Comfortable & Cute Women's Casual Shoe - Podiatry Recommended.

Zaful

Rivets Hellow Out Platform Shoe

 


Not only do I love the way this shoe looks - I love the pricetag of forty-two dollars at zaful.com! This shoe is perfect for anyone with Hallux Limitus or Hallux Rigidus, which means there is decreased range of motion and pain with motion of the first toe joint. In fact, anyone with any forefoot issues such as metatarsalgia, morton's neuroma, capsulitis, plantar plate injury and mild bunions or hammertoes should find this an exceptionally comfortable shoe. The sole is thick and rigid and has a wide base, which will also make it a comfortable shoe if you are recovering from a Lisfranc's injury. 

To maximize comfort I recommend that you add a custom-molded dress orthotic or a good over-the-counter heat molded insert, which you can get from you local podiatrist. Orthotics are expensive but they are often covered by insurance and even if you have to cash pay - they are worth the money when you consider that it is an investment in your feet, knees, hips and lower back. This shoe also offers a wide toebox and good rearfoot control that allows for better biomechanical control of the foot and ankle joints, which means less chance of injury, more comfort and less mechanical strain on your joints and tendons. 

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)
*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain) 
*Mild bunions
*Mild hammertoes
*Morton's Neruoma
*Capsulitis
*Metatarsalgia
*Mild Tailor's bunions
*Osteoarthritis 
*Degenerative Joint Disease of the 1st toe joint
*Previous Lisfranc's injury
*Mild Haglund's deformity
*Flat Feet & Over-Pronation (wear a custom-molded dress orthotic)
*Mild Hypermobility & Ligament Laxity (wear a custom molded dress orthotic if possible)

This shoe is not recommended for patients with: 
*Bone Spurs on the top of the midfoot area
*Severe Achilles Tendonitis
*Balance Issues
*Geriatrics
*Diabetes
*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation)
*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage) 
*Charcot foot

I would love to hear any feedback that you have on this shoe. I would also love it if you could recommend any 'go to' shoe brands or styles that you think are amazingly comfortable and stylish as I am looking for ideas for future blog posts. Thank you!

Happy New Years!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Jeffrey Campbell - Podiatry Recommended Shoes for Comfort & Fashion

Jeffrey Campbell

Podiatrist Recommended Comfort & Fashion

 

The Gnarly Velvet Boot

 

The Preston Loafer

If you are familiar with Jeffrey Campbell's shoe designs you will immediately realize that these are two very tame choices from his latest collection! If for aesthetic value alone, I love looking at his newest shoe designs - they are weird, wacky and fun. These two also happen to be comfortable, which is what this blog is about - how to find good looking shoes that are good for your feet and are pathology specific.  

Both of these shoes have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole, which is the key to a comfortable shoe. The curve upward in the forefoot area of the sole allows for a smooth and normal gait while the thick and rigid sole allows no motion through the foot, which means less mechanical strain, less chance of injury and more comfort for all day wear. If you have any forefoot issues such as Functional Hallux Limitus, Morton's Neuroma, Capsulitis, Metatarsalgia or Plantar Plate Injuries - the thick and rigid sole will prevent motion through those areas for more protection and comfort. 

The wide, square toebox is great for accommodating mild to moderate bunions and hammertoes. The rearfoot control is excellent and the boot is a great choice for you need more ankle control. I would highly recommend wearing a custom-molded dress orthotic with these shoes to maximize biomechanical control of the arch, which will help with knee, hip and lower back issues. 

