Shoes are supposed to fit your feet properly so that you can be comfortable while you wear them. However, sometimes people wear the wrong size or fit without knowing the consequences. If you are wearing shoes or boots that do not fit properly, you can experience several issues that cause pain and discomfort. If you continue to wear ill-fitting boots, over time, they can cause severe foot problems and conditions that you may need treatment to correct.
It’s helpful to know what problems to watch out for so you can take the necessary steps to avoid them. Here are seven common foot issues from wearing the wrong boots.
The first common foot problem you may experience from wearing the wrong boots is blistering. Blisters are small, fluid-filled bubbles that appear on the skin. These blisters are likely to appear on your feet in the heel area or around the parts of your feet where your shoe may rub against you.
Friction and skin irritation are what typically cause these blisters. For example, if you wear a pair of boots to work every day that are too tight, you may get blisters on your feet from the tightness and rubbing. Blisters will generally go away on their own within a week or so. However, if you’d like to avoid blisters, the best step is to get a pair of boots that fit properly.
Bunions are another issue that may occur when wearing ill-fitting boots. Bunions are bony bumps that will typically form on the underside or base of the big toe. Some causes of bunions include ill-fitting shoes, foot stress, and arthritis. The pain of bunions comes from a misaligned joint in the toe. This pain can be minor or severe depending on the severity of your bunion and misaligned joints. Bunions will make it difficult to move your big toe and can make standing and walking uncomfortable.
If you notice that you may be experiencing symptoms of a bunion, it’s important to take action. You should contact a medical professional for advice because a bunion that goes untreated for too long can require surgery.
The third issue your feet may encounter when wearing the wrong boots is an ingrown toenail. An ingrown toenail happens when the toenail digs into the flesh on the corner or side of the nail. This condition can be mild or severe based on how long you let the toenail grow. The longer you allow an ingrown toenail to remain, the worse the pain and discomfort will become.
If you are wearing boots that are too tight, it can cause ingrown toenails on any of your toes that rub against the shoe repeatedly. Ingrown toenails can also occur if you are trimming your nails too short. Make sure that you are trimming your toenails at an appropriate length and that you are wearing shoes that fit well.
Heel pain is another foot problem that can happen if you wear the wrong size boots. People generally describe heel pain as a sharp or stabbing sensation in the area of the heel or the bottom of the foot. You will typically feel this pain when you stand, walk, or put weight on the affected foot.
Footwear can be to blame for heel pain if your shoes are too tight, too loose, or lack sole support. If your boots are not providing enough foot support, you can experience severe heel pain, which can lead to other conditions like arthritis or plantar fasciitis.
The fifth foot issue you may have if you wear the wrong boots is hammertoe. This condition presents as a toe abnormally bending in the area of the middle joint. The toe that is most commonly affected is the second toe next to the big toe.
Hammertoe can occur if you wear shoes with too small or narrow a toe box. For example, if your shoes are too tight in the toe area, they will squeeze the toes together because there is not enough space for each toe to fit comfortably. This consistent squeezing of the toes can cause hammertoe to develop, causing pain, discomfort, and deformities.
Athlete’s foot is also a common foot problem that can occur when wearing ill-fitting boots. Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that will develop between the toes and can spread to the hands and nails if they come in contact with the bacteria. This infection looks like a scaly rash that will peel over time. It will also cause itching, burning, and stinging.
Athlete’s foot has several causes, including walking barefoot in public spaces like pools and showers, sharing socks or shoes with others, wearing shoes that are too tight, and having sweaty or wet feet for an extended period. If you believe you may have a case of athlete’s foot, make sure that you are not wearing shoes that are too tight, and seek medical treatment.
Corns are another condition that you may develop from wearing the wrong boots. Corns are small calluses that appear on the sides of your feet. In general, people get corns from wearing shoes, heels, or boots that are too tight, especially in the toe area. Tight or narrow shoes cause pressure and friction from the shoes rubbing up against your feet and toes. This pressure can cause corns to develop, leading to pain and discomfort.
There are a few different kinds of corns that can occur. For example, soft corns are infected blisters between the toes, hard corns are calluses on the side and top of the toes, and seed corns appear on the bottom and soles of the feet and toes. If you want to avoid this condition, you should wear comfortable shoes that fit well and give your toes enough room to move around.
Now that you’re aware of seven foot issues you may experience from ill-fitting boots, you can take the necessary steps to avoid these problems. Make sure that your shoes fit well and give your feet enough room to wiggle around and breathe. ALTAI Gear has a fantastic selection of comfortable tactical boots with enough room for your feet to fit comfortably.
