Women's Shoes

The best shoe for women's feet is a walking shoe with laces (not a slip-on), a composition sole, and a relatively wider heel with a rigid and padded heel counter, no more than three-quarters of an inch in height.

 

Some women inflict punishment on their feet from improper footwear that can bring about unnecessary foot problems. Some of the problems result from high-heeled shoes (generally defined as pumps with heels of more than two inches). 

 

A study conducted by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society found that:

• Nine out of 10 women wear shoes that are too small for their feet.

• Eight out of 10 women say their shoes are painful.

• More than 7 out of 10 women have developed a bunion, hammertoe, or other painful foot deformity.

• Women are nine times more likely to develop a foot problem because of improper fitting shoes than a man.

• Nine out of 10 women's foot deformities can be attributed to tight shoes.

 

 

High-heeled, pointed-toe shoes can cause numerous orthopedic problems, leading to discomfort or injury to the toes, ankles, knees, calves, and back. Many high-heeled-shoes also have a pointed, narrow toe box that crowds the toes and forces them into an unnatural triangular shape. These shoes distribute the body's weight unevenly, placing excess stress on the ball of the foot and on the forefoot. This uneven distribution of weight, coupled with the narrow toe box characteristic of most high heels, can lead to discomfort, bunions, hammertoes, and other deformities.