Shoes: You Are What You Wear

If your shoes could talk, they would sound a lot like you! Their style, color, heel height, and ornamentation all reflect your personality and lifestyle. Think about the kind of shoes you buy. What colors do you choose and what heel height do you select? What are they saying to the outside world? Do you buy shoes for fashion or comfort?

Compare the sexy, red, high-heeled, pointed-toe slingback shoe worn by an attractive 25-year-old single woman to the dull brown "sensible" orthopedic type oxford worn by an elderly widow. What messages are they conveying? The young woman is interested in attracting the eye of men. Her shoes are saying "look at me." The older woman is not looking for attention. Her shoes are saying "leave me alone, I want to be comfortable." Many women whose feet scream out for comfortable shoes actually won't buy them because they fear the symbolic loss of youth, style, and fashion.

The expensive designer shoe of the executive woman on her way up whispers success. . . and the motorcycle gang member's heavy black boot shows hostility.

Your shoes also reflect the state of the economy and the current socio-political climate. Remember the shoes of the turbulent sixties and early seventies? Shoe styles were unconventional. Sleek classic lines were replaced by thick and chunky platform shoes. Flower children wore tie-dyed tennis sneakers. Unisex styles underscored the women's liberation movement's demand for sexual equality. Compare those shoes to the preceding boom years of the late fifties when pointed-toe stiletto high heels were the rage, or to the low-heeled pumps in the early eighties, reflecting a recessionary economy and a return to conservative values.

What will future shoe styles be like? Many shoe designers profess to set the fashion trends. In reality, most of them merely follow the latest fad.

Thousands of new shoe styles are introduced each year. The ones that succeed often do so because the economic and social conditions are ripe for their acceptance. In recessionary times, people buy fewer shoes. Practicality becomes more of an influence. In boom years, people buy more shoes and we see the emergence of more radical styles.

Though not following the natural contours of the foot, the pointed-toe shoe has through the years proven itself the most sexually explicit and popular of all shoe styles. It gives the foot a trim, alluring look and slenderizes an anatomically stubby fore-foot. In 1948 designers reintroduced pointed-toe shoes, but they were a dismal flop. The post-war recession made the public conservative and they were simply not ready for them. Why were these same pointed-toe shoes so popular from the mid-fifties to the early sixties? The economy was booming and people were abandoning their conservative values and dress styles.

Sometimes a style is tied to a revered public figure. Count Alfred Guillaume Gabriel d'Orsay (1801-1852), one of the most flamboyant socialites of mid-nineteenth century Europe, designed a pump shoe with cutout sides which rapidly became the rage of the continent. The "sensible" orthopedic-looking oxford shoes of the twenties and thirties were greatly popularized by our first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who firmly believed that foot comfort was more important than style.

Fashion

But fashion, not comfort, has consistently been the primary factor in determining shoe styles. And because fashion is always changing, you can be sure that whatever trend is now popular won't be for long. William A. Rossi is a former podiatrist and currently serves as a consultant to the footwear industry. In his book, The Sex Life the Foot and Shoe, he related the story of a woman telling her psychiatrist of a disturbing dream-she was walking down the street naked, except for her shoes. "And you felt deeply embarrassed?" probed her psychiatrist. "Terribly so," she replied, "they were last year's shoes."

A popular misconception is that the primary function of shoes is to support and protect the feet. Historically, Rossi places these utilitarian uses behind those of fashion and status. Originally all shoes were designed for men. It is only in recent times that female styles have become the trend setters. Each year over thirty thousand new styles reach American shoe stores and women's shoe styles account for over seventy-five percent of them. Is it only coincidence that over seventy-five percent of all podiatry patients are female?

Each of these styles stems from only seven basic shoe types:

MOCCASIN (12,000 B.C.) -- The oldest of all shoes, originally a piece of hide wrapped around the foot.

SANDAL (7,000 B.C.) -- This basic shoe is still popular, especially in Mediterranean countries. The word sandal is derived from the Latin "sanis," meaning a thong attached to a board of leather.

