Dansko Veda - Podiatrist Recommended Comfortable Shoe

DANSKO VEDA

Super-Comfortable Shoe for Fall 2013

I love these Converse-ish looking Dankso shoes! 

What makes the Dansko Veda shoe so comfortable is that it meets all four requirements that a shoe must have to be comfortable: it has a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole, a wide toebox, rearfoot control and it can accommodate your orthotics or an over-the-counter arch support. 

I also love the price! I found these on 6pm.com for a $28, which is a 60% discount. These are hard to find in stores, but you can try on Dansko shoes at local retailers such as Dillards and smaller stores catering to hospital employees such as nurses. Try a scrub store to find the Dansko Professional shoe, which is excellent for anyone who works on concrete surfaces for long hours. 


This Shoe is Recommended for Patients with:
* Plantar Fasciitis / Heel Pain (wear with arch supports or heel cushions for more comfort)
*Mild to Severe Hallux Limitus
*Hallux Rigidus
*Mild to Moderate Bunions
*Mild to Moderate Tailor's Bunions 
*Mild to Severe Over-Pronators
*Mild Achilles Tendonitis 
*Hammertoes
*Capsulitis
*Morton's Neuroma
*Metatarsalgia
*Osteoarthritis
*Mild Rheumatoid Arthritis (wear with a cushioned insole)
*Tendonitis
*Anyone Recovering from a foot fracture (i.e. Jones, metatarsals, toes, ect.) 
*Mild Ankle Instability
*Chronic Pain Syndromes (wear with a custom molded insert with an appropriate topcover such as EVA or plastizote - your Pod will be able to help you with this)


This Shoe is NOT Recommended for Patients with:
*Diabetics with Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)
*Diabetics with Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)
*Diabetics with a history of foot Ulcerations
*Geriatric 
*Leg Fatigue in the Elderly
*Muscle Weakness
*Charcot Foot
*Severe Edema (Swelling)

For more information about what makes a shoe comfortable, please go to the search box on this blog (Upper right hand corner) and look up "My Feet Hurt" for an article about ten easy things you can do to significantly alleviate foot, knee, hip and lower back pain. 


Have a great day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

What Some Shoe Companies Don't Want You To Know.

It was just another day of shoe shopping - or so I thought. 

How could I have known that, while innocently shopping for shoes, that I'd unwittingly stumbled into a different dimension of altered reality? 

A older salesman with kind eyes greeted me as I stepped into a moderately upscale shoe store specializing in comfortable shoes. He asked if he could help me and I replied, "I'm looking for shoes for my husband. I'd like to see whatever shoe you have with a thick, rigid sole - preferably one with a hidden steel shank in the sole."

"I'm sorry, we don't carry anything like that," he replied with a sympathetic smile.

"I thought you carried men's Dansko dress shoes?"

"Not anymore," he said with a polite smile. 

"Okay, so let me see whatever men's shoe that you do carry that has a thick, rigid sole."

He shook his head, not unkindly. "We don't have any."

I gazed at him in astonishment. "Are you telling me that in this entire shoe store, you don't have any men's shoes with a thick, rigid sole?"

"Sorry." He gave an apologetic shrug.

As a podiatrist, I prefer to 'secret shop' shoe stores, but I decided to introduced myself. "My name is Cathy and I'm a podiatrist. I'm looking for a dress shoe for my husband. He's recovering from a foot injury and I need a shoe with a thick, rigid sole so that he can continue to heal and he doesn't re-injure himself."

At this point, the salesman's previously polite mask dropped and his eyes flashed with a knowing gleam. He gave a furtive glance around, to make sure that no one would overhear our conversation. He leaned in and whispered, "You know and I know that a shoe with a rigid sole is better and more comfortable but we had to stop carrying them because we couldn't get our customers to try them on! We'd show them the shoe and they would see a rigid sole and automatically think it was uncomfortable. We stopped carrying them because we couldn't sell them!"

