Podiatrist Recommended Converse - the Run Star Hike!

Podiatrist Recommended

Comfortable Converse -

Run Star Hike.

These Run Star Hike Converse shoe options are super cute and far more comfortable than the classic Converse that has flimsy soles. 

They each meet three of the four criteria that shoes must possess to be comfortable, which are:

1. A thick, rigid, and non-flexible sole. This is actually the most important of the four criteria because a rigid sole that stops motion through painful or compromised joints means that you will have less inflammation, less pain, and joint damage. 

2. A wide toe box, so that there is less pressure on the toes, which means it will stop or slow the progression of hammertoes, bunions, ingrown toenails, corns, and even toenail fungus. 

3. Rearfoot control allows for more biomechanical control of the foot and ankle, which means that there will be less strain on your knees, hips, and lower back. 

4. These Converse can accommodate a dress orthotic or a thin over-the-counter insert, which will provide more arch support.  

These Converse are recommended for people with:

*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)

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

*Functional Hallux Limitus

*Hallux Rigidus (no range of motion of the 1st toe joint or a surgically fused 1st toe joint) 

*Mild Osteoarthritis

*Hypermobility

*Over-Pronation

*Mild 

*Metatarsalgia

*Capsulitis

*Mild Ankle Instability 

These Converse are not recommended for people with:

*Bunions

*Hammertoes

*Diabetes

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation)

*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage)

*History of Ulceration

*Charcot Foot 

*Morton's Neuroma 

*Achilles Tendonitis

*Drop Foot  

For more information, check out my article: 

"Top 10 reasons why your feet hurt -- and how to alleviate the pain today!" 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/search?q=my+feet+hurt

I hope this was helpful! 

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Podiatrist Recommended Fashion Boots for Winter 2021!

 

Top 20 Podiatrist Recommended 

Women's Boots

Fall 2020 & Winter 2021

It's been a tough year! In honor of making our lives more pleasant and pain-free, I've prepared a top 20 comfortable boot list that I hope proves helpful to you. My personal choice for a winter fashion boot is the Mephisto Hazelina, which I purchased from the fantastic Mephisto store on East Shea Boulevard where they have impeccable customer service and an amazing collection of comfortable and fashionable shoes. Mephisto shoes are expensive, but I consider them an investment in my health and well-being. 

When shopping for a comfortable boot, the most important aspect is to find a boot that has a thick, rigid, and non-flexible sole. It's counterintuitive, but 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. A thick, rigid, and nonflexible sole will also 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 will also decrease strain on the knees, hips, and lower back. You should also avoid any boots with a tapered and narrow toe box as they can cause bunions, hammertoes, ingrown toenails, and corns. A dress orthotic should fit nicely into most of these boots, which will help to slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes, prevent heel pain, and help with people who have over-pronation and hypermobility. 

I recommend that you shop for shoes after lunchtime when there is more swelling in your feet and ankles. I don't necessarily recommend this for everyone, but I purchase all my shoes one whole size up as I cannot tolerate any pressure on my toes. Don't be afraid to try the next size or width up to see how they feel. Always remember, it's better to have a shoe a little too big than too tight. 

Mephisto Hazelina

Guess Zodiac

Fearne Combat boots by Guess

Kork-Ease Shirome

Dr. Martens Leona (Burgundy Vintage)

Paloma Barcelo Nazare Shearling Boots

Paloma Barcelo Mardin

Circus By Sam Edelman

Madden Girl

Michael Kors 

Haskell Crocodile Embossed Leather Combat Boot

Michael Kors

Glenn Studded Leather Boot

El Naturalista Haya N5175

Sorel Evie Pull On

Sorel Joan of Arctic Wedge II Zip

The North Face Thermoball Progressive Zip

AGL Lugged Sole Chelsea

Frye Veronica Bootie

Frye Harness Square Toe Engineer

Eileen Fischer

London Recycled Stretch Knit Bootie

Fly Long Bagu

For more information, check out my article 'My feet hurt - Top 10 things to alleviate foot pain today' at:

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/search?q=my+feet+hurt 

Thank you for reading and I hope that this list is helpful to you! 

Stay safe!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

*********

Listen online to my short story podcast!

The Hidden Gems Podcast

Comfortable Sandals for Summer 2020!