These shoes are recommended for patients with:
*Functional Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion through the 1st toe joint)
*Sesamoiditis
*Morton's Neuroma
*Metatarsalgia
*Capsulitis
*Plantar Plate Issues
*Plantar Fasciitis (Heel Pain)
*Over-Pronation & Flat Feet (wear custom-molded dress orthotic)
*Achilles Tendonitis
*Mild Tendonitis
*Previous Lisfranc's Injuries 
*Hypermobility and Ligament Laxity (wear dress orthotics)
*Mechanical Strain
*Hammertoes
*Mild to Moderate Bunions
*Mild Osteoarthritis
*Mild Rheumatoid Arthritis (Check with your Podiatrist)
*Sinus Tarsi Syndrome

These shoes are not recommended for patients with: 
*Severe Hallux Rigidus (No motion through 1st toe joint) 
*Significant 'bumps' (exotosis) on the top of the midfoot (With the boot, you can skip a lace to off-load the area of the bump, which should make it comfortable)
*Diabetes (Check with your Podiatrist)
*Peripheral Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)
*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)
*History of Ulceration
*Charcot Foot

For more information, check out other articles on this blog by using the search blog and typing in: My Feet Hurt. 

Hope this was helpful and have a wonderful day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Eileen Fisher - Podiatry Recommended Comfortable Women's Dress Shoes

Eileen Fisher

Kudos to Eileen Fisher for designing women's shoes that are sylish and comfortable!

Ivy tall leather boot

Coax bootie

Grip Wedge Boot

Canoe 

What makes these four Eileen Fisher shoes excellent are that they meet the criteria required to create a comfortable shoe. Each has a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole that allows for maximal protection to the foot joints. Less motion through your foot joints translates into more comfort, less mechanical strain and less chance of injury. They each have a wide, soft toebox that puts less pressure on the toes. The excellent rearfoot control (particularly with the boots) helps with increased ankle stability for better biomechanical control of the foot and ankle. 

For better arch support, I would recommend wearing a custom-molded dress orthotic or a heat-molded dress insert, which you can get from your local podiatrist. Adding arch support will help decrease knee, hip and lower back strain as well as help prevent or slow the progression of foot deformities such as bunions and hammertoes. 

Please remember that the type of shoe that is most comfortable for you is specific to your particular foot pathology. What works for one person with a specific foot type may not work for another person with a different issue and foot type. Here is a general guideline regarding these shoes: 

The Ivy, Coax and Grip-Wedge recommended for patients with:

*Mild Functional Hallux Limitus

*Mild Plantar Fascitiis

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis

*Mild Hypermobility

*Mild Overpronation

*Mild Bunions

*Mild Hammertoes

*Mild Metatarsalgia

*Mild Morton's Neuroma

*Women who know that this heel height comfortably

The Ivy, Coax and Grip-Wedge are NOT recommended for patients with:

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

*Moderate to Severe Functional Hallux Limitus (Limited range of motion through the 1st toe joint)

*Osteoarthritis 

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Severe Bunions

*Moderate to Severe Hammertoes

*Severe Tailor's Bunions

*Severe Metatarsalgia

*Severe Morton's Neuroma

*Diabetics

*Neuropathy (Nerve Damage)

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (Poor Circulation)

*History of Ulcerations

*Charcot Foot

*Instability or Balance Issues

*Ligament Laxity

*Severe Hypermobility

*Severe Over-Pronation

*Significant knee, hip or lower back issues

*Anyone with a history of falls

*Geriatrics

The Canoe is recommended for patients with:

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

*Hallux Rigidus (no motions through the 1st toe joint)

*Osteoarthritis 

*Rheumatoid Arthritis (check with your Podiatrist)

*Metatarsalgia

*Morton's Neuroma

*Capsulitis

*Plantar Plate Injury

*Mild to Moderate Bunions

*Mild to Moderate Tailor's Bunion

*Sesamoiditis

The Canoe is NOT recommended for patients with:

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Significant Over-pronation

*Ligament Laxity

*Hypermobility

*Ankle Instability

*Diabetics with a history of ulcerations

*If you are diabetic, have nerve damage, poor circulation, or have any foot issues, please talk to your podiatrist about if these shoes are appropriate for you. 

Also, with the Canoe - I highly recommend that you try this shoe on at the store. If you have a narrow heel this shoe has a tendency to let your heel slip upward with walking, which will not be comfortable. 

If you are having foot pain, please check out my other articles on this blog entitled: 

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from a Lisfranc's injury 

and

My feet hurt: top ten ways to help alleviate foot pain today.

I hope this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)