Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Tonya Papanikolas ReportingWomen love to shop for shoes. But doctors say some of the most popular styles of women's footwear are giving them a lot of business.
A lot of women love heels. It makes us feel taller and even makes our legs look longer. Others think they're giving their feet a break by wearing flip-flops.
But it turns out, doctors have warnings for both kinds of shoes.
Women love their shoes. From high heeled-sandals to tall wedges, we often sacrifice comfort for looking good.
Michelle Cowan, Shoe Lover: "I'm in sales, so I wear stilettos every day. If I go out on weekends, I wear stiletto sandals or stilettos."
Brittany Anderson, Shoe Lover: "A lot of times they hurt. But my sister-in-law says beauty is pain."
But doctors say women need to be careful.
Dr. Mark Moritz, Podiatrist, St. Mark's Hospital: "There's a lot of injuries that occur because of the heel size itself."
Podiatrist Mark Moritz says high, thin heels often cause twisted and sprained ankles. Pointy shoes add to the problem. They squish your toes and irritate your joints, sometimes making the sides of your big and littlest toes swollen and red.
Dr. Moritz: "That tight area in the front here is going to make it painful over the first and fifth in these areas, as you wear them for prolonged time."
The hot spring wedge shoes aren't much better, because the weight is placed on the ball of your foot.
Dr. Moritz: "You hear the buzz words like neoromas, bunyon pressure on the front of the foot. And that does produce that."
And even the seemingly comfy flip-flops don't offer much support.
Dr. Moritz: "No, those are not goo for your feet. You know, there is very little barrier between you and the ground."
The best shoes for your feet are tennis shoes. But let's face it, ladies, most of us don't want to wear these to work or out in the evenings. So what can we do to save our feet? Dr. Moritz says women don't need to get rid of their favorite shoes. They just need to wear them sporadically, and for shorter periods of time.
Dr. Moritz: "I think they can wear them just for the time they need them. And then get in things that are comfortable."
For everyday, shorter, chunkier heels like some we found at Chandler's Walk Shoppe will help your feet in the long run.
Linda Kemmer, Likes To Be Comfortable: "If it's not comfortable, it can look brilliant you know. But if it's not good on your feet or feel nice, why bother?"
Dr. Mortiz believes you shouldn't be wearing shoes that are uncomfortable for more than a couple hours at a time. He also says make sure you're not getting shoes that are too small, and pick soft leather styles that form to your feet.