Podiatrist Recommended

Summer Sandals for Summer 2020

Hello, Everyone! I hope that you are all having a healthy, safe, and fun summer. Here are 4 sandal selections that are great for all-day comfort and will help to decrease the risk of developing foot problems as they each meet 3 of the 4 criteria for what a shoe must have to be Podiatrist approved. 

To review, for any shoe to be good enough for your feet it must meet the criteria:

First, the most important thing to remember is that any shoe that you wear must have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole. The concept is counterintuitive but the idea is that if you have a painful joint then the last thing that you want to do is wear flexible shoes that force motion through joints that can’t handle it. When it comes to the foot, less motion equals less pain, inflammation, and joint damage. A sturdy sole with no motion will also stop or slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes, stress fractures, and osteoarthritis. 

Second, it is important that it has a soft, wide toe box, which will put less pressure on toes, which helps to prevent corns, ingrown toenails, and will even decrease the risk of developing toenail fungus. Obviously, sandals are a perfect option for decreasing pressure on the toes. 

Third, all shoes that you wear should have rearfoot control (strapping) because shoes without rearfoot control force you to scrunch down your toes to stay in the shoe, which promotes hammertoes and mechanical strain on your tendons and ligaments, which can cause tired leg syndrome.

The fourth thing is to wear shoes that can accommodate a custom-molded orthotic or an excellent over-the-counter insert for better arch support, which will help with preventing knee, hip, and even lower back pain. These sandals do not accommodate arch support, so if you know that you need to wear your custom-molded arch support you are better off wearing enclosed shoes that will accommodate them. 

I understand that these shoes can be expensive, but think of them as medical equipment and an investment in your body. If proper shoe gear can help alleviate foot, knee, hip, and lower back pain and ensure that you stay active as you get older then your money will be well spent. 

Mephisto Tarino

These shoes are carried at the Mephisto Store in Scottsdale, 

which you can find at: 

https://www.mephistoscottsdale.com/

Mephisto Dominica

Mephisto Store in Scottsdale: 

https://www.mephistoscottsdale.com/

Alegria Bailee Luggage 

I recommend that you go to your store that carries this brand 

so that you can try them on to ensure a good fit. 

SAS Relaxed Sandal

I recommend that you go to your local SAS Store 

or any other store that carried this brand 

so that you can try them on to ensure a good fit. 

These sandals are recommended for patients with:

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

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

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

*Rheumatoid Arthritis (the Mephistos and the SAS are better options than Alegria because they have more cushioning) 

*Osteoarthritis (same)

*Plantar Fasciitis (In general, Mephistos are best for anyone under 65 years old but SAS are better for anyone over 65 years old) 

*Morton's Neuroma

*Capsulitis

*Metatarsalgia

*Mild Tailor's Bunions 

*Mild Bunions

*Hammertoes 

*Ingrown Toenails 

These sandals are not recommended for patients with:

*Diabetics with history of Ulcerations 

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation)

*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage)

*Charcot Foot

For more information about shoes, please refer to my previous articles: 

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from Lisfranc's Injuries. 

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

Top 10 reasons why your feet hurt -- and how to alleviate the pain! 

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/search?q=my+feet+hurt

Thank you for reading and I hope this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy 

:)

Podiatrist Recommended John Fluevog Women's Shoes

Podiatrist Recommended
John Fluevog Women's Shoes 

Supervog

Akira

Todne

Flame

Capellan

Find

Advisor

Virtue

Luxon

Zenobia

These John Fluvog shoes are a great choice for anyone looking for comfortable yet fashionable footwear. I would recommend that you go to a Fluevog store to try on the shoes if at all possible. If you order online, I recommend that you read the reviews because it will give you tips on getting the best sizing.  

To review, for any shoe to be good enough for your feet it must meet 4 criteria:

First, the most important thing to remember is that any shoe that you wear must have a thick, rigid and non-flexible sole. 
The concept is counterintuitive but the idea is that if you have a painful joint then the last thing that you want to do is wear flexible shoes that force motion through joints that can’t handle it. When it comes to the foot, less motion equals less pain, inflammation and joint damage. A sturdy sole with no motion will also stop or slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes, stress fractures, and osteoarthritis. 

Second, it is important that it has a soft, wide toe box, which will put less pressure on toes, which helps to prevent corns, ingrown toenails and will even decrease the risk of developing toenail fungus. 

Third, all shoes that you wear should have rearfoot control because shoes without rearfoot control force you to scrunch down your toes to stay in the shoe, which promotes hammertoes and mechanical strain on your tendons and ligaments, which can cause tired leg syndrome.

