Excellent Shoes for Girls & Women with Small Feet!

Excellent Running Shoe 
for Girls and Women with Small Feet!

New Balance 860 V9

This is an excellent shoe that fits a women's size 5 up to size 13, which makes it a good choice for girls who need a supportive shoe as well as for women with unusually small feet. 

What makes this shoe so good is that it meets the 4 criteria of what is required for a shoe to be good enough for your feet:

1. It must have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole for more stability and biomechanical protection. Less motion through foot joints means less inflammation, pain and damage. It also gives the runner a mechanical advantage, which should improve her running speed and decrease the risk of injury. 

2. It must have a wide, soft and square toebox so there is less pressure on the toes, which decreases the progression of bunions and hammertoes.  

3. It must have rearfoot control for more biomechanical control of the ankle and foot, which means less strain of the knees, hips and lower back.  

4. It should be able to accommodate arch support whether it's over-the-counter inserts or custom-molded orthotics. 

This Shoe is Recommended for Patients with:
* Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint)
* Hallux Rigidus (no range of motion of the 1st toe joint because it has been surgically fused or degenerative joint disease)
* Functional Hallux Limitus
* Osteoarthritis 
* Rheumatoid Arthritis
* Metatarsalgia 
* Morton's Neuroma
* Capsulitis
* Tailor's Bunion
* Bunions
* Hammertoes
* Corns and Calluses
* Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)
* Mild Achilles Tendonitis
* Mild Posterior Tibial Tendonitis 
* Mild Peroneal Tendonitis 
* Previous history of Lisfranc's Injuries 
* Mild Ankle Instability 
* Tired Leg Syndrome
* Muscle Weakness
* Parkinson's Disease 
* The Elderly 

Check with your Podiatrist to see if the NB 860 V9 is appropriate for you if you have any of these conditions:  
* Diabetes
* Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)
* Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)
* Severe Ankle Instability 
* History of Foot Ulcerations 

This Shoe is Not Appropriate if you have:
* Charcot Foot


I hope that this was helpful! For more articles, check out:

My feet hurt! Top 10 things to do to alleviate foot pain today. 
http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-feet-hurt-top-ten-things-relieve.html

Shoe recommendations for the patient's recovering from Lisfranc's injuries.
http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/04/podiatrist-shoe-recommendations-for.html


Have a great day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

:)



 

Sports Specific Shoes - Podiatrist Recommended.

Podiatrist Recommended

Sports Specific Shoes

Although this list is not comprehensive, I did my best to give you some excellent options for various sports specific shoe options. 

First, the most important thing to remember is that any shoe that you wear must have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole. The concept is counterintuitive but the idea is that if you have a painful joint then the last thing that you want to do is wear flexible shoes that force motion through joints that can’t handle it. When it comes to the foot, less motion equals less pain, inflammation and joint damage. A sturdy sole with no motion will also stop or slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes, stress fractures, and osteoarthritis. 

Second, it is also important to find shoes with a wide, soft toe box that puts less pressure on toes, which helps to prevent corns, ingrown toenails and even will decrease the risk of developing toenail fungus. 

Third, all shoes that you wear should have rear foot control because shoes without rear foot control force you to scrunch down your toes to stay in the shoe, which promotes hammertoes and mechanical strain on your tendons and ligaments, which can cause tired leg syndrome.

The fourth thing is to wear shoes that will accommodate a custom-molded orthotic or an excellent over-the-counter insert for better arch support, which will help with preventing knee, hip and even lower back pain. 

Running:

Wearing a running shoe with a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole actually will improve your speed and performance. It works off the lever principle, which means that if you wear a rigid sole while running than that will translate into a significant mechanical advantage, improved efficiency, and energy conservation. 

New Balance 1540 V2
(There is also a women's version of the NB 1540)

New Balance 1080 V8

(Men's version also available)

Hoka One One Gaviota

Hoka One One Arahi 2 




Men's Brooks Beast

Walking:

New Balance 928

New Balance 990 V4

Hoka One One Bondi Leather

New Balance 1300 V1

New Balance 1400 V1

Brooks Addiction Walker

New Balance 813

NB 813 is great for older patients with balance issues. It also comes with velcro strapping for added ease of putting on and taking off.

