Footwear – Tips on Proper Fitting, Care, and Usage

Most people would agree that, like having a good mattress, good shoes are important to one’s well being, since many hours are spent bearing weight on them. Yet people frequently buy ill-fitted shoes for fashion, price, or other reasons, and then keep wearing the shoes till they are worn out, because they have just become “broken in.”
Foot pain can be prevented or reduced from buying properly fitted shoes and proper footwear usage. Following are tips when purchasing shoes, aimed more for those buying running or exercise shoes, but also practical for the general population too. Also, tips on proper shoe care and use are presented.

Tips for purchasing shoes

Shoe fitting

• Try on shoes in the afternoon or end of the day, or after a run or workout, since feet tend to become larger as the day progresses, by as much as a full size by the end of the day.
• Wear running socks when buying a new pair of running or exercise shoes.
• Always relace shoes being tried on.
• Stand when determining proper shoe fit.
• There should be approximately ½ inch of space between the end of your longest toe and the end of the toe box, or roughly your thumb width sideways.
• One should be able to wiggle one’s toes upwards.
• One should be able to squeeze a ripple in the shoe between the 1st and 5th toes, signifying adequate space in the toe box.
• Twist the shoe along its length to check for excessive flexibility.
• Squeeze the heel counter to check for firmness. It should be firm and difficult to pinch since it stabilizes and prevents slippage at the heel.
• Bend the front part of the shoe upwards. It should bend in the area of the toebox. If the shoe bends in the area of the laces or midfoot, it is excessively flexible.
• For running shoes, a padded collar around the top with a cut out for the Achilles tendon allows one to lace the shoe tightly.
• Since one shoe may fit differently than the other, try them both on. Buy the size based on the larger foot.
• When lacing up the shoe, the width of the lace holes should be the same all the way to the top. If not, it may be not the correct size.
• One should know the type of foot one has when purchasing shoes, whether one has flat feet, high arches, or neutral feet. For example, a flat-footed person needs a motion control shoe, which is a stiffer, less flexible shoe to help decrease the excess motion inward seen with this type of foot. On the other hand someone with high arches needs a well-cushioned shoe to improve shock absorption since this person has a more rigid, less forgiving foot. For a more in-depth look at footwear based foot types, please refer to McKinley Health Center’s handout “Foot Types and Proper Footwear.”

Other considerations

• Laced on shoes give a better fit than slip-ons.
• Running shoes should be comfortable from Day 1. They shouldn’t have to be “broken in.”
• If one participates in an exercise or sports specific activity, then a sport specific shoe is preferred.
• With age the feet get fatter and longer, the feet and ankles become stiffer, and the arches tend to flatten.

Shoe use and care

• Running shoes should be retired after 400-600 miles since the midsole begins to break down.
• For those who walk as exercise, shoes should be replaced roughly every 6 months. For normal use, sneakers should be replaced every year.
• Midsoles have a memory of 24-36 hours, so if one is running every day, the midsoles may not have time to spring back completely by the next run. Therefore, it is better to wear a different pair of shoes on alternate days.
• New shoes will break down over time, generally a year or two, if they are not worn.
• Machine washing and drying are very hard on shoes. If necessary, clean with dishwashing liquid, and then let the shoes air dry.
• Don’t use your other foot against a shoe’s heel counter to take off your shoe.
• Try not to run in wet shoes, since the cushioning may be compromised.

References

“What Every Runner Should Know about Shoes,” Physician & Sportsmedicine; Jan, 2005; Vol. 33 Issue 1, p23
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Web site at: www.aofas.org
American Podiatric Medical Association Web site at: www.apma.org

bones in human foot

here are 26 bones in the human foot (28 if you include the sesamoid bones at the base of the big toe). These are: the Talus, which connects to the tibia at the ankle; the Calcaneus, which forms the heel; the Navicular, Cuboid, and three Cuneiforms (Medial, Intermediate, and Lateral), which form the middle of the foot; the five Metatarsals, which radiate out to the toes; and 14 Phalanges

life as a pen

WE USED a pencil when we were small but now we use pens... do you know why? Because mistakes in childhood can be erased but not now.
So read and write carefully otherwise life will be a tissue paper.

