Informal survey: what is the state of your feet? - YouLookFab Forum

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Informal survey: what is the state of your feet?

Aziraphale

Veteran

I was talking with my mom about bunions the other day. Hers have been awful for years, and she was telling me how she used to run around all day in pointy-toed stiletto heels for YEARS, starting at about age 20. She said that's what they all did back then.

This got me thinking. I've heard that the tendency to get bunions is hereditary, but I've got to say that neither I nor any of my similarly-aged friends have bad feet. It's interesting to note that we all came of age during the grunge era, and we pretty much all wore Doc Martens or Birkenstocks (with, god help us, lumberjack socks...but that's another topic) -- basically, comfy shoes.

Sooooo, I'm doing an informal survey to see if there's some evidence to support my little hypothesis. If you're my age or thereabouts (I was born in 1972), do you have good feet? What sort of shoes did/do you wear? If you're older, do you have good feet? Did you wear high heels a lot in your youth?

General

27 replies

Latest reply was from Janet

taylor

Veteran

Well, I graduated high school in 1975...and we wore high heels boots and go-go boots in the 60's.
I have very unfussy feet and have only high heels..(ok one pair out of 100 is a walking tennis shoe)
At 54 I wear heels every day..no problems yet. I will give them up when balance becomes an issue:)
My (adult) kids tell me I have cute little feet:)

Diana

Veteran

I am a little younger than you (born in 1980) and I have terribly fussy feet. I have always worn more or less sensible shoes - no stilettos or anything too high or tight, as I pretty much cannot walk or balance in shoes like that. Still it's only in the past few years that I've really figured out what my feet want in a shoe although I've always avoided outright uncomfortable footwear (which for me is a lot of shoes!) I have a nascent bunion on one foot although it doesn't bother me much unless I wear shoes that press on it. I also have had a bout of plantar fascitis in recent years as well as flat feet. To top it all off, my feet are also stupidly sensitive to rubbing and quite blister prone - I can't wear closed toe shoes without socks, for example.

I do think that there is a genetic component to bunions - my mom has a huge one and has worn high heels for years and years. However, she says that it began when she was in her 20's, BEFORE she started wearing the high, tight heels regularly. I am sure that the heels did not help matters though and are a large reason why the bunion is big and noticeable now. Anyway, this is one reason why I'm very careful these days to not wear shoes that irritate my bunion (this is not limited to high heels; many ballet flat style shoes are terrible for my bunion because they cut right across it). It's working so far - there's nothing I can do about the fact that the bunion exists but it is very small, not noticeable at all, and does not hurt unless I wear shoes that press on it.

Funny story - when I was a kid, my grandmother took one look at my feet and proclaimed, "You have terrible feet! I bet you have bad balance and will have all sorts of problems with your feet!" And, you know what? She was absolutely right! My mom thinks she could tell because on that side of the family, there are a lot of flat feet and bunions and stuff, so Grandma has seen a lot of fussy feet! Anyway, this is to say that I think there are some of us who are genetically predisposed to have fussy feet, so we have to treat them with extra care.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Hehe Taylor, I'm sure you have cute feet!

I'm not knocking heels, by the way. I LOVE them. I love how they make my legs look, I love how they fix the proportions of so many outfits, and I love how they add several much-needed inches to my freakishly small frame....but most of all I love the fact that I didn't destroy my feet in my youth so that I can happily wear nice heels now without pain or bunions. But if you're any indication, it sounds like some people are lucky and can wear them for a lifetime without issue!

ETA -- Diana -- hm, so maybe the people who get bunions are going to get them regardless -- but the tight, high, pointy shoes just exacerbate the problem? That would make sense.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

My feet are pretty fab - I am an 1985 kiddy ... I just painted my toenails black rawr.

taylor

Veteran

My daughter is 26 and had terribly fussy feet, she has a bunion on one foot. I think fuss/unfussy feet is strictly hereditary, I have a very high arch, she is nearly flat footed...she still rocks her heels, but she loves her flats for everyday:)

I had NO idea people suffered with fussy feet until I joined this forum...so , yes I have great feet,...but plenty of other stuff.. not so great:)

Kari

Veteran

I'm about a decade behind you and have slightly fussy but not awful feet. 3 years ago I could wear high heels, no problem (3.5-4" max); however, I also suffered a LOT of blisters on the back of my heels. Back then, I really didn't realize that shoes were supposed to be comfortable even before you "broke them in", so I was more or less breaking in my feet to fit the shoe.

Between aging, weight gain, dancing, running, swimming, and even exercises such as yoga or core toning that involve putting weight on one foot, I've noticed that I have some trouble with my arches (which are normal height, but can sometimes spasm.) Low heels with some arch support actually tend to be the most comfortable shoes for me to wear when I'm having trouble with my arches. I'm still quite prone to blisters at the back of my heels so I'm very cautious about how shoes fit and rub in that area of my feet.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

Elisabeth, we are about the same age (1970) and my feet are awesome. We also wore the same sort of shoes - Docs, combat boots, Birks, etc - as "kids". Though I do have high arches and I find my feet occasionally feel tired at the end of the day I have never had bunions or any other foot problem.

