When man first stood upright and roamed the earth, he protected his feet with simple coverings of animal skins. These allowed the foot to move, bend and stretch at will. We’ve moved on since then. Shoes have become a fashion statement, worn to impress. Most women at some time in their lives will have worn shoes with heels so high that the entire body is poised at an unnatural angle, or so narrow that the foot is cramped, with bones and muscles too restricted to do the job of keeping the body balanced. Once the body is out of line, knees and hips can’t do their job properly, and back ache develops.

Most of us are born with healthy feet, and it’s only when we start to develop problems that we realise how important our feet are to our general health and well being. If your feet hurt you so much that you hate walking, you lose strength, you put on weight, and are more at risk of blood clots.

Probably the primary cause of painful feet can be traced to wearing the wrong shoes, high heels being one of the worst offenders, this borne out by the fact that eighty per cent of all foot problems are experienced by women. Foot problems in men are also frequently caused by wearing the wrong shoes, especially at weekends when they exercise in trainers, which are too small, or which give too little support.

Painful feet can be avoided if you take care of them, and keeping a careful check on the feet can also give early warning signs about more serious health problems such as diabetes, arthritis or poor circulation. You should check with your doctor if you begin to suffer with unusually cold feet, cramps or numbness; changes in the skin colour, or a sore on the foot which doesn’t heal, or becomes infected. The message is, don’t wait until your feet hurt. Take good care of them, and check them over daily for cuts, blisters, infected toenails or swelling.

Wash feet daily, but do not soak for longer than ten minutes. Dry thoroughly, especially between the toes. Use unscented cream on the tops and soles of your feet, but do not use between the toes. Trim nails straight across, and never shorter than the end of your toe.

When you’re buying shoes, remember, your feet may not both be the same size, so choose shoes which give your longest toe room to move, and buy shoes late in the day, when your feet tend to swell a little. Make sure there are no inside seams in the shoe which could chafe, and get shoes with closed backs for maximum support. At one time, buying shoes for difficult feet, meant that looks were sacrificed for comfort. Not so these days. No matter what the foot problem, extra wide, extra narrow, or difficult big toe joints, there are shoes manufacturers which can solve the problem. Good shoes are worth their weight in gold. They look great, they stay looking great, and most important of all, they pamper your feet. And remember. Painful feet make you frown as you walk, and put years on your face.