What Shoes to Choose

            I recently received a reading in which the intuitive shared some great insights from Spirit, one of which is that my shoes are too small. Though there were some major confirmations that came from the reading, this seemingly minor message resonated deeply. My initial reaction was to smile—after all, the previous night I had gone bowling and had to return my usual size for a couple of sizes larger. Then I thought about how I haven’t purchased shoes in quite some time, and the last time I did, I found myself moving from the size 10’s to the size 11’s—not an upgrade any woman relishes.

            However, upon later reflection, I realized I have been walking in shoes that are too small metaphorically, as well. I’ve received similar messages multiple times over the years, using non-shoe metaphors. I have addressed the situation multiple times. Obviously, I’m not done, and now is my time to trade in my too-small shoes and step into something larger, greater, more fitting for my true identity.

In the meantime, Spring is just around the corner. Signs are apparent in the 60- and 70-degree temperatures we’ve been experiencing in the Washington, DC Metro area, and the Spring Equinox arrives in the next week! Before long you’ll start to see us gals showing off our (hopefully) cute feet. Though it may be too chilly for me to revert to my favorite state—barefoot, I am still excited to get out of boots and clunky shoes and lighten my step. These thoughts of Spring and my shoe message led me to review information I learned several years ago when I audited a semester-long class on Myofascial Pain Treatment and eliminated a lot of pain in my body, particularly residual early morning stiffness left over after two back surgeries. Part of this relief was by learning to walk/sit/lie down differently. The other was by throwing out many of my shoes and replacing them with more comfortable (if not as pretty) ones. Here is what I learned to pay attention to and will again use to inform my upcoming shoe choices:

1. Heel height: Keep it very low or flat, since high heels shift everything forward to the metatarsals (the 5 long bones on the top of the foot), shortens the calf length, and elongates the bottom (plantar surface) of the foot so that it never relaxes. It also can cause sciatica, because we lean back to compensate for the pull forward.
2. Open back shoes: I threw out flip-flops and other sandals without a back strap years ago. With these shoes, your toes will continuously tense and grip, resulting in shortening the plantar surface and giving you a flat gait.
3. Pointy-toed shoes: Wearing these shoes skews your proprioception, or muscle messaging sense that provides feedback on the status of neighboring parts of the body—it helps with motor control and posture. Your first and 5^th toe muscles get most of the pressure, and nerve damage and bunions can develop.
4. Longitudinal arch: In a nutshell, does the arch of your foot fit the arch of the shoe where the curve is? If not, this can also pull on the plantar surface of the foot.
5. Toe box: Buy shoes with a wide and raised toe box so the shoe doesn’t push down on the toes (for that matter, you can get this same effect by having heavy bedcovers on your feet all night).
6. Overly large/wide shoes: Avoid these because your foot will constantly try to mobilize correctly.
7. Last shape: The last is the form on which a shoe is constructed resulting in the inside shape of the shoe. Lasts can be straight, curved, or semi-curved. Curve lasted shoes tend to be lighter and less supportive while straight-lasted shoes are heavier and provide more support under the arch.  Semi-curved are a hybrid of the two others. Look at the bottom of the shoe and for most purposes, select a straight one.

            A good rule of thumb (or big toe?) to remember: if your shoes are too tight in any way, the muscles cannot fully function, and you will constrict the blood vessels in that area. Perhaps my too-small shoes are playing an impact on some issues I’ve been having with my movement. I’ve blamed my hip and knee for impacting my feet. Perhaps it was the other way around. I don’t know, but what I DO know is that metaphorically, my shoes are too tight, and that has impacted my functioning. So, my first task for Spring cleaning? Throw out my too-small shoes—literal and figurative, and step into those that truly fit the truth of who I AM.