The next time you go shoe shopping you should approach it in a bit of a different manner than you normally would. This way, you will end up buying shoes that will promote good health for your feet and help prevent problems such as bunions, blisters, plantar fasciitis, ingrown toenails, and other foot issues that wearing the wrong shoes can lead to. Here are some things a podiatrist may tell you if they were on that shoe shopping trip with you:

Those shoes have too high of heels on them!

The podiatrist wouldn't like you getting a pair of shoes will high heels that push your foot tightly forward, putting a lot of pressure on a small portion of your foot and toes. They would suggest you go with a pair of shoes that are flat, or close to it. A pair that keeps your feet at a good flat level will be best, so all of your weight is evenly distributed the way it should be.

Those shoes are way too narrow!

Just as how the podiatrist would have a problem with your feet being pushed down into narrow ends by way of high heels, they also wouldn't want you smashing your toes together in shoes with a design that has a toe area that's too narrow for the natural shape of your feet. If you have naturally wide feet, then you should even be shopping specifically for 'wide' shoes to ensure a proper fit. You can avoid a lot of issues like bunions, ingrown toenails, and even toenails that start to grow wrong by avoiding shoes that don't give you the room you need.

Those shoes don't have proper arch support!

If you go to buy a pair of shoes that have too flat of an insole then your podiatrist would probably get on you about the lack of arch support. Proper arch support is extremely important to the health of your feet, especially if you stand on them a lot or do a lot of walking or jogging. Without proper arch support in your shoes, you will be at a higher risk of plantar fasciitis, fallen arches and more. If you have a hard time finding shoes that you like with arches that give you full support, then you can purchase supportive insoles that you can put in the shoes to add more support for your arches.

Contact a foot doctor like Greenberg Paul for more information and assistance.