You might be buying a pair of shoes because it’s popular without knowing it’s one of the worst shoe brands that hurt your feet. Sure, it might look pretty, but consider the long-term impact of wearing footwear that crushes your feet. Remember, good shoes can help you keep your feet in the best shape. So, you need to be very careful with your shoe choices, especially if you are over 40 or recently put on some added weight. These are eight shoe brands to dodge unless you want to spend money on something that can cause you a lot of injury.
1. Skechers
Known for its trendy, out-of-the-box style and seemingly comfortable fit, Skechers is a quick choice for younger consumers. However, it is one of the shoe brands that hurt your feet. The low tag price has a bad consequence: subpar materials. With a pair of Skechers costing around $100 dollars and up matched with cool marketing hooks, kids tend to lean on the brand.
However, the low quality or materials used mean the shoes are not that durable. At the very least, they would fall apart in a few months. At worst, they can cause blisters, especially near the heel. To be fair, they never marketed their products as sports shoes, so the padding in sports brands would be more reliable. However, by today’s standards, durability and comfort need to go with great style.
2. Uggs
For countries with four seasons, it is almost a must for women to own a pair of Uggs. They are designed to keep the feet very warm once snow hits the ground. In terms of thermal control, Uggs did their job right. However, the design lacks arch support. These shoes are just too flat. It’s cute for quick photos and short walks, but it is certainly not something you would want to wear for longer strolls.
3. Kenneth Cole
The steep price of Kenneth Cole shoes would probably attract people who see shoe brands as status symbols. However, if you are on the lookout for value for money, this is not the brand for you. Aside from the price tag, it is one of the worst shoe brands that hurt your feet. For the designer shoes’ steep price tag, the shoes are just not that comfortable. The materials used are less that what would be expected from a premium pair, although the designs are quite trendy. If comfort is a priority, Kenneth Cole is not the best brand to purchase.
4. Michael Kors
There seems to be a trend among very steeply-priced shoes to be uncomfortable as another designer brand makes it to the list of shoe brands that hurt your feet. Michael Kors is known not just for its shoes and handbags but also for its watches. However, their shoe line, especially the high-heeled shoes for women, makes for torture devices. The heels are so narrow and high, and the toes are exceedingly pointed.
While this probably makes for great fashion photography, one worries about the women who wear these high-heeled shoes. They might suffer from orthopedic injuries earlier in life than most.
5. AND1
Once upon a time, AND1 was a close rival of the Nike brand. Today, though, it is one of the shoe brands that hurt your feet. The brand’s downfall is very obvious, with the quality of the shoes crashing down. There is a huge lack of support, which would explain why it is on sale at Walmart. Some experts recommend against wearing the shoes for basketball because the pairs do not have the needed padding, and you would most likely suffer from an injury playing with them.
6. ALDO
The Canadian brand’s sizing runs at least a size lower than usual. If you are ordering online, you need to keep this in mind. Having said that, it is one of the shoe brands that hurt your feet. The materials are notorious for being low quality. Be wary of purchasing these shoes especially if the temperature and humidity in your country tends to shift. You would find yourself getting frustrated because the heels and soles are likely to fall apart. If it happens while you wear it, you will most likely be humiliated and injured.
7. Nine West
While marketed as a classy brand, especially for formal wear, Nine West is one of the shoe brands that hurt your feet. Their high-heeled shoes are also uncomfortably high, so they are most likely to cause women to trip while walking. The overall fit of the shoes are narrow. These two characteristics make for a really uncomfortable experience. They are pretty on display and on the mannequin, but torture devices on actual human feet.
8. Any Brand of Ballet Flats
Anyone coming from high heels would be quick to praise ballet flats because they are “comfortable.” While they might seem more comfortable than high-heeled shoes, the brand of ballet flats lacks arch support. With insufficient padding, the wearer is bound to suffer from plantar fasciitis. This is when the bone connecting your heel to your toes becomes inflamed. You would notice that when you wear ballet flats too often and over too long a period of time, you are bound to feel foot pain.
How Do You Avoid Shoes That Hurt Your Feet?
It always pays to know about painful shoe brands that can damage your feet. However, more than just the brand, getting to know your feet is more important. What kind of shoe styles would work best for wide feet? Were you oriented on your exact shoe size? What heel height can you wear on special occasions without suffering from injuries?
These are things that you should take note of before shopping for shoes. Also, most fashion trends lean on comfort now, so you might be able to pull off wearing your favorite ultra-cushioned runners to almost every outfit in your closet. There is no point in torturing your feet.