"Are you telling me that every men's shoe in here has a flexible sole and is crap?" I asked in astonishment. 

"Shhh!" He hushed me and looked around, visibly upset. "Keep your voice down!" 

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I just can't believe..."

"What sells is giving people what they want, not what they need," he said. After a moment, his eyes brightened, "Would you like to see some women's shoes?" 

Feeling that this was an isolated incident, I purchased a lovely Earthies women's wedge heel that fit all the criteria of what makes a comfortable shoe. I went home and ordered the men's Dansko 'Wayne' online, which I knew was a good shoe. We received the shoes and they fit my husband perfectly. 

Several weeks later, my husband and I were out shopping and I saw a well known nation chain men's shoe store and we decided to go in. I asked the handsome twenty year old salesman to show us any men's dress shoes with a thick, rigid sole with, preferably, a hidden steel shank in the sole. He led us past every display to the back of the store where he pointed to three shoes on the bottom shelf. 

"This is it," he said. 

My husband picked up the shoes and tried to bend them. "Yup, these don't bend," he said.

"What about all the other shoes that we just passed?" I asked, hooking my thumb over my shoulder to the rest of the store. 

He shook his head with a smile. "This is it." 

Hmmm. 

Several hours later, we passed a well-known national-chain hiking shoe store, which shall also remain unnamed. We proceeded into the store and I was appalled to find that this store, that built their reputation on making and selling comfortable, high quality hiking shoes was now specializing in minimalist shoes. Only five percent of the shoes in the entire store were even decent and, once again, they were all relegated to the back of the store. The best shoe in the store was on the back shelf, bottom row. The other ninety-five percent of the shoes that populated their shelves were complete garbage. Their new marketing plan seems to be catering to minimalist shoes that offers little more protection than enfolding your feet in wrapping paper and tying it with a bow.

By this time, I was simmering with indignation!

It is my opinion that these shoe manufacturers know exactly what what makes a good shoe but they have chosen to follow another path. A path lined with lies and greed as they feed upon the misconceptions of an unsuspecting public. There are perhaps some people out there with perfect biomechanics who will be able to wear minimalist shoes for 'X' amount of time, but there are also a whole host of people who go to these stores expecting that if they shell out one to two hundred dollars for a 'comfortable' shoe that they are getting something of quality and worth. 

I used to advise patients that eighty percent of shoes out there are garbage and only twenty percent are good. The search for good looking shoes that are good for your feet and pathology specific is what led me to start this blog! In the last several months, I have revised that number to a ninety percent garbage rate. 

The problem is that finding comfortable shoes is counter-intuitive. If a person's foot hurts, they go to the shoe store and say, "I need a shoe that is soft and flexible - like a cloud." No one goes into the store and says, "My foot hurts. I need a shoe that is thick and rigid." 

But, if you break a bone, we put you in a cast, which not only allows the body to heal itself but also is much more comfortable. No motion translates to less pain. Finding a comfortable shoe is a counter-intuitive process - and shoe companies know this.

It angers me that shoe companies are selling crap to the public. I'm not talking about sky-scraper heels - everyone knows they are not good for your feet, but I am referring to shoe companies that carry men's dress shoes, running shoes and hiking boots and are making claims that minimalist shoes with flexible soles are good for you. 

My career is based on helping people with foot and ankle pain. In my opinion, there are three main causes of foot and ankle pain: genetics, injury and inadequate shoegear. Fifty percent of my practice is based on properly diagnosing and treating people who have made one bad move in a bad shoe and now have a fracture, torn tendon, sprain or a variety of other pathologies. The first part of the process is to get it healed. The second is to make sure that the patient is in proper shoes and inserts so they do not re-injure themselves and can get back to all their normal activities. So, yes, I get upset when I see companies marketing 'comfort' shoes when, in reality, the shoes are recipes for foot and ankle injuries.

When did we as a society forget how to make a quality shoe? 

Or, is it more insidious than that?

When did some of the major shoe companies decide that they don't give a flying fig for how to make a quality shoe - and that it was easier to make a fast buck on crap shoes?

