At Boot Bomb, I like to inform my readers on the many foot conditions that you can develop by not wearing proper footwear.

Achilles Tendonitis

As the name suggests, this is a painful affliction that affects your achilles tendon. Have you suddenly upped the intensity of your physical exercise? Then you are at risk of developing this. It's a very nasty inflammation of your achilles tendon, that won't go away unless you properly treat it.

Ankle Pain

There are so many things that can go wrong with your ankle. It's a pretty intricate piece of machinery you've got going on down there. And you thought your car was complicated enough as it is! You never think about it... but when you do, you will realize that your ankles actually play a pretty important role in keeping you standing straight up. Without ankles, your quality of life goes down the drain. So take care of those guys.

Athlete's Foot

If you frequent places where people walk around barefoot most of the time, then you are at risk of developing the fungal growth known as athlete's foot. It normally isn't a particularly painful condition, although some neglected cases have taken on pretty severe forms. It's sometimes hard to get rid of, but in the end... you'll always win.

Back Pain

Back pain is one of the worst things that you can suffer from. Especially if it's chronic. Your lower back is a very sensitive area, that you'll want to keep in good shape at all cost. It's always possible that you develop some sort of back problem, despite the fact that you are taking heavy precautions against doing so. If that's the case, you're going to have to deal with it, lest it gets worse. And if there's anything worse than back pain, it's back pain that's getting worse. It's a very painful condition that you will have to take seriously. Ignore it at your peril.

Bad Knees

If you ever find yourself suffering from knee pain, even if it's a little bit, then you should definitely take it seriously. Ignore knee pain at your own peril, but you will soon rue the day you did. When you start having long lasting aches in what are perhaps your body's most important joints, then it's time to start paying attention, because you very well might be facing the beginning of the end of your quality of life. There exists no decent cure for bad knees at this time. Replacement knee surgery is a one time thing and they only last 20 years. Prevent painful knees from running out of control at all costs!

Bunions

Bunions are a real hassle. They are considered to be a deformity, which means that your foot changes shape. And feet changing shape means that you have to go out and buy new shoes. It's no fun having to replace your favorite pair of shoes, just because (one of) your feet has gone on to develop a bump on its side, against your will. There are things you can do to make bunions less. You can even prevent them completely if only you are willing to educate yourself on this topic, in order to ensure that you'll be able to recognize a budding bunion and then deal with it swiftly.

Corns, Calluses, Blisters

None of the above are fun to have to deal with. But the reality of the situation is that they do occur from time to time. Ranging from not painful at all to mildly painful, these conditions are best prevented. Rest assured that neither of these is going to kill you or your quality of life anytime soon. You just need to deal with them as soon as they rear their ugly heads, and you'll be fine.

Foot Bursitis

If you are suffering from foot bursitis, it essentially means that you are dealing with an inflammation that has occurred close to a joint. Tissues in and around such an inflammation are going to be very irritated. There is usually swelling involved. The swelling doesn't help in making the affected joint more mobile. As a matter of fact, it does quite the opposite. If you care about your joints' mobility, then it's best if you manage to prevent foot bursitis entirely. In the case that you get it, you'll have to learn how to get rid of it. You don't want to  live with chronic foot bursitis.

Gout

Gout is a temporary form of arthritis, that most often affects your big toe joint. It becomes all swollen and can cause great pain. It is caused by a build up of uric acid crystal deposits. Uric acid is a by product of human metabolism. Some people have too much uric acid, either due to their genetics or their diet. Nip gout in the bud on the first attack, or suffer the long term consequences.

Heel Fissures

Sometimes referred to as cracked heels. Have you ever seen people walking around with heels looking like the grand canyon? Don't laugh at'em, it's a painful affliction. And besides, it can happen to you as well. If you feel your feet getting dry, then you may want to start paying attention. It's entirely possible that a worse problem is about to unfold itself. You don't wanna wake up one day and have heel fissures. I will teach you how to heal your heels.