MULE (2,500 B.C.) -- A backless slipper, the word mule is derived from the Sumerian word "mulu" meaning indoor shoe.

BOOT (1000 A.D.) -- This started out as a separate legging attachment to a shoe. Eventually the boot evolved into a shoe type all its own, providing a popular location for pirates to stash their contraband. This practice gave rise to the expression "bootlegged."

MONK (1400 A.D.) -- A low cut slip-on shoe with a wide strap crossing the instep, this shoe was designed by an Alpine monk and was popular in European monasteries. The universally popular clog, a wooden-soled shoe, is a derivative of the monk. In Japan they are known as getas and in Europe as sabots. During the industrial revolution, disgruntled European workers threw their shoes into the new machinery giving rise to the word "sabotage."

PUMP (1540 A.D.) -- Today's most popular female shoe, it was originally a low cut slipper to which a heel was added. The name is derived from the "pumps," or carriage drivers of nineteenth century Europe, who found this shoe comfortable for pumping the hydraulic mechanism used in the operation of the carriage.

OXFORD (1640 A.D.) -- This sturdy laced-up shoe gets its name from its place of origin: Oxford, England. This shoe, popular among Oxford's collegians, was inspired by the laced corset and surprisingly didn't make its debut in America until the turn of the twentieth century.

Modern styles are either combinations or direct offshoots of the above A loafer, for example, is an offshoot of the mocassin. Joe Famolare, designer of the unique four wave sole shoe, often combines elements of a monk (clog) with either a sandal, pump, or oxford.

Status

Shoes have always reflected status. In ancient Roman and Greek civilizations, shoe types could often be used to differentiate class. Only the nobility and soldiers wore sandals. The poorer classes and slaves went barefoot in the streets. Courtesans often wore soles studded with nails arranged to spell "follow me."

In Greek drama, actors wore platform shoes called korthonos. The more important the actor and his role, the higher the platform on his shoe. In ancient Oriental culture, not even the nobility wore shoes. Only the Emperor wore shoes and even he removed them when praying to the gods. It was considered an insult to wear shoes before the Emperor, and thus began the custom of removing your shoes before entering an Oriental house.

Poulaines were extended-point shoes popular in thirteenth to fifteenth century Europe. Government regulations established the maximum permissible length of the tip according to class. Commoners were restricted to six inches. gentlemen a foot, and noblemen two feet or more. Kings and princes of course, could wear any length they desired.

By the sixteenth century, shoe styles had changed so that width replaced length as a status symbol. The Italian scarpine was known in England as the duckbill. Queen Mary, during her reign (1553-1558), found it necessary to limit the maximum width to six inches.

Even today, shoes are a sign of success. From a park bench in Manhattan's Central Park you can tell a lot about people by their shoes. Secretaries and tellers usually don't wear three-hundred-dollar Maud Frizon shoes, but their female bosses often do.

There's the well worn basic work shoe of the blue collar worker versus the highly polished wingtip Bally worn by the top executive. Shoes may not make the man, but they have a lot to say about his success.

Heel Heights

One of the most controversial features of any shoe is the heel height. This too follows a cyclical pattern. High heels and platforms go back thousands of years. Archaeologists opened a tomb in Thebes and discovered platform shoes with twelve-inch heels. Heel height actually peaked in fifteenth century Europe. Aristocratic Italian women wore heels with an average length of six to eighteen inches. These shoes, known as chopines, were sometimes as high as stilts (thirty inches) and were considered so dangerous that a Venice law of 1430 prohibited their use by pregnant women. Fashion, though, was considered so important that women still risked the life of an unborn child to stay in style.