I like to say that were I a horse, I'd be a GREAT horse - good teeth, good feet with lots of spunk and stamina. (Alternatively were I a dog, unless I got lucky with the right owner, I would have been a PROBLEM dog! Reactive, barky, resource guarder, poor bite inhibition....) First Tank Girl, now this. It's a silly day!

Refugee

Veteran

I most certainly prefer heels. And for the most part my feet are in pretty good shape. For the record I have a very high arch. I believe there are a lot of different factors in play. Yes, genetics most certainly play a part but so do lots of other things. Choosing a good fitting shoe (this includes so many factors in my opinion), heel height, arch support, and weather (yes, really) just to name a few of the things I believe are involved in shoes and how they affect our feet.

Aida

Veteran

I'm about a decade younger than you and my feet are in good condition. I have been wearing stiletto heels for about 5 years now, as flats aren't comfortable for me. My feet are very bony and rather narrow, and I have a large big toe and all bones related to it; high arches, a high instep, bony ankles, narrow heels, and a wide toe box. My feet are very unfussy, which has been lucky, but I also haven't been kind to them in my shoe choices over the years. I'm just starting to really pay attention and make sure I get shoes my feet will be happiest in to prevent problems in the future, and have started sizing up in all of my new shoe purchases to make sure my toes have enough room.

Louise

Veteran

I'm a 1980 kiddie, my feet are in great shape. I've rather a wide span of toes so have never managed pointy toed shoes and I've given up on heels over 60mm with most of my shoes being flats I need a wide toe box too. I see a chiropodist every 3 months to sort out my big toenail (dropped a plate on it years ago and the nail grows thick) and she buffs the soles of feet at the same time x

ButterflyLady

(website)

Veteran

I'm older than you, I'm 47, but my feet are fine - no bunions, nice shape, no real problems. They are fussy - partly because I'm a weird sort of quarter size, so getting fit right is difficult, but I can wear heels if I want to. I used to wear them more often back in the day, when I worked in a corporate environment, and I am much less used to them now!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Considerably older than you (by more than a decade). But my feet are in good shape. Such issues as they have result from constant use. That means: blisters in the spring when I start wearing sandals (and walking in the heat for miles); the occasional corn between my toes. Friction related stuff.

My favourite heel height is somewhere between 1.5 and 2.5 inches; this is best for my arch. Completely flat shoes won't stay on and aren't comfortable due to high arches and narrow heels. Super high heels just aren't "me." I wore them occasionally in my twenties but I have always wanted to be able to move quickly in my footwear, so I gladly left them behind. I do like a fun platform, though.

Lisa

Veteran

I'm 33 and do not have good feet. I never did. And I had bunion surgery on my left foot towards the end of last year. I anticipate bunion surgery on my right foot this year.

I often hear that footwear is the cause of bunions. I disagree. Everyone in my family has them, men and women. Men's shoes typically are cut wider than women's, so if the toe box shape is the culprit, why would men get bunions? This leads to a structural cause doesn't it?

Of course, the general shape of women's shoes is not going to help prevent bunions either. Many women's shoes are cut too narrow in the toe box and if you are predisposed from a structural standpoint you most likely will get bunions. You are essentially helping them form by wearing the narrower shoes. A heel height can also contribute as the higher heel shifts to focus of weight on the foot and the higher you go the more pressure you put on your toe area. I suscept a higher arch shifts the weight distribution which is why women with higher arches find heels more comfortable.

Of course I am not a Dr so take my comments with a grain of salt.

For myself, as a tomboy I typically wore sneakers growing up with wider toe boxes. In the last 10 years I started to shift the higher heels (no higher than 3 inches) and shoes instead of sneakers which means a smaller toe box compared to a sneaker. Did these factors contribute to my bunions, probably. But do I think they caused them all by themselves? No. My bunion surgery was designed to correct the structure of my foot, not just remove the bunion. If I just had the bunion removed, I'd most certainly have another one in a matter of years regardless of my footwear. I find it hard to believe the extensive reconstruction I had was soley caused from improper shoes. It is a higher probability that the footwear helped the bunions form faster, but I think I would have always had them. It runs in my family.

Isabel

Veteran

My mom, who is 76, has slight bunions. She always wore heels, but low ones. They are not significant enough to really bother her. Interestingly, my dad has bunions too, he is 80. I have never known him to wear heels ! LOL.... In fact, until my dad was 20, he never even owned a pair of shoes !! His feet are also slim enough that the extra width of the bunion just doesn't bother his shoe fit.

I have bunions. One foot is bad enough, that I do have to be careful with shoes. I didn't wear heels much ( though I never wore sneakers either ) until I was 26 and even then it was low, heels. Now I never wear heels higher than 2 1/2 in.

