Footwear are the garments worn on the feet, in the various forms of shoes, sneakers, sandals, flip-flops, boots, clogs and so on. It is worn for a variety of reasons, including protection against the environment, hygiene and vanity. Proper footwear are those that offer support for the feet and ankles, accordingly to the respective activities. For instance running shoes and basketball shoes has got difference support and cushion for their unique needs.
The shoes should also give ample room for the toes so that it will not constrict toe movements or is too cramp and will increase the chances of causing bunion growth. The soles of the foot wear should also take most of the direct impact not the heels, ball of the foot or even the toes, so make sure the quality of the soles give you comfort when you 1st try out a new pair of shoes.
The next thing that you should consider is the correct type of shoes for the appropriate weather and road surfaces that you will encounter for the respective activities. Hiking shoes will have lots of grips, non-slip material on the sole, track shoes will have spikes on the soles giving maximum traction for the athletes the advantage of tracks, and of course normal walking footwear that is just plain simple and light sole for comfort walking.
Fashion footwear are most of the time very physically appealing to the eyes, and not always practical to wear on the feet for a long period of time.
Ultimately the main criteria for proper footwear are :
- comfortable, not too big not too small
- sufficient ankle and foot support
- ample room for toe movement
- there should also be about a 3/4 inch space beyond the big toe (or the longest toe) when you stand.
- the shoe should be designed for the activity you are planning on doing.
If you were to buy shoes for purpose of running and walking, we at Foot Health Info has got some recommendations. New Balance running shoes, Masai Barefoot Technology or MBT
footwear and Asics running shoes
Some of other brands that we recommend are, Orthofeet for their orthopaedic comfort, Birkenstock and Teva sandals for their comfort support, Clarks for affordable comfort.
