Good question, right? Most people aren’t wearing supportive shoes but think they are because they spent a lot of money on them. Expensive shoes may be of good quality, but unfortunately price does not guarantee support; nor does the brand.
Supportive footwear is a passionate topic for We-Fix-U Chiropodists (foot specialists) in Oshawa because improper footwear is a primary cause for many foot problems.
So how do you know what to look for to determine good shoe support? Here are three simple tests:
1. Hold the shoe at both ends and try to twist the shoe from side to side. The shoe should be difficult to twist (you shouldn’t be able to “ring it out”).
2. Squeeze the back of the shoe (where the heel of your foot rests). This area, called the “heel counter”, should be fairly stiff.
3. Hold the shoe at both ends and try to fold the shoe in half. A good shoe must have very little flex in the middle (arch) of the shoe. It should flex well at the ball of the foot.
These tests are great to do when buying a new pair of shoes; they can also be done to test whether your current shoes are still ok or need to be buried. For the average person shoes should be replaced about once a year. For more active people, replacement should be done every 6-9 months.
