Shoes Can Kill You

Shoes Can Kill You
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Growing up overweight, I was a guy very influenced by my mother's idea of fashion, I couldn't always find pants to fit. At times, shirts were too tight and a real hassle to try on. So my clothing addition of choice became shoes. Why? Because stores always seemed to have my size and the shoes were always easy to get in and out of. My collection of shoes grew as my resources did. I sought out the most obscure shapes and colors for no other reason other than to be different.

Then, as I aged, my feet started to flatten out. No arches. In fact, if you look at my feet today they look more like fresh pancake batter just poured on the grill. The older I got, the more painful it became to wear cool shoes. So I got orthotics and cushy supports.

But what I now know is that your shoes can kill you.

Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic but it's not a huge reach. Your feet tend to be shaped by the shoes you wear, year after year. Women who wear pointed pumps, end up with toes mushed together. So why is this a big deal? Well as we age, we need those feet as our base. We become less stable. What ends up happening is that we begin to lose our balance, we fall, we break a hip, then we go to the hospital. Then we don't move for 30 days, then we get pneumonia, then we die. And sometimes it can all start with something simple like a pair of shoes.

So what I'm saying is that when you wear poorly-fitting shoes it effects everything, including balance. This is a complete body thing. Everything pivots off your feet. They were made for a specific purpose. Once you interfere with that chemistry, you're interfering with your "construction." And when you mess with your body's foundation, the house falls down.

So the way I see it, shoes can kill you if you let them. Look down. What are you doing to your feet?

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