If you’re an active individual or you work outside the house, odds are your feet spend a fair amount of time inside a pair of shoes. Shoes are designed to offer your feet comfort and protection, but we need to make sure we pick out the right pair of shoes, otherwise we may actually be putting additional stress on our feet.
One of the most common issues people run into when buying shoes is that the choose a pair that is too tight in a specific area of their feet. Whether it’s because they don’t have the right size or they assume their foot shape hasn’t changed over the years, sometimes people choose a shoe the just doesn’t fit right for one reason or another. In today’s blog, we explain what can happen to your feet if you choose shoes that are too tight in a certain spot.
Problems With Overly Tight Shoes
Shoes that are too tight are often too snug in a number of different areas of your foot, but not always. With that in mind, we wanted to break down some of the foot problems associated with having shoes that are too tight at specific spots of your foot. Here’s what you may be in for down the road if your shoes are too tight in these spots.
Too Tight In The Toes – If there isn’t enough room at the front of your shoes, your toes are going to be crammed. If they are bent upwards, you can do some damage to the ligaments and soft tissues that support the joints. Too much pressure on the toe box can lead to a number of problems including:
- Hammertoes
- Claw toes
- Bunions
Overly tight shoes can also put abnormal pressure on our toenails, which can make a person more likely to develop an ingrown toenail.
Too Tight On The Sides – Shoes that are too narrow for your feet can put abnormal lateral pressure on each side of your foot. This pressure on the big toe joint can lead to bunion formation or faster shifting of the big toe joint, making bunion symptoms worse. It can also happen at the joint at the base of the little toe, leading to a problem known as a bunionette. Shoes that are overly narrow can also lead to blister formation or contribute to balance problems, so work to stretch your shoes when you’re not wearing them or simply opt for a wider pair from the outset.
Too Tight In The Heel – If your shoes are too tight in the heel, you may begin to notice some pain in the heel region as the area is exposed to prolonged stress. You may also experience faster heel fat pad atrophy, meaning the protective fat pad on your heel may thin more quickly, decreasing your foot’s ability to absorb shock when running or walking. This can make movement or even standing on your feet for an extended period painful.