We often ignore our feet until the moment we feel pain. We stuff them into ill-fitting shoes and never consider stretching them -- even though each step we take places two to three times of our body weight onto our feet, according to the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Over time, this repetitive use can cause a host of foot and alignment problems. Take our self-evaluation to find out other reasons for your foot pain -- and what you can do about it.

Read Your Footprints

Put your feet into a bucket of water, then step on a piece of dark paper so that you leave "footprints." You want the paper to be dark enough for you to see the outline of your foot. (Abrown paper grocery bag will work.) You can also try this the next time you step out of the shower or tub. What do your footprints tell you?

Problem: If your footprint looks like an oblong pancake with toes, you pronate excessively or have flat feet. Overpronation is a common problem that occurs when a person's arch collapses from bearing weight. This can lead to arch strain and pain on the inside of the knee.

Solution: Try molded-leather arch supports, such as Dr. Scholl's, available at the drugstore. When shopping for athletic shoes, ask a sales clerk for styles with "control" features -- soles designed to halt that rolling-in motion. If arch supports or sports shoes don't help, see a foot specialist about custom-molded orthotic shoe inserts.

Problem: If there's little or no connection in your footprint between the front part of the foot and the heel, you underpronate, which means your arch is high and a lot of your weight is landing on the outside edge of your foot. Underpronation makes you more susceptible to ankle sprains and stress fractures.

Solution: Ask for "stability" athletic shoes, which are built with extra cushioning to remedy this problem. Plus, if you are prone to ankle sprains, wear high-top athletic shoes that cover the foot and ankle snugly to minimize damage from twists.