Nike Air Monarch - Podiatrist's Recommendation.

Nike Air Monarch 

Podiatrist's Recommendation for Men's Exercise Shoe

The Nike Air Monarch is an excellent choice for a men's exercise shoe because it meets the four criteria for what a shoe must have to be comfortable and keep your more active with less chance of injury to your feet and ankles. The Nike Air Monarch is not appropriate for hiking on trails as you will need a trail hiking shoe, but the Nike Air Monarch is a perfect go-to shoe for general activities, walking and the gym. 

The 4 criteria needed for a shoe to be excellent are:

1. Thick, rigid and non-flexible sole. Any shoe with a flexible sole will allow too much motion through joints that may be compromised by underlying biomechanical foot issues, previous injuries and arthritic joint damage. It is counterintuitive but all shoes need to have rigid and non-flexible soles so as to protect the joints of the foot, which will then translate into less pain and joint damage. A rigid sole will also prevent the formation of bunions, hammertoes, tendon strain and osteoarthritis. 

2. Wide toe box. A wider toe box means less pressure on the toes, which will slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes, corns, ingrown toenails and even toenail fungus. In my opinion, it is impossible to get rid of toenail fungus if you are wearing tight-fitting shoes because it is injury (even microtrauma) to the toenails that is what allows the fungal spores to set up house in the nail bed. 

3. Rearfoot Control. Shoes that do not have rearfoot control force you to grip down your toes to stay in the shoe, which then promotes hammertoes, tendon strain as well as more strain on the knees, hips and lower back. If you have rearfoot issues such as Achilles tendonitis, Posterior Tibial or Peroneal tendonitis, it is very important that your shoes have rearfoot control because less motion gives the tendons a chance to heal. 

4. It can accommodate a custom-molded orthotic or a good over the counter insert for more arch support. Arch support will decrease strain on the ankles, knees, hips and lower back. It will also help decrease arthritic changes to the Lisfranc's joint and help support the joint for anyone who has had a previous injury to the Lisfranc's joint. 

This shoe is recommended for patients with:

*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis

*Posterior Tibial Tendonitis

*Peroneal Tendonitis

*History of previous Lisfranc's Injury

*Hallux Rigidus 

*Hallux Limitus

*Functional Hallux Limitus

*Osteoarthritis

*Morton's Neuroma

*Metatarsalgia

*Capsulitis

*Plantar Plate Injuries

*Hammertoes

*Mild to Moderate Bunions 

*Tailor's Bunions

*Corns & Calluses 

*Ingrown Toenails

*Over-Pronation

*Hypermobility & Ligament Laxity

*Ankle Instability 

This shoe is not recommended for patients with: 

*Charcot Foot

*Lymphedema

*Excessive Swelling

Check with your podiatrist if you have: 

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Diabetes

*History of Ulcerations 

*Drop Foot (this shoe should be able to accommodate a drop-foot plate or AFO, which is a custom-molded brace) 

*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage) 

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation) 

For more information, check these articles:

Top 10 things to alleviate foot pain today. 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-basics-10-steps-to-alleviating-foot.html

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from Lisfranc's Injuries. 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/04/podiatrist-shoe-recommendations-for.html

I hope this was helpful! 

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

:)

Crocs Neria Pro Graphic Clog - Podiatrist Recommended Shoes

Podiatrist Recommended Shoe

Croc's Neria Pro Graphic Clog 

The Neria Pro Graphic Clog is a slip-resistant shoe that is a great choice for anyone who has to work long hours on concrete floors such as retail, medical or restaurant environments. However, this shoe is not the ideal choice for anyone works on uneven, rocky terrains. 

What makes this clog excellent is that it meets the four criteria needed to make a shoe comfortable:

1. It has a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole. For a shoe to be comfortable it must have a thick, rigid sole with no flexibility. If you are wearing a shoe with a flexible sole then you are allowing excessive motion through joints that may be arthritic, dysfunctional or painful. Motion through these joints will increase pain, injury and promote arthritic joint changes, which then leads to compensating gait patterns which then further aggravates your knees, hips and lower back strain. Flexible-soled shoes speed up the progression of bunions, hammertoes and degenerative joint changes.  

2. Wide toe box. A tight-fitting toe box promotes hammertoes, bunions, corns, ingrown toenails and even toenail fungus. If you are trying to get rid of toenail fungus I can promise you that if you are in tight-fitting shoes with flexible soles that you will never get rid of it. For you to effectively treat fungal nails, it is crucial that you wear shoes with rigid soles, wide toe box and rearfoot control because it is the injury (even micro-trauma) to toenails that allows the fungus to get into the nail and nail bed which is what promotes the infection. Always try to find shoes with a wide and soft toe box that protects the toenails from injury.  

3. Rearfoot Control. If you are wearing shoes without rearfoot control (such as flip-flops or mules) then you are forced to grip down your toes which promotes hammertoes and bunions. It also allows more motion through the rearfoot area which can set you up for Achilles tendon injuries, plantar fasciitis (heel pain) as well as knee, hip and lower back strain. 

4. Arch support. It's ideal if you can find a shoe with a removable insole so that you can replace it with your custom-molded orthotics or an excellent over-the-counter insert such as a full-length Powerstep. Even if you think that you have a high arch and don't need arch support, I always tell patients that bridges have arches and engineers still put struts under the bridges to decrease mechanical strain. Arch support helps prevent midfoot (Lisfranc's Joint) arthritic changes, plantar fasciitis (heel pain) as well as decrease knee, hip and lower back pain.  

This shoe is recommended for patients with:

*Plantar  Fasciitis (heel pain)

*Mild Achilles Tendonitis

*Mild Peroneal Tendonitis

*Mild Posterior Tibial Tendonitis

*Over-Pronation

*Hypermobility / Ligament Laxity

*Hallux Limitus

*Functional Hallux Limitus

*Hallux Rigidus

*Osteoarthritis

*Rheumatoid Arthritis

*Morton's Neuroma

*Capsulitis

*Metatarsalgia

*Plantar Plate Injuries

*Knee, Hip & Lower Back Issues 

*Mild Bunions

*Mild Hammertoes

*Corns & Calluses

*Mild Tailor's Bunions 

*Mild Ankle Instability

This shoe is not recommended for patients with: 

*Charcot Foot

*History of Foot Ulcerations

*Geriatrics

*Foot Drop

*Charcot Marie Tooth Disease 

*Bone Spurs (Exostosis) on the top of the midfoot (Lisfranc's Joint). 

*C-Shaped feet 

*Skew-foot

*Anyone with large "bumps" on their feet 

Check with your podiatrist before wearing this shoe if you have:

*Diabetes

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation)

*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage) 

* * *

For more information, please refer to my articles: 

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from Lisfranc's joint injuries. 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/04/podiatrist-shoe-recommendations-for.html

Top 10 things to do to alleviate foot pain. 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-basics-10-steps-to-alleviating-foot.html

* * *

Thank you for reading the blog and have a wonderful day!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

:)