They say beauty is pain. However, squeezing into those perfect pair of shoes that don’t quite fit right is potentially a lot more damaging than you might expect.

According to Healthline, finding the right pair of shoes for your feet is an important way of maintaining your overall health and well-being. Wearing shoes that are too small can lead to problems such as deformed toes, blisters, flat feet, and bring on foot conditions including bunions. By wearing tight-fitted shoes on a regular basis, you can also risk developing long-term cartilage loss in the joints of your feet, as well as heel pain in the foot known as Metatarsalgia. 

Another condition brought on by wearing ill-fitting shoes is hammer toe, which usually occurs when the toes begin to curl rather than laying flat (via Orthoinfo). As well as causing significant pain, hammer toe can also weaken the muscles attached to the foot. 

Wearing small shoes can lead to serious conditions

According to Very Well Health, common signs that you could be wearing the wrong sized shoes include bruising of the toenails, loss of the toenails, calluses, and skin irritations on your feet. In more serious cases, regularly wearing shoes that are too small can lead to a painful and oftentimes irreversible condition called peripheral neuropathy. Symptoms of this can include pins and needles in the feet, and according to a 2017 study, peripheral neuropathy was linked to adults who weren’t wearing the correct sized shoes. 

If you experience any of these more serious symptoms, it could be worth paying a visit to your doctor. 

Per Healthline, there are some simple and effective ways of ensuring you purchase the right shoes for your feet. These include taking your time when shopping for shoes, speaking with experienced salespeople who can properly measure your feet, and discovering brands that work best for the well-being of your feet. If you’re suffering with an ongoing foot problem (including bunions, for instance) it could be worth paying a visit to a speciality shoe store. 

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