YOUR FOOT PROBLEMS—SOLVED!

The type of shoes you wear can make imperfections in your feet worse. “High-arched feet are prone to tendinitis and hammertoes,” Chauhan explains. “Flat feet [when your arch is flat on the floor] or pronation [when the foot falls inward] can cause knee and hip pain, too.”

FIX IT: Ask your podiatrist to give you a gait analysis—correcting the way you walk and stand can helpknee pain—as well as advice on orthotics. Also, strengthening your feet, by walking barefoot in the grass for a few minutes each day, Harper suggests, can help reduce the need for additional support. Harper also recommends wearing a level shoe, such as those made by Altra, which, because the heel isn’t elevated, allows for a more natural stride when walking.

Corns and callouses are essentially a skin buildup, while a bunion is a bony bump on the side of the big toe, the result of the toes being pressed together. “Nonsupportive or too-tight shoes are the usual culprits,” Chauhan says. “If untreated, these issues can even lead to bursitis, a swelling in the joints.”

FIX IT: “Drugstore solutions may remove only the top layer of skin,” Chauhan says, “so it’s good to see a podiatrist for a real solution.” Also: Wear more supportive, comfier shoes.

It’s just a pinched nerve between toes, but it can knock you off your feet. “It’s almost always caused by toes being cramped together, plus excess pressure from an elevated heel,” Harper says. “As shoes wear out, the metatarsal heads (part of the bones that make up the ball of your foot) fall into a sort of cavity. When toes are squeezed over time, nerves can get pinched.”

FIX IT: Ask your podiatrist about a metatarsal pad, which can be worn in your shoe. Sport a softer, wider shoe until the pain disappears, and then choose a shoe with a larger toe box.