Peggy Currie has some horror stories from looking at feet for 16 years at Quality Shoes in downtown Fredericton.
“The worst I’ve ever seen was an elderly lady that came in,” she says, “and her toes, from her big toe on, were all piled on top of each other, just like little stairs. It was terrible.”
The woman explained to Currie that this was from wearing hand-me-down shoes all her life that were simply too small.
“Another lady,” she continues, “can only wear men’s shoes because her arch is falling so much that it literally touches the floor.” This was the result of wearing shoes that didn’t have enough arch support.
The right pair of shoes can make or break not only an outfit, but how we feel about ourselves that day. A pair of knee-high stiletto boots can help us feel stronger. A pair of Mary-Jane flats can help us feel cuter. A pair of sneakers can comfort us like no man or chocolate bar ever could. In an age of mass-consumption, we want as many cheap pairs of shoes to go with as many different outfits as possible.
But Currie,who is the manager of Quality Shoes in downtown Fredericton, says going for cheap shoes is a mistake many young women make.
“It’s better to have one good pair of quality shoes than a hundred pairs of man-made shoes,” she says. “Man-made will make your feet sweat and there’s more chance of getting bacteria. They will ruin your feet.”
She says that leather shoes, especially those with leather lining, are more comfortable and less damaging than any man-made material.
“You can also wear them for a longer period of time,” she says.
Unfortunately, like so many things in life, shoes are not always what they appear to be.
You might feel like a sexy supermodel in the morning, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be limping home by five o’clock, ready to soak your feet and nurse those blisters. When shopping for shoes, we are sometimes blinded by how beautiful they are and often forget one crucial detail – how well they fit.
“Everyone buys shoes to fit their toes rather than fitting the arch first,” Currie says. This can lead to a painful and very common condition called plantar fasciitis– inflammation in the tissue that support the foot which occurs when a nerve between the heel and ball of the foot is stretched.”
And if that’s not enough, when shoes are too small, bunions – enlargement of the bone around the joint – can appear at a very early age.
“Many 20 to 30-year-olds have bunions so bad that they have to have surgery,” Currie says.
Other problems include hammer toe – when the tendon is pulled and the toe begins to resemble a hammer; corns or calluses – thick or hard skin forming where there is rubbing or irritation; and neuroma – when the nerve becomes irritated and swells.
In order to avoid these and other long-term damages, the foot should be measured and fitted correctly.
Well fitting, quality shoes are expensive. But if you’re thinking “how can I afford this?” Currie says any store that sells good shoes has a convenient lay-away plan. Although you will have to pay for them over a period of time, she says it’s worth the wait.
“All the girls want to look good, and I don’t blame them,” Currie says. “Fashion is really important, and that’s why stores like ours have started to carry some younger, more fashionable-looking shoes that are still high end.”
But while she admits cheap shoes can still be fun for a one-time event, Currie urges people to consider higher-end shoes if they are being worn for an extended period.
“If [students] would realize now that it could come back to haunt them later in life they might pay a little more attention to their footwear,” she says. “It’s the one part of your body you don’t want to skimp on.”
