It’s happened again, I’ve come back from a walk in the (light) rain and the left shoe of my current pair has just sprung a leak. This seems to be part of an annoying trend over the past several years, where after 2 to 5 months of buying a new pair and wearing them about daily at a primarily office job, the left shoe will develop a leak. The right shoe always emerges unscathed. I’ll always avoid puddles if I can help it, so it seems as though the water just gradually seeps in as I walk. If I can get back home quickly, I try to dry them out, but sometimes they develop a mildewy smell and it’s just never the same again.
I have a few theories, but none really convince me:
- I walk fast, am left leg dominant, and my left foot is ever so slightly larger than the right. Maybe more strain on the left shoe? The sole does end up slightly more worn than the right.
- But the same shoe size still comfortably fits both, so is there even a solution to be found?
- People travel on the right where I live, maybe there’s an asymmetry of the walkways?
- I’m cheaping out and can’t justify buying shoes over $80. In half of the cases, I notice the sole starting to separate from the upper part. But again, why the left in particular and why only these past few years?
- Or I’m meant to wear heavy boots. The only kinds of shoes that have escaped this fate in recent years have been my snow boots and steel-toe boots, which I wear almost daily in the winter.
Would be interested to hear any similar stories or better reasons from those more knowledgeable about shoes and shoe defects than I am.
I get this too but im pretty sure its from sitting and bouncing my leg. Causes my shoe to flex as if im walking but mostly my left shoe since I keep it more under me than my right while sitting.
You should definitely get this checked out by a doctor, like the other people have said. But I would also question my choice of shoes, if I were you. I also used to buy cheap shoes, wear the same pair every day and then have to throw them out every year. Now I buy good quality shoes and i have a couple of pairs. They tend to last very long. I’ve never worked out, if I’m saving money in the long term, but my feet are definitely more comfortable.
The sole does end up slightly more worn than the right.
You should check this out with a doctor, you could be developing leg length discrepancy. It might be very slight right now if you haven’t already noticed any obvious limp but if it’s developing you may be able to catch the source of the issue early on. Could be a hip issue, scoliosis, something else. I don’t want to make you worry about stuff, just something to check out.
I’m going through something similar right now, sort of started years ago with one of my shoes always wearing out before the other. And I always wore a backpack that would rub against the back of my shirts/jackets walking around. Never put two and two together, figured I just had a crappy backpack and crappy shoes but over time this morphed into a slight barely noticeable limp that turned into a more noticeable limp. Eventually that turned into a little bit of hip pain that kept getting worse. When I finally did see a doctor it turned out I developed leg length discrepancy due to osteoarthritis in my hip, apparently this hit me early on in life most people get something like that in their 60s-70s so I’m 20 years early. Going to get hip replacement surgery soon and get it fixed.
Hopefully you’ve got nothing like that but it’s good to check.
My right shoes wear out slightly faster because I primarily stim with my right foot (especially toes), putting them under a little extra strain most of the time. As a result, the leaks usually hit my toes first. Looking at where on the show the leaks are happening might help track down a cause.
Good question for a podiatrist or a orthopedic doctor. Most likely some sort of abnormal physical structure related to your bones
Is your spine straight?
I think so. But I haven’t had any full-body scans. Hoping this isn’t how I find out about scoliosis haha.
Hi there. My feet are the same size, although I would say the whole left side of my body is slightly, just slightly, larger than the right. I don’t feel any difference between my feet with regards to shoe size.
Having said that, I do get callused soles on my left, and I wear out the shoe soles slightly more as well.
I used to wear cheap shoes when I was younger, but my experience is that they always rub me off on some spot or another in a painful way, or just feel painful when walking or standing for long periods of time. I haven’t had those kinds of problems since switching to expensive shoes. I also noticed the expensive ones are not that much more of an investment since they last longer.
So yeah I’m not saying that’s the solution to everything but good quality shoes definitely helps.
If people travel on the right, then perhaps the uneven wear is a result of splash from people passing on your left. If it consistently comes from the same side that could be your issue