For short men, heel height is of special significance. Sociologists today confirm the importance of overall height. Elevator shoes with a hidden heel have long been popular with shorter men. Sylvester Stallone of Rocky fame wears them. Can you imagine a heavyweight champion being only 5 feet 7 inches tall? For women, heel height is much more a measure of sensuality and sexiness. The high heel tends to modify the posture for that long, leggy look and transform an awkward looking perpendicular foot into a pointed extension of the leg. It also creates the illusion that the foot is smaller and has a higher arch. Functionally, high heels shorten gait and accentuate hip movement.

Rossi calls this the "bondage gait" and points out that many men find this unsure "dependent" gait of the high-heeled woman attractive because it makes them feel more masculine. Rossi concludes that the "willow walk" created by the binding of Chinese women's feet represents another form of male domination. Sexual researchers from Freud to Ellis and Kinsey have all recognized the sexual allure of high heels.

On the other end of the spectrum are negative heel shoes. Anna Kelso's Earth Shoe(r) of the late sixties was a dramatic and unsuccessful version of this concept that eventually turned out to be the "Edsel" of the industry. Part of the Earth Shoe's perceived ugliness came from its natural foot-shaped appearance which rendered the forepart of the shoe extremely comfortable. The real weakness of the shoe was its lack of heel height. Kelso failed to appreciate the evolutionary importance of an adequate heel. Humans have simply not yet adapted from our tree dwelling ape-like past to today's ground surfaces. The evolutionary pattern of other mammals that have made the transition to ground surfaces has been to rise up on their forefoot (much like a cat or a horse). This increases the mechanical advantage of the foot and thus increases running speed.

To walk properly, the leg must move over the ankle, causing the foot to dorsi-flex (picture your toes coming toward your nose). Most humans have a shortening of their calf muscles, which limits this motion. By adding a small heel lift, the effective range of motion of the ankle becomes increased, and walking becomes easier.

The low heels of the early eighties were a result of the fitness boom, with an increase in designer sneaker and dance-inspired shoes. Recessionary times and a return to conservative values has also had an effect on the shoe industry.

High heels, though always the target of consumer-oriented health groups, including podiatrist are destined to return. We hear over and over that they cause foot problems by increasing pressure on the forefoot and that they increase the chances of falling. There's no disputing the validity of these statements. But do they have any effect on the shoe buying habits of women or the design concepts of the shoe industry? Of course not! Women will continue to be interested in wearing fashionable shoes and the shoe industry interested in selling to them.

In search of a fashionable yet comfortable shoe, I visited New York City's elegant Maud Frizon showroom. Most of the styles were gorgeous, but not, in my opinion, suitable for human feet. Finally, I discovered a low-heeled stylish pump with an adequate toe box. I congratulated the salesman on the beautiful yet comfortable shoe. "Sir," he sniffed, "Maud Frizon shoes are designed for fashion; comfort is secondary."

Women are almost always willing to suffer foot pain in the name of fashion. A young actress once complained to me that her feet were killing her. My examination revealed no structural problems -- her stylish shoes simply did not match her feet. When I suggested that she try a semi-fashionable Revelation, she looked horrified. "I wouldn't be caught dead in those." And she meant it!

Psychologists dub this phenomena algolagnia, pain with pleasure or pleasure from pain. This form of podo-masochism is routinely endured by millions of women daily. It is a price willingly paid.

Men are less likely to pay this price. There is, however the classic story of a distressed man who complained to his shoe salesman, "My life is miserable, I'm hen-pecked by my wife. My daughter ran away with a gigolo, and my son gives me grief. If only I could have one moment of pleasure." The salesman proceeded to bring the man a pair of size-seven shoes. "But you know I wear size nine," the man exclaimed. "I know, quipped the salesman, "but after a whole day of wearing these, imagine the pleasure you'll feel when you take them off!"

The whole concept of properly fitting shoes needs to be debunked. Except for custom molded shoes, no shoe can ever be expected to fit everyone properly. How can they? No two pair of feet are identical. In fact, each foot is slightly different. Shoes are constructed over a model called a last, which resembles a foot. Actually, a last represents the shoe designer's illusion of what a foot should look like. Take a close look at your foot and you'll notice it tends to be particularly wide in the front part near the bases of the big and little toes. This is aesthetically unappealing.

