Comfort is important to health and happiness, but our society also places a lot of importance on looking good and being in style. The kind of shoes a person wears affects his or her entire body. Shoes with improper arch support can cause callouses and pull the knees, hips and back out of alignment.
College students also have the added stress to their backs carrying heavy books around campus and up and down flights of stairs. Many California Baptist University students have found a compromise between comfort and style.
Carl Carson, senior biology major, is all about comfort during times he is putting the most stress on his feet, but focuses on style in other aspects of his life.
“Comfort in shoes is only really essential for my workout shoes,” Carson said. “(Shoes are) more of a style thing I suppose.”
For women, heels are often worn to look professional for occasions like job interviews and internships. While many women like the way they look in heels and the added height, heels over two inches can cause shortened calf muscles and Achilles tendons.
Keeping a pair of comfortable shoes to change into after an interview or day at work can minimize the painful effects of wearing heels for extended periods of time.
It is also a safe option to have comfortable shoes for driving, since heels can cause feet to slip off the pedals. Even flats without support can cause callouses and the arches of feet to collapse.
Karina Oblea, junior nursing major, wears a variety of shoes, but sticks to comfort when it comes to going to class.
“I’d much rather pick comfort over style, but at the same time, comfortable shoes have to have style,” Oblea said. “I want shoes I could walk in all day.”
Comfort often does not come cheap. A name brand pair of running shoes can run more than $100. Most budget shoes have little to no added support.
A cheap option to improving a shoe that was bought for style, but is lacking in comfort, is to buy insoles to put in them. Various gel and padded inserts can be bought for both men’s and women’s athletic shoes, flats and heels.
No one has to sacrifice comfort for style, and both can be achieved on a budget. Taking care of the feet now and developing good habits when choosing footwear will mean less potential pain in the future. Comfort and style are achieveable and possible.
