Appropriate footwear is essential for treating and preventing knee pain. According to the Foot Health Facts website, your footwear should be appropriately sized to help avoid common problems in the foot and legs. Shoes that accommodate the natural anatomy of your feet can help treat and prevent knee pain, along with foot and ankle pain.
Anatomy
The foot and the knee are complex parts of the body whose functions are intimately linked. Problems in the foot are a common cause of knee pain. The human foot--which consists of 26 bones, 33 joints and numerous tendons, muscles and ligaments--forms a stable base of support for the rest of the body. The knee, which helps absorb shock or force between the upper leg and lower leg, is formed by the lower end of the femur or thighbone and the upper portion of the tibia or shinbone. Muscles, tendons and ligaments support the knee on all sides.
Footwear
Most conventional footwear shares similar design features. However, according to Daniel Howell, Ph.D., a professor at Liberty University and author of "The Barefoot Book," the design features of most conventional footwear actually can cause more foot, ankle and knee problems than they are purported to prevent. Common design features in conventional footwear include heel elevation, tapered toe boxes, toe-spring and rigid, inflexible soles.
Injuries
Some conventional footwear can cause both short-term and long-term knee injuries. According to a 2010 study by Najia Shakoor and colleagues published in the journal Arthritis Care and Research, conventional footwear is associated with the development of knee osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease.
Features
According to Dr. Ray McClanahan, a Portland, Oregon-based sports podiatrist, shoes that allow the foot to function like a bare foot inside the shoe are especially helpful for relieving and preventing foot, ankle and knee pain. Shoes that are flat, widest in the toe box--not at the ball of the toe, like most conventional footwear--and flexible or have non-rigid soles are most effective. Vibram FiveFingers, certain types of Crocs and numerous other shoe makes and models fit these criteria.
Benefits
Along with reduced knee pain, wearing shoes that are flat, wide and flexible can have many other benefits. People suffering from other lower extremity musculoskeletal conditions--including Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciosis, bunions, hammertoes, blisters, metatarsalgia, neuromas and sesamoiditis--are also likely to benefit from this kind of footwear. People who have recently had foot surgery and people who spend a significant portion of the day on their feet are also likely to benefit from wearing footwear that is flat, wide and flexible.