Trail Running:

Hoka One One Speed Goat 2

Hiking:

Hoka One One Tor Ultra Hi

Hoka One One Tor Summit 

Salomon Quest 4D 3 GTX

Soccer:

Tekela Pro Fg

Men's Tennis and Pickleball:

New Balance 806 V2

Beach and Pool Activities:

Keen's Newport H2 

Chaco Z1 or Z2

Men's Golf:

Footjoy Originals

New Balance Golf 1701

Women's Golf:

Footjoy Pro SL/BOA

I hope that this list was helpful! I will try to add to the list as I find more shoes that fit the criteria. For more articles and information, you can refer to:

My feet hurt! Top 10 things to do to alleviate foot pain today. 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-feet-hurt-top-ten-things-relieve.html

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from Lisfranc's injuries. 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/04/podiatrist-shoe-recommendations-for.html

Thank you for reading the blog!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Podiatrist's Secret to Giving Your Child The Competitive Edge in Sports.

Podiatrist's Secret to Giving Your Child 
the Competitive Edge in Sports.

My name is Dr. Cathleen McCarthy and I am a doctor of podiatric medicine and I've been in private practice since October 2, 2000. I treat patients of all ages and I have the privilege of treating many pediatric patients with a wide variety of biomechanical foot types and sports-related injuries. 

You can give your child a major competitive advantage by making smart choices when shopping for athletic shoes. And the good news is you don't have to spend a fortune! All you have to do is know what you are looking for when shopping for athletic shoes. 

To simplify matters, I will be referring to the child as a 'he', but, of course, this method also works for girls.  

What makes a superior athletic shoe? 

The answer is surprisingly counter-intuitive. To give your child a competitive advantage in sports using better shoegear, we have to refer back to the 3rd century when Archimedes mathematically discovered the 'lever principle'. The lever is the most simple and perfect of human-made machines. Archimedes stated, "Give me a place to stand and I shall move the Earth with the lever."

Imagine the sole of the shoe as the rigid board in the above picture. If you put your child in a running shoe with a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole, then when he runs, the sole of the shoe will provide more snap, which translates into:

1. Mechanical Advantage.  With a rigid-soled shoe, when your child runs, he will be placing less mechanical strain through his foot structures such as joints and tendons, which gives him a mechanical advantage. Instead of the child forcing his tendons and muscles to do all the work, the rigid-soled shoe is now doing more of the work, which translates into more...

2. Efficiency! Once the rigid-soled running shoe makes your child a more efficient runner, now he can put the previously lost energy (while wearing a flexible-soled running shoe) into speed and performance. Not to mention a decreased chance of injury! 

3. Energy Conservation. If your child is running in a flexible-soled running shoe, then he is forcing the foot joints, tendons, and muscles to work harder, which means he is now expending more energy trying to stabilize his foot as well as putting more energy into compensating for an underlying foot-issue (such as flat-feet). This will make him slower, more prone to injury and can cause tired-leg syndrome. Running in a flexible-soled running shoe, your child could be wasting 15-20% of his energy in trying to stabilize his foot because he is dealing with an underlying foot issue (injury, flat feet, ect) or an old injury. 

The secret is to get your child into an athletic shoe that has a thick, rigid and non-flexible shoe. If you add arch support (orthotics or a good over-the-counter insert such as Powersteps) then that translates into superior biomechanical control of the foot and now your child can put the previously lost 15-20% of energy into speed and performance and decreased chance of injury.  

Try an experiment: Buy a pair of rigid-soled running shoes and add the Powerstep inserts and then time your child running a certain distance. Now place him into flexible-soled running shoe with no arch support and then time him running the same distance. As I always say, the proof is in the pudding. 

An intriguing study showed that children with flat feet have a higher chance of going to college. Why? When a child has flat feet (pes planus), he has to expend more energy to keep up with the other kids. The child with flat feet often feels slow, clumsy and gets 'tired-legs' that makes running an unpleasant experience. The study shows that children with flat feet tend to drop out of sports in the 6th grade. Kids do not say things like, "Mom, I don't want to play soccer because I'm slower than the other kids and my legs ache." They are more likely to say something like, "I don't want to" or simply refuse to play the sport and will not offer a logical explanation, which leaves the parents confused and frustrated. 

