And no, I’m not talking about trainers vs heels vs Gucci loafers! Your shoes tell a story about how you move, how well your muscles are working and what injuries you risk.

So take your shoes off and let them tell you a story . . . . . .

Heels

Look at your shoe from behind – is the outside (lateral) edge of the heel worn away? This indicates a high heel impact and probably a rigid high arch foot.

Solution – solid heel support and heel cushioning

Big toe

Now look inside your shoes – is there a very worn patch under the big toe? Or even a bulge on the outside from your big toe?

This means you are developing bunions and need to take the pressure off the toes.

Solution – strong heel support and arch support.

Flat feet vs rigid feet

Again, look at your shoe from behind, does the shoe sit straight up like a new shoe? Or is it distorted and leaning?

If it leans inwards then your arch is collapsing and your foot is flattening.

If it leans outward then your foot is more rigid and won’t deal well with high impact.

Also look at your footprint in the sand – how much of your foot can you see? The more you see, the flatter your foot.

Solution – a strong arch support for flatter feet.

For rigid feet they need a strong, deep heel cup and probably a cushion at the heel as well

Toe of your shoe

Are the toes of your shoes scuffed and worn on the sole and round the edges? Then your arch isn’t working well and you are using your toes too much to push off.

This slows you down and stops you being able to “bounce”.

Solution – arch support

Insole and your foot

Take the insole out of your shoe and look at it – do the worn areas match parts of your foot that hurt? Do you have hard skin in the same places as the worn parts of your insoles? Do you get blisters in these places?

Hard skin on your foot shows continued high pressure there. Which can cause pain and injury.

Solution – take the pressure off with a solid heel cup, strong arch or extra cushions.

Left vs right

Do they match? If one shoe or insole is much more worn than the other you are compensating on that foot.

This can cause injury on that side as you overcompensate (even though you might be compensating for an old injury on the other side!)

Solution – support both feet to prevent injury

Not Forest Gump!

If I mention foot support, orthotics or orthopaedic shoes to people they immediately imagine those big clod hopper shoes from Forest Gump and look at me with horror.

But just like mobile phones, technology means that there are better, more discreet options that are designed to suit your lifestyle – whether that’s flip flops, trainers, heels or Gucci loafers! And no one needs to know!