Your heel swings from side to side as your foot moves. When the heel swings correctly, your foot can flatten and regain its arch as you walk. But if your heel swings too much, your foot may flatten more than it should. Over time, such excess movement may cause foot problems   During midstance, your heel is below the anklebone, and the front and back of your foot are aligned. Your foot easily bears your weight.   When the heel hits the ground, its outer edge touches first. Soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) relax. Your foot is able to flatten, adapt to uneven surfaces, and absorb the shock of touchdown.   As the heel lifts, it swings slightly to the inside. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments tighten. Your foot regains its arch, allowing your toes to push your weight off the ground.

From this site:   http://www.footcaredirect.com/walking.html

THE RIGHT FIT

• Only you can tell if shoes fit. If they aren’t comfortable, don’t buy them!
• Don’t plan on shoes stretching with wear. If you already own shoes that are too tight, ask your shoe repair shop if they can be stretched.
• Because feet spread with age, have your feet measured every time you buy shoes. Both feet should be measured as they are often different sizes. Always buy shoes for the BIGGEST foot.
• Go shoe shopping late in the afternoon. Feet swell to their largest then.
• Size depends on shoe make and style, too. Don’t insist you always wear one size if the next feels better.
• The toe box should be roomy enough so you can wiggle all your toes.
• Your forefoot should NOT be wider than your shoe.
• The heel should fit snugly and the instep should not gape open.

From this site:  http://www.footcaredirect.com/shoes.html

SHOE CONSTRUCTION

• Leather is best because is breathes like skin and molds to your foot. But cheaper canvas is fine for fast-growing children.
• Soles should be strong and flexible with a good gripping surface.
• Insoles should be cushioned to absorb the jolts of walking on hard surfaces.
• Arch supports distribute weight over a wider area. Rigid shanks also give added support.
• High heels are fun and look good, but they should not be worn too long at a stretch or for much walking. Besides cramping the toes, they change body posture, making backaches more likely.

From this site:  http://www.footcaredirect.com/shoes.html

As we age, the one part of the body where we lose fat is the bottom of the foot. Normally the “fat pad” underneath the metatarsal bones cushion the foot. Once this padding is lost a person is then literally walking on the heads of the bones. Doing a lot of walking either barefoot or in shoes with flimsy soles creates a lot of pressure on the metatarsal heads and they begin to hurt thus causing metatarsalgia. A persons foot structure and amount of body weight that they are carrying can also contribute to the problem, as well as occupations that require a lot of standing or walking.

From this site:  http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/metatarsalgia.html

The most common causes of Achilles tendonitis are poor training techniques particularly by older athletes. Inadequate warm-up, a rapid increase in mileage, or rapid increase in intensity of other sports will put excessive tension on the tendon. For runners the type of surface used for running can have a negative impact on the Achilles tendon. Concrete surfaces do not allow for any shock absorption on impact and thus the shock of the foot hitting the ground results in damage to the posterior musculature including the Achilles tendon. Running on uneven surfaces such as sand or a “banked” road results in more expenditure of energy by the lower leg muscles making the Achilles tendon more prone to injury. Running uphill applies more strain to the Achilles tendon increasing the possibility of injury.

From this site:  http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/achilles_tendonitis.html

Achilles tendonitis can occur in one of three places, either the uppermost portion of the tendon where it originates from the gastrocnemius muscle, or the portion of tendon just behind the ankle and lastly at the attachment of the tendon into the heel bone.From this site:  http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/achilles_tendonitis.html

A bone spur is an overgrowth of bone most commonly seen at a joint (the place where two bones come together and allow for movement). Generally abnormal motion at the level of the joint over the course of time will cause the spur to form. You can also have spurring of bone as a result of excessive tension on a bone from a tendon where it attaches into the bone.From this site:  http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/bone_spur.html

Turf toe is a common athletic injury. It is seen at all levels of competition, even among professional athletes. Even though it is not considered a serious injury it can be very debilitating and take a long time to heal.

Basically in turf toe the great toe is hyperextended (the big toe is excessively bent upwards) thus over stretching the tendon underneath the big toe usually at the level of first metatarsal-phalangeal joint (the joint where the big toe bends). In addition the capsular ligament (a ligament which wraps around a joint to maintain joint integrity) is also over stretched and it too becomes painful.

From this site:  http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/

If you consider that each stride an adult takes places 900 lbs. per square inch of pressure on the bottom of the feet it is almost a certain fact that everyone at some time in their life will suffer from some type of foot pain symptoms. Be it something simple like athletes foot, or an ingrown toenail to more complicated problems like a bone spur, hammertoe, bunion, or pinched nerve; from pain on the top of the foot, bottom of foot, side of foot, moving all the way up to chronic foot problems like diabetes or poor circulation.

From this site:  http://www.foot-pain-explained.com/

Calcaneal apophysitis (Sever’s disease) Calcaneal apophysitis occurs more often in boys than girls and most often between the ages of about 8 - 12 years old. The pain may occur either at the posterior or plantar portion of the calcaneus. While classically described as being located on the back of the heel, it probably occurs clinically plantarly 40% of the time. Xray examination often reveals an apparent fragmentation of the growth plate. Growth is not impaired by this condition. Treatment is similar to that for plantar fasciitis. Decrease activity. Initially a heel lift is used, which often fails to relieve the pain. Custom orthoses and gentle calf stretching is usually quite effective in treating this condition and allowing a reasonably rapid return to sports.

From this site: http://www.drpribut.com/sports/heelhtm.htm