Once kids drop out of sports, they will get more into sedentary pursuits such as computers, the chess club or books, which is fine, but we also want to keep them having fun in sports and staying active. 

So, if your child is trying to drop out of sports when they are in the 6th grade, I recommend that you try placing them in a rigid, non-flexible-soled shoe with the Powerstep inserts. If that is not helping, then take the child to your local podiatrist for a biomechanical foot evaluation. 

Avoid surgery! Your child probably does not need surgery. Your child needs to be wearing excellent shoes with arch support. If the underlying biomechanical foot issue is severe or if they are hypermobile and have something called 'ligament laxity', I place those pediatric patients in a tri-lock brace for additional biomechanical control and support, which significantly enhances their game. I have the pediatric patient run up and down the halls of the office (or around the parking lot!) while wearing rigid-soled running shoes, arch support and a tri-lock brace. I love watching their eyes light up with happiness as they realize that they are now able to run faster! 

Recommendations for Running Shoes:

Brooks Beast
For boys - once they are in adult-sized shoes
"Brooks Men's Beast '12 Running Shoe,Deep Royal/Silver/Black,9.5 D US"

New Balance 1540 V2
Boys and girls - once they wear adult-sized shoes
New Balance Women's W1540V2 Running Shoe Running Shoe,Silver/Grey,10 B US

Nike Boys and Girls Air Max 90 Running Sneakers

Nike Men's Air Max 90 Essential White/White/Silver/Dark Grey Running Shoe 10.5 Men US

Stride-Rite Shoes (for younger kids)

http://www.striderite.com/en/home

Powerstep Kid's Arch Support

ProTech PowerKids Pediatric Orthotics by Powerstep, 3/4 Length Size Youth 3 - 4

Arch Angels Comfort Inserts for Kids

Arch Angels Children's Arch Support Youth Shoe Size 4-5, Pair

Not all Brooks, New Balance, Nike or Stride-Rite shoes are good enough for your child's feet.  When shopping, remember that you are looking for the athletic shoe with a thick, rigid sole that has the least amount of flexibility that you can find. This can be challenging as 80-90% of all shoes are too flexible and do not meet the criteria required to make a shoe good for your feet. The reason for this is that shoe companies are selling people what the want and not what they need. 

I hope that this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

:)

Denzel Washington kicks butt in podiatry approved shoegear in his new movie 'The Equalizer'.

Denzel Washington kicks butt in his new movie 'The Equalizer'

while wearing New Balance 1540 - 

podiatrist approved shoe gear! 

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge movie fan! I've always been a Denzel Washington fan and I love a great revenge flick. When I saw that Denzel was wearing the excellent New Balance 1540's that I have been recommending to patients for years, I was thrilled. 

Sure, maybe it was product placement that got the New Balance 1540's into the movie, but I prefer to imagine that Denzel had it written into his contract that he needed to wear podiatry recommended shoegear as he wreaked blood-splattering havoc on the bad guys. Maybe he's been reading my blog? Hey, a podiatrist can dream, right?

By the end of the film, Denzel switched over to a more conservative orthopedic looking black oxford and I'm hoping that they were as comfortable as the NB 1540 shoes. 

The New Balance 1540's is a running shoe and has 'roll-bar technology', which creates a thick and rigid sole for more protection to the foot joints. The NB 1540 has good heel shock absorption, which helps with anyone suffering with heel pain as well as knee, hip and lower back pain. The extra-depth toebox is made of mesh and is great for anyone who has bunions, hammertoes or prominent bone spurs. To maximize comfort, wear a custom-molded functional orthotic, which you can from your Podiatrist, or wear a good over-the-counter insert like 'Footsteps' or 'Powerstep'. 

