*Your favorite shoes may suddenly feel snug as you get older, and your imagination isn’t necessarily playing tricks on you. Feet can become wider, flatter, and slightly longer as the body ages.
However, adults’ foot bones don’t simply keep growing. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kimberly Koury explained the distinction to TIME.
“Yes, but ‘bigger’ is somewhat misleading,” Koury said. “Adult feet do not continue to grow in the same way they do during childhood.”
“Instead, the shape of the foot can gradually change with age.”
Scroll to continue reading
Several changes can alter how your shoes fit. Aging reduces collagen, which helps support tissues throughout the body, including the ligaments around the arches. Those ligaments can loosen, allowing arches to flatten. A flatter arch can increase a foot’s length and width.
Bunions, hammertoes, and arthritis can also change foot shape or make shoes uncomfortable. Previous injuries, flat feet, higher body weight and family history can increase the likelihood of changes.
Women may experience these changes more often. Pregnancy and menopause can affect collagen, while years of high heels or narrow shoes may also influence foot structure.
Some people notice differences in their 30s, although experts don’t identify one age when changes always begin. The amount of change also varies from person to person. A 2016 study involving 68 women found measurable increases in several foot dimensions across age groups. Even relatively small changes can affect shoe fit after decades.
Your longtime shoe size, therefore, shouldn’t automatically dictate what you buy today. Koury recommends measuring the length and width of your feet periodically. Well-fitting, supportive shoes with roomy toe boxes can help accommodate changing feet.
Maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active can also support foot health. Pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, or sudden changes deserve medical attention. People with diabetes, neuropathy or circulation problems should pay particularly close attention to shoe fit.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Jaden Smith’s Christian Louboutin ‘Claw Feet’ Shoes Roasted Online
We Publish Breaking News 24/7. Don’t Miss Out! Sign up for our Free daily newsletter HERE.
