There are numerous conditions that can affect the feet. Some of these might affect people with conditions such as diabetes and arthritis, and can be very serious. However, problems occur more commonly in otherwise healthy people, and can affect them at any stage in their lives. These are more general and are less likely to cause severe complications, but they can still cause a great deal of pain and discomfort, and should always be taken seriously.

The causes of such problems are numerous. Cuts and scratches can lead on to minor infections and discomfort, injuries may make it difficult to walk on your feet normally, and other factors such as bad posture can lead to problems occurring in the feet which can affect the whole body if not looked after.

One reason why people suffer from painful feet and other conditions is down to their shoes. Badly fitting shoes, such as high heels or those that do not have adequate support, can lead onto quite serious problems. For example, through their design high heels put a great deal of pressure on the toes, exerting greater pressure on them and putting them at greater risk of forming corns and calluses, or even leading onto more serious issues such as hammertoes and clawed toes.

Orthopaedic Shoes

If you suffer from any of these conditions, whether it is as a result of a chronic condition or not, it is likely you will need a pair of orthopaedic shoes to provide you with comfort, support, and to keep your feet safe, preventing you from experiencing other further problems.

We have a large range of orthopaedic shoes, specially designed to provide you with the comfort and security that you require. All of them have been specially designed for people with a range of conditions, and each provides a great deal more support and security than the average high-street shoe.

Despite placing a heavy emphasis on support and comfort, there is no reason why style should suffer as a result, and the huge range of different styles that we have for both sexes mean that you are certain to find something to suit you.

Orthopaedic shoes are necessary in order to control a number of conditions and to prevent them from worsening. So don't suffer from the pain and discomfort that you experience from badly fitting shoes, and try on a pair of our orthopaedic shoes today.

A chiropodist is called upon to deal with a large range of problems that can affect the feet. These could include problems caused as a result of certain conditions such as arthritis, but are more commonly caused in healthy people who have either experienced an accident or suffered from poorly-fitting shoes in the past.

A chiropodist is the first port of call in such a situation, and they will provide you with specialist information and advice on how to take care of your feet and to resolve the problem.

Problems in the basement lead to problems in the attic. If your feet are not cared for properly, they can lead on to developing a range of problems and causing damage to a whole range of other parts of the body, including the knees, the back, the neck and the hips. Sometimes pain is felt in these areas when the feet seem to be fine, and as a result people are unaware of what the problem is.

However, we take our feet for granted, and it is only when something goes wrong that we decide to take action. Problems can also arise as people get older and it becomes more difficult to look after their feet. Suddenly cutting your toenails can become a real task, and long toenails can lead on to discomfort and other problems.

Any chiropodist will tell you that a good pair of shoes will go a long way to solving the majority of foot problems, and will prevent them from occurring in the first place. Many shoes on the market are not suitable, either because they are too small, don't fit well enough, or don't provide enough support for the wearer. Fashion is always considered above safety, and this can lead to developing blisters, corns and other conditions that are far more serious.

Our specially designed shoes are recommended by chiropodists because they are made with comfort, support and safety in mind. However, they have also been designed to be fashionable as well as safe as, contrary to popular belief, the two are not mutually exclusive.

Features which make our shoes so suitable for people with foot problems include adjustable fasting, low heels, breathability and cushioned inner linings amongst others. This goes a long way to helping feet that are already suffering, and can even prevent a visit to the chiropodist in the first place.

Orthotics are commonly provided by a chiropodist and are used for preventative measures to stop a particular foot problem from worsening. This could be as a result of arthritis or bunions, or any other foot problem caused by an accident or bad posture. The majority of foot problems are routine, and othotics can help to ease them.

An orthotic is a method adopted to sort out the problem, whether it is something relatively minor such as a blister or a callus, or something altogether more serious. A common problem experienced by many people is bad posture caused by the ankles bending in towards each other and putting unnatural pressure on many parts of the body. An orthotic can prevent this by providing extra support under the sole of the foot, shifting pressure and preventing the user from feeling too much pain.

Orthotics come in all shapes and sizes. Some have been specially made to a person's unique foot shape, whereas others can be bought from the shop to help with a more general problem. They are usually made of either a soft insole to reduce the force of shocks, or a stiff insole to provide arch support.

But no matter which type of orthotic you are using, it is important that your footwear is designed to be able to fit them with ease. It is for this reason that our extensive range of shoes are all designed to be suitable for the insertion of orthotics.

Due to their state of the art designs, our shoes help to alleviate a lot of foot problems by themselves. However, we are aware that specialist orthotics are also widely used for more particular foot conditions, and for this reason all of our shoes are compliant with orthotics.

Our shoe range contains shoes for every activity, whether you will be standing up for long periods of time, or taking part in a physical activity. However, some people choose to buy one pair of shoes and fit an orthotic device inside in order to make it more useful for different activities. The unique design of our shoes allows for this option, providing our customers with a greater degree of flexibility.

