- Oxford
- Blucher
- High-Heel
- Boots
- Flats
- Mules
- Clogs
- Runner’s
- Walker’s
- Bar Shoes
There are as many types of shoes as there are activities they were designed for, from the bowling shoes to climbing shoes. Some shoe makers promote the advantages of their shoes above others. But honestly I just love good looking shoes that feel comfortable. The closer I can migrate toward a happy medium between those two attributes the closer that shoe gets to favorite status!
Here are a few manufacturers I personally recommend for everyday wear (But even they are guilty dispensing poor shoes from time to time):
- Ecco
- New Balance, Brooks, Asics
- Clarks
- San Antonio Shoes (SAS)
- Merrel
- Born (non-removable in-soles)
- Sofft (non-removable in-soles)
- Rockport
- Colombia
- Easy Sprit
The above shoes have a stiffer sole and great padding to help support a happy and healthy gait cycle. You should not be able to crush or roll your shoes. If you must wear a higher heeled shoe (I don’t recommend them, but sometimes there’s no other option). I prefer a light weight heel without a pointed toe. Great high heels are Marc Jacobs, Vintage Crown, Stuart Weitzman and Tsubo. Sometimes you have to add padding and modify the shoes just to make them wearable!
There was a time in the past when everyone was personally fitted and measured using a Brannock device or Ritz stick. Now many customers buy their shoes online leaving them to guesttimate their shoe size. Many an ailment is caused by an ill-fitted shoe. If you are sick of getting blisters and corns you may be a victim of a “bad shoe.”
Don’t feel bad about donating lightly worn shoes to a charity! Your feet will thank you and so will the needy. The shoe that made you cry may work wonders for someone else. Our Podiatry Clinics currently carry a Ritz Stick or Brannock device if you would like an accurate length and width of you and your families’ feet. Our clinics measure, fit, and modify shoes daily. Find us at www.michiganpodiatry.com and bring your foot and shoe problem.
“I’ll see how I feel 3 miles later.” Runner’s Foot
Run carefully and safely. See a doctor before starting any exercise routine. These are my professional opinions as a Podiatric physician and a runner.
You’re getting great distance and making great time when suddenly there’s this nagging pain in your foot. Most runner’s would respond with (and be honest) ‘I’ll see how I feel 3 miles later’…
This tendency leads them to get overuse injuries…runner’s just aren’t built to slow down. Overuse injuries are exactly what they sound like! Literally repeated micro-trauma to the lower extremity. Keep in mind when humans run the impact of the body weight on the hip, knee, leg, and feet is many times the impact when just taking a stroll.
I like to categorize runner’s injuries into two groups. Group I injuries are the type you can work with and run through…Or one can call them ‘warning shots.’
Group I/Warning Shots are typically aches and pains that literally get better as soon as the athlete stops her/his activity. It’s your body demanding you make some adjustments before the runner breaks something. Most common complaint in the foot is arch pain. Why?? Because few people have rigid feet and fewer runners to boot (no pun intended). Most of us must pronate ( pronation – arch acts as sort of a spring to absorb impact). A good running shoe can help by supporting the foot (less bounce via transfer of impact to the shoe).
Sometimes runner’s needs a great deal of support, for example, a specialized shoe insert to help support and further absorb the shock of your body weight on your feet. These are called orthotics. Soft or hard orthotic? For runner’s with a flexible foot a more semi-rigid orthotic is more suitable. A more rigid foot type is more complicated and professional care is often warranted.
Occasionally we select the shoe that’s not the best one for our feet. Shoe selection and fit is very important. Guidance toward the best shoe for you is as simple as knowing your foot type and getting fitted in your local running shoe or podiatrist.
Group II/ Flesh Wounds are when the runner pushes thru the pain and tears tissue. We are talking plantar fasciitis, iliotibial bands syndrome and tendinitus. It hurts but one usually can run thru the pain. A rest would be good…optimization of the runner’s biomechanics to avoid injury is better. Group II injuries are insidious…they will come back. This leads to Group III.
Group III/Head Shots are when the runner injures herself so badly she has to sit out. Stress fractures are often the culprit. Stress fracture are broken bones…period. Tendon ruture/tear are also commom. These injuries take between 4-12 weeks to heal and the runner is out of the game, until it heals…
Moral of the story is that a little bit knowledge empowers us to run on, pain free. www.Michiganpodiatry.com
Dr. Latasha Walters
Dr. Neal Mozen
Dr. Thomas Belken
Dr. Bryan West
Dr. Laal Zada