Four Comfortable Sandals for Summer 2015 - Podiatrist Recommended.

Four Comfortable Sandals For Summer 2015

Podiatrist Recommended

Wolky Jewel

Wolky Ruby

Wolky Lily

Aravon Katy

These are four great choices for a comfortable sandal. Each of these sandals meet the four criteria that a shoe must have to be comfortable: 

1. A thick, rigid and non-flexible sole, which is protective of the foot joints and any areas of injury, pain or previous surgery. Less motion means less pain, inflammation and swelling - especially through any problematic or painful areas of the foot. 

2. A wide toebox, which decreases pressure on the toes and helps to prevent the formation of bunions, hammertoes, corns and Tailor's bunions. Each of these sandals have adjustable strapping, which help to accommodate swelling.  

3. Rearfoot control, which helps to decrease mechanical strain of tendons, joints and muscles. If a shoe does not have rearfoot strapping, then you are forcing your tendons, joints and ligaments to work harder to stay in the shoe. Rearfoot strapping also helps decrease mechanical strain on the knees, hips and lower back as well as prevent injuries and risk of falling.  

4. Arch support. Each of these sandals has decent arch support. If you have severe flat-feet, it is possible to remove the insole on the Wolky Jewel and Ruby and replace it with your custom-molded orthotic. Although it has been my experience that sandals work better with the insert that comes with the shoe, so take your orthotics with you when shopping for these sandals to see if it works for you. 

These four sandals are recommended for patients with:

*Mild to Moderate Bunions

*Mild to Moderate Hammertoes

*Corns & Calluses

*Mild to Moderate Tailor's Bunions

*Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion at the 1st toe joint)

*Hallux Rigidus (no range of motion at the 1st toe joint)

*Capsulitis

*Plantar Plate Injuries

*Metatarsalgia

*Morton's Neuromas

*Previous Jone's Fractures or Lisfranc's Injuries (check with your podiatrist)

*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis

*Mild Tendonitis

*Plantar Fibromas 

*Mild to Moderate Hypermobility / Ligament Laxity

*Previous Metatarsal Stress Fractures (check with your podiatrist)

*Sesamoiditis

*Ingrown toenails

These sandals are not recommended for patient with:

*Charcot Foot

*History of Foot Ulcerations

*Diabetes

*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage)

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation) 

If you have any questions about if these sandals are appropriate for you, please check with your podiatrist. I encourage patients to bring in one bag of shoes on our appointments so that I can physically check the shoe and have a discussion about whether or not the shoe is appropriate for their particular foot type and issue. 

For more information, please use the search box to look up these two articles:

"My feet hurt: top ten things to do to alleviate foot pain today."

and

"Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from Lisfranc's injuries." 

Have a wonderful day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)