An improperly balanced or aligned tire will wear unevenly. But few people bother to notice the wear on their shoes.

If your shoes don’t fit properly, chances are they’ll wear unevenly, too. However, if all of your shoes wear unevenly, despite changing the fit, it may be in the way you walk.

According to a report in the 2009 Farmer’s Almanac, pedestrians whose shoes wear unevenly generally fit into two categories: supinators and pronators.

People whose shoes wear out along the outer edges are supinators; those whose shoes wear out along the inside edges of the outer soles are pronators.

Supinators generally have a higher arch, and twist their ankles when they walk; pronators have a low arch that collapses when bearing weight, and have a tendency to carry their weight on the inside of the feet. The latter often throw their bodies out of alignment, which results in shin splints and knee and back pain.

Dr. Shannon Grimes, a Tahlequah chiropractor, often see patients whose aches and pains begin with foot problems.

“There can be many factors involved in aching feet,” said Grimes. “Weak arches, joint fixations from old injuries, even problems in the keens and hips can contribute – and vice versa – to foot pain.”

Grimes said the feet are akin to the foundation of a building. If they aren’t working right, they can cause problems from the toes to the head, and most commonly manifest in foot, knee, hip and lower back pain.

He also indicated shoes play a big role in foot health.

“[If shoes are] too tight, too loose, too little or too much arch support, they will likely contribute to aches and pains,” he said. “For example, someone with very flat feet has a higher risk of getting plantar fasciitis as tissues in the bottom of the foot are stretched too much when the foot does not have good arch support. Also common in bad arches is pain in parts of the feet, knees and hips because of the way it slightly changes how bones connect to each other.”

Grimes said the way a person’s shoes wear are a good sign of how the feet are working.

“They should wear evenly in the heel, but often, you will notice that the inside, or more commonly the outside of the heel is getting worn down,” he said. “These are signs of bad foot mechanics that, over time, can lead to joint stresses that can even develop into arthritis as the joints get extra wear and tear from being out of alignment. Think of it kind of like what happens to the tires on our car while the wheels are out of alignment.”

The Farmer’s Almanac gives recommendations for changes in footwear for both types of wear. For those who have high arches, shoes with a high-tech roll barrier in the heel will reduce the foot roll on the outside edge of the shoe; high arch support will compensate for a foot arch that is too high to balance the body’s weight.

For those with low arches, the Almanac recommends shoes with a high-tech roll barrier in the heel to reduce foot roll on the inside edge of the shoe, as well as cushioned support in the mid-foot area to reduce stress on the inside of the feet.

While shoes can be found most anywhere these days, doctors recommend investing in good shoes, and buying them in a store where a professional can check the fit.