"Plagued with chronically throbbing feet, I believed the suffering was a necessary evil of long travel days-until a doctor said my flat feet could benefit from arch support shoes. I wasn't surprised. Whether it was a daylong solo hike in Patagonia or an urban exploration throughout Scandinavia, I always found my legs propped up at the end of every travel day, desperately hoping I could reverse the pain."
"Up to 37% of the population is believed to have some degree of flat foot, according to a National Library of Medicine study. For many, it can go unnoticed, but for others, every step can be excruciating. After a half-marathon where I pushed too far, my extreme case was diagnosed as posterior tibial tendonitis, an inflammation of my foot and ankle tendons. Built-in support can be hit or miss since it's not molded for individual feet,"
Flat feet affect up to 37% of people and can range from asymptomatic to painfully limiting. Repetitive walking without adequate support increases risk of foot problems and tendon inflammation such as posterior tibial tendonitis. Travelers face higher risk because trips involve more walking and often use unsupportive footwear like slip-ons or flip-flops. Built-in shoe support varies and is not molded to individual feet, so severe cases require evaluation by a healthcare professional. Simple tests can help assess shoe support: shoes that twist easily provide little stability. Choosing shoes with adequate arch support and combining them with physical therapy can prevent surgery and restore activity.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]