The shoe designer's last tries to eliminate this unsightly line and provide a graceful curve to the front of the shoe. Without this curve you would wind up with a sexless, "sensible" shoe which would be functionally comfortable.

Lasts were originally chiseled out of stone. For thousands of years they were carved out of wood. Only since 1961 have they been made out of plastic. The transition to plastic was important because it created a uniformity in lasts by eliminating the warping which occurred in wood.

Another problem in finding a proper fitting shoe is that each manufacturer uses his own lasts and may even change them from time to time. There is no guarantee that if your foot measures a size 7B that any 7B will fit perfectly, not even a 7B from your favorite manufacturer.

Sizes

American and English shoe sizes originated in 1324, when the English King Edward II declared that three barleycorns equaled one inch. He determined that the largest possible foot was thirteen inches (thirty-nine barleycorns). Thus was the origin of men's size thirteen. By this formula, we can calculate size by measuring foot length. Each size up or down from thirteen is an additional one-third inch, each half-size one-sixth inch. If your foot is twelve inches long, theoretically you should wear a size ten, if your foot is eleven and five-sixths inches, you would wear size nine-and-a-half. Of course, it is necessary to know your size, but you should judge a shoe on the basis of comfort. A well-fitting new shoe should feel like an "old" shoe. Most countries of the world are on the metric system, where sizes are based on centimeters (1 inch = 2.54 cm).

What's Your Shoe Buying I.Q.?

We generally have an idea of the type of shoe we set out to buy. A walking shoe, an elegant evening slingback, a sports shoe. We often plan on color, style, and even on a particular department store to purchase our shoes. Our shoe buying habits, however, often do not include other important considerations. Take this test to evaluate your shoe buying I.Q.

1. When is the proper time to buy shoes?
a) first thing in the morning
b) at the end of the day
c) on your day off

2. In choosing your shoes, what materials do you look for?
a) natural materials
b) synthetic materials such as naugahyde and vinyl
c) it makes no difference

3. For most people the heel height of a good walking shoe is:
a) three inches
b) a flat shoe
c) one to two inches

4. If a shoe store does not have the style you want in your proper width you:
a) should find a store that does
b) can take a narrower width providing you buy shoes a half-size longer
c) have the salesman stretch out the shoe

5. In "breaking in" a shoe you should:
a) wear it as long as possible
b) wear it for short intervals for several days
c) keep them in shoe trees fur a few days before wearing them

6. When you buy shoes it is best to:
a) wear them home to break them in
b) take them home and wear them around the house first
c) waterproof them before you wear them

7. A shoe should be flexible
a) in the back
b) in the front
c) all over

8. For support, shoes should be rigid:
a) at the toe area
b) at the counter or back of the shoe
c) all over

9. For good arch support "cookies," prefabricated foam inserts, are:
a) very effective
b) completely ineffective
c) somewhat effective

10. Sending for shoes from a mail-order catalog:
a) is recommended only if you are sure of your size
b) is wise only if you are instructed to send a tracing of your foot
c) is never recommended

Answer Key -- Shoe Buying I.Q.: 1.B, 2.A, 3.C, 4.A, 5.B, 6.B, 7.B, 8.B, 9.C, 10.C.

Buying Shoes

Buying shoes requires common sense. I do not recommend that you buy from a catalog because, as previously mentioned, each manufacturer has his own concept of what a particular size should be, and even this can change. Some mail-order houses try to get around this problem by asking you to send them a tracing of your foot along with your order Unfortunately, this is only of limited value. Even if correct, a tracing provides only a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional foot. There is simply no better way to buy a shoe than at a large well- stocked shoe store. There you'll have the opportunity to try on many different sizes.

In many individuals, one foot is slightly larger than the other. In this case, always buy the shoe for the larger foot and have the salesman fill in the shoe of the smaller foot with felt or moleskin.

