|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Myrna Manners, Kathleen Robinson, Peggy Sung
Phone: (212) 821-0560
E-mail: pes2001@mail.med.cornell.edu
DO YOUR FALL SHOES MEASURE UP?
 New York, NY (August 17, 1998) -- People of the 90s have asked for more comfortable shoes. The latest magazines show models wearing flat shoes or platform shoes that consumers think are better for your feet, but New York City podiatrist Suzanne Levine has noticed certain problems with the latest shoes, and she offers some tips before you buy shoes for your fall wardrobe.
Platform Shoes
In a replay of the 70s, college students are back into platform shoes, but students and others who aspire to greater heights with platforms should be aware of the following:
- Platforms do not throw the body forward in the awkward way that traditional heels do, but they do cause many other unique problems.
- Platforms encourage even higher shoes. With conventional high heels, shoe designers could only make us taller by as long as our foot was from ball to heel, but with platforms, there is no limit. While this added height continues to be flattering for the legs and buttocks, with each extra inch, we increase our risk of lateral ankle sprains.
- Platforms can also cause lower back pain amd iliopsoas muscle spasms. In addition, this form of footware can lead to weight gain, since the platforms may be so high and cause so much pain that walking is not as prevalent.
Flat Shoes are "In"
Flat shoes are better for your feet than heels or platforms in that they reduce the risk of lateral ankle sprains, but flats also bring their own problems:
- If you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis, flats force more pressure onto the arch of the foot and thus cause more pain.
- Flats can also cause heel spurs by placing more pressure on the heel.
- If you are overweight, flats can further cause more pain by causing your feet to widen/expand.
- This fall's flats also tend to be very narrow -- this can cause bunions and can aggravate corns, callouses and ingrown toenails.
What Does Dr. Levine Suggest?
- Buy shoes with a slight heel and a good arch.
- Buy shoes that are best for your foot type -- i.e., if your feet are wide, do not try to wear narrow shoes.
- Buy shoes that fit -- even if the smaller size looks better, have the salesperson measure your foot and buy the right size for you.
Summing up the fall foot picture, Dr. Levine says, "No matter how good they look, if you are uncomfortable in the store, the shoes are probably not the best for you."
Dr. Suzanne Levine is Clinical Instructor of Podiatry in
Medicine at the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College
of Cornell University and a
Professional Associate at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.
© 1999 New York Presbyterian Hospital
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
|
