Now at early 70s, and feeling indestructible for way too long for my own good... I now have ankles, knees, hips going bad... To the point where for long distances, like at the exposition, (fair) I use a cane to walk.. In rough ground or long grass and the like I often get tangled and fall..

Feet are surprisingly OK as I have been told I still have a bounding pulse in both.. However I do have to be more watchful of drying and cracking.. This getting worse in later years..

 

#1 Buy the best shoes I can afford.
#2 Wear compression socks.
#3 Regular professional foot care. Licensed Cosmetologist and RN, that means I can do it myself.

If you have no health issues such as toenail/foot fungus a pedicure (M or F) will set you back about $15/month at Cosmetology school and if you have issues that prevent that, most insurance will cover a pedicure/treatment by a podiatrist for a regular co-pay.

 

I discovered compression socks 2 years ago, and that was the greatest.

 

Dino,

No less of hygiene / preventive maintenance goes to pods than other areas of bod.

My needed extra socks and antifungal footpowder are used as frequently as opportunties allow.

Besides going out into thr sticks, I'm also spending some time on the Bay's shoreline and sometimes on thr boat near ashore. This can mean rubber boots worn and here, too, opportunities are looked for so pods can "breathe".

In the woods, when performing maintenance on pods, I endure boots get direct sunlight and any breezy air. My typical routine is to sleep / nap a couple of times during daylight and "at the ready" by dusk. I am wearing boots for the hours of darkness.

 

I would also serious consider a good set of arch supports especially if you have flat feet. I do not mean the kind you buy and CVS or Walgreens. Go to a professional for fitting. There is reason that our top tier military units and professional sports teams do this for their members.

Feet and teeth are the two areas where one should never compromise. Only the best, which does not always equate to most expensive.

 

Oh no, I have had a pair since I finished puberty. I have a pair of carbon fiber 3/4 that I wear.
There is a school of thought that hard orthotics are bad, since they do not allow for natural shock absorbtion, but my diagnosis makes them a core thing.

 

My opinion will likely be attacked due to the overwhelming marketing that has programmed people.
I recommend you try a pair of zero drop, minimalist shoes.
The Army did a number on my feet and I've been through PT, thousands of dollars in orthotics, and trying all the best shoes.
I switched to zero drop shoes 2 years ago and for the first time since I ETS'd in 2006, my feet started feeling better.
Unlike what most of the marketing says, lots of padding and support prevent your foot from strengthening. I realize there are exceptions to everything, but I think its worth a try.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

I think there is a lot to that. I got some of the merrell whatever flat feet things, not the ones with the toes as those seem dumb and ugly (and I still want to look cool to girls).

I wear Chaco's from March to november. My podiatrist said it was okay.

I get where you are coming from though.

 

Another vote for compression socks. I can be on my feet for 12 hours a day. The socks help a lot. I bought a 7 pack for about $20 from ,Amazon and they worked so well I bought another couple packages.

I have very wide feet so I wear a Men's 10 W in Sketchers. Those are good for me and something I can afford.