 

  

THE TRUTH THAT SOME SHOE COMPANIES DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW:

FOUR THINGS THAT A SHOE MUST HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE:

1. A thick, rigid sole that does not bend or flex and has a wide base through the midfoot area.

2. Arch support.

3. A wide, soft square toebox.

4. Rearfoot control. 

It doesn't matter what brand you get or how much you spend - just make sure that your shoes meet these four criteria and you can judge for yourself.

Have a safe and healthy day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

******

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Dansko Thea - Podiatrist Recommended Comfortable Women's Casual Heels

DANSKO THEA

 

The Dansko Thea is a comfortable wedge heel for patients with certain foot types. What makes it so comfortable is that it has a thick, rigid sole that offers protection for the foot joints. If you have severe Hallux Limitus or Rigidus (limited range of motion at the 1st toe joint), this may not be the shoe for you. If you have mild to moderate Hallux Limitus, this sandal may be perfect for you as it will not allow any motion across the 1st toe joint, which allows for increased comfort and it may stop or slow the progression of the injury/deformity.

The Dansko Thea also has very good forefoot, midfoot and rearfoot control, provided by the straps, that helps with biomechanical control of the foot structures. The arch support is not excellent but it is adequate for most patients. I highly recommend that if you purchase a Dansko sandal, make sure you get one that has rearfoot strapping. If you don't have rearfoot strapping, you have to grip your toes down to stay in the shoes, which causes more mechanical strain to your foot and ankle structures as well as your knees, hips and lower back.

This Shoe is Recommended For Patients with:

*Mild Hallux Limitus (Decreased motion of the 1st toe joint)

*Mild Osteoarthritis

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis

*Mild Haglund's Deformity

*Mild Hypermobility

*Mild Tendonitis

*Previous (but healed) Lisfranc's Fracture or Injury (Please check with your doctor)

*Mild Bunions

*Mild Tailor's Bunion

*Mild Hammertoes

*Capsulitis of the toe joints

*Metatarsalgia

*Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain) 

*Mild Over-Pronation

 

This Shoe is NOT Recommended for Patients with:

* Diabetes

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)

*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

*Charcot Foot 

*Moderate to Severe Hallux Limitus/Rigidus (Decreased or no motion of the 1st toe joint)

*Severe Fat Pad Atrophy (these patients need more cushion - try the Naot Paris) 

*Severe Over-Pronation

*Severe Hypermobility

*Severe Ligament Laxity

*History of Ulcerations 

I hope this has been helpful. 

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

 

 

 

 

The Wolky Jewel - Podiatrist Recommended Comfortable Dress Sandal for Most Foot Types.

WOLKY JEWEL

This is an incredibly comfortable dress sandal for most foot types! 

What makes it so comfortable is the fact that is has a thick, rigid sole that offers exceptional protection for your foot joints as well as knee, hip and lower back. The built in arch support is excellent and the anatomical cork and latex footbed is removable so that it can accommodate a custom-molded insert if needed. It also has adjustable forefoot, midfoot and rearfoot strapping, which is crucial for increasing comfort, decreasing the risk of injury and decreasing mechanical strain of your joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. 

If you're not sure about this sandal, find out what store in your area carries it and try it on and judge for yourself. This sandal is an investment in your feet that will pay off in abundance in that it will help to stop or slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes, neuromas as well as many other foot conditions and it will significantly help alleviate knee, hip and lower back pain. 

