Shoe-Buying Mistakes When You Have Bunions
When you suffer from bunions, you're likely well aware of the problems associated with this foot condition. Namely, you'll often experience varying degrees of pain throughout the day, and you might also feel some embarrassment about the look of your feet, prompting you to avoid situations in which you're barefoot around people. Caring for your bunions in an effort to delay surgery involves seeing a podiatrist regularly for advice and bunion treatment, as well as being smart when it comes to shopping for shoes. Here are some shoe-buying mistakes that you should never make when you have bunions.
Buying Shoes Online
It's easy to buy a wide range of products online, including footwear: this can make it tempting to find the shoes that you want without having to leave your home. While buying shoes online is appealing, it's generally a bad idea when you have bunions. You should never buy shoes without first putting them on and wearing them around the store to assess how your feet feel. When you get shoes online, you might not wish to go through the hassle of the return process and, because you've spent money on the shoes, you might even wear them even if they don't necessarily fit right and cause you pain.
Opting for Style Over Comfort
While there's nothing inherently wrong with wanting your new shoes to look good on you, style should fall behind comfort when you're shoe shopping with bunions. Your first priority needs to be how your toes and feet feel when they're in the shoes, not how the shoes look. This is often a concern for women, who may want to buy shoes that are tight, small, and go toward a point at the toe: all things are bad news when you have bunions, as they'll contribute to your pain significantly.
Buying Used Shoes
If you're on a budget, used shoes from a secondhand retailer might seem appealing. And, if you can try these shoes on before purchasing them, you may initially feel as though they suit you. The concern with buying used shoes, however, is that they're often worn out to a degree, even if they look all right. This can mean that the insoles lack cushioning and the sides lack support. Even if the shoes feel fine initially, you may notice that your bunion pain increases over time, which is the last thing that you want to have happen.