The Effects of Wearing Tight Shoes

Are you wearing the right-sized shoes? Do you sometimes try and get away with wearing poorly fitting shoes in the hope that you aren’t doing any damage to your feet?

Understanding the effects of wearing shoes too small is important if you want to look after your foot health.

Here is what you need to know the effects of wearing tight shoes and how they can cause you a raft of foot problems both in the present and in the future.

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Why Wearing Uncomfortable Shoes Is Never Necessary

Is it bad to wear tight shoes? Well if you are wearing tight or narrow shoes you are doing your feet a disservice and are causing yourself a whole world of pain and discomfort that could easily be avoided.

Choosing the right shoes starts from the very moment that you go to the shop to try on different styles. When you are buying new shoes never be seduced by the style alone. You should always make sure that the shoes you try on fit correctly before you hand over your hard-earned cash.

Always make sure you buy your shoes in the afternoon when your feet have expanded slightly so you don’t end up buying narrow shoes that hurt or pinch.

Never be tempted to buy a shoe size smaller than you need because they don’t have your size in the store. Whilst the salesperson may want you to part with your money they aren’t the person having to wear the poor-fitting shoes.

Make sure you know your shoe size when you are trying on shoes so that you have an idea of what you are looking for. A shoe sizer can help you to know your true size but remember that different brands may manufacture their shoes differently so always judge if the shoes are tight by walking around in them in the shop before you buy.

Salvaging Tight Shoes Before They Cause Foot Problems

If you have bought the wrong shoes and find that you don’t have enough room to walk without discomfort then it still may be possible to salvage them. Is wearing tight shoes bad? Well of course it is and uncomfortable as well which is why you need to take action to try and resolve the problem.

Most shoes can be stretched at least half a size if not a whole size larger. Shoe stretchers are a great tool for the job that you can use at home.

If you buy the right shoe stretcher you can adjust the size of your shoes both in the width and the length which may be enough to stop any foot pain from wearing tight shoes.

If you are still having problems a local cobbler may be able to fix your shoes so that they are wearable again. If this won’t work for your shoes a sensible decision would be to sell them on a selling site and reinvest the money in a pair of shoes that won’t cause foot conditions or discomfort.

The Signs You Shoes Are Too Small

The effects of wearing tight shoes and not dealing with the problem can have serious consequences with one of the most obvious signs being foot pain. Ill-fitting shoes are going to put abnormal pressure on certain areas of your foot and that is going to be painful.

Some people try and continue to use their shoes despite the pain especially if it isn’t too severe but that discomfort is a warning sign that you need to pay attention to before you create permanent damage to your feet.

Too tight shoes are never something you should persist in wearing. It makes no sense to hurt your feet, especially when in the worst-case scenario you may require surgery.

Ill-Fitting Shoes Symptoms Impact Your Feet and Cause Skin Problems

Nearly all of us at one time or another have experienced a problem with the constant friction from footwear rubbing the skin on our feet. The effects of wearing tight shoes are not only painful as it happens but you may be left with open wounds like blisters on your heels, toes, or other parts of your foot.

In some cases, this friction can be reduced by wearing blister pads or using a blister stick to allow the shoe to be worn more comfortably. If however, you are wearing shoes that are too tight that friction will continue.

Don’t wear shoes that constantly cause blisters or shoe bites on your skin as that constant pressure could lead to infections that you definitely don’t want.

What Happens If You Wear Tight Shoes? -Toe Pain and Deformities

Wearing shoes that are too tight doesn’t just cause toe and foot pain they can also cause foot deformities such as hammer toes.

A hammer toe is one where your second or third toe starts to raise at the middle of the joint causing it to stick up. When you have hammer toes that raised toe area can start to come under constant pressure from your shoe causing longer-term foot problems. Hammer toes placed in tight shoes are very likely to get calluses or even corns.

There are many causes of hammer toes but a lead problem is when the toe box of your shoe doesn’t have sufficient room so that your toe is unable to lie flat. This is why it makes sense to always check the front section of any new shoes to make sure that your toes have enough room to spread out and sit comfortably.

A hammer toe straightener may be able to help if the problem has not gone too far and you have stopped wearing the tight shoes. If you have caused permanent damage then surgery may be required.

Ingrown Toenails – The Effects of Ill-Fitting Shoes

Ingrown toenails are another common condition that is caused by too-tight shoes. Once again overcrowding in the toe box area can cause this condition which leads to nail pain.

If ingrown toenails are caught in time there are remedies to resolve the problem. Soaking your feet in Epsom salts can help to soften the nail and allow you to cut the area that is causing the problem.

An ingrown toenail kit might help you to resolve the problem yourself. If you have any worries about how to proceed always visit a qualified podiatrist who should be able to resolve the problem.

Shoe and Foot Problems Include Crossover Toe

The effects of wearing tight shoes can do something else to your toes that are even more problematic. Poorly fitting shoes can cause your second toe to move so that it starts to sit over your big toe.

This problem is more serious than hammer toe and is going to cause foot pain and difficulty in buying shoes that can incorporate the foot in that position.

In most cases, you are likely to need surgery to resolve the problem which could have been avoided if you stopped your toes from becoming crowded in a tight shoe.

Plantar Fasciitis and Poorly Fitting Footwear

What happens when you wear tight shoes? Well, let’s talk about Plantar fasciitis which can be a chronic condition that causes foot pain, particularly around the heel area. It can be a stubborn problem to get rid of and can create difficulties in walking or taking exercise because of the pain.

There are a few reasons why people get the condition including wearing too-tight shoes. The effects of ill-fitting shoes can include a problem your foot is cramped in a shoe that is too small your toes start to curl up and that causes pressure on the plantar muscle that stretches from your heel to the ball of your foot.

If you are experiencing this problem make sure that you start wearing shoes that are more comfortable and support your foot properly. Vionic shoes are a great brand that designs shoes to help with this specific problem. You can also buy a specially designed orthotic to slip into your shoes that can help to lessen the pain and align your foot correctly.

Tight Shoe Symptoms Include Bunions

A very common problem that is caused by wearing shoes that are too tight is bunions. A bunion is a bony lump that starts to appear on the big toe joint. The big toe joint moves out of alignment and moves towards the other toes causing a lump to appear on the outside of the foot.

Bunions tend to develop over time and one of the main causes is because the toes have been squashed into narrow shoes that don’t allow them to spread out properly.

Bunions can be painful and also cause problems with trying to find shoes that will fit the changed shape of the foot.

If you catch your bunion before the toe starts to get too misaligned you may be able to correct it with a bunion corrector. If you leave it too late then you may need surgery.

How Shoes Affect Your Health and Can Cause Hip Pain

Whilst many people might assume that the effects of wearing tight shoes are consigned to your feet this is far from the truth. In fact, when you wear tight shoes they can cause referred problems elsewhere in your body. This is because you are likely to change your gait because of the uncomfortable shoes.

When we change our gait it can impact the whole of our body placing stress and strains on muscles that aren’t directly associated with the foot itself. As an example, many people may experience hip pain that is referred pain due to poorly fitting footwear.

Wearing the right size shoes that are supportive can help to address the problem and stop the extra pressure that might be causing you health problems elsewhere. Don’t attempt to get away with wearing something that isn’t comfortable as bad shoes only cause you short-term pain and may create long-term health issues that could have been avoided by changing your footwear.