Why should we wear shoes inside the house?

United States – Many people have been working from home since the start of the “Covid-19” pandemic, and this has made them spend more time indoors, and a large number of them have ended up walking barefoot all day.

Dr. Priya Parthasarathy, a podiatrist with Mid-Atlantic Foot and Ankle Specialists in Silver Spring, Maryland, told TIME that there has been a “significant increase” over the past few years in the number of people suffering from foot pain, partly due to walking. Barefoot at home.

However, a simple way to avoid aches, strains, and even stress fractures (small cracks in the bone, or hairline fractures), is to wear shoes indoors.

“This could make a big difference,” Dr. Parthasarathy emphasized.

Dr. Jackie Sutera, a podiatrist in New York City, noted that people tend not to realize how much time they spend walking barefoot on hardwood floors while at home.

Since hardwood floors provide no support or shock absorption, the impact hits the footpad, the thin layer of fat found under the ball of the foot and heel.

Repeated pressure on the foot for weeks and months can cause inflammation and eventually lead to larger problems, such as plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendonitis.

Parthasarathy added that these infections escalate, causing pain in the knees, hips and back.

In fact, hardwood floors aren’t the only culprit. Walking barefoot also leaves more chances of tripping over things, bumping into furniture or stubbing your toe, and wearing shoes can provide greater stability than if you were barefoot or wearing only socks.

Parthasarathy advises those who use standing desks or end up standing while working all day and tire their feet, to use an anti-fatigue floor mat with sneakers.

Shoes provide comfort, support and protection, while relieving pressure on important tendons and ligaments. But not all types of shoes are suitable.

Ideally, shoes should have ample toe room and provide at least some degree of arch support.

If you tend to wear slippers indoors, that is okay, but you should be careful not to be of the type designed to warm your feet because this type usually does not provide meaningful support for the foot, so you must choose slippers that provide support for the arch of the foot.

To avoid germ problems, it will be helpful to have shoes designated for wearing indoors, and adopt a different pair of shoes for outdoors.

Source: New York Post