort, ease of motion and support during your daily activities whether you are walking in the mall or around your favorite reservoir. Our feet are our foundation and taking care of them by wearing the proper footwear helps to ensure good health for our entire bodies.

terrell

Terrell Walton,
December 2007

Footnotes Spring/Summer 08
“Why are orthotics so important?”