what you need to know

An Ancient Calling
The term "cordwainer" is an Anglicization of the French word cordonnier,
which means shoemaker, introduced into the English language after the
Norman invasion in 1066. The word was derived from the city of Cordoba
in the south of Spain, a stronghold of the mighty Omeyyad Kalifs until its
fall in the 12th century. Moorish Cordoba was celebrated in the early
Middle Ages for silversmithing and the production of cordouan leather,
called "cordwain" in England. Originally made from the skin of the
Musoli goat, then found in Corsica, Sardinia, and elsewhere, this leather
was tawed with alum after a method supposedly known only to the Moors.
Crusaders brought home much plunder and loot, including the finest
leather the English shoemakers had seen. Gradually cordouan, or cordovan
leather became the material most in demand for the finest footwear in all
of Europe.
The English term cordwainer first
appears in 1100. Since this date the term
cordouan, or cordovan leather, has been
applied to several varieties of leather.
Today cordovan leather is a vegetable
tanned horse "shell," and like the
Medieval cordwain is used only for the
highest quality shoes.
Since the Middle Ages the title of
cordwainer has been selected by the
shoemakers and used loosely. Generally
it refered to a certain class of boot and
shoemakers. The first English guild who
called themselves cordwainers was
founded at Oxford in 1131. "Cordwainers" was also the choice of the
London shoemakers, who organized a guild before 1160, and the
Worshipful Company of Cordwainers has used this title since receiving its
first Ordinances in 1272.
First Cordwainers in America
The first English cordwainers, or shoemakers, landed at Jamestown,
Virginia, established in 1607-- the first permanent English settlement on
this continent, from which began the overseas expansion of the English-
speaking peoples, the earliest outpost of the British Empire and the first
beginnings of the United States of America.. Captain John Smith has been
alleged to have been a cordwainer, but this is unlikely. This historic
adventure of settlement was in part supported by investments made by the
London cordwainers.
Shoemakers, tanners, and other tradesmen arrived in Jamestown by 1610,
and the secretary of Virginia recorded flourishing shoe and leather trades
there by 1616. The first English shoemaker to arrive in America whose
name has been preserved, was Christopher Nelme, who sailed from
Bristol, England and reached Virginia in 1619. Nearly one year later, the
first Pilgrim settlers landed in Massachusetts. The first shoemakers who
followed the trade there arrived in 1629.
"Cordwainer" not "Cobbler"
A distinction preserved by cordwainers since the earliest times is, that a
cordwainer works only with new leather, whereas a cobbler works with
old. Cobblers have always been repairers, frequently prohibited by law
from making shoes. Going so far as to collect worn-out footwear, cut it
apart, and remanufacture cheap shoes entirely form salvaged leather,
cobblers have contended with cordwainers since the Middle Ages. In 16th-
century London, the cordwainers solved their conflicts with the cobblers
of that city by placing them under the authority of the cordwainers’ guild,
thus merging with them.
Whenever shoemakers have organized, they have shown a clear preference
for the title cordwainer, conscious of the distinguished history and
tradition it conveys. Today's cordwainer is no exception. The current
generation of boot and shoemakers includes a growing number of
tradesmen and tradeswomen, who having largely adopted traditional hand-
sewn techniques supplemented by simple machines, continue to practice
skills established centuries ago. In the face of declining domestic footwear
production, it can easily be said that the future of this trade lays in its past,
and is being insured by the these modern cordwainers.

Tips for Buying the Best Work Shoes

Shopping for shoes is not a hard task as long as you know what it is that you are looking for. Make a list of the features you want in a shoe. Remember that you are going to be wearing the shoes for the entire time you are at work – and this can be 8 hours, 10 hours, or even longer every day. Since you will wear them so often, they are going to wear out faster than many of the other pairs of shoes you have in your closet. The decision to choose wisely becomes even more important if you suffer from foot issues such as plantar fasciitis.

Pay attention to the warranty. Especially if you are spending a lot for the shoes, be sure you get a great warranty so you can have some recourse if the shoes wear thin or you develop a hole in the sole within a few months of wearing them. Some manufacturers offer a warranty of 30 days, 25 years or even a lifetime warranty. For example, Red Wing offer various warranties from a period of 30 days to upto a year depending on the type of footwear. Georgia Boot offer a range of warranties mostly ranging from 6 months to 1 year. If you want a longer warranty then go for the Dr. Martens For Life boots who have a lifetime warranty. Again, ensure these are the correct footwear for your requirements. Danner have a warranty for work boots which is generally 180 days from the purchase date of your shoes. Be sure to check all of these as they can always change.

Take advantage of sales. Since the shoes will be used for work, you know they will get a lot of use. Go ahead and buy two pairs (or more) so you have them and can alternate. They’ll last longer and won’t cost you as much because of the sale. The ideal place to start is to browse the site to give you some inspiration. Happy scouring for the best work shoes.