Introduction to Footwear Assessment and Advice

Incorrectly fitting footwear may be a significant contributing factor associated with forefoot pathology and foot pain. Wearing ill-fitting shoes smaller and narrower than your feet is associated with hammertoes, hallux valgus deformity and other foot pain. This knowledge highlights the need for footwear assessment in the management of foot problems.

What Happens In A Footwear Assessment?

During a footwear assessment, The Foot Practice podiatrists takes a close look at both your feet and footwear to see what suggestions they can make to improve your shoe fit. In assessing your foot, our specialists will check your ankle mobility and flexibility, the range of motion of your foot, and more importantly, the soles of your feet.

Our podiatrists will check your foot type, to see whether your arch is providing adequate support to your feet. We will provide you with different advice depending on whether you have flat feet, high-arched feet, or regular arches. Concurrently, we will also inspect your foot for calluses, corns, bunions, and other foot conditions. These formations may indicate that there may be discrepancies between your foot and your footwear, with issues such as undue pressure and friction arising that may cause pain across the foot.

When examining your footwear, our podiatrist will take the condition of your foot and your lifestyle into consideration. For example, for athletic lifestyles, a running shoe assessment would differ from a consultation about shoe designed for cycling. Based on this, the podiatrist will assess your footwear on its heel height, sole rigidity, heel counter stiffness, and tread pattern. Each of these has long-term ramifications on the health of your foot, making a shoe assessment an absolute necessity to ensure proper fit to reduce indications of pain.

What Shoes Do Podiatrists Recommend?

The short answer is that it depends on the assessment of your footwear, foot arch type, and any other conditions that may be affecting your feet or symptoms of pain throughout the rest of your body or lower limbs.

• If you frequently experience fungal nail infections, our podiatrists may suggest for you to wear open-toed shoes like sandals, or a naturally-derived nail treatment for onychomycosis.
• If you have a high-arched foot, a neutral sneaker type – one that does not exacerbate the condition of your arch – may be recommended.
• If you have frequent foot and persistent lower-leg pain, a shoe that can fit an orthotic or insoles may be recommended to help offload pressure and correct your posture or re-align your body.

These are just a few examples of how a footwear assessment can benefit certain conditions to alleviate pain and provide better mobility and movement depending on your condition.

How Can Gait Analysis Help Me Choose My Footwear?

Footwear assessment in podiatry aims to improve foot health and prevent future injuries. A 3D Gait Analysis is instrumental in this process by examining your body’s biomechanics.

By connecting sensors to your body and placing you on a treadmill, our podiatrists will observe imbalances or misalignments that attribute to pain in the feet or throughout the body. The Foot Practice’s advanced 3D Gait Analysis technology allows detailed insights to make the most accurate footwear recommendation, knowing what parts of your foot need to be tended to and maintained to ensure pain-free movement throughout the rest of your body.

Each of our practitioners is highly qualified to educate on sports shoes, provide diabetic foot care, and advise on general footwear. If you’re suffering from pain or discomfort, your inappropriate footwear may be the cause.

Make an appointment with The Foot Practice today for your footwear assessment in Singapore!