Arthritis is a disease which causes damage and inflammation to the joints of your body. Attacks can focus on the joint linings, bones, ligaments or cartilage, and in some cases can be very severe. Because feet and ankles are made up of 26 bones and over 30 joints, they are particularly at risk to sufferers, and can lead to debilitating pain.

There are different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the name given to the gradual wearing away of joints over time, or as a result of an old injury, which is also known as traumatic arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is different in that it is inflammatory. It is a chronic condition that can affect all the joints in the body, and it is often responsible for causing severe deformities, including bunions, claw toes or hammertoes.

There is another type of arthritis called gout, which is caused by the formation of crystals in a joint. This can be a very painful condition, and often affects the big toe more than the other joints, leading to problems with walking and great discomfort.

Wearing proper shoes provides the best way of dealing with arthritis it the feet. Although there is no way for shoes alone to cure the disease, they are hugely important in providing protection to the feet and ankles and to aid in the healing process.

However, although many high street shoes claim to be beneficial for people suffering from arthritis, this is often not the case, and wearing badly fitting shoes that have not been specially designed can exacerbate the problem.

We offer a large range of comfortable shoes to help sufferers cope with the pain. As feet may change shape due to arthritis, it is important to get them measured before buying a shoe, but our shoes are specially designed to accommodate a large range of sizes and shapes of feet.

Bunions are a common problem suffered by many people, but they can also become quite serious and it is essential to wear shoes that do not exacerbate the problem.

Bunions are actually a result of a condition known as hallux valgus. This is a condition whereby the large toe is gradually pushed over towards the smaller toes, and in severe cases they can even cross over each other. Bony lumps often develop on the side of the foot at the base of the big toe as a result, and it is these that are known as bunions.

It is also common for a bursa to develop here, which is a small sack filled with fluid, and this is more likely to occur if you wear shoes which press against the bunion. This could then become inflamed or infected, and can pose more serious problems. Bunions can also lead on to developing hammer toes or corns and calluses.

Bunions can vary in pain significantly. Some people may have a very large bunion that is uncomfortable and inconvenient, but which doesn't actually cause any pain. Others may have a small bunion that is very painful.

Although bad footwear does not cause bunions, it can certainly make the problem worse, and for this reason it is important to wear shoes that have been specially designed to deal with the problem.

All of our shoes are designed to accommodate feet that have developed bunions. In our range you will find very deep shoes, which are important if one toe has crossed over another and a standard shoe cannot provide enough room. They also all come with soft uppers to reduce the pressure and amount of rubbing on the bunion which can often make it worse.

Women are usually more prone to developing bunions. Although one reason is that they generally have looser ligaments, another is down to the restrictive footwear that they wear with greater frequency. Shoes such as high heels are not proven to be the cause, but they can cause problems to become worse a lot quicker.

Tight footwear is also bad for feet that have developed bunions. Slip-on shoes provide less room for the toes to move, and the toes will slide to the end more easily and be put under greater pressure, which is not what you want to be experiencing if you have bunions.

Swollen feet occur when excess fluids build up in the tissues of the body, and then work their way down to the lower legs and feet under gravity.

There are a number of factors which can lead to swollen feet. Slight swelling can be a reaction to the time of day or year, as it is a more common condition both in the evenings and in the summer. It could also occur as a result of standing or walking for long periods of time, or even following an accident.

There are a number of treatments for swollen feet that can help the swelling to go down. These include:

• Wearing support socks . These come in a range of different types and can help to reduce the swelling.
• Eating less salt . Salt contributes to fluid retention, so it's best to try to avoid too much of this.
• Drinking lots of water .
• Exercising . This helps to improve circulation, as the movement of the calf muscles encourages blood to return to the heart and minimises the retention of the water in the feet.
• Not standing or sitting still for too long .
• Lying on your back with your feet raised above you . This helps to reverse the effect of gravity on the fluid. This should be done a few times a day for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Another important factor to be taken into account is wearing appropriate footwear. It can often be difficult to find shoes that are able to accommodate swollen feet, but our extra-wide shoes manage to do this, as well as being comfortable for your feet and stylish at the same time. All of our shoes are fully adjustable to maximise comfort and reduce the skin damage that is a common result of swollen feet.

If you have swollen feet, you will need shoes that have good support, a smooth lining and fit your feet well. Slip-on shoes are a bad idea, as these reduce movement in the ankle and calf, which will have a direct result on the amount of blood flow to the heart, thereby increasing water retention in the lower legs.

Our shoes also come with supportive uppers, a heel with a broad base, extra depth and width to accommodate you feet and straps to exert an even pressure across the feet. We also recommend that you have at least two pairs of shoes in order to accommodate changes that occur to your feet during the day.