Foot ailments such as flat feet or hollow feet cause ‘difficult feet’. These often start with minor pain, but worsen with overuse. Weak knees or ankles or a short Achilles tendon also cause foot complaints. Good shoes that fit your feet are important. Sometimes the result of a foot scan is good for corrections, for example with insoles. Many people walk for pleasure. Walking shoes adapted to the nature of the hike, such as a Four Days Marches or mountain hike, are divided into 4 categories. Soft terry cloth, cotton or wool socks are essential to prevent blisters.
Walking becomes difficult with foot problems
Walking is an everyday activity for most of us and can be done in different ways: walking, marching, strolling or running. Usually not a problem, but what if your feet don’t want to cooperate? Then walking can become a real torture. Feet cannot ‘cooperate’ for various reasons.flat feet / Source: Drvgaikwad, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA-3.0)
Congenital foot problems or problems caused by other body ailments
Problems that are usually not your fault. You are born with it or it is the result of an accident, for example.
- incorrect pressure distribution of the foot position deviation
- flat feet
- hollow feet
- Achilles tendons that are too short
- weak knees
- weak ankles
- weak back
Foot problems due to neglect
Problems that you could have prevented, for example
- overload
- improperly fitting footwear.
- replacing shoes too late
- bad footwear: fashionable, but irresponsible.
- overweight
Difference in foot complaints in women and men
The most common complaint in women
Hollow feet, a congenital problem. Characteristics of the complaint are pain in the forefoot. If you continue with this for too long, the big toe will grow inward and a painful lump may develop.A pedologist can then offer a solution. For the hollow foot he measures a flat correction insole with a small elevation behind the joints of the forefoot.
Most common foot complaint in men
The Achilles tendon. Can only be solved by taking it easy.
Underestimation of difficult feet
Continuing can have very serious consequences
Many people continue to have problem feet for too long. This can lead to leg, hip and/or back problems and ultimately even to disability.
Foot scan
Determine if simple corrections are possible
If you do not want to go to the doctor immediately, you can have a foot scan made by an orthopedic consultant . There are retail chains that employ an orthopedic consultant. During the scan you will stand and walk with bare feet.The result is used to determine whether corrections are possible using insoles or special shoes. If this is not the case, the advisor will refer you to your GP.
The good shoe for everyday life
What requirements should a good shoe meet?
It is very important to have footwear that fits your feet and of course for which occasion.Daily life with work and a representative appearance requires different shoes than walking, i.e. ready-made shoes and walking shoes.What is a good ready-made shoe? A good ready-made shoe is a shoe
- with a sturdy heel cup to support the heel
- with a heel height of maximum 5 cm
- which is firm in the longitudinal axis
- which as a whole is a stiff shoe
- that is not worn for more than one year
Source: Vincent de Groot, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-2.5)
Walking for pleasure
Longer distance hikes require good quality hiking boots
Evening four-day events are organized throughout the Netherlands. No attention is paid to shoes here. Maybe a pair of sneakers of moderate to fair quality. This in itself is not harmful, because the distances are not that great.Things are different when you participate in hikes with greater distances. For example, if you are walking the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, good quality walking shoes are essential.You can get advice from a sports store for good walking shoes. They know exactly which shoe is most suitable for the type of walks you are going to make.
Hiking boots and hiking goals
Hiking boots are divided into four categories
- Category A: light hiking boots for paved roads
- Category B: for multi-day trips with luggage
- Category C: for difficult tours in the high mountains
- Category D: crampon-proof, for extreme ice tours and expeditions
Socks without seams against blisters
No nylon, it will heat up
The wrong socks can cause foot problems, especially blisters, even if you have good walking shoes. Woolen, cotton or terry socks without seams are most suitable. No nylon, it will heat up. No less important is washing the socks. Using fabric softener keeps the socks soft.
The Dutch Walking Sports Association (NWB)
Eight regional walking sports associations are affiliated with the NWB
The Dutch Walking Sports Association was founded in 1934. The NWB’s objective is to promote hiking in the form of hiking tours, winter series, multi-day hiking tours and four-day evening hikes. Eight regional walking sports associations are affiliated with the NWB:
- North Holland Walking Sports Association, NHWB
- South Holland Walking Sports Association, ZHWB
- Sticht-Gooise Wandelsport Bond, SGWB
- Eastern Walking Sports Association, OWB
- Gelderland Walking Sports Association, GWB
- Zeeland Walking Sports Association, ZWB
- North Brabant Walking Sports Association, NBWB
- Limburg Walking Sports Association, LWB
So if you want to take an organized walking tour, consult the walking calendars of the above-mentioned organizations.