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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Inexpensive version of an MBT!!

Okay, good news! For the cost conscious (all of us!), local K-Mart's are advertising an "knock-off" of the MBT for only $19.99, which is fabulous because a real MBT costs $250.

THERA-SHOE

This shoe looks very similar to an MBT, which means that it looks like a tennis/walking shoe with a "rocker-bottom" sole. It's a great shoe for anyone with back pain, heel pain (plantar fasciitis), Osteoarthritis of the forefoot and midfoot, sesmoiditis, some tendonitis conditions, and is an excellent shoe choice for anyone who works retail or is on their feet for long hours and has a limited budget. It is approved by the Academy of Therapeutic Footwear. 

Patients with poor balance should not use this shoe. Also, if you have moderate to severe back pain, you should ease into wearing this shoe by wearing it for one hour the first day, two hours the second day, three hours the third day - ect - until you are up to a full day of wearing the Thera-Shoe. Patients with diabetes or neuropathy should check with their Podiatrist before wearing this type of shoe - typically these patients are better off with an "Extra-Depth Shoe" that is intended for diabetic or neuropathic patients. Also, I would never put an elderly patient into a shoe like this as it may cause imbalance issues. 

Price: $19.99 (at K-Mart)


THERA-SANDAL

Another great option for people who insist on wearing a flip-flop and have a limited budget. Although I don't recommend wearing flip-flops, I do understand that some people are going to wear them so, if you are one of those people, this is one of the better flip-flops available. 

The real-deal is called a Fit-Flop and can be purchased from Victorias Secret, Dillard's, Zappos.com and a variety of other places. K-Mart is offering this "Fit-Flop Knock-off" for $9.99 which is a fabulous price. 

IF you MUST wear a flip-flop (Yes, I'm cringing!), I would suggest using this for around-the-house activities - not for all day activities. 

Also, if you have foot issues, are recovering from an injury or you are "biomechanically-challenged" and have to be extra careful with your shoegear - if at all possible, INVEST, and buy the real deal. Good shoes are an investment and, as I tell my patients, "You can spend your money by investing in a  good pair of shoes or you can spend your money on co-pays to me!" 

A good pair of shoes can potentially save you thousands in medical bills!! 

Have a great day!



3 comments:

David said...

Hi,
I LOVE the Therashoe. It is the MOST comfortable shoe I have ever worn.I racewalk 8 to 10 miles per day. I bought these shoes last week and should have got a feel for them first. I just HAD to wear them. I walked 7 miles and believe it or not I started feeling soreness after only 1/2 mile. Take your time to adjust to these. BTW, I am down 6 lbs in one week. I have blood sugar issues and a very hard time losing weight. I am so grateful for these shoes. Thanks for the review.

Merlyn said...

Thanks for the great tip! I have a history of foot problems including several broken metatarsals and these are great! They have really good built in metatarsal supports.
For the 5 years prior to this, I would only wear Eccos and Mephistos, and I would have had a hard time imagining that I would ever wear shoes from Kmart.
I have had these shoes for several weeks and I am very happy with them. I even went to the fair and walked in them all day. I had absolutely no discomfort!
These shoes do a great job of immobilizing the foot muscles, so all you are essentially doing is rocking.

Unknown said...

I was looking for more information on the Academy of Therapeutic Footwear but I can't find anything. Where can I find information on this organization?