Your shoe size will not stay constant throughout your life. While your foot completes most of its growth by the age eighteen or twenty its size might increase if the arch collapses, which results in a wider, longer foot.

The best time to shop for shoes is after work when the feet are generally swollen to their maximum. Have you ever bought a shoe which felt great in the store, only to find out the next day that it was tight? Chances are you bought the shoe too early in the day. Remember, your feet are the lowest part of the body and as the day progresses, gravity causes fluids to accumulate there.

Materials

Leather is the best material to look for in a shoe. It is also one of the most expensive because it is derived from animal skins. These skins then undergo a process known as tanning and emerge as leather. Suede and patent leather receive additional processing to achieve their characteristic look and feel. In addition to its rich look and feel, leather has many advantages over less expensive synthetic vinyls. It is more breathable, which allows perspiration (ninety-eight percent water and two percent salt) to escape from your shoes. The salt acts as a corrosive agent which causes the decomposition of the shoe. External salt, used to melt ice in winter, is also an enemy of your shoes. Wash off this salt as soon as possible with a solution of one pint of water and one teaspoon of vinegar.

Leather shoes will last longer and look better if they are properly cared for. This requires periodic cleaning, waxing and polishing. The use of wooden shoe trees is recommended to maintain the shape of your shoes. Stuffing your shoes with crumpled newspaper is another good idea, particularly after a shoe has been exposed to wetness.

Finding the Proper Size

Never accept a different size or width than the one you need. A 7B is not the same as a 7A. If they were, why would the manufacturer produce both sizes? Shoe salesmen are out to make a living, and many just don't care if you have a few extra problems adapting to a new shoe.

For proper sizing, first compare your sole to the bottom of the shoe. The widest part of your foot (near the ball) should correspond to the widest part of the shoe. Now stand up with the shoe on. You should be able to easily wiggle your toes. If you can't, either the shoe is too short or the toe box is too low. If your toes are hammered or you have a tendency to develop corns, you'll need a shoe with a high toe box.

Do not accept the salesman's statement that a snug shoe will stretch. There is no guarantee of this. A property fitting shoe should feel comfortable the first time you try it on. Even if a shoe does stretch, it may be at the expense of your feet. "If the shoe fits, wear it," is all well and good, but remember, too, if the shoe doesn't fit, don't buy it.

Never wear new shoes home. If they don't fit properly, chances are they will be too worn to return them to the store. Breaking in a new shoe should be done at short intervals inside. During this process, the foot actually molds the shoe. Did you know that before the nineteenth century there were virtually no right or left shoes? One bought two identical shoes. The shoe you wore on the right foot became molded and became the right shoe. The left was molded in a similar manner. This process was often painful, yet accepted.

In 1839, a Philadelphia craftsman introduced right and left shoes and was dubbed the "crooked shoemaker." After a while his idea gained popularity, and by the twentieth century all shoes were made in rights and lefts. Because your foot molds a shoe to its own shape, you should not wear someone else's shoe, even if it is the correct size.

Proper Heel Height

The proper heel height is the lowest one that you can wear comfortably. Your foot structure and the length of your calf muscle will dictate which height is best for you. If you can't touch your toes from a standing position with your knees straight, your calf muscles are short and you'll need a higher heel. If you can touch your toes easily, you'll probably be more comfortable in a flatter shoe.

A good walking shoe generally has a heel ranging from one to two inches. Dressier shoes generally range from two inches up. The wider the heel, the more stability you're going to get. A flat shoe, while being quite stable, can often cause knee pain. Ath- letic shoe manufacturers have gradually increased the height of the heels on sport shoes to prevent this problem. The flat sneaker (pre-1970) became obsolete during the fitness boom of the seventies and eighties. Its lack of heel resulted in too many cases of knee pain and Achilles tendinitis.

Support

Look for support in whatever shoe you buy. Shoes often receive extra support by the addition of a steel shank. Usually found in more expensive shoes, this shank is a flat piece of metal running from the heel to the arch area and its specific function is to support the arch and to prevent the shoe from collapsing under your body's weight. Some shoes such as the espadrille and the clog do not require a shank because the area under the arch is already filled in.

