Walking, running or any sports activity is the best medicine for maintaining a healthy body and in order to do so, buying the right kind of shoes is of paramount importance. No compromises can or should be made. Wearing uncomfortable or ill-fitting shoes can eventually cause foot injuries or deformities.

Dr. Ryan L. D’Amico, our experienced board certified podiatrist at Syracuse Podiatry in Fayetteville, NY, serving the Syracuse area has the best advice regarding purchasing correct footwear.

What to keep in mind when buying shoes:

• A comfortable fit is top priority. The brand, design, style and color should come later. A snug fit ensures avoidance of bruised toenails or blisters
• The shoe should be well-cushioned to prevent injury to the feet
• The material of the shoe should be made of good quality
• The soles of the shoe should have a good tread and should be shock absorbent. This will avoid slips and falls if one is walking fast
• Though laces are time consuming, shoe with laces always fit better. Slip-ons may be easier to put on, but they will come off easily on an incline or if one is running
• Check the seams of the inside of the shoe. Any kind of friction on the inside can cause bunions and corns
• Always buy shoes made of soft, breathable material which allows unrestricted movement
• Make sure that the shoe is water-proof to some extent
• Very pointed toe boxes put pressure on the toes, leading to a multitude of problems like overlapping and underlapping of toes, bunions, corns, hammertoes and mallet toes. In order to avoid pressure on the forefoot, it is advised that high heels not be worn over periods longer than three hours
• Both shoes should be tried on at the same time as most people have different-sized feet. Choose the shoe size that fits the larger foot
• Always try on a shoe while wearing socks
• Buy shoes at the end of the day, when the feet are swollen
• After donning both shoes, walk around for a while to ensure that there is no rubbing or pressure from a badly stitched seam
• Shoes should always be comfortable. The heel should not slip in and out of the shoe while walking
• Never buy shoes a half-size smaller hoping that constant wearing will ‘open’ them.
• Toes should always have wiggle room