The fourth thing is to wear shoes that will accommodate a custom-molded orthotic or an excellent over-the-counter insert for better arch support, which will help with preventing knee, hip and even lower back pain. If your dress orthotics don't work in your dress shoes or heels then don't wear them as trying to force them into a dress shoe can cause problems such as discomfort, calluses, and crowding of toes. Of the four criteria listed here, having arch support is the least important of the four.

These shoes are not recommended for patients with:
*Diabetes 
*Peripheral Neuropathy (nerve damage)
*Peripheral Arterial Disease (poor circulation)
*History of foot ulcerations
*Charcot Foot


If you are unsure if any of these shoes will work for your foot condition, please refer to your local podiatrist. 

I hope this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

Podiatrist Recommended Women's Boots!

Podiatrist Recommended

Women's Fashion Boots

A Blog dedicated to:

How to find good looking shoes

that are good for your feet

and are pathology specific.

Harley-Davidson's Jocelyn Boot

John Fleuvog Hopefuls Luxon

Chuck Taylor All Star Boot

Dr. Martens Jaden Vegan Boot

John Fluevog Piccolomini Boot

Dansko Tami Neutral

Frye Veronica Bootie

John Fluevog Audra

John Fluevog Soft Rock

John Fluevog Anna

Fit Flop Mukluk

Fit Flop Elin

Fit Flop Skandi

These boots are a great option for people looking for all-day comfort and fashion. Remember, no matter what type of boot you choose for yourself, it must meet four criteria to be comfortable: 

First, it must have a thick rigid sole that you cannot bend or flex. A thin, flimsy sole that bends and flexes will cause excess motion through your foot joints, which can lead to an increased chance of injuries such as fractures and sprains, arthritis, bunions, hammertoes, mechanical strain, and PAIN. An excellent shoe is a shoe that limits motion so that you have less pain, less damage, less chance of injury and, an added bonus, prettier feet. As you walk through life, you are either beating up your feet or you are beating up your shoes - if you think what your shoes look like after a couple of years of use - without the protection of a thick rigid sole - that damage is going to be happening to your joints. 

Second, you need arch support. Whether it is built into the shoe, over-the-counter arch support or a custom-molded orthotic - it is important to biomechanically control your arch. When patients say to me that they have great arches and don't need arch support, my answer is that bridges have arches but engineers still put struts under them to decrease mechanical strain. Proper arch support will help decrease knee, hip, and lower back pain as well as stop or slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes and soft tissue injuries such as tendonitis and plantar fascial strain. Talk to your Podiatrist about whether or not your insurance plan pays for you to get custom-molded orthotics. They are often a covered benefit. You only have one set of feet and once they break down - you don't get a new pair. Invest in your body and purchase good shoes and get orthotics. It's the same rationale as a dentist telling you to brush and floss on a regular basis and a dermatologist telling you to wear sunscreen. You need to protect your body because it is just a matter of time until it tries to go south on you. 

Third, you need a wide and preferably soft toebox. This will decrease pressure on the toes, which will help prevent ingrown toenails, hammertoes, bunions, Morton's Neuromas, and painful corns and calluses. 

Forth, you need a shoe with rearfoot control. Backless shoes such as flipflops and mules are not good enough for your feet. If you are not biomechanically controlling the rearfoot with at least a strap, you are forcing your toes to curl down to stay in the shoe, which promotes deformities such as hammertoes and bunions and increases the chance of knee, hip, and lower back pain. Without rearfoot control, you are forcing all of your tendons, ligaments, and joints to work harder to stay in the shoe. This also causes 'tired-leg syndrome' and leg fatigue. 

If you have any severe foot issues or systemic diseases, please check with your Podiatrist to make sure that a particular boot is correct for you. I encourage patients to bring in one bag of shoes so that we can check each shoe together and have a discussion about what will or will not work for their feet. Proper shoegear is absolutely crucial! 

My goal as a Podiatrist is to keep my patients as active as possible for as long as possible with as few problems as possible. And this goal can be achieved with the help of proper shoegear. 

For more information about comfortable shoes, please check out my other articles:

My Feet Hurt! Top 10 Things to do to Alleviate Foot Pain Today.

https://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-feet-hurt-top-ten-things-relieve.html

Shoe Recommendations for Patients Recovering from Lisfranc Injuries. 

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

Have a great day!

Dr. Cathleen McCarthy

:)