Small, Everyday Habits That Can Lead to Foot Pain, Per Podiatrists

You probably don’t spend much time thinking about your feet…until there’s a problem with them.

But once your stride is compromised, you realize just how important healthy feet are—and how much it messes with your day-to-day when you’re dealing with discomfort.

Foot pain can have a bunch of different causes, but a lot of it boils down to how you treat your feet on a daily basis. Suzanne Fuchs, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist and founder of LuxePodiatry and Wellness in Florida, estimates that the majority of patients who come in with foot or heel pain “are doing something routine and seemingly harmless that’s driving it.”

“Most people don’t connect the dots,” Dr. Fuchs adds, “because the habits feel comfortable in the moment and the pain shows up weeks or months later.”

Good news is, if you’re aware of these small habits ahead of time, you can change your ways to avoid foot pain down the road. Read on to learn seven little things that podiatrists say are sabotaging your feet—and how to course correct.

Meet the experts: Suzanne Fuchs, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist and founder of LuxePodiatry and Wellness in Florida; Bill McCann, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist in New Hampshire; Saylee Tulpule, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist in the Washington, DC area and founder of The Sole Doctor.

Your go-to athletic sneakers may not look worn on the outside, but if you’ve put a few hundred miles on them, the midsole foam is probably already wearing down. And that means the shoes aren’t giving you the same cushioning or stability they once did, says Bill McCann, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist in New Hampshire. So if you keep wearing them, you’re setting yourself up for pain or injuries, including plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and neuromas (swollen nerves), he explains.

Plus, once the tread pattern on the bottom of the shoe starts wearing, you’re losing traction, which makes you more prone to slips and falls, adds Saylee Tulpule, D.P.M., a board-certified podiatrist in the Washington, D.C. area and founder of The Sole Doctor.

Avoid all that by replacing shoes every 300 to 500 miles, or at least yearly, Dr. Tulpule says. This applies whether you’re using the shoes for running, walking, or even long bouts of standing, Dr. McCann adds. And consider buying a second pair so you can alternate: Wearing an athletic shoe causes the midsole foam to compress; rotating between different pairs allows it to fully rebound between wears. This provides better stability and cushioning for longer, says Dr. Fuchs.

It’s easy to brush off minor foot pain as a normal part of aging, or the consequence of simply spending a long day on your feet. But ignoring pain can lead to movement compensations—for example, shifting your weight or altering your gait—which can then trigger pain in other areas, such as your other foot, knees, hips, or low back, Dr. Fuchs says.

Shrugging it off can also make small issues morph into more serious problems. For example, plantar fasciitis caught early could possibly resolve in a few weeks with simple measures like stretching and supportive footwear. But when ignored, it could become chronic and sometimes involve a heel spur or a partial tear, too, Dr. Fuchs says.

Instead of overlooking new foot pain, give it TLC with at-home measures, such as supportive shoes, calf stretching, icing, and activity modification, Dr. Fuchs says. If it isn’t clearly improving in two weeks, get evaluated by a podiatrist, she advises.

We spend so much of our time with our feet clad that it can be easy to forget about what’s inside. And that can be a problem, because when we ignore our feet, we can miss out on some important signals for our overall health.

So make it a point to visually inspect your feet a couple times a week, looking at the tops, bottoms, and in between your toes, Dr. Tulpule says. If you can’t see the bottom of your feet, use a mirror or ask someone to look for you, Dr. Dr. McCann says. If you spot something worrisome—for example, discoloration, skin lesions, heavy calluses, or ingrown toenails—visit your podiatrist, McCann says. They can help identify and treat issues before they escalate.

Regular foot scans are especially key for people with diabetes or neuropathy, Dr. Fuchs adds. “A daily visual foot check is the difference between catching a small ulcer and facing a limb-threatening infection,” she says.

We get it: When you finally are able to take off your socks and shoes, there’s something really freeing about going barefoot at home. But if your floors are made of a tough material—such as hardwood, tile, marble, or luxury vinyl—you’re setting yourself up for foot pain.

That’s because these surfaces don’t have any shock absorption, so every step you take transmits ground forces into your heel and plantar fascia (the thick band of tissue along the arch of your foot), Dr. Fuchs says. Over time, that can lead to plantar fasciitis, which occurs when this band of tissue gets overloaded, inflamed, and painful.

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Avoid that by finding a pair of house slippers, slides, or sandals, Dr. Tulpule says. Bypass flimsy sandals or flat flip-flops—these lack a firm midsole, which means they probably won’t protect your plantar fascia all that well, she explains. Instead, look for a pair with a contoured arch, a cushioned sole, and decent traction. Oh, and per the above point, make sure to replace them at least once a year, Dr. Tulpule says.

This habit is usually born out of convenience: When you’re traversing the pool deck, toweling off in the gym locker room, or showering in a hotel room, it often feels easiest to just go barefoot. As long as that’s only for a few minutes, it’s no big deal, right?

Not quite. Forgoing shoes in these scenarios puts you at real risk for contracting athlete’s foot, fungus, or a bacterial infection, Dr. Tulpule says—all of which can cause foot discomfort. Fortunately, the solution is pretty simple: Find a supportive, waterproof shower shoe and always, always tote it with you.

Heels greater than three inches require you to balance on the ball of your foot, which can set the stage for ankle sprains with one tiny misstep, Dr. Tulpule says. It can also overwork your calves, which can translate to knee, hip, and back pain, she adds. Plus, heels often come with a narrow toe box, which puts you at greater risk of bunions, hammertoes, neuromas, and corns, she adds.

You don’t need to swear off heels altogether, but Dr. Tulpule recommends getting strategic when shopping for them. Prioritize ones that are no taller than three inches, have a block heel for a more even base of support, feature straps for ankle stability, and have a rounded (versus more narrow) toe box, she says.

Tight calves aren’t just an achy nuisance: They’re “the single most underappreciated contributor to foot pain,” according to Dr. Fuchs. That’s because tight calves pull directly on your heels, which can place extra strain on your plantar fascia, increasing your risk of plantar fasciitis. Plus, tight calves can contribute to metatarsalgia (inflammation in the ball of your foot) by altering your gait mechanics and forcing your toe extensor muscles to work overtime.

Tight calves are super common—research suggests the majority of the population has some degree of calf tightness—but you can combat that by incorporating daily calf stretches into your routine. These don’t have to be a big time-suck: As you’re climbing the stairs, drop your heel off the step to stretch your calves, or do a standing calf stretch when you’re waiting to cross the street, Dr. Tulpule says.

She also recommends regularly incorporating moves—like toe raises or towel curls—to strengthen the intrinsic muscles of your feet. This can help bolster the plantar fascia, reducing strain there, and also reduce stiffness caused by forefoot issues, such as hammertoes and bunions, Dr. Tulpule explains. Doing just 10 repetitions of these exercises twice a day can make a big difference, she says.

It’s great to find a specific model of shoes that work well for you. But automatically ordering the next iteration of them every year doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the same exact shoe you (and your feet) love. In fact, shoe companies tweak their products from one version to the next “all the time,” says Dr. McCann. They may alter the manufacturing process for the uppers, which could then slightly narrow the shoe width, Dr. McCann says. These differences may not be apparent at first glance, but over time, your feet could start to hurt thanks to ill-fitting or ill-supportive shoes.

Sidestep this by trying on shoes first before committing to them. Dr. McCann suggests visiting a shoe store at the end of the day. That’s because your feet swell slightly as the day goes on, so testing out options when your feet are their biggest ensures a good fit. Walk around in the shoes for a bit, paying close attention to how supportive and comfortable they feel, he says.