What’s Behind Fall Foot Pain?

At NY Foot Health, we know many podiatrists are hearing complaints about foot pain as we get further into the fall season. There are several potential reasons why foot pain may be more prevalent at this time of the year.

Switching Shoes— in New York state, when the weather gets too chilly for wearing sandals and open-toed shoes, and we switch to more closed styles, it’s natural that your feet might feel slightly constrained at first. If you’ve spent most of the summer in canvas sneakers or flip-flips, leather and other stiffer materials may seem uncomfortable. If the discomfort doesn’t ease within a few days, it’s time to dig further to get to the root of the problem.

Bunion/Hammertoe Progression—toe deformities are progressive conditions. The degree of deformity will get worse over time—sometimes slowly, sometimes more quickly. If your bunion or hammertoe got worse over the summer, it might have been less noticeable with your summer shoes. Still, increased friction and pressure from more confining fall styles may indicate a need for further evaluation and changes in treatment.

Change in Shoe Size—many patients don’t realize that it’s normal for your foot size to increase as you age. It is due to the loss of elasticity in the ligaments of the feet, which allows them to spread a bit. If you’ve gained weight or are pregnant, you may also need to buy bigger shoes.

New Exercise Regimen—changing the fitness activities you do now that fall has arrived may put stress on a different part of your foot. Be sure you are wearing the correct type of shoe for the exercise you are doing, and pay attention to the sites of any previous podiatric injuries.

New Foot Problem—of course, it is also possible that the timing of your foot discomfort with the fall season is purely coincidental and that a new podiatric disorder has developed. It’s always best to seek an evaluation from your podiatrist as soon as you notice foot or ankle pain. If you don’t currently see a podiatrist, we can help you locate one using our online directory.  

To find out more about potential foot and ankle pain sources, contact us and consider subscribing to our free e-newsletter.