Dr. Carrie Lakin, DPM
Each holiday season, shoppers galore walk frantically up and down
aisle after aisle searching for the perfect gift. Take a moment to
look closely at their shoes. Despite the fact that most women work
an eight-hour day before heading out to buy gifts, they rarely take
time to change to appropriate shoes for the job. Walking through the
mall, heavy packages in one arm, purse over the shoulder, and child
clinging to the other hand pulling in every other direction, all add
up to additional strain on your body. This particularly impacts your
supporting structures… your feet and your back!
So what can we do to protect ourselves, when there are so many things
that must get done?
For starters, carry a comfortable pair of running shoes in the trunk
of your car to slip on when you have a lot of errands to deal with.
That way you won’t be trapped at the stores after work in a
pair of not-so-forgiving high heels. Try to avoid long lines by shopping
early in the day or perhaps on your lunch hour. Prolonged standing
while waiting to check out can be more demanding on the arches in
your feet than regular walking from store to store!
Commonly, we develop heel pain - usually worse in the mornings with
their first few steps out of bed - after days of heavy shopping or
late night Christmas parties. This condition, plantar fasciitis, can
be very debilitating. Preventing excessive arch strain is the key
to getting well again. It is paramount to wear appropriate shoes to
match the level of activity being done. Often medical treatment can
aid with a faster recovery.
Certainly we need to wear pretty shoes once in awhile, and for dinner
parties or special occasions. I recommend wearing shoes that are stylish
but comfortable. Never wear shoes with a heel more than 2” high.
They cause poor body mechanics from your feet to your spine. If you
can barely make it down the hall to the front door in them without
pain, you probably won’t last long at the party in them. Corns
and blisters will develop. Worse yet, you can develop stress fractures
in the small bones (metatarsals) as a result of repetitive foot strain.
Woman need to “do it all” these days… but don’t
ignore your foot pain. Seek professional help if symptoms worsen.
Getting help early will allow you to enjoy the holiday rush and still
be on your feet when family members are counting on you!
Contact Dr. Carrie Lakin at (304) 347-FOOT.
Dr. Lakin’s Top Ten Women’s Shoes:
Dress:
Worthington “Misty” or “Jesse”
Hush Puppies Hypo-flex “Glide”
Naturalizer “Babs”
Casual:
Clarks “Megan” or “Rebecca”
Running Shoes:
New Balance #606, #601, #715 (good for limiting pronation)
ASICS 6T2060 (good for extra lateral stability)
Addidas Attune (good for extra support)
Ryka (good for extra padding)
Miscellaneous:
Easy Street “Houston” (ladies boots)
Roebucks (steel toed sneakers)
All of the above shoes are available at malls and retail centers.
Prices range from $35.00 to $90.00 per pair.
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