Work footwear should protect the health of the foot
It is important that you know how to choose the perfect footwear for your work to protect your foot health and avoid potentially disabling injuries.
The most common foot traumas acquired in the work environment are metatarsalgia, which is pain in the anterior plantar area of the foot, and plantar fasciitis, which is pain and swelling in the heel, bunions, claw toesThese conditions are more common in professions that require prolonged standing for long periods of time. So here are 10 tips you can follow to choose your perfect work shoes.
Keys to choosing a shoe for work
- Footwear should have a thick rubber sole. With the objective of having a greater comfort when walking, improving the contact with the ground and at the same time it is anti-slip.
- The shank should be rigid, this helps the shoe to flex properly and provides leverage to assist take-off at the start of the step, helping to walk comfortably and efficiently.
- The notch that protects the Achilles tendon (calcaneal tendon), it is convenient to acquire a shoe that avoids or reduces the rubbing of the foot area with the shoe.
- Footwear should have a good rear counter, this will help extend its useful life and is especially recommended for people with heel valgus or lateral deviation of the foot.
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Wide forefoot area, it is important that the shoes have a width and height suitable for each foot to avoid compression and crowding of the toes.
- Rigid toe breaker– This is an element designed for the toe of the sole of the shoe to promote toe-off at each step with a “rocker” effect at the start of the gait .
- Footwear with safety toecap, this type of footwear is necessary for jobs that require additional protection such as metallurgy and construction.
- Watch the heel heightIf your job requires the use of shoes with high heels, it is important to take into account that they should not exceed 4 cm in height, since the weight is transferred to the forefoot, which can generate overloads in the area and can lead to metatarsalgia, morton’s neuroma, hyperkeratosis and helomas among other conditions.
- Footwear should be porous or breathable, so that the footwear allows adequate foot perspiration and has good sweat absorption to avoid humidity and reduce the proliferation of fungi.
- To be manufactured with natural materials, since in addition to allowing a good perspiration of the foot, it will offer greater comfort when walking.
Article prepared by Clínica San Román
Date of publication: 31-10-2017
Date of revision: 6-02-2020
