Acquiring New Shoes… it's not Shopping…it is Investing in the          Health of Your Feet!

By Dick Lerner, Bel Air Fashions

You only get one body, make the best of it, especially your feet.  Your feet get you everywhere, keep them healthy. Cheap Shoes and the wrong fit are a disaster waiting to happen.  Going cheap on your feet is not better, it's a disaster.

1. Make sure when fitting shoes, you fit the widest part of your foot in the widest part of the shoes.  Do not use the heel-to-toe length use the arch fit.  This is where your foot is centered in the widest part of the shoe - where your foot and arch bend at the same spot.

2. Get shoes that have widths.  You are not fitting shoe boxes to your feet.  Feet comes in all shapes and sizes.  You want to make sure the shoes are wide enough across your foot arch not tight where it causes redness, soreness, blisters, and rubbing which eventually can cause corns, calluses, and bunyons.

3. Feet that are a misfit and the arch of the foot is too forward or the back of the shoe arch and the width is too tight can lead to damage to the metatarsals in your feet.  Which creates foot and back pain.

4. When purchasing shoes make sure they are made of quality leather, good foot support, and rubber bottoms.  Rubber bottoms and cushion insoles reduce the shock to the bottom of your feet.  There needs to be a cushion between the bottom of your feet and the surface your shoes are striking the ground when walking.

5. Cheap and disposable shoes don’t last and are not well made.  Buy decent shoes that last and fit for the health of your feet and body.

6. Wear cushioned merino wool socks that contribute to a good shoe fit and absorb and wick moisture from your feet keeping your feet comfortable.

7. Ladies - if wearing heels, no more than 2” in height, higher shoes that are tight contribute to feet and back problems.  Best heel height for heels is 1 1/2”.

8. Cedar Shoe Trees - keep in your shoes when not wearing.  Moisture over time will ruin the leather on the insides of the shoes.  Cedar sucks out the moisture from inside the shoe and keeps the shoes blocked the same as when the shoes were made.

In this casual environment, we all live, whatever your lifestyle you want to fit your feet right, cushioned insole shoes, good rubber outsoles, and good leather for your casual and athletic, outdoor, and cross trainers.  Over time you will spend less and have shoes that last.  The pictures in this blog are some of the best shoes in the market that are quality and fit.