Corns are very common and most people have one – sometimes without even realizing! However, they can be painful and affect how you walk, so finding the right footwear is vital. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you find the best shoes for corns.
What Is A Corn?
A corn is a focal area of hard skin caused by pressure or friction over a particular area of the foot or toes. Depending on how you walk, and the shoes you wear you could develop a corn on your toes or the outside of your foot. Women often develop corns on feet during pregnancy as the extra load can cause pronation, where the foot rolls inwards.
You can also get a corn on the soles of feet – this usually happens as people age because they lose the fatty padding on the bottom of their feet so have less cushioning. You can also get calluses on the soles of your feet, they differ to corns by being larger.
How To Find The Best Footwear For Corns
1. Make sure your shoes fit properly. Ill-fitting footwear is the number one reason for corns to develop. If the shoe is too small or narrow (like a court shoe) it will rub against the toes, causing friction which over time will result in a corn. Too loose, the foot will slide inside the shoe which also causes friction where you don’t want it.
What should you look for then? Well, your shoes should allow your toes to be comfortably splayed, and have a fastening so your foot is snug and secure.
At Friendly Shoes, our wide-fit trainers all have a wide and deep toe box for comfortable toe placement (this also means they are comfy trainers for bunions too).
The wide zip (either round the back of the shoe or all the way down the side) also means you can easily place your foot in, and securely do the shoe back up. Two of our styles for men and women (Excursion and Voyage) have laces too so you can adjust the fit to make sure it’s right for you.
The Excursion in Khaki has a discreet back zip that allows you to easily slide your foot in. This colour is for women, available in sizes 3-8.
Here’s our popular Voyage in Navy. The deep side zip opens up just like you can see in the lead image in this article. This colour is available in sizes 7-13.
2. Look for shoes with lycra. Anyone with corns on the tops of their toes needs shoes with lycra inside to prevent rubbing. Their shoes will be stretchy, soft and oh so comfy.
All Friendly Shoes trainers are lined with lycra, with cushioned heel collars and entry portals. The insole is also made from memory foam, meaning it is super soft and moulds to your foot shape. You can tell that we were created by an occupational therapist on a mission to help people keep walking.
The Force is our lightest shoe, with a lycra inner and lined with silky neoprene around the ankle for a frictionless finish. Super lightweight yet cushioned, it can be worn as a supportive in-house slipper or is durable enough for out and about.
Our classic Force in Black – ideal for men and women, in sizes 4-12.
Pick up a lighter colour for the summer months – here’s the Force in Graphite Grey.
If your feet are small enough, choose this metallic white pair from our kids’ range – they go up to a size 5!
3. Go seam free. We know that friction causes corns, so the less seams the better. Friendly Shoes are virtually seam free, reducing the pressure on the foot.
The Excursion is our most supportive shoe, but it’s virtually seam free. It offers a solid and cushioned sole with good ankle stability. The back zip opens the shoe up so you can get your foot in easily.
4. An insole makes all the difference. We’ve already mentioned how cushioned our insoles are. But did you know they’re also removable? So if you have your own orthotic to help your feet feel even better, you can use that in our shoes. Whether that’s a custom ankle foot orthosis or an off the shelf orthotic.
The right footwear can help you manage your corns, and prevent further ones appearing. We’d also recommend you checking in with a podiatrist who can remove corns for you.
Go for maximum comfort with the Voyage – according to one customer, they’re “like walking on clouds!”.
In Summary
If you’ve got a corn then finding suitable shoes is the key to comfort. When it comes to the best shoes for corns, Friendly Shoes has you covered!