This Sandal is Recommended For Patients With:

*Mild to Moderate Bunions

*Mild to Moderate Tailor's Bunions

*Mild to Moderate Hammertoes 

*Morton's Neuromas

*Metatarsalgia

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

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

*Mild to moderate Osteoarthritis

*Mild Degenerative Joint Disease 

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)

*Mild Tendonitis 

*Mild Ankle Instability

*Mild Over-Pronation

*Mild Hypermobility 

*Patients who have healed after a Lisfranc's Fracture or Sprain

*Capsulitis

*Mild to Moderate Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Fibromyalgia Patients

This Sandal is NOT Recommended For Patients With: 

*Diabetics

*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)

*History of Ulceration or Open Sores

*Charcot Foot

*Drop Foot

If You Have Any Of These Conditions, Check With Your Podiatrist To See If This Sandal Is Appropriate For You:

*Patients recovering from foot injuries or surgeries

*Severe Hypermobility

*Severe Over-Pronation

*Severe Instability

*Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome

*Reflex Systemic Dystropy

*Recovering from Avascular Necrosis

*History of Falling 

I hope this was helpful!

Have a wonderful day,

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

 

 

Podiatry Recommended Comfort Sandals For Spring.

SUMMER DRESS SANDALS 

Dansko Scarlett

Sanita Darcy

Dansko Nina

These are three great options for a sandal that you can dress up or down for the summer season. The first two are going to work better for anyone who has Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint) or any other forefoot problems that make it difficult or painful to wear heels while the Dansko Nina is a great option for someone who knows they can comfortably wear a heel.

What makes these three sandals superior to most are that they each have a thick, rigid sole that is protective of the foot joints. Less motion means less mechanical strain, which translates into less pain, decreased chance of injury and more comfort. Each sandal has forefoot, midfoot and rearfoot strapping, which is necessary for more comfort. If a shoe doesn't have a rearfoot strap, then you are forcing your joints, muscles, tendons and ligament to work harder to stay in the shoe. Instead of forcing your foot to do the work - make the shoe do the work!   

If you get 'tired legs' by the end of the day wearing flip flops or a backless sandal, try bumping up to one of these first two sandals. There are no good flip-flops! If your shoe does not have a thick rigid sole and rearfoot control, you are causing mechanical strain, which can promote all types of deformities such as bunions, hammertoes, osteoarthritis as well as knee, hip and lower back pain.

Remember, there are four requirements for a shoes: 

1. A thick, rigid sole (crucial!!)

2. Wide, soft toebox

3. Arch Support 

4. Rearfoot control 

The Dansko Scarlett and Sanita Darcy are Recommended for Patients with:

*Mild to Moderate Bunions

*Hammertoes

*Tailor's Bunions

*Morton's Neuroma

*Capsulitis

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)

*Mild Tendonitis

*Metatarsalgia

*Osteoarthritis

*Mild Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Hallux Limitus (Limited Range of Motion of the 1st toe joint)

*Hallux Rigidus (No motion of the first toe joint)

*Patients who've had a surgical fusion of the first toe joint

*Sesmoiditis

*Brachymetatarsalgia

*Mechanical Strain

*Mild Ligament Laxity

*Mild Hypermobility

*Mild Overpronation

*Patients recovering from foot fractures (Check with your doctor!)

The Dansko Scarlett and Sanita Darcy are NOT Recommended for Patients with: 
*History or Foot Ulcerations
*Diabetics
*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)
*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)
*Charcot Foot
*Severe Hypermobility
*Severe Over-Pronation
*Severe Ankle Instability 


*The major difference between wearing the first two sandals versus the Dansko Nina is - do you have any forefoot problems? If you have Hallux Limitus, Hallux Rigidus, Sesmoiditis, Metatarsalgia, Capsulitis, Morton's Neuroma (to name a few) - I would opt for the first two sandals as they will put less pressure on the forefoot structures. If you know that you can wear a heel comfortably then the Dansko Nina would be a good option for a comfortable sandal. 



Hope all is well!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

  

Podiatrist Recommended Sandal for Patients with Bunions.

Fit Flop Sandal

A great option for anyone with bunions...

Patients with bunions are always challenged when it comes to finding comfortable shoes. They need a shoe that is protective and biomechanically controls the foot so that the bunion formation does not progress. They also need a shoe that does not apply pressure to the bunion, which can result it increased pain as well as

enlargement of the bunion. Patients who suffer with plantar fasciitis (heel pain) will also benefit from the shock absorption that this sandal provides.

