Soreness can be caused by any of the twenty-six bones, 33 joints, or the more than 100 muscles, ligaments, and tendons in the foot. However, the areas most likely to experience soreness are:
* Toes: Broken toe, bunions, hallux rigidus, turf toe, and hallux limitus
* Ball of foot: Metatarsalgia and Morton's neuroma
* Arch: Flat feet, fallen arches, high arches plantar warts and overpronation
* Heel: Plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, calluses and dry/cracked heels.

Being able to identify your symptoms, the severity of it, and the localized area of pain or discomfort, is critical. If you can identify a pattern, it would be helpful to your practitioner in establishing a possible trend caused by footwear or activities that have, or can be causing or contributing to the problem.

In most cases, sore feet can be eliminated with a little TLC during the times when you are not up and around. Since the most common cause of a sore foot is overuse, if you have no choice but to be on your feet, you may benefit from shoes that offer more support, foot and ankle stability, and protection. 

These are things that should be discussed with your podiatrist before purchasing shoes.

TLC for your feet begins with Alegria shoes for women. Alegria shoes are designed for professional people who spend a lot of time on their feet. Their shoes feature:  

• Slip resistant bottoms,
• Stain resistant uppers,
•  Rocker outsoles which are designed to reduce heel and central metatarsal pressure,
• Flat bottoms to increase stability,
• Velcro closures to ensure a comfortable fit,
• Superior arch support, and
•  Removable cork, memory foam and latex insoles that can be removed to make room for custom orthodics.

The Paloma Collection is Alegria's twist on the classic Mary-Jane style. The Alegria Keli Daisy Chain features a light weight, full foot coverage shoe with a closed back, and slim silhouette. The Keli Daisy's slip-on design with elastic instep and padded tongue provide an extra comfortable fit. The Alegria Ella Black Nappa, is a dressy Mary Jane with a knot detail that hides the adjustable velcro closure. It features an elegant low profile wedge heel with Alegria's patented footbed technology built right in! The Cognac Pesca is a dark caramel brown color and offers gold stitching with a decorative gold button over a velcro closure.  The adjustable Velcro strap makes this a great fitting shoe for all widths. The Nugget Alaskan Outfitter is the only store in Juneau to carry Alegria and we have many other fun, colorful, sassy, yet professional styles to choose from.

In John Vonhof's book "Fixing Your Feet - prevention and treatments for athletes," he lists 175 ways to prevent blisters. His overall advice is - don't count on one method, working every time. Paying attention to how your socks and shoes fit and taking care of your feet (eg. trimming nails) can have a huge impact on your foot health. Here are a few of his prevention tips.

1.  If you are prone to blisters, try taping your feet before hiking or running to eliminate friction points. Learn how to tape toes, heels, and the balls of the feet. Duct tape and Elastikon tape are two good tapes. They can also be used to tape over blisters.

2.  Use Compound Tincture of Benzoin on your feet before applying tape to hot spots or blister-prone areas of your feet.

3.  If you use a lubricant on your feet and still blister, try using a good highly-absorbent powder instead. Likewise, if you use powder and blister, try a top-quality lubricant.

4.  If you will be running or hiking during rainy weather, consider trying a high-tech oversock, like the SealSkinz waterproof socks. This type of sock can help reduce blister problems caused by wet feet.

5.  If you are prone to pressure point problems caused by shoe or boot laces, try one of the lacing options for your specific foot style or one of the new alternatives to regular laces. These new laces can offer greater foot comfort.

6.  Dry and callused feet can be helped by using quality skin care products. These creams or lotions can soften hard skin, eliminate cracks in your skin, and make your skin more resistant to blisters.

7.  Investigate the new socks found in your running and camping stores (i.e. NAO). Many of these socks offer moisture wicking benefits, double layers to reduce friction, or special yarns to reduce heat buildup. The right socks are a major factor in preventing blisters.

8.  If you have problems with dust and grit buildup coming in over the tops of your shoes or boots, try gaiters. A gaiter, store bought or home-made, can eliminate the friction against your feet caused by dust, rocks, and grit in the socks. (We (NAO) carry a variety of Outdoor Research Gators).

9.  If you wear orthotics and experience problems, try one of the inexpensive alternatives to expensive hard orthotics. These alternative insoles can relieve pressure points, reduce blister and foot irritations, and make your feet comfortable again.

In 1962, Superfeet founders Dennis and Chris designed the first pair of Superfeet based on the principles of podiatric medicine. The distinct shape was crafted to work in harmony with the foot in motion. The human foot was designed to adapt to uneven, natural terrain, yet our world has become flatter, harder, and less natural thanks to man-made surfaces, like concrete sidewalks, tile floors, and paved roads. For your foot, it's exhausting. The unique Superfeet insole shape compensates for harder surfaces, and adapts the two-dimensional midsoles built into today's shoes for a better fit.Check out their webpage for information about how your feet can affect your overall health from backaches to bunions, it makes for a very interesting read.

http://www.superfeet.com/en-us/foot-health/

The foot has two main arches. The midfoot arch is the largest and runs lengthwise in the direction of the foot. The forefoot arch is smaller and runs across the foot. Combined with a cushion of fat below the heel, the arches work as the foot's natural shock absorber. When standing, the midfoot and forefoot arches flatten. When the foot lifts from the ground, the arches return to their natural shapes. However, without support, the arches can collapse. If the support is too rigid, the arches are not allowed to move naturally and the muscles of the feet and lower leg will not work properly. As a result, they will weaken. It is therefore crucially important that the foot receives dynamic support. 

The Scandinavian company Archflex began production in 2009, offering insoles with metatarsal padding (forefoot arch support) and support for low, medium and high arches. Archflex insoles are made of soft materials with superior cushioning properties to absorb impact and provide comfort to the foot. The stiff, yet flexible PE layer is molded to fit a low, medium or high arch providing the sole of the foot with a three-dimensional fit that aids with shock absorption. When you visit NAO one of our sales staff can help you measure your arch to make sure you select the correct Archflex insole.