How Do I Choose the Best Shoes for Orthotics?
Orthotics are inserts in shoes, usually sold separately, that may provide support for a variety of foot conditions. Doctors recommend these for many foot problems, and they can be of great assistance. This is only the case when they properly fit in shoes, and there is some consideration when folks attempt to choose the best shoes for orthotics. This choice tends to be individualized, but there are ways to make the decision.
It is not advised that people choose the best shoes for orthotics from online stores. It’s possible with many online stores to return shoes that don’t fit, but this means buying several pairs at once, receiving them, and then returning the pairs that don’t work. This can be inconvenient, and costly if the shoe store doesn’t pay for return shipping. The better choice is to find a brand and size that work, and then order additional pairs online if the website offers more variety or better pricing.
Some of the things people should look for when they choose the best shoes for orthotics are features allowing roomier accommodation of the foot. Look for rounder toes, wider footbeds and a secure fit. Most shoes will need to be flats or have only slight elevation, and a wider shoe better accommodates orthotics that are formed or hard. Some people do need to either move up a half to a full size to fit a shoe insert, and others might need a wider shoe.
When getting ready to choose the best shoes for orthotics, people should plan to visit shoe stores that sell comfort shoes. They should plan to bring the orthotics with them for the fitting process. Looking at a shoe from the outside, no matter how comfortable it might look, really says nothing about how comfortable it will feel once it's on.
This process requires trying the shoe on, and people should definitely spend some time walking around the store. It can be important to also plan shoe shopping for afternoons, when feet can be slightly swollen. Any questions about fit of the foot and orthotics are likely to be answered when the feet are enlarged. Choosing the right socks for the outing can matter, and folks might wear socks they’d ordinarily wear with the shoes.
Trying on orthotics with different shoes and spending at least two to three minutes walking around the store in each pair usually yields the best choices. It’s also not a bad idea to get recommendations on brands that are most appropriate to certain types of orthotics. Such recommendations are best had from those doctors who ordered the inserts, but they might also come from general doctors, friends, or online sources.
The difficulty is that everyone gauges foot comfort differently, and people have diverse issues when fitting shoes. Most people may find advice useful, but the very best advice comes from foot response when trying on shoes. If the feet appear to be very comfortable in a pair, people have just found one of the best pairs of shoes for them.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
