New shoes for the winter? What hazards to look out for..

It's that time of year again and most of you will have unfluffed the big coats and donned the more covered shoes! For many of us this means buying a new pair of shoes for the office or for going out casually.

During this change in season we tend to see an increase in the number of corns come through the clinic door, with people often in a little discomfort and unsure if they have picked up a verrucae at the pools over summer.

During a thorough history we often hear that it coincides with buying a brand spanking new pair of work shoes, nice ‘leather lace-ups for work’. These types of shoes are very hard wearing and will last you years with the proper care but can cause more than a little discomfort.

So how do you stop these shoes causing corns one might ask?

1. Making sure you buy a shoe with a toe box that has enough room for your foot, depending on the shoe type it's good to have a almost a thumbs width past the end of your toes.
2. Breaking the shoes in is the best action you can take, this means wearing around the office or home just for a couple of hours a day at home.
3. Stretching the shoes. If you have a extra wide forefoot or a slightly deformed toe you can get the shoes stretched in specific places to relieve pressure.
4. If you have corns on the bottom of your feet, we can cut modify the insole of the shoe to reduce pressure and stop the corn forming also

So I hope this information can help you select an appropriate new shoe for the winter season and prevent any issues.

If you have any questions at all, please call reception or book in for an appointment with podiatrist Alecia or Michael.