Old Shoes - Old or worn out shoes are one of the most common problems we see as podiatrists. Usually people use the oldest shoes to do the dirtiest work or hardest work. This can cause problems such as plantar fasciitis, achilles tendonitis or other foot conditions caused by a lack of support.
Shoes Losing Stretch - I find patients who change shoes from season to season can have problems as the shoes lose their stretch. For example a leather shoe that is stretched out after wearing it and you don't wear it all winter then start wearing them in the summer again. This may cause blistering and/or other problems as the shoe needs to stretch out and can be especially problematic as a diabetic causing foot blisters or wounds.
When To Change Shoes - Finally, an old shoe even though it looks clean loses most of the cushion and support after 6-12 months. It is recommended to change footwear at least every year. If you are an avid runner, you must change it even more frequently.
* To learn more shoe buyting tips, check out a lecture Dr. Pelto gave to the Worcester Senior Center YouTube
Durometor - I am not a material scientist, but for the more high tech readers there is something called a shoe durometer that is the cushion and rebound effect of the shoe sole. There are certain shoes that take more time to recover after use and that is the reason for changing out or rotating your shoes daily to allow your shoe to recover. As well, that is why over time shoes do not recover and they need to be thrown away (don't just use them for outdoor work!).
** Did you know Central Mass Podiatry collects gently used sneakers? Replacing your sneakers with new ones, drop off your gently used ones at our office for donation!
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