I’ve noticed two odd things about my feet lately: They’ve grown a shoe size, and walking barefoot hurts on flat surfaces such as my kitchen floor. Last year, I wrote a column about weird signs that you’re getting older, including shifting teeth and changes in your voice.
I’ve spotted plenty more since then — like the foot changes. So I called Sabrina Minhas, assistant clinical professor at the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, and asked her if both experiences were common. “Absolutely,” she said. Dr.
Minhas explained that as we age, the ligaments, tendons and muscles that support the arches in our feet can weaken, causing the arch to gradually descend. As a result, our feet can become longer and wider, which may require a larger shoe size.
Gaining weight later in life or becoming pregnant can also cause arches to lower, Dr. Minhas said. “I tell patients, ‘Don’t get too attached to the shoe you wore when you were 15 years younger,’” she added.
As for the pain of walking on flat surfaces, she said, with age, the fat pads under your heel and the ball of your foot tend to diminish and are less effective at cushioning the bones. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
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