Think You Know Your Feet? Myth vs. Fact

Whether it’s walk­ing bare­foot at home or hang­ing onto that favorite pair of sneak­ers just a lit­tle too long, there are a lot of com­mon habits that might not be the best for your feet. Quin­cy Med­ical Group Podi­a­trist Aman­da Hol­comb, DPM, is here to set the record straight by bust­ing some of the biggest myths about foot care — and shar­ing sim­ple tips to keep your feet hap­py and healthy.

Myth #1: Foot pain is just part of get­ting older. 

Fact: Foot pain is not nor­mal, no mat­ter your age. While some age-relat­ed changes can con­tribute to foot pain, it’s not an inevitable con­se­quence of get­ting old­er and per­sis­tent pain can often sig­nal an under­ly­ing issue such as injuries, overuse, and under­ly­ing con­di­tions. 

Myth #2: If your shoes still look fine, you don’t need to replace them. 

Fact: Looks can be deceiv­ing! Over time, shoes can lose their struc­tur­al sup­port, even if they don’t show vis­i­ble wear. For opti­mal foot health, it’s rec­om­mend­ed to replace your shoes every 8 – 15 months depend­ing on your activ­i­ty lev­el. 
 
Myth #3: Going bare­foot at home is bet­ter for your feet. 
Fact: While it might feel good, walk­ing bare­foot – even at home increas­es your risk of injuries and the devel­op­ment of foot/​ankle issues due to the lack of pro­tec­tion and shock absorp­tion that is pro­vid­ed by footwear. 
 
Myth #4: Only ath­letes get athlete’s foot. 
Fact: Despite the name, any­one can get athlete’s foot. It’s a con­ta­gious fun­gal infec­tion that thrives in warm, damp envi­ron­ments — like lock­er rooms or shared show­ers. Always wear san­dals in those areas and keep your feet dry. 
 
Myth #5: All socks are cre­at­ed equal. 
Fact: The right socks can make a big dif­fer­ence for foot health. Cot­ton socks can trap mois­ture, lead­ing to blis­ters or increase the risk of fun­gal infec­tions. Look for mois­ture-wick­ing mate­ri­als, espe­cial­ly if you’re active or prone to sweaty feet. Seam­less socks are great for peo­ple with dia­betes or sen­si­tive skin. 
 
Myth #6: There’s noth­ing a doc­tor can do for a bro­ken toe — just tape it and wait. 
Fact: While some minor toe frac­tures may heal with rest and bud­dy tap­ing, not all breaks are the same. A podi­a­trist can check align­ment, rule out joint involve­ment, and make sure the bone is heal­ing properly. 

To learn more about our Podi­a­try ser­vices and team, click here, or call 217−222−6550, ext. 3024.