What Happens to Our Feet As We Age

Aging can cause numerous and uncomfortable changes in our body, and our feet are no exception. Some of these can range from minor skin changes to more serious changes that can affect the bones in your feet. The ground may start to feel firmer and less forgiving than it used to, your feet may start to swell, and you may struggle to find comfortable shoes that are wide enough for your feet. Thankfully, not all of these changes are going to affect your ability to move, stay independent, and continue doing the things you love. 

You can help keep your feet healthy by keeping them safe from the bacteria that live inside your shoes. How can you do that? By trying SteriShoe! SteriShoe is a podiatrist-recommended shoe insert that uses UV light to kill 99.9% of bacteria in your shoe that causes foot odor, fungal infections, and more. Try SteriShoe today.

Less Cushioning

The fat pads at the heels and balls of our feet cushion our feet, protect the bones and tissues, and help us absorb shock from the ground, diminish over time. This can make our bones feel more prominent and may even make it feel as if we are walking directly on bone, which leads to aches and pains. As this worsens, you may need to look into specially made shoes that provide extra cushion and support. 

Thinner, Dryer Skin

Like the skin on your face and beck, the skin on your feet will also lose elasticity, changing its texture and making it thinner and more vulnerable. Because of this, it is imperative that you give your feet the defense they need by making sure every pair of shoes you step into are clear of bacteria that love to feed off and live on your feet with SteriShoe. Your skin will also become dryer as the fat pads diminish, meaning that callus can quickly build and crack.

Toenails

Due to hormonal changes, your toenails grow more slowly, which makes them thicker. This makes them a lot more difficult to cut, so having a reliable nail care set, or someone to assist you in cutting them is recommended. Plus, toenails become more susceptible to fungal nail infections, which can give them a yellow/white discoloration and moth-eaten appearance. 

Bent Toes and Bunions

Hammertoes, claw toes, and mallet toes all describe positions where the toes become permanently bent at the joints. This can lead to painful corns and calluses, especially where the toes rub against one another or the shoes. Bunions are also more prevalent with age, as they develop and worsen over many years. This can make it difficult to find those that comfortably fit the width of the forefoot with a bunion. 

Arthritis

Your feet boast more than 30 joints, all of which can degenerate with age. Arthritis more commonly strikes the big toes or the midfoot joints on the top of your foot. Besides pain, you might feel stiffness in the morning that improves once you get moving, then worsens again at night. Shoe inserts, exercise to increase range of motion, and losing weight if you are heavy may help. 

Circulation Slows

Diabetes, vein disease, and other conditions more common with age can slow the blood flow to your feet. This makes cuts from stepping on sharp objects, or blisters from new shoes, slower to heal. When combined with nerve damage, which often goes hand-in-hand with the same health conditions, you may not even notice a worsening infection, resulting in an ulcer that just won’t heal. 

Let Us Help You Stay On Your Feet

While SteriShoe doesn’t offer joint or pain relief, we do offer your feet a comfortable and almost bacteria-free place to stay. Keeping your shoes clean, especially as you age, becomes more important, as bacteria is more likely to compromise your feet because of weakened and thinner skin. Not to mention, if you have diabetes, the last thing you want is for a small cut or open wound on your foot to become infected from dirty shoes. Keep your shoes clean and dry and your feet happy with SteriShoe. Take a look at our products and contact us for more information.