Uneven wear on the bottom of my shoes indicates that I may have an arch problem (see the light tan area showing through the darker soles?). Examine the bottom of your shoes in much the same way you might examine the tires on a car.

Foot problems can hamper or ruin your next adventure…..and also make day to day life uncomfortable.  Like any minor to moderate problem, the symptoms may be tolerable, so no solution is sought and you just live with it.  That would be an accurate description of how I have been dealing with a recurring pain in my right foot over the past several years.  Luckily, a fortuitous event put me in touch with a rational analysis of what the pain in my foot was trying to tell me all along.  I was drinking bourbon with Larry, one of my best friend’s dad, and Larry’s tennis buddy, “The Doctor”.  The Doc is a foot doctor by profession. At some point in the evening, amidst the bourbon and the cutthroat version of pool we were playing, the conversation turned to foot problems. The Doc mentioned that you can tell if you have an arch problem by looking for signs of uneven wear on the soles of your shoes.  Suddenly curious, I took off my shoes and looked at the soles–sure enough, the outside edge of my soles was worn away at the heels.  It was like looking at the tires on a car for signs of uneven wear as a symptom of underlying problems.  Next, the Doc had me stand in front of him with my pants pulled up so he could see my feet.  He noticed a bulge on my right foot and said it indicated an arch problem. I probably would need orthotics, the Doc suggested.  

The green Super Feet and the black SofSole orthotic shoe inserts are two arch supports that I have used with success. In my case, the black SofSole inserts are more effective at relieving foot pain.

Taking the Doc’s suggestions to heart, I later set out to find some inserts that I could wear in my shoes to alleviate my arch problems.  I first tried Super Feet which many of my friends use with satisfactory results.  After a couple of months with the Super Feet, I still noticed a mild version of the foot pain that had been plaguing me, so I set out to find a more aggressive shoe insert.  This time I tried a 3/4 medical grade orthotic by Sof Sole.  Since switching to this type of arch support, I have noticed almost no pain in my right foot.  My only complaint is that these inserts squeek inside my shoes when I walk.  I will have  to find a remedy to the squeeking or else I will risk  earning the nickname “Squeeks”.  But for now, squeeking around is better than walking painfully around, so I’m grinning and bearing it.  Down the road, I may find that I need a proper doctor’s office visit and another type of remedy, but let’s hope not.  In any case, I was struck by the Doc’s statement that most people  need orthotics by the time they are in their 30’s.  I guess that would be me.