When we say we carry orthotics, we don’t only mean for the feet. Here is an orthotic for the back! Watch the VIDEO to see how it works. It is pretty amazing. That nagging lower back pain is handled! We have them here – come by and try one out and see for yourself!
It’s an ominous name but a great muscle massager whether you are an elite athlete or couch potato. Even if you are a dog, cat or rabbit – yes, there is the Pet Stick! You can even have your pet’s name put on the Pet Stick. Read more HERE about results others have had with it. We have them here. Come try one out!
We hope not. 
If you are, stop. Why, you ask? Because gel is an unstable material. It forces the body to make micro movements that increase problems with normal feet as well as those with conditions that are aggravated by micro movements, such as peripheral neuropathy. It doesn’t work as a cushion or an arch support, or heel support or metatarsal support. It stresses ankle, knee, hip and back in an attempt to keep you stable! Sure, it feels “cushy” on the feet, but the instability is too much of a price to pay for what only seems to be comfort!
The Atlanta Shoe Shoe is an industry only event where the shoe manufacturers showcase shoes for the upcoming season. For the first time since rocker soles were introduced, sales reps at the manufacturers booths either weren’t writing orders or weren’t there at all. The word around the show was that because of the Reebok lawsuit and the problems for many who wore the Sketchers brand, rockers are dead. Some of our favorite manufacturers have discontinued their rocker sole lines.
If you don’t know about the lawsuit, (click HERE for a synopsis) it centered around advertising by Reebok (and others) that rocker soles would firm you up without having to do anything more than wear them. In fact, some were dubbed “workout shoes”. As with any mass marketed product, some people were injured while wearing them, some made claims they were injured in them and, worst of all, those who hoped to look like the Playboy Bunny of the Year didn’t look any better than they did when they bought the shoes. Imagine that!
If you’ve worn the “real” rocker sole shoes (MBT, Ryn, Aetrex), read any of our articles or read Cam White’s excellent summary of the rocker shoes, you know that this is a crying shame. Cam is very positive about the future of rocker soles, but even Cam wasn’t at the Atlanta shoe show this year writing orders for the rocker shoe companies he represents.
We don’t believe the rocker phenomena is over. It will slow down for awhile because of the negative publicity. What will develop is that the shoes will be found in small stores like Smart Feet where trained fitters and C. Peds will determine who can wear them and which brand or style is best for each person. The originals in the field, MBT and Ryn and the other brands mentioned in Cam White’s article are engineered shoes, not knock-offs or just thick soles. If you or anyone you know has doubts about the validity of rocker sole shoes, point them to MBT’s research HERE. And come see us at Smart Feet, let our experts fit you with the rocker that is right for you. We’ll encourage you to walk around the store for at least a few minutes so that you fully understand the differences in the brands that we carry. Rocker sole shoes are amazing.
There are more than a few that come to Savannah for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. For those of us who live here, it is an official holiday. Schools are closed and many businesses do too.
If you’ve ever walked the parade route (3.1 miles) or gone to the event – which probably entails just as much or more walking – you know what a long day it can be. After just a few hours, you are either ruing the day you were born or swearing at St. Patrick because your feet have had enough! Some (no one reading this, of course), get through it by drinking. They don’t have a prescription for any pain killing liquid, but alcohol does reduce pain. Not really the best idea, soooooo………this year, how about preparing ahead? Prepare to enjoy the parade, festive atmosphere, the city, family and friends. Have fun without a moment’s thought of sore feet or legs. Don’t forget that even if you take one of the many shuttles, you will still be walking a distance to get to and from the parade site. If you forget your lawn chair, it’s really bad – you’ll be standing at least 3 plus hours watching the parade, then you’ll still want to eat and do other things. Here is a simple way to prepare:
Get in here already!!! There is a concept known as “Prepare ahead of need” so if anything needs to be ordered, it will be here in time for the big event. This is a walking shoes and socks day, not dress shoes, pumps, heels or flat flip flop day. We have the best walking shoes ever, the best socks (nonmicrobial, copper, bamboo, silver, seamless, moisture wicking, compression), and the best arch supports there are. We analyze what is best for you on our digital and occular (meaning our trained Pedorthic eyes) machines.
Monday-Friday 10-6 and Saturday 10-3. That’s right, we are closed Sunday. We know you may be tired after work or on a weekend and want put it off again, but we promise laughs and good cheer when you arrive. You’ll get your second wind.
If you don’t live in the area but will be coming to the festival, look at our on-line store. It is a tiny store for a website but Spira shoes and our selection of arch supports are perfect choices.
For many of us there was a time when we went to the only shoe store in town, chose a shoe and wore it home. Those who lived in bigger cities had a few more shoes stores and if there were no shoes that pleased or fit in one store, it was on to the next one or two. If Mom would let you, that is! She usually had a lot of things to do and fussing around with being too particular wasn’t one of them.
Now we have what seems like a trillion ways to buy shoes: Chain stores, local retail, warehouse stores, outlet malls, discount shoe stores, dollar stores, consignment shops, Goodwill, the Internet, E-Bay, doctor offices, trucks that come to the workplace, etc. And there is an emphasis on two things: !) Being very particular about the style and color since so many are available and 2) buying it at the lowest price possible. Smart phones are pointed like shot guns at shoes for comparison pricing.
The problem with going for the lowest price is that it probably also signals lesser quality. It isn’t restricted to unknown brands. It includes the most famous brands. How do we know this? Those who work or have worked for the big name brands tell us. In detail. They don’t like that their once respected brands are being made with hidden shortcuts to lower production costs while they look the same on the outside. Or a new style is introduced that looks good from the outside but is sponge inside.
The others who tell us? Shoe repairmen. (Not to get off on another subject, but send us a picture of a female shoe repairer and we will feature her in a story.) Anyway, with the drