Men's Comfortable Western Boot - Circle G by Coral Black Caimen Belly Square Toe Boot.

Here's one for the guys...

Circle G by Coral Black Caimen

Belly Square Toe Boot

Not all men's boots are created equal! 

What sets this boot apart is that it has a 13 inch shank that runs the full length of the sole, which allows for less motion across the bottom of the foot which means that the boots are far more comfortable than a boot that has a partial shank. 

We had a lovely Podiatry intern from Texas this past month in our office who came in wearing pointy-toed cowboy boot with a partial shank. After being forced to listen to my 'biomechanical spiel' all month, he picked out these boots and got them as a Christmas gift. He reported back that he immediately noticed that he had less discomfort with all day wear. We added an over-the-counter heat-molded insert for more arch support which he added even more support, stability and biomechanical control. According to him, these boots were less costly than his previous pair and were far more comfortable. As I always tell my patients, it's not how much you spend - it's knowing what you are looking for in a shoe. 

What you're looking for in any shoe is:

*A thick and rigid sole that does not bend or flex.

*Arch suport (which can be added) to a shoe or boot.

*A wide and preferably soft toebox.

*Rearfoot Control.

What makes these boots excellent is that they have the 13 inch shank so there is no motion through the foot. Every boot should have a full shank because anytime you limit motion across the bottom of the foot - you will have less pain, cause less damage to joints and tendons, decrease your chance of injury and strain and you will have less knee, hip and lower back pain. The square toebox will cause less pressure on the toes and can decrease the progression of bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails and corns and calluses. The rearfoot control on this boot is excellent and the slight elevation in the heel will help anyone with heel pain and Achilles Tendonitis issues. I would recommend that if you do wear boots with a heel most of the time that you take the time to do some gentle Achilles Tendon stretching exercises a couple of times a day to prevent Achilles contraction that can occur with patients who wear heels for years. 

These Boots are Recommended for Patients with:

*Mild Bunions

*Mild Hammertoes

*Mild Morton's Neuroma

*Metatarsalgia

*Osteoarthritis

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

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

*History of Metatarsal stress fractures

*Anyone recovering from a Lisfranc's Fracture or injury

*Mild Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis

*Hypermobility

*Over-Pronation (wear a dress orthotic with the boot)

*History of Ankle Sprains

*History of Ankle Instability

This Boot is NOT Recommended for Patients with:

*Diabetes

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)

*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

*History of Ulcerations

*Charcot Foot

*Foot Drop

*Muscle Weakness 

*Severe bunions or hammertoes (you will need a boot with an 'extra-depth toebox' and a 13 inch shank for more comfort)

An extra thank you to our Texan Intern who introduced me to this beautiful boot! 

I hope this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Podiatrist Recommended Women's Alegria Boots for Winter 2014.

Alegria Boots

Great Boots for All Day Comfort.

I appologize for my 'radio silence' but between our annual vacation which was followed by one week of jet lag and two weeks of a wicked cold and then the Holidays, I have gotten behind. 

The good news is that our vacation gave me a chance to test the Alegria boots. My husband and I went to Paris with three dear friends and, fueled by cheese, bread and red wine, we walked (and ate) our way through 10-12 miles of Parisian streeets on a daily basis. If there was something to climb (Notre Dame, The Arc d'Triumph, The Catacombs, The Metro stairs) we did it all! I would have never guessed that Paris had so many stairs. There were some days that, by the end of the day, by the time we got back to the hotel - I was so tired I was staggering - but my feet never hurt!

Alegria Raina

Alegria Cami

Alegria Cami

I wore the Alegria Raina on our eleven day walking trip of Paris. I wanted a boot that would keep me warm and dry but be comfortable for long days of walking cold city streets and standing on unforgiving museum floors. The sole is thick and rigid and I added a dress custom-molded insert for superior arch support. I highly recommend this boot and, although it wasn't nearly as fashionable as the other Parisian women's boots, I was able to walk all day long with no pain. 

About halfway through the trip I asked my husband what he thought of my boots and he replied, "I'm not sure what to think." When questioned further he said, "Well, they're shiny so they look classy - but they look different." I have to agree with him that the wide toebox does make them look different - but they were just too darned comfortable and kept me walking in comfort all day and into the Parisian night.

Plus, I got them on 6pm.com for $29!

These Alegrai Boots are Recommended for Patient's with:

*Mild to Severe Bunions

*Mild to Severe Hammertoes

*Morton's Neuroma

*Metatarsalgia

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

*Hallux Rigidus

*Anyone recovering from a Lisfranc's Injury 

*Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)

*Mild tendonitis

*Mild to Moderate Ligament Laxity

*Over pronation (Wear a dress orthotic on top of the insert that comes with the boot)

*If you are Diabetic - clear this boot selection with your Podiatrist to see if it is appropriate for you)

If you have any of the following conditions, get approval from your Podiatrist before wearing this shoe:

*Diabetic 

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)

*Peripheral Neruopathy (Nerve Damage) 

This boot is NOT approved for Patient's with:

*Charcot Foot

Overall, this is a great boot and if you add a custom-molded dress orthotic on top of the insole that comes with the boot, it will maximize comfort. This is also a light boot which decreases leg fatigue and 'tired leg syndrome'. 

I hope this was helpful and I am working on a top ten boot list which I hope to have on the blog in the next week so that we can all take advantage of some post-Christmas boot sales. 

Happy Holidays!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)