For those who suffer from this disease, the problem of choosing the right shoes is very important. But, before you start looking for suitable shoes, you need to figure out what kind of pathology it is.
Flat feet - what is it?
Important! Flat feet are a low arch of the foot, which acts as a kind of shock absorber. This softens the load on the knees, ankles, spine, and hip joints when walking.
Otherwise uneven impact begins to gradually destroy the entire musculoskeletal system, which negatively affects the functioning of internal organs. This is why it is so important to wear special shoes.
Causes of flat feet
In our time such a curvature diagnosed in almost half of children, as well as adult men and women.
Among the main reasons diseases experts call:
wearing low quality shoes:
- physical inactivity;
- excess body weight;
- high load on the legs.
Women can develop foot deformities during pregnancy, especially with significant weight gain.
Important! To avoid an unpleasant illness, walk barefoot more often, choosing an uneven surface covered with sand, grass, and small pebbles.
What shoes contribute to the development of flat feet?
Provokes weakening of the ligaments that support the arch of the foot:
- shoes that cause discomfort, large or small;
- high thin heel;
- narrow shoes;
- absolutely flat soles of summer flip-flops or sandals;
- wearing rubber boots for a long time.
Criteria for choosing shoes for flat feet
It’s easy to choose comfortable shoes based on general criteria:
- The heel is no more than 4 cm high, ideally from 5 to 10 mm.
- Smooth transition in height from the middle of the arch to the heel.
Important! The sole should not be flat. A small heel is required.
- Tight, chafing shoes are not for you.
- The shoe material is natural or a high-quality substitute that allows air to pass through well.
- The size is precisely adjusted: the foot is not compressed and is not, as they say, “in free flight.”
- The sole is of medium rigidity, but should not bend too easily.
At the first and second stages You should wear models with the most suitable characteristics:
- low, wide heel (for stability and proper heel fit);
- hard back;
- flexible sole with instep support;
- the toe is rounded or has a square shape.
At the third stage You won’t be able to do it without consulting a doctor. Otherwise, you can get bone deformation.
For women
The female half of humanity is a special group where the risk of developing such a disease is greatly increased. This is due to their commitment to fashion, which dictates high heels.However, health is more expensive, and we should not forget about it.
With the development of flat feet, women and girls should opt for soft shoes. Their optimal characteristics:
- heel up to 5 cm;
- medium fullness;
- sustainability;
- tight back;
- no seams on the inside.
For men
Summer and demi-season shoes should have an elastic sole, a hard heel to relieve the load on the foot and support for the heel.
Orthopedists recommend to the stronger sex:
- choose tight lacing that secures the foot;
- the front cape is wide, not squeezing the fingers;
- exact choice of size;
- wearing special shock-absorbing insoles.
Orthopedic shoes
Medicinal models should be worn as soon as a medical diagnosis is made, according to the degree of the disease. In appearance, correction shoes are not much different from ordinary ones.
If the deformation is just beginning, then most likely you can get by with insoles or inserts. For a more advanced option, you will have to order special shoes.
Features of correction shoes (instep supports)
These boots are made from natural raw materials. Moreover, the middle is fixed with stabilizers, and the heel is fixed with a dense heel. An arch support is used to support the arch of the foot.
Such shoes in themselves already treat flat feet, inhibit the development of deformation processes, bring the feet to a normal position, ensuring that the load is removed from them when walking.
On a note! Orthopedic shoes should not slip. A rigid structure called the “Thomas heel” protects the heel from falling inward.
Inserts and liners
They are used in conjunction with therapeutic exercises when only the very first signs of the disease are visible. If necessary, they can be ordered, but they also produce two standard models:
- VP-1 – has a rigid under-arch ledge;
- VP-2 – equipped with a recess, a longitudinal arch under the heel and an instep support.
Experts still prefer to work with these products, made to individual measurements.
What shoes should you not wear if you have flat feet?
Orthopedists are categorically against a number of those models that have:
- The sole is thick and practically does not bend (there is no uniformity of load, so muscles and ligaments weaken).
- The heel is too high (due to the fact that the center of gravity shifts to the base of the fingers, it is possible to develop a valgus-type deformity of the thumb and the appearance of a bone growth there).
- Full wedge sole or on a high platform (reduced stability, obstacle to flexion of the foot).
- Narrow, tight shoes (the muscular-ligamentous system is not involved when walking, gradually weakens and ceases to perform its function).
Thus, like any other disease, flat feet need prevention and prevention. It is not so difficult. You just need to use comfortable, convenient shoes every day, and leave model stilettos for special occasions.
Also, both men and women should never forget about practicality. Although in the modern world, flat feet are not a reason to wear only “grandmother’s” shoes. Fashion magazines are full of models that fully meet all the requirements stated here.
0
