By David Shumann, owner of Red Wing Shoes in Federal Way

Heels hurt? Feet stink? Knee killing you? Get in line, as these symptoms are all too common.

The human foot endures great hardship, and its aches and pains shouldn’t be ignored. Many of us ignore foot/knee/back pain until the problem requires a day or a week off from work. That can be ill advised in this job market.

We need to be able to perform our duties at work and at home, and foot health is very important. There are several types of feet, and each individual’s feet can even be different. Age, mileage, and genealogy compromise our very human trait of walking upright. Let me walk you through a few common issues.

The foot has three arches, not one. Many ligaments, muscles and bones work together (hopefully) to help these arches function. Keeping our balance while we walk, play and work depends largely on our feet and their balance. When that balance is disrupted, a chain reaction occurs and the entire body can be affected. “These boots are killing my feet!” is a common lament, one that could more accurately be described with, “There’s an imbalance that’s catching up with me!”

We want to be able to stand, walk, bend down and carry things without this pain, and tend to associate the problem with our footwear, which is one variable in a very complicated equation. Our weight triples by the time it gets to our foot when we walk. You can imagine what it does when we jump from a loading dock, or run 5 miles.

Supporting the arches is the best place to begin. Podiatrists and experienced shoefitters typically recommend arch supports or orthotics for support, control and comfort. As we age, our body repairs itself more slowly, and more care is required. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “My feet have never hurt like this before!” If we could only see the video (from the foot’s perspective) of the life of this foot! We aren’t 20 anymore, and our feet let us know it. Accumulated mileage, inadequate support, and mere mortality contribute in varying degrees.

Properly fitted shoes are crucial to foot function. Toes want space to spread out, support weight and maintain balance. Tight shoes make it difficult for the ball of your foot and your toes to do their job.

Your friends call you Bigfoot, or you think your feet look big? Get over it, or you’ll pay. Too many people that haven’t had their feet measured in years will balk at the idea of someone sitting down and doing this, merely because they think their feet stink, or because there is a hole in their sock. Some have been misfit for so long that this is the main reason for their problem.

When a foot is bare, walking in grass or sand, it is in its intended state. Put feet in poorly fitted, unsupportive shoes, on hard flat surfaces for extended periods of time, and it’s in misery. Fit attains balance, improves performance, and provides support. This important part of buying footwear is often given short shrift, so paying attention and listening to your feet is an easy way to get “happy feet.” You shouldn’t have to wait for shoes to “break in” too much, and if they aren’t comfortable to start with, they probably won’t get more so with time.

Some families have a history of foot problems, and we can usually look at our parents’ feet to see whose feet we inherited. Watch a parent/child walk together, and check for similar gait and heel strike patterns. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Parents can promote foot health merely by getting kids to pay attention to basic foot issues, and the family foot history.

Growing children oftentimes won’t let you know their feet hurt, and growth hormones make their aches and pains disappear more quickly. So they’ll just assume the pain will subside, as it usually does, and it’s all good. But the problem can build over time, as our body compensates for the imbalances, and as we get older, those imbalances become real, physical breakdown.

I’m not the grim reaper, but you are a mere mortal. “The foot bone’s connected to the ankle bone, ankle bone’s connected to the leg bone, leg bone’s connected to the hip bone…” This must have been a doctor’s way of getting kids to think about their bodies in a fun way, and we all need to give ourselves this same consideration.

Don’t assume your foot will stop hurting, just long enough for your knee to ache, taking your mind off the foot, and so on. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

David Shumann is owner of Red Wing Shoes in Federal Way.