Your shoe choices matter more than you think as you age

(Aging Untold) — The shoes you wear every day do more than complete an outfit. The wrong pair can affect your balance, alter your stride and raise your risk of falls.

As your feet change with age, the way you shop for shoes might need to change too.

“Your shoes are your foundation”

Sam Cradduck, a gerontologist, puts it plainly: shoe safety is not one-size-fits-all.

“Your shoes are your foundation. Your feet are your foundation. We don’t need people out there falling,” Cradduck said.

You can safely walk in a heel, there is no hard rule against it, she said, but there are long-term consequences worth understanding.

“Understand what you’re doing to your Achilles — could be shrinking it and it could be causing some long-term issues," Cradduck said.

Safety is individualized, and it has to be what’s going to work for the person.

“What’s going to work for me is not going to work necessarily for you,” Cradduck said.

Style and stability don’t have to be opposites

Amy O’Rourke, an aging expert, also shared that her doctor told her she could have pain or change the shoes she wears, so she changed the shoes.

“It’s important to be physically stable. But for some of us, we want to be emotionally stable, and some of us are really affected by how we look, how we dress — it uplifts us," O’Rourke said.

She said she opts for wider shoes and avoids lace-ups for ease of use.

She shared a practical tip on when to shop for shoes: “I do not buy shoes in the morning because my feet swell and so I wait ’til the afternoon,” O’Rourke said.

Katherine Ambrose, an aging-well coach, speaks from personal experience after a serious car accident two decades ago that required her to wear supportive, structured shoes.

Over time, she transitioned from clunky supportive shoes to flats and eventually back to heels — selectively.

“Now I’m healthier, lighter on my feet. So, I’m back in heels sometimes, but very particular and very sturdy,” Ambrose said.

Platform shoes are trending and Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, offered a reassuring take: “Because of that platform from the base, they’re really not that high when you’re walking. So, they’re actually very comfortable.”

Watch your Achilles — and see a podiatrist

Cradduck returned to a point she considers important for aging women in particular: what the long-term effect of heel-wearing could be on the Achilles tendon.

“I’ve seen it a lot of times with ladies who wore heels most of their career and that Achilles shrinks, and then we end up with what we call a drop foot. The toes point down, and that actually can cause a lot of falls and tripping,” said Cradduck.

Her advice is to stretch regularly, no matter what shoes you wear.

O’Rourke recommended working with a podiatrist to get the right shoe. And then you can find others that will help you to find the right store.

Ambrose added that running stores and other retailers can educate people so they can get good shoes.

“They also sometimes will teach you how to shop for shoes online or at the mall,” Ambrose added.

Key takeaways

• Falls are the leading cause of injury for older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• See a provider. Your provider or podiatrist can check your feet for issues that raise your fall risk, according to the CDC. A foot specialist could also help identify the right shoe type for your individual needs.
• Checkups: Ask your healthcare provider to check your feet once a year, the CDC says.
• Shop later in the day. Shop for shoes later in the day to ensure a proper fit, the CDC recommends.
• Shoe safety is personal. What works for one person may not work for another. Assess your own balance, foot health and lifestyle before choosing footwear.