NB 1540 is recommended for patients with:

*Bunions

*Tailor's Bunions

*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)

*Osteoarthritis

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Metatarsalgia

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

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

*Morton's Neuroma

*Capsulitis

*Previous Lisfranc's Injury

*Over-Pronation

*Ankle Instability

*Hypermobility

*Ligament Laxity

*Posterior Tibial Tendonitis

*Peroneal Tendonitis

*History of Ankle Sprains

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Some Diabetics

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation)

*Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) 

*Drop Foot (you need to wear an AFO with this condition and the NB 1540 should accommodate the it)

NB 1540 is NOT recommended for patients with: 

*Charcot Foot

*History of ulcerations (Check with your podiatrist)

When I recommend to patients that they wear the New Balance 928 or 1540 - you should see the strange grimaces and facial contortions of horror and disgust that I get in response! New Balance doesn't have the best reputation for being a 'cool' shoe and I have to convince people that 'cool' is a mental attitude and it doesn't matter what you wear on your feet. I think that's why I was so thrilled to see the uber-cool Denzel Washington in the NB 1540's! 

Thank you Denzel for making the NB 1540's cool, which makes my job of getting patients into better shoegear easier! 

Dr. Cathy McCarthy trivia:

I had a screenplay entitled 'There Goes The Neighborhood' declined by Denzel's people (I was told by my manager). My screenplay entitled 'Oh Brother' was optioned by Gold Circle Film (the company that did 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding') in 2005, but the film never went into production. My novel 'Gunning For Angels' is my latest writing and can be purchased on Amazon in Kindle or book form. 

No hard feelings, Denzel! I still love you and can't wait to see your next movie.

I hope this review was helpful,

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Top Running Shoes - Podiatrist Recommended

TOP THREE RUNNING SHOES

Podiatrist Recommended

I'm glad that the hype over the Vibram FiveFinger minimalist running shoes are being exposed for what they really are - a poor excuse for shoegear. The Vibram company just settled a class action lawsuit for $3.75 million for making false claims about health benefits runners get from wearing the Vibram FiveFingers. I suspect that the $3.75 million is peanuts compared to all the medical costs associated with the injuries caused by the FiveFinger shoes. 

Here are my top three picks for running shoes:

New Balance 1540

Brooks Beast

Hoka One One - Stinson Tarmac

Each shoe has a thick and rigid sole so there is less motion through the foot, which allows for more protection of the foot and ankle joints, tendons and ligaments. Less motion through the foot translates to less damage to your joints, decreased chance of injury, decreased mechanical strain, and improved performance. 

As far as improving your performance, think of it this way: if you are running around barefoot or in a minimalist shoe and if you have 'biomechanically challenged' feet, then you could be wasting a certain percent of you energy because you are being forced to use 'x' amount of energy trying to stabilize your foot and ankle or by compensating. When you biomechanically control your foot with a thick, rigid sole and a more  protective running shoe, then you can put that previously 'wasted' energy into performance and speed. 

One of the analogies that I use when discussing the advantages of a protective running shoe to my patients is: the car industry has robots that close the car door over and over to see at what number the car door hinge breaks. Think of the joints in your foot as 'hinges'. All hinges have a 'tipping point' where damage is done and the hinge will eventually break down. By wearing a running shoe that protects the 'hinge', you have increased the life of that hinge, which means more miles of running over the course of your life. 

Runners love to run and, as a Podiatrist, my goal is to keep you running for as long as possible and with as few problems as possible.  

I know that the minimalist runners get upset when anyone suggests that minimalist shoes are not good, but I would like to say that all of the information that I am offering is designed to keep you running longer with less problems so you see less doctors. The minimalist enthusiasts love to knock what I am saying, but I would also remind them that as a Podiatist I have a very specific point of view. No one comes to my office and pays me a $50 co-pay to tell me how great their feet are feeling. By the time someone makes an appointment with me, they are having enough pain to interrupt and disrupt their lives, not to mention their running activites. 

I also recommend combining a great running shoe with a custom-molded orthotic, which is often covered by health insurance. If you can't get a custom-molded orthotic, I recommend an over-the-counter insert such as Footsteps or Powerstep. If you are recovering from a Lisfranc's injury or any foot or ankle injury and you are trying to return to running, I would recommend talking to your Podiatrist about possible bracing and physical therapy as you ease back into running activites. 