Arch supports or "cookies" are small prefabricated pads built into the arch area of a shoe. They are often made of foam rubber and are limited in their ability to provide support. If you need arch support, you'll be far better off visiting your podiatrist who can customize specific devices for your particular foot.

The counter or back of the shoe should be "stiff" to provide additional stability and support for the shoe. If you can easily bend this part, look for another shoe. Backless shoes are non-supportive and not recommended for heavy individuals. Continual wearing of backless shoes often results in the formation of heel fissures (painful cracks in the skin around the heel).

Flexibility

The only part of the shoe which should be flexible is the forepart, which must flex to permit normal walking. Always test to make sure you can easily flex the shoe near the area of the ball of the foot.

Shock Absorption

The pavement and floors of today's cities are hard on your feet. Forces not adequately absorbed by your shoes pass uninterrupted to your knees, hips, and lower back. It's no small wonder that people who move from a rural to an urban area often find themselves visiting the podiatrist far more often. Most shoe manufacturers are unfortunately too cost-conscious to provide the adequate inner cushioning we desperately need. If your feet are often sore at the end of the day, you should buy a pair of either Spenco insoles (nitrogen-impregnated foam) or PPT insoles (porometric foam). Although these insoles are more expensive than the foam type sold in drugstores, they are a better value. They are washable and far more shock-absorbent than the disposable type foam insoles.

A rubber or crepe sole provides the best external shock absorption. If they are thick enough, leather soles can provide an adequate degree of shock absorption. This is seldom the case with high style shoes. Wood is occasionally used as a sole and as you might expect, is unacceptable as a shock absorber Generally, polyurethane soles provide the best combination of shock absorption and wear and are the most widely used today.

Boots

The three basic types of boots are fashion boots (generally made of thin leather), casual boots (of a more durable leather), and foul weather boots (water-proofed or water-resistant).

Foul weather boots, particularly popular in medieval Europe when the streets were unpaved, muddy, and often strewn with garbage, provide the best protection from the elements. Boots should be removed when you arrive at your home or office. While they keep moisture from getting in, they also prevent it from leaving, causing your feet to become particularly sweaty.

Boots and shoes should not be worn on consecutive days. The accumulated moisture should be given adequate time to evaporate and dry thoroughly. Excessive moisture in your shoes creates an unhealthy environment for your feet. Bacteria, fungi, yeast, and mold all thrive in the warm, dark, moist climate of a shoe. This moisture may take several days to completely evaporate. Ideally, you should have a different pair of shoes for every day of the week.

If you must wear shoes on consecutive days, use a hair dryer, set on medium, for a few minutes to dry out the shoe. It's best to ayoid the high setting since too rapid a drying will shrink the leather of the shoe. Leaving a shoe near a heater is likewise not recommended. If you don't have a hair dryer, you can stuff your shoes with newspaper

Adding cornstarch to your shoes is another effective way to keep them dry. Cornstarch is preferable to talc because it absorbs many times the moisture and talc has been found to contain some dangerous impurities such as asbestos. The only caution with using powders is that they can sometimes be messy.

Orthopedic and Corrective Shoes

One of the most controversial of all shoe topics is whether orthopedic shoes are of any value. Generally these shoes are solidly built oxfords with one or more of the following features.

1. THOMAS HEEL -- This is a heel which is extended forward to the instep and intended to provide additional support against excessive pronation (the collapsing of the arch). The problem with the Thomas Heel is that any support it once provided has been lost as the size of the heel extension has decreased over the years.

2. ROCKER BAR OR FORWARD THRUST -- This is an extra lump added to the sole of the shoe at the ball area (where the shoe usually flexes). This causes the foot to rock forward, thus eliminating motion at the metatarsophalangeal joints. A rocker bar added to a shoe can he useful in decreasing pain in individuals suffering from severe arthritis of the feet. Be especially careful when climbing stairs while in a forward thrust or rocker shoe it's possible for the sole extension to get caught on a rung of the stair and trip you.

