When you place the arch support on the wrong part, this should bruise the muscles of that part of your foot. It could also cause blisters as well as calluses. And when the shoes are not the right size, you could trip. Aside from wrongly-placed arch support, here are a few more things that could hurt your feet. Much worse, it can also hurt you. Barefoot We know you like the freedom of walking without your shoes on. And yes, going barefoot can occasionally let your feet breathe and stretch. But do it all the time, and it can be bad. Without the right arch support, your arches will flatten. This should cause flat feet, eventually leading to injury. Flip Flops These may be an ideal feeling of being free while still wearing something to protect your feet. But in actuality, they’re not. Flip flops do not offer your feet any arch support. And in the long run, this isn’t good. No cushion serves as a support to preserve your heel fat pad. In the long run, this would flatten if without support. Also, your heel bone would start to grind into the tissue. This would cause you pain. Exercise… or the Lack of It Gaining weight is one of the worst possibilities that could result in harm to your feet. When you gain an extra amount of weight, this will contribute to the flattened arches. When you get up, these can help you in more ways than one when you get busy. Not only will exercise be good for your overall health. In the long run, it would also be good for your feet. Smoking When you smoke, you block the arteries. This would, in turn, cause bad circulation. Eventually, bad circulation can lead to painful nerve damages. And when this happens, your feet would be the first to feel the effects. When you quit smoking, you would improve your heart health. When this happens, you reduce the risks of lung cancer. What’s more, is that you also improve your circulation. When you have improved circulation, this means you are in good health, from head to foot. The Narrow Shoes We said this before – shoes that are too narrow are a big NO. This could cause injuries. Aside from that, this could also lead to deformations. Some such examples are Morton’s Neuroma and Hammertoe. Bunions are also great possibilities when you have narrow shoes. And let us tell you. These are all painful. We know you don’t want that. Too Wide Shoes This is a much common mistake – people wearing shoes that are too wide. When you think about it, this goes back to our childhoods. Most parents during our time would always get shoes that are too big. They have this idea that you will eventually grow into these shoes, anyway. But hey, you’re no longer a kid. As an adult, the requirement is different. When you are an adult, you have to get shoes that perfectly fit. An ideal fit would be to maintain a quarter of an inch between the tow and the front of your shoes. It should not be too wide. It should never be too tight. One might contend that as long as you are comfortable, this is fine. Well, this is not true. Shoes that are too big can cause a lot of problems. These could include: – An arch support that is on the wrong part of your foot. This should result in the bruising of your muscles. This would also eventually result in an unnatural shape of your foot. – This can also cause blisters as well as calluses. – Shoes that are too big can cause clumsiness. Socks… for Not Wearing Them First of all, you must understand that socks protect your feet from friction. It helps your feet breathe. It helps your feet do that by wicking moisture from sweat. It also keeps your feet dry. Aside from that, socks also protect your feet from debris like rocks. Not wearing them can cause skin abrasions. The latter can expose you to bacteria and fungi, and that’s not a good thing.