Woman's Doctor: Summer footwear can lead to foot pain in the fall

BALTIMORE —

While the transition from summer to fall brings about colorful leaves and trips to the pumpkin patch, it also brings about foot and ankle pain for many women.

As the seasons change, so does the footwear. The switch can reveal problems created over time by a lack of support.

Dr. Vandan Patel, an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon for Mercy Medical Center, said some patients develop foot and ankle pain in the fall from wearing less supportive shoes like sandals and flip-flops in the summer.

Often, women's shoes can be narrow, pointy and flat — lacking support and squeezing their feet.

"As we transition into fall wear, usually closed-toe shoes sometimes can be constricting. Patients will complain of issues that have developed over the summer from those less supportive shoes su