Heel Spur

This condition makes you wear spurs against your will. On the inside of your foot rather than the outside, unfortunately. Heel spurs are unwanted calcium deposits on the bottom of your heels. They are often sharp. When they press down into your soft issues, they cause pain.

Ingrown Toenail

An ingrown toenail may seem like an innocent little problem. But just you wait and see what happens when you neglect it for too long. The situation can get bad enough that you require a surgical procedure to correct it. Click the link and check out some of the worst cases of ingrown toenails. I dare ya. Be warned, though. These things cannot be unseen.

Instep Pain

Your instep is basically the top of your foot. The part that runs up against the rest of your leg, that is. Not too many people know it, but the instep can actually become a source of pain if you are not treating it well. Maybe you've ever worn high boots, which weren't comfortable enough or you tied them too tightly, and they ended up causing pain on your instep. Instep pain isn't the worst foot condition you can develop, but every kind of pain is uncomfortable, especially on your feet, which you use all day long. You have to tackle the root cause of instep pain in order to treat it.

Joint Pain

Many people are aware that they ought to take good care of waistline, their brain, their heart, their lungs and every other organ in their bodies. A lot of people never think about their joints, however. But your joints are incredibly important. You have no idea how much they're worth until you lose them. Ask any chronic arthrosis sufferer and they'll tell you. Joint pain is a real bummer that can seriously dampen the quality of your life if you let it. Your joints will degrade with age, so there's no stopping it, unless somebody comes up with a stem cell therapy. Until that happens, you should learn how to properly take care of your joints, in order to make them last as long as possible.

Mallet, Hammer, Claw Toes

Having to deal with a toe deformity is never fun, no matter how it may have come about. But in many cases, improvements can be achieved by pursuing proper treatment. More often than not, you can at least prevent the situation from growing worse. Don't let one of these conditions get out of hand to prevent unnecessary suffering.

Metatarsalgia

Your metatarsal bones are the bones in your feet that you'll find in the middle, between your ankles and your toes. These bones are just as important as any other bone in your feet. If these start to become inflamed, you've got metatarsalgia. And if you've got metatarsalgia, you're going to have a hard time walking. The condition is usually preventable. But when it occurs, you've got no choice but to deal with it. Y

Morton's Neuroma

Now this is something you'll probably want to prevent at all costs. Unless, ofcourse, you've always wondered what it would be like to have a marble lodged in between your toes. Just in case you are wondering, it feels really comfortable when going about your daily activities. You know... such as standing up and walking. Readers of the Boot Bomb are pretty smart and by now have realized that I'm being totally sarcastic. You better have a good sense of humor when you've got Morton's Neuroma. Lord knows you'll need it! Well, that and physical therapy.

Morton's Toe

This one's heriditary. No fair, I know. But on the upside, it's a pretty harmless condition. Got a second toe that's longer than your first toe? Odds are, you've got a Morton's toe! Many people go through life with their elongated second tootsies, without suffering from it in one way or another. But if the condition is bad enough, then it can get in the way of your biomechanics. In that case, there is usually a treatment possible in order to get you functioning normally again.

Overlapping Toes

Your toes are supposed to be like pigs in a blanket. But all the piggies are supposed to have their own blankets. If you've got overlapping toes, then a couple of piggies are trying to crawl into the other piggies' blankets. That's no good, because it can seriously hamper your gait. The condition can be treated, though. If all else fails, it can be surgically corrected.

Plantar Fasciitis

A condition where you develop very painful heels. It can go from a minor nuisance to a chronically painful condition. It is to be taken seriously. If left untreated, it can double up on trauma by causing heel spurs. More pain for you. And pain is bad. Especially the kind of pain that makes you feel like you're stepping in a bucket of sharp nails right after getting out of bed. That's one heck of a way to start off your morning, isn't it?