I have heard that the hereditary part of it can be hereditary bone structure that pre-disposes one to bunions. Otherwise, heels can do it too.

I hope this helps your survey !!!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I am about the same age, and wore lots of Docs and Birkenstocks, and pretty much all flat comfortable shoes and I still have 'bad' feet- flat arches, bunions on both sides, fussy, etc. My dad does have a bunion, but only now in his 70's.

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

I am one year younger than you and wore "sensible" shoes for most of my life, and developed terrible bunions anyway. I have my father's side of the family to thank for that!

Anonymous

I have bunions, despite wearing sensible shoes and avoiding high heels for all but formal occasions. My podiatrist said I inherited the condition from my mother, and that it has nothing to do with the shoes I wore/wear.

banananutmuffin

I'm 37 years old with pretty good feet (no bunions, corns, etc.). I wear high heels sometimes, but not on a regular basis. Maybe a few times a month. I have spent most of my life in non-supportive type shoes (wore flip flops a lot in high school/college). However, I will add that I am barefoot probably 80% of the time. When I was a teen I ran around barefoot all the time. Even now, I am always barefoot in the house. I only put on shoes to leave, and that's not often.

Truthfully, I do attribute my love of being barefoot to the fact that my feet are pretty good. I think being barefoot is a natural state, and so far it's worked for me.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I am also a 1970 baby and have good feet (minus that ankle injury last year!). I have been working on my feet as a waitress or bartender since 1992 and I always wear some supportive type of sneakers for work. I'm sure that helps. I do throw on heels or heeled boots to get dressed up occasionally but 95% of the time I'm in supportive shoes with a roomy toe box. I have high arches and relatively bony, narrow feet overall. The only bad thing about my feet is the 'double ankles' I have (self diagnosed as accessory navicular) and some callouses along the inside of my big toes. I get the occasional blisters from shoes rubbing but no hammer toes or bunions here. My BF, on the other hand has bad feet and he certainly doesn't wear heels!! His mom has bad feet, too. I am going with the heredity factor over footwear on this one.

banananutmuffin

Yeah, genes probably do have a lot to do with it. I'm adopted, so have no idea what my biological parents' feet were actually like.

My mom used to gripe at me all the time about being barefoot. She'd say, "You only get one pair of feet! Take care of them!"

ironkurtin

Veteran

My feet are in good shape, I think, but not very pretty. Never wear too-tight running shoes to run in. It does you no favors.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My feet are in good shape too. I just can't walk fast in high heels - and I walk fast and for long periods of time. This is why I prefer to wear flats or very low heels.

I'm 41.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Fascinating! Your replies seem to indicate that there IS a strong hereditary component to bunions -- if you're gonna to get 'em, you're gonna get 'em -- but that shoes with a tight toe-box can add to the problem, or perhaps trigger one.

I wonder if the tight toe box is the main contributing factor, or if a higher heel is partly to blame? I know men get bunions too, and the vast majority of them have never worn high heels.

Anna

Joining late here, but here's my two cents: I've had bilateral bunions for as long as I can remember, and I've never worn heels. I have worn dress shoes to work with a low heel, but never high heels. I had surgery for a bunion on my right foot about 2 years ago. My podiatrist confirmed your suspicion that it's primarily hereditary, but it can be exacerbated by bad shoes. After my surgery she suggested orthotics and Brooks Ariel running shoes to stabilize my foot so as to prevent the bunion from coming back (yikes!!). It hasn't. And my left foot is not bad enough to require surgery. I wear my running shoes most of the time when not working.

Kari

Veteran

One of my best friends has had bunions since she was a teen, and she hardly ever wears heels, and I don't think she's ever worn *high* heels - usually I see her in ballet flats that have medium arch support/padding. I think they run in her family, too.

Kristine

Veteran

I was born in 1971. I tend to wear flats and will wear low heels to work once or twice a week. There have been exceptions to my preference for flats. In my 20s I cocktail waitressed in 3" heels and wore heels going out to dance. But throughout most of my life I've had a preference for flats.

I have bunions on both feet, particularly on one. One was getting close to surgery but it's now fairly comfortable. I think its improvement is related to paying closer attention to the type and quality of shoes, including both flats and heels. So I believe it's not the height of the heel as much as how well the shoe is made and how it fits you.

My mom and aunt have bunions also and I can't really remember either wearing heels on anything but rare occasions.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I do think this is a hereditary thing. I was born in 1965, I started wearing heels in my teens in the 80s, and have almost always alternated days of wearing heels with days of wearing flats or smaller heels. My feet have never given me problems other than an occasional blister.

My feet are very similar to my mom's -- narrow and a bit on the bony side, especially the heel, but even she had very little trouble with her feet over the years, other than finding shoes that wouldn't fall off her feet! Her heels became lower as the years went on and her balance decreased, but I think I'll be able to wear heels longer than she did. I sometimes worry that running will take a toll on my feet and joints, but I'm not a pounding runner -- I'm more of a gentle jogger.