3. CUBOID, NAVICULAR, AND METATARSAL PADS -- These are pre- fabricated inserts designed to fit under a specific part of the foot.

Unfortunately, they probably won't exactly match your foot and as a result may actually cause more pain than they relieve. Not enough solid research is available to resolve the controversy over the value of orthopedic shoes. Such research, however, does support the wearing of orthotic devices (see Chapter Six). Orthotics are custom-made inserts which are designed to fit in shoes Because they are made from a specific casting of your foot, they will match your foot exactly, and provide support where you need it. Orthotics can be worn in most closed shoes and sneakers and thus look better and are a far better value than orthopedic shoes, Studies have shown that orthotics can modify gait and decrease orthopedically based pain.

Molded Shoes

Molded or "space shoes" are custom-made shoes which are indicated for those with severely deformed or unusually sized or shaped feet (when your feet are of different sizes, for example. and mass produced shoes cannot be comfortably worn). To make them, a shoemaker uses plaster to make a last of your foot over which the shoe can be built. Although expensive, these shoes are generally extremely comfortable

Do Shoes Cause Structural Foot Problems?

This is a controversial subject. Citing anthropologists' observations of bunions among the unshod peoples of the world, some experts contend that shoes have little or no effect on the formation of foot problems of this nature. Others argue that shoes are responsible for all structural foot problems. The truth lies somewhere between the two extremes. The tendency to form most structural conditions is hereditary. If your foot is intrinsically unstable and nothing is done to correct the condition, you will probably develop foot problems, regardless of what shoe you wear. The wearing of improperly shaped or sized shoes will accelerate this process. Pointed shoes, for instance, act as a deforming force on the forefoot. The more stable your joints are, the less likely they will be deformed by wearing pointed toe shoes. Two people with different foot types will react differently to the same shoe: the unstable foot may form a bunion rapidly and the stable foot may resist the deforming force of the shoes for years.

Socks and Hosiery

Your choice of hosiery can markedly influence your foot health. The nylon hose most commonly worn by women may be attractive, but it is not a very breathable material. Over a half pint of fluid secreted by each foot every day must be allowed to evaporate through your shoes and socks. If your feet tend to sweat, it's a good idea to wear cotton hose or socks whenever possible. If you must wear nylons, get into the habit of carrying an extra pair so that you can change them during the day. Today, nylon hosiery is manufactured with built-in obsolesence. As any woman knows, the slightest encounter with a sharp toenail or desk edge invariably leads to a tear. Manufacturers have long possessed the technology to produce virtually indestructible hose. During World War II, nylons were produced which lasted for months or longer Too long, in fact, for the hosiery industry to make the kind of "turnover" profit they knew a more "fragile" hose would produce. It's unlikely that truly runless hosiery will be sold unless the public demands it.

In general natural materials such as cotton and wool are far better for your feet because natural fibers provide a "wicking" effect which absorbs moisture and keeps the feet cool as your perspiration rapidly evaporates.

Climate should also be a factor in selecting socks. In warm weather an all-cotton or high cotton content sock is best. In cold weather, wool socks provide the best combination of insulation and "wicking." If you don't tolerate wool well, an acceptable alternative is an eighty-five percent orlon, fifteen percent cotton blend.

A final note about socks. A popular misconception is that white socks are superior to colored socks because they contain no dye. Inevitably when a patient comes into my office with an infection he is wearing white socks because he assumes that they are "sterile." But what most people don't know is that today even white socks contain dye. And in fact there is no evidence that white socks are better for your feet than colored socks.

Your shoes and hosiery reflect your lifestyle and fashion. Whether you wear an exotic high-heel shoe with black nylon hose or a sensible oxford with white cotton socks, you're providing a home for your feet -- try to make it as comfortable and healthy as possible.