Post Tib Tendonitis

You've got a tendon called the posterior tibial tendon, which begins halfway in your calves, runs all the way down and attaches at your midfoot bones. If you've got tendonitis in this tendon, then... ayup... you've got post tib tendonitis. The bad news? It's painful! The good news? There's plenty of treatment options that don't require surgery.

Runner's Knee

If you're a runner, then you'll know from experience that this activity can put quite the strain on your feet, ankles, knees and legs in general. But especially your knees. There is no denying that our knees are kind of a weak point, in the sense that they are one of the first joints to go down south in many people. Bad knees occur so frequently, that it would be arrogant to assume you'll never have to deal with it yourself. Odds are that you will, in fact, encounter pain in your knees at some point. Many people don't realize the importance of taking good care of your knees. It's right up there with brushing to save your teeth. You've gotta save your knees, too.

Sesamoiditis

The sesamoid bones are your toes' knee caps. And I'm sure you know how bad it is to have problems with your knee caps. It's equally as bad to have problems with your sesamoid bones. You are at risk of developing pain in your toes when you are undertaking rigorous physical activities, such as dancing or doing athletics. If you start feeling pain in your toe joints, then it very well might be the start of sesamoiditis. The best time to act on it, is as early as possible. This condition is progressive. That means it's gonna get worse.

Shin Splints

Finally, a condition that doesn't have a difficult name. So yeah... what can I say? This is precisely what you'd expect it to be. Your shins are starting to splinter. Odds are, the reason why they're doing so is because you are putting too much pressure on them. Sometimes they occur due to imbalances in a person's gait. You can have them in the back or in the front. And, if you're particularly unlucky, you can have them on both sides. Thankfully, there are good treatments available. Nobody ever died from shin splints. Not that I know of, anyway.

Smelly Feet

Smelly feet are a very humiliating problem. Most people would have to take off their shoes in front of others, when they are suffering from it. It can be downright embarrassing to be the only person in a group to have smelly feet. While you won't suffer any physical pain from this condition, you can still suffer more than enough psychological pain as a direct result of it. Smelly feet can usually be dealt with if only you are able to identify the cause of it. It certainly helps that most shoes are anti microbial these days. But should you still get undesired odors on your feet, then study up and see if you can't do something about it.

Stress Fractures

If you have been overusing your bones, by running or jumping for example, then you might have overused them. This can cause stress fractures in your bones. These are literally fractures caused by a too heavy workload that's gone on for too long and has happened too many times. Usually, these will be hairline fractures. But they can become bigger if you don't take the problem seriously. Thankfully, they can be pretty painful. So at least your body is sending you clear signals that something is wrong and you have to give your poor bones a rest.

Toenail Fungus

You'd think something as simple as a toenail wouldn't be able to give you any grief. Well, guess again... the same fungus that can cause athlete's foot, can also cause fungus growth in your toenails. Neglect your feet hygene and you might just be unfortunate enough to catch it. It'll start out relatively harmless, just making your toenails a bit more yellow. A lot of people won't even realize there's a problem. But when left untreated, it will grow. Leave it growing for long enough and you'll wish you had come here earlier to read this article. Here, you can learn not only how to treat an existing case of foot fungus, but also how to prevent future cases of it.

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Brian Bradshaw. I’m a super duper mega hiking enthusiast, with a love for everything that has to do with outdoors, hiking, gear, footwear and more.

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  1. I’m obese plus had one knee replaced and on opposite side foot is very flat and it swells and very painful when walking. I also have lower back pain. I’m not sure what shoes would I need for walking
    Lori

    1. Hi Lori,

      All footwear assumes people’s feet are more or less symmetrical. If one of your feet is much flatter than the other, you are going to have to find your solution in custom insoles, I think.

      You’re still looking for good shoes, ofcourse. But in order to advize you properly, I’ll have to know more about what kind of footwear you are looking for.

      Shoes for work? Shoes for walking? Sneakers?

      Let me know.

      Sincerely,

      Brian

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