Got this from a kind soul sent via email.
Just to share the effects.
When one comes to painful legs/feet situation, one can always visit the Mani-Pedi salon for quick-fix massages or even the reflexologist for thorough massage to loosen tight muscles.
Recommend that you start caring for your legs/feet now!
Here's a website to visit for shoes with Orthotic-Capability -> http://www.heelntoe.com.sg/index.php
Foot Facts+ Our feet travel an average 115,000km in a lifetime - more than four times the circumference of the globe.
+ People take an average of 10,000 steps every day.
+ The foot is an amazing network of 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, 31 tendons and metres of nerves and blood vessels.
+ A quarter of all the bones in your body are in your feet.
+ The single heel bone has the shock load of 2 - 3 times the full body weight with each step you take.
+ Around 75% of people will have painful foot problems at some point in their life.
+ From the time we are born our feet are constantly changing. They continue to increase in size throughout life, so your feet should be measured for shoes periodically.
+ Women have about four times as many foot problems as men; wearing the wrong shoes - including high heels and pointy toes causes many of the problems.
+ Our feet have approx 250,000 sweat glands, and they produce as much as a cup of moisture each day.
+ The toenail may be from 0.05mm to 1.0mm thick and grows its full length in 6 - 12 months.
+ Bunions are inherited. Countries where people don't traditionally wear shoes have the same % of the population with bunions as countries whose population generally wears shoes.
Fitting shoes
The most important thing of course, is a shoe that fits properly. Here are some helpful tips when choosing your footwear.
Be sure your foot has enough room in the toe box. There should be a thumbnails width (or about a half inch) between your toes and the end of the shoe. The shoe should be wide enough in the toe that your toes can move freely. Your heel should not slip, and the shoe should not pinch or bind, especially across the arch or ball of your foot.
Look for a low, supportive heel that rounds (or bevels) in. A thick heel or one that flairs out (like many running shoes) will cause your foot to slap down rather than roll. This slows down forward momentum and increases the occurrence of sore shins.
Look for a shoe that is light weight and breathable.
Go shoe shopping at the end of the day or after your walk when your feet may be slightly swollen. Also be sure to wear the same socks you will be wearing during your walks. This can make a huge difference in how the shoe fits. Try on both shoes. Your feet may not be the same size (really!).
Do not shop when you are in a hurry. Be sure to walk around the store for a few minutes on a hard surface. If the store has an objection to this, find another store. It is worth the effort to find the right shoe for you and it is worth spending a few extra dollars.
Keep track of how many miles you have put on your shoes, and replace them every 300 to 600 miles. To extend the life of your shoes be sure to only wear them only for your walks. Also rotating two pair of shoes will give them time to breathe and "bounce back" between walks.