I recently returned to light jogging and I am wearing the Hoka One One, which I purchased from the Runner's Den, located at 6505 North 16th Street in Phoenix. Scott was very helpful and advised me that if you have a history of Achilles Tendonitis, it is important that you stretch before running in the Hoka One One. The shoe has so much shock absorption that it can cause some added 'play' in the  Achilles tendon, which can cause issues if you have ever had Achilles tendonitis. 

Scott also told me that the shoe that gives them the least amount of returns are the Brooks Beast. He stated that people who get the Brooks Beast periodically return and simply request a new pair. 

I have been recommending the NB 1540 for years and it has roll-bar technology with heel cushioning and is a great choice for anyone having heel pain or Hallux Limitus. 

I hope this was helpful! 

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)



Scared Straight: Foot X-Rays that will scare you into better shoes.

Halloween Edition:

Scared Straight: 

X-Rays that (hopefully!) will scare you into better shoes...

I wanted to talk about why having a shoe with a thick rigid sole is so crucial for proper foot care. 

I have a patient who was kind enough to give me permission to use his story and his x-rays. He is a healthy thirty-something year old man who had a horrible motorcycle accident nine years ago. 

When I walked in the exam room, I immediately noticed that his complexion was grey and he looked like he was going to vomit. We talked and he told me that the last time he saw a Podiatrist he was told that he might need an amputation. I quickly eased his fears by telling him that we would only be talking about shoes and inserts and that we should be able to greatly improve his foot by making some simple, non-painful, non-surgical changes to his current shoes and inserts.  

He said that three days ago he was walking and heard a 'pop' and felt a pain in his right foot. He stated he didn't have any specific injury but was simply walking. I checked the shoes that he had been walking in and they had an extremely thin, flexible sole. 

Let's take a look at his first x-ray (Ignore the arrows please):

The three screws were placed across his Lisfranc's joint after the motorcycle accident. On the day of the accident, he was wearing a shoe with a flexible sole and, when his foot twisted, multiple bones were broken in the midfoot area and ankle. The surgeon had to perform a joint fusion by placing screws across the Lisfranc's joint. The idea behind this is that if you fuse the joint - you stabilize the joint, limit motion and thereby limit pain. Since the accident, he's always had some degree of foot pain but has managed to stay active. 

After the surgery, he didn't realize that he needed to stop walking barefoot and wearing flip-flops and that, after an injury like this, he needed to limit himself to shoes with a thick rigid sole for maximal protection. Not knowing this, he spent the last nine years wearing improper shoe gear.

 Let's take a closer look at those screws...

  

If you look closely, can you see that two of the three screws are broken? The two that are most vertical are the broken screws and, unfortunately, it is harder to see that the one on the right is broken in half - but it is.

My point being, if nine years worth of walking barefoot and wearing flip-flops causes enough stress through the Lisfranc's joint to break two titanium screws - what is all that stress and strain doing to your joints?

The strange part of this story is the problem is not the broken screws or the Lisfranc's joint. 

The problem is that he was wearing a flimsy sole shoe and the one  titanium screw that is intact and doing it's job of limiting motion across the joint was not allowing any motion and his body needed motion to walk. The stress on his foot was too much and his body found the motion he needed by breaking the third metatarsal. 

Take a look at the arrows. The real problem - the thing that is currently causing him pain - is the new broken bone on the third metatarsal. 

We placed him in a below-the-knee walking boot for two weeks and had him come back two weeks later for x-rays. 

Two weeks later, the third metatarsal fracture is more easily visualized because it is forming a 'bone callus', which is the body's way of trying to heal itself.

What's interesting is that the broken screws don't matter. They aren't causing any pain so they don't need to be removed. The plan is to heal the current fracture and, once it is healed, make sure he:

*Wears Rx Crocs 'Relief' around the house as a bedroom slipper

*Never walk barefoot or wear flimsy shoes or flip-flops

*Wears New Balance 928 as a walking shoe

*Wears custom-molded inserts 

*Wear dress shoes that have a thick rigid sole with a metal shank

*Wear a Tri-Lock Brace for sports and increased activities 

 

And he should be able to lead a normal, healthy, active life! 

 

The moral of the story is: protect your feet!

You'll have a healthier, happier life with less pain and injuries...

My best to all of you!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)