Well and Good : Put your best foot forward

ON AN AVERAGE DAY, YOU take 5,000 to 10,000 steps. With every step you take, your feet absorb a force that is one and a half times your body weight.

If you run, jump, or do high-impact activity, the force is several times your body weight. And, even though your feet are engineering marvels designed to bear this load, they are still susceptible to injuries.

Women create their own problems by torturing their feet with shoes that are too small, too narrow, or too high. Pointy shoes and high heels are murder on the feet, not to mention a pain in the lower back. The “sexy” posture (arched back and...