Monday, August 22, 2016

Podiatrist Approved Shoes for Autumn 2016 - Fly London.

Fly London
Four Choices for Autumn 2016 that are
Podiatrist Recommended









Here are four great choices for Autumn 2016! These four Fly London shoes/boot are from the 'Yellow Red' Collection, which can be seen on the FlyLondon.com website under Ladies 2015 (because their 2016 collection is not out yet). Avoid the other collections as the vast majority of the shoes in the other shoe collections seem to have more flimsy soles and do not meet the criteria of what makes a good/comfortable shoe. 

What makes these four shoes good choices are that they each meet the three of the four criteria that a shoe must have to be comfortable. 
1. They each have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole, which is absolutely crucial for all day foot comfort. A thick, non-flexible sole means that there is no motion through the bottom of the foot, which means that the joints and foot structures are more protected. Shoes with less motion through the sole means there is less motion through painful joints and that equates to less inflammation, less swelling, less pain and less damage. 
2. Each of these shoes also has a wide toe box, which means less pressure on bunions, hammertoes, and corns. 
3. They also each have rearfoot control, which is important because it helps to decrease mechanical strain on tendons and joints, which means that there is less tired leg syndrome at the end of a long day and it should also help with decreasing strain on the knees, hips, and lower back. 
4. You can add arch support by adding a dress orthotic specifically made for a wedge dress shoe (which you can get from your local podiatrist). A dress orthotic should fit nicely into these shoes, which will help with arch support. These shoes don't require arch support, but dress orthotics should help to slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes and help with heel pain and help with people who have over-pronation and hypermobility. 

These shoes/boots are recommended for people with:
*Mild Bunions
*Mild Hammertoes
*Mild Morton's Neuroma
*Mild Capsulitis
*Mild Plantar Plate Strain
*Mild Functional Hallux Limitus (decreased motion through the 1st toe joint)
*Mild Hallux Limitus (decreased range of motion through the 1st toe joint)
*1st toe joint surgically fused (at 15 degrees, which is standard)
*1st toe joint with a surgical implant (check with your podiatrist) 
*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)
*Mild Achilles Tendonitis
*Healed Lisfranc's Injury (Check with your podiatrist first)
*Mild Over-Pronation
*Mild Hypermobility or Ligament Laxity (Check with your podiatrist if needed) 
*Mild Metatarsalgia
*Mild Osteoarthritis
*Mild Rheumatoid Arthritis (Check with your podiatrist first) 

These shoes/boots are not recommended for people with: 
*Hallux Rigidus (no motion through the 1st toe joint - unless the toe has been surgically fused at 15 degrees dorsiflexion, which is standard)
*Prominent Bunions
*Severe Hammertoes
*Severe Ankle Instability
*Severe Hypermobility or Ligament Laxity
*History of multiple Ankle Sprains
*Severe Osteoarthritis
*Severe Degenerative Joint Disease
*Seere Rheumatoid Arthritis
*Diabetes
*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage)
*Peripheral Vascular Disease (poor circulation)  
*History of Ulcerations (open sores) 
*Bone Spurs on the top of the midfoot (although you can try skipping a lace over the area to decrease pressure) 
*History of Falling
*Balance Issues


I hope that this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)


*For more information, please refer to these articles on this blog:

Top 10 reasons why your feet hurt -- and what to do to alleviate the pain today!

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from Lisfranc's foot injuries -- or any foot injuries! 









Monday, August 15, 2016

Oboz Luna - Podiatrist's Review of Women's Hiking Shoe.

Oboz Luna

Podiatrist's Review of the Oboz Luna
Women's Hiking Shoe



Since the older 5-10 Camp Four hiking boot was updated and "improved" I have been hard-pressed to find a decent hiking shoe to recommend. The new and improved 5-10 Camp Four is pretty terrible, so I no longer recommend it. When the 5-10 Camp Four shoe company discontinued the older version, I made my husband go online and buy 5 pairs! 

The Oboz Luna for women is a pretty good hiking shoe. It's certainly not perfect, but it is been the best I could find on a recent search of hiking stores. The major fault of the Oboz Luna is that the forefoot has too much flexibility (meaning it has mild flexibility), but, compared to all the other hiking shoes in the store, it was the most rigid sole available. If you are a serious hiker and have a history of forefoot issues, you may have to replace this shoe every six months. What I do like about the Oboz Luna is it does have a wide toebox, good rearfoot control, and good traction. It would be best if you could wear this shoe with a custom-molded orthotic from you local podiatrist or the over-the-counter full-length Powerstep insert, which would replace the insole that comes with the shoe. 

My husband and I spent the weekend visiting friends in Sedona and we visited a local hiking store. The salesperson told us that they sell a lot of shoes to newbie hikers who try to hike in the minimalist shoes and come off the trail limping and looking for a sturdier shoe. If your local hiking store doesn't carry the Oboz Luna then I would suggest you find the hiking shoe that has a thick, rigid, and non-flexible sole with excellent traction on the bottom. Make sure you have the salesperson measure your feet (while wearing socks) so that you get proper sizing and a good fit. If they are not comfortable then do not buy them. You should not have to break-in shoes! 

This shoe is recommended for patients with:
* Mild to moderate Hallux Limitus (limited motion through the 1st toe joint)
*Mild to moderate Bunions 
*Mild to moderate Hammertoes
*Mild to moderate Morton's Neuroma
*Mild Plantar Plate strain
*Mild Capsulitis
*Mild Metatarsalgia
*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)
*Over-Pronation
*Ligament Laxity (wear orthotics or Powerstep OTC insert) 
*Mild Ankle Instability (you may need to wear an ankle brace for more support)
*History of a healed Lisfranc's Injury (wear orthotics and maybe even an ankle brace -- talk to your local Podiatrist or Ortho who treated you)
*Well-Controlled Diabetes with no history of previous ulcerations (please get this cleared with your Podiatrist first)
*Peripheral Neuropathy with no history of previous ulcerations (please get this cleared with your Podiatrist first)
*Peripheral Arterial Disease (please get cleared this with your Podiatrist first)


This shoe is not recommended for patients with:
*Hallux Rigidus (no motion through the 1st toe joint -- you will need a more rigid-soled shoe - something that has absolutely no motion through the forefoot area) 
*Severe Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint)
*Severe Functional Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion through the 1st toe joint) 
*Moderate to Severe Metatarsalgia
*Severe Morton's Neuroma
*Severe Hammertoes
*Severe Bunions
*Moderate to Severe Plantar Plate Strain 
*Moderate to Severe Capsulitis 
*Peripheral Neuropathy with a history of previous ulcerations
*Peripheral Arterial Disease with a history of previous ulcerations
*Diabetes with a history of ulcerations and complications
*Ulcerations or open sores 
*Charcot Foot


I hope that this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)




For more information, check out my other articles on this blog:

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from previous Lisfranc's Injuries:

Top 15 shoes to help with foot, knee, hip and lower back pain: