Footwear for senior citizens and baby boomers should support our arches. For many of us, our feet become wider and flatter with age, making support for the arch of the foot more important.

We should realize we are candidates for corrective insoles if we wake up with pain in the arches of our feet, or in our heels. It may seem strange to have foot pain after six to eight hours of bed rest, rather than during or after activities, but this is how the prolonged effect takes place. Another symptom is if you find that your heels are rolling inward.

The specific part of the foot that is protesting is known as the plantar fascia, which in layman's terms is the padding of fibrous tissue. If we don't support our arches within our footwear, the plantar fascia becomes stretched and irritated and spurs may develop.

For just one example, the basketball star Larry Bird was forced to retire in his prime years, during the early 1990s, because he developed painful bone spurs on his feet, and Larry Bird was only in his mid 30s when he made his swan song on the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team. We are never too young to look out for our feet.

Because we ask our feet to do so much work for us, we need to make sure that as much of the foot as possible shares the brunt of the impact for each step we take. Those of us with high arches require insoles that apply pressure and support up into those arches, or otherwise we are requiring the heel and the sides of the arches to do extra work. Those of us with flat feet need insoles that create a sort of artificial arch. The arches often are supported by lifting the heels slightly higher.

Our feet won't just feel better. So will our knees and our lower back areas. Our mental outlooks also will remain strong, because we'll be able to spend more time on our feet.

SOURCES
http://www.walkfit.com/arch-pain/
http://www.doctorfoot.com/index.html
http://www.footsmart.com/healthcondition.aspx?ailmentId=64

Shoes have been an important part of human life since the beginning of fashion. They have allowed humans to travel over various terrains and adapt to life in a number of climates. However, shoes wouldn't be what we know them as today if it weren't for the shoe accessories that developed along with our foot fashion. Some of the most commonly used shoe accessories today include shoe horns, shoe trees, shoelaces and shoe inserts.

History of Shoe Accessories:

Shoe Horns
Shoe horns evolved along with leather and hide shoe designs. Their purpose was to help a person get their shoes on more easily. They were traditionally made from wood, however, wealthy shoe owners had theirs made from bone, ivory, silver and shell. Today, shoe horns are still commonly made of wood; however, they are also made from plastic, glass and stainless steel.

Shoe Tree
The shoe tree was a remarkable invention. This device, traditionally made from cedar, was designed to fit into shoes when they were not occupied by feet. The shoe tree helped the leather to keep its shape, and the cedar of the shoe tree absorbed both foot odor and moisture left in the shoe. Today, you can still find cedar shoe trees; however, plastic shoe trees are more common.

Shoelaces
Perhaps the oldest shoe accessory in the world is the shoelace. Shoelaces can be traced back to 3,000 B.C. Their purpose is to secure footwear to the person's foot. However, while used in primitive shoes, shoelaces were replaced during subsequent shoe design eras with buckles, buttons, zippers and other closing devices. They didn't really emerge as the leader of shoe closures until the 20th century.

Shoe Inserts
One of the latest shoe accessories to hit the shoe market is the shoe insert. Shoe inserts are designed to make the shoe more comfortable to wear. Common shoe inserts include cushions, orthopedic supports and lifts. Basic shoe inserts can be bought at department and shoe stores, however, orthopedic shoe inserts usually have to be prescribed by podiatrists.