If there were a way to avoid foot pain during runs, walks, hikes or a long day on your feet, you’d probably want to know it, right?
It’s supremely frustrating to go out for a run or walk just to notice tightness or soreness in your feet.
And while there are any number of reasons why you may feel pain when you’re on your feet, one common, yet avoidable, culprit is too-small shoes.
Even if you’re in a pair of sneakers that are your regular size, they may not actually be the right size for your runs or walks.
“It’s very true that running and prolonged time on your feet, whether that’s walking or standing or running, can cause swelling in your feet,” said Dr. Jeffrey Fleming, a sports medicine physician at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the associate medical director of the Pittsburgh Marathon.
“It’s very normal. It happens to lots of people, regardless of their age or activity level,” Fleming added. Gravity pulls fluid to your lower extremities, which contributes to the swelling in your feet, he explained.
How much someone’s foot swells varies from person to person. You’ll know best how much (and if) your feet swell when you’re on your feet for a long time.
If you commonly deal with swollen feet, you’ll want to keep a few things in mind when buying sneakers. Here’s what to know:
If you are prone to swelling, you’ll want to size up in your sneakers.
“If you’re somebody that is more prone to swelling, you could consider getting a slightly larger shoe. We usually recommend getting a half-size larger to begin and going from there,” Fleming said.
You could also try a shoe in a larger width, said Liz Pagonis, the chief marketing officer of Philadelphia Runner, a running store.
Pagonis said in her experience, many folks do need to size up.
“You want to have about a half to full finger [of space] if you’re resting your thumb horizontally in front of your toes, just a little bit of a buffer between your feet and shoe, so you’re not rubbing,” Pagonis said.
If you notice tightness when trying on a sneaker, that is a sign in itself that you should size up, she noted.
If you can’t buy a new pair of sneakers right now, you can just lace up your sneakers a little looser than usual, Fleming added.
“But if you’re somebody that doesn’t get a ton of swelling, and you haven’t noticed this before, I think it’s very OK to just get your normal, true-to-fit shoe size, and you can always change if you do develop swelling in the future,” Fleming noted.
Tom Werner via Getty Images
You may notice foot swelling more in certain situations and seasons.
Foot swelling can happen whether you’re running, walking or just on your feet all day at work, Pagonis said, but it’s especially common when it’s hot and humid.
“I’m sure people have seen their hands swell [when it’s hot], so [foot swelling] kind of happens faster in the summer,” Pagonis said.
You’re also more likely to have swollen feet if you’re on your feet for really long periods of time, like long days at work, lengthy hikes or while running marathons or half marathons, she noted.
You likely know if you’re prone to foot swelling, but here are a few clues if not.
Those who deal with foot swelling probably know it, but if you’re unsure, try to pay attention to how your feet feel in your shoes. If you notice tightness after a long walk or run, that’s a sign that you’re prone to swelling, said Fleming.
“The other thing is sometimes you can visibly tell that your feet are a little bit more swollen, especially around the ankles, like right where the foot and ankle meet, kind of the top border of the foot is a common place to get post-running swelling,” Fleming said.
You can often see the swelling there or feel that it’s more swollen than normal, he noted.
After a run or walk, you can also take your shoe off and “press with two of your fingers on the inside bone of your ankle, where you see a little bump there — that’s a common place to see the swelling,” Fleming added.
“And if you feel some extra squishiness, that could be a sign that you have some very slight swelling of your ankle, that’s usually just the easiest place to check,” said Fleming.
Too-small sneakers can lead to health issues.
When your shoes are too tight, it can cause real problems beyond discomfort.
First, “it can cut off circulation,” said Pagonis. It can also lead to bunions, she added.
“And, when you’re restricting the movement of your feet, it can cause other injuries throughout the rest of your body because you’re not propelling yourself forward naturally. [You’re] overcompensating, it’s affecting your gait,” Pagonis said.
It can also lead to chafing and some of the common issues you hear about in runners, such as ripped toenails and blisters, she added.
If you wear a shoe that accounts for the swelling, though, this won’t be a problem.
“Most of the time, swelling of your feet after running is fairly harmless, so I wouldn’t let it cause you too much worry,” Fleming said.
“The only time where you want to consider looking into it further or seeking more medical attention is if the swelling persists for more than a few hours after you’re running, or if the swelling just continues to increase after you’re done running, or if you get any changes in color to the skin,” he added.
Additionally, if you have underlying conditions or a medical history that raises concerns about the swelling, Fleming said, you should also consult your doctor. “But, the vast majority of these cases, they’re fairly benign,” he said.
To make sure you’re prepared for any foot swelling that may happen during your walk or run, consider getting properly fitted for running or walking shoes at your local running store. Or, you can talk to a sports medicine doctor about what you should look for in a sneaker.