Choosing a comfortable dress shoe can be a very difficult undertaking. There are many things to consider when selecting a comfortable dress shoe for both women and men. Familiarity with various brands and an understanding of the shape of your feet will go a long way in determining an ideal and comfortable dress shoe.

There are three foot shapes that a majority of the population has: flat foot, normal foot, and high arch.

Flat feet can be hereditary, or flat feet can develop over years of foot abuse. Shoes that fully support your arch and that have a firm heel counter are recommended for stability and strength. Women with flat feet should consider the Drew Lora. This shoe offers a removable insole that can be replaced with custom orthotic insoles prescribed by a doctor. Men should try the P.W. Minor 5th Avenue.

Those with normal feet can typically wear any comfort dress shoe without any major problems. Keep in mind that you still need to make sure that you have proper arch support and an excellent fit in order for a pair of comfortable dress shoes to be effective. Women should try a nice comfortable dress shoe such as the Easy Spirit Ilene. Men will find a superb comfortable dress shoe when they wear the Mephisto Squall.

Individuals with high arches have a lot of foot pain. Custom orthotic insoles are oftentimes used by individuals with high arches to alleviate pain. Those that have foot pain that is not severe enough to go see a specialist need to make sure they are wearing shoes with the right support and that have a great fit. Aetrex Sarah is a great comfortable dress shoe for women with high arches. The shoes have removable insoles, providing you with the ability to wear custom orthotics without wearing a shoe that screams "I'm orthotic." Men should try the Drew Arlington.

Uncomfortable feet make for an uncomfortable life. Finding a great pair of comfortable dress shoes is very important.

If you hate heel blisters from ill-fitting shoes, and love cute and unique footwear then the perfect weekly comfort item for you is an adorable pair of clogs. Heel blisters and pinched toes don't exist when you slip on a pair of clogs. Even though there are many different companies that make adorable clogs, nothing is quite as wonderful as an adorable pair of Birkenstock Birki's Woodby clogs.

Birki's clogs are unique in that the cork-latex footbed of the shoe form to your foot. Nothing feels better and stays comfortable longer than a pair of shoes that are made especially for you. In addition to being super-comfortable, Birki's clogs are made by a company that cares about the world in which we live in. Birki's are manufactured with only solvent-free adhesives. Birki's also uses solar energy in the manufacturing process and provide the customer with fully recyclable boxes for their Birki's clogs.

Birki's are made by the same company that makes Birkenstock clogs, and you will receive the same comfort from each label. These clogs and sandals are "prescribed" by many podiatrists to treat various ailments in patient's feet. If you are on your feet all day, or have to walk a lot you could be quite surprised to find out just how comfortable Birkenstock clogs really are.

Why are Birki's clogs and Birkenstock clogs so comfortable? As mentioned before, the secret lies in the footbed. Originally, Birkenstock made inserts for shapeless shoes. It was only after they realized that they could transform their footbed inserts into a shoe people would love that they got their big break. Now, millions of people proudly sport their sandals, clogs, and Birki's shoes each and every day.

Another wonderful thing about the Birkenstock family of shoes is that you can have them re-soled. When you wear out the soles of your shoes, simply send them in and get them re-soled for the fraction of the cost of new clogs. While you may initially think you will be tired of the shoes by the time their soles wear out, you will be quite surprised once you get them broken in. You won't want to wear anything else, and you certainly won't want a new pair.

What's a girl to wear with a great pair of Birki's Woodby clogs? Glad you asked. Birki's Woodby clogs look excellent with a pair of boyfriend jeans and an embroidered tunic. In the winter, you can select a nice warm sweater. During hot weather, choose khaki shorts and a tank top. No matter what casual attire you are wearing, Birki's Woodby clogs will add a nice splash of color to your outfit and keep you smiling all day long.

Footwear is the most important clothing item for senior citizens and baby boomers, at least in terms of our comfort and our health. We may focus on a tailer-made suit or custom-fitted gown for a special occasion, or even shop carefully (and with a fashion consciousness) for our work outfits or our leisure apparel. However, footwear is our only clothing item that impacts the earth's surface, unless our slacks or jeans are way too long.

Our blazers, or our shirts and blouses, need not absorb the small but steady jolts of 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day. This why we must treat the feet, first and foremost, starting with a proper fit for our footwear. Three-quarters of senior citizens and baby boomers, at some point in our lives, will encounter foot pain. For those fortunate among us, foot pain will come and go. For others, foot pain is persistent.

The first thing we can do is to make sure our shoes fit, and guess what? Instead of just dispersing this general advice, we're going to give you a few original tips that may not have crossed your mind:

1. Check your shoe size later in the day, because feet can swell as the day goes on.
2. Check the sizes of both feet. Through the years, one may have become larger or wider than the other.
3. Keep in mind that even on a dress shoe, a lace-up style offers more ability to adjust for better comfort and support.
4. Walk on carpet, not just a hard surface, to determine whether your shoes fit properly. Carpeting provides a different experience than a wood or tile floor.
5. Finally, make sure you can wiggle all of your toes up in those new shoes, not just the big ones.

Look at it this way: If a fellow's pants are hitched too high, he looks like a doofus. If a fellow's shoes don't fit right, he walks like a doofus. The difference in the second scenario is that physical pain and health issues come into play. Don't be a shoe-fit doofus!

SOURCES
http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging/2007/7-04-12-PainFree.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/foot-pain/MY00082
http://www.foot-specialist.com/foot-pain.htm

Footwear for senior citizens and baby boomers should provide comfort and fashion, and even fun. But if we want to feel good about our footwear, our feet need to feel good. We sometimes think of senior citizens and baby boomers developing arthritis and rheumatism in fingers and other upper joints, but everything starts with the feet, and that includes the footwear. According to a survey reported by the National Institute on Aging, 87 percent of older adults report at least one foot problem.

Let's tackle these senior/boomer footwear concerns with a positive approach. The fellows still can go for luxurious leather dress shoes if they so desire. The ladies still can purchase that special pair of ballroom dancing shoes. We just have to take care of our feet.

First of all, keep that blood circulating. Put your feet up whenever you can. Not only do you deserve this comfort, but it's good for you. Rub the feet of a partner, then have them rub yours. Make warm foot baths part of your routine. And if we need yet another argument against smoking, it turns out that smoking impairs blood circulation, so yes indeed, smoking can even be harmful to your feet. (So can constantly crossing your legs.)

When fitting for your shoes, don't rely on what may have become your former size. Aging causes the feet of senior citizens and baby boomers to become longer, wider, flatter and thinner. We may become aware of various parts of our bodies that start to sag, but rarely do we consider that our foot arches may sag, too. Therefore, we need our shoes to fit in a comfortable and snug manner that begins with the first time we put them on.

Our feet may be the appendages that are most physically distant from our brains, but often our feet are trying to tell us something. For example, feet that often feel sort of tingly may be warning us to seek a check-up for nerve and circulatory disorders, or possibly even diabetes. When doctors check our hearts and so forth, we should ask that they check our feet as well. Then we should consider treating ourselves to a fantastic pair of new shoes.

SOURCES:
http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging/2007/7-04-12-PainFree.htm
http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/footcare.asp
http://www.apma.org
http://www.aofas.org