What makes this sandal excellent is the thick, rigid sole that provides protection to the foot joints but is also is cushy enough to provide shock absorption. Although the sandal lacks forefoot strapping - it makes up for it with good midfoot and rearfoot strapping for more biomechanical control and, best of all, there is no pressure on the bunions or toes. 

I would highly recommend that you make sure that any Fit Flop that you purchase is a sandal with rearfoot strapping and not the Fip Flop with no rearfoot strapping. It makes a huge difference in comfort! Without rearfoot straps, you are forcing your toes to grip down to stay in the flip-flop, which aggravates forefoot issues such as hammertoes, bunions, calluses and metatarsalgia. It also forces your tendons, muscles and joints including your knees, hips and lower back to work harder to stay in the shoe, which causes more biomechanical pain and 'tired leg syndrome'.

To stop or slow the progression of bunions, it is imperative that you wear shoes with a thick, rigid sole, a wide soft toebox and shoes with some type of forefoot (if possible), midfoot and rearfoot biomechanical control. It's optimal to wear custom-molded orthotics and, although this sandal does not accommodate orthotics, the Fit Flop Sandal is an excellent choice.

This Shoe is Recommended for Patients with:

*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)

*Bunions

*Hammertoes

*Tailor's Bunions

*Metatarsalgia

*Capsulitis

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis 

*Mild Tendonitis 

*Corns and Calluses

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

*Hallux Rigidus

*Osteoarthritis

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Ingrown Toenails

*Morton's Neuroma

*Fibromyalgia

*Mild Knee, Hip and Lower Back Pain

This Shoe is NOT Recommended for Patients with:

*Charcot Foot

*Patients with a history of Ulcerations or Open Sores

*Diabetics

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)

*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage

*Hypermobility 

*Severe Overpronation

*Avascular Necrosis 

Have a lovely day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

 

Z-Coils - Podiatry Recommended.

Z-CoiL Shoes.

If you're looking for a pretty shoe - this is not it. But, if you are looking for amazingly comfortable shoe for foot, heel, knee, hip and lower back pain - keep reading. 

The Z-CoiL shoes are not for everyone but they are excellent for anyone who works long hours on concrete floors and has 'tried everything to relieve their pain and nothing works'. It has a thick, rigid sole that, in some cases, is appropriate for treating certain foot fractures. The Z-CoiL offers supreme shock absorption for the heel, knees, hips and lower back.  It will accommodate a custom-molded orthotic and meets all the criteria required for comfort (i.e. thick and rigid sole, wide toebox, rearfoot control and arch support) plus the added feature of the massive coil for shock absorption for the joints. 

My biggest challenge with this shoe - is getting people to get past it's strange look and getting them to actually try it on! If you're suffering from chronic pain and nothing else has worked, do yourself a favor and find a store where you can try them on. You may be in for a pleasant surprise...

Z-CoiL Shoes are Recommended for Patients with:

*Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)

*Hallux Limitus

*Hallux Rigidus

*Metatarsalgia

*Morton's Neuroma

*Mild to Moderate Bunions and Tailor's Bunions

*Mild to Moderate Hammertoes

*Capsulitis

*Tendonitis 

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Over-Pronators

*Sinus Tarsi Syndrome

*Osteoarthritis

*Degenerative Joint Disease 

*Patients recovering from Lisfranc's or Metatarsal Fractures

*Patients recovering from Heel Fractures 

Z-CoiL Shoes are NOT Recommended for Patients with:

*Weak legs 

*Muscle weakness

*Severe Hypermobility

*Anyone wearing an AFO (Ankle-Foot Orthosis)

*Balance Issues

*Neurological Conditions such as Drop-Foot

*Geriatric Patients 

*Charcot Foot

Check with your Podiatrist to find out if these shoes are appropriate with you if you have:

*Diabetes

*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation) 

*Any history of Ulcerations

I would love to hear how they work out for you!

Have a great day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

:)