Following from my last post on shoes, I thought I’d share with you a few tips on what to look for in a good shoe. We’re so easily drawn to pretty shoes that we often forget to think about how much support they give to your foot, or if they’re even wide enough to fit you comfortably. I know I’m guilty of pretending that my feet weren’t suffering in heels or flats with no support! Luckily, there are only three features of a shoe you have to remember when out shoe shopping for something comfortable, and they’re pretty hard to forget!

Features of a Good Shoe

The first thing you should do when looking at a shoe you want to buy, is to pick it up. The weight of the shoe is important, because that is the weight you’ll be carrying on each foot. Heavier shoes will be more difficult to walk in, while light shoes will be easier.

The next thing you want to do is check how sturdy the shoe is. To do this, try to twist the shoe. The middle of the shoe, where your arches will be supported, should be rigid and you should be able to bend the shoe in half or twist it. Next, you’ll want to see if the front of the shoe is flexible– it should be. You can do this by pinching the end of the shoe and seeing if it can bend upwards. Lastly, for a shoe with maximum support, you have to see if the back of the shoe is supportive. To do this, hold the shoe and slap the back gently; if the area where the back of your ankle would be presses inwards, then it’s not as supportive as it could be.

Things to Keep in Mind…

A few general tips to keep in ind when shoe shopping can help you find something very supportive for work or for leisure. Remember that laces are the most supportive fastening mechanism, followed by bungees and velcro. Slip-on styles aren’t very supportive at all, and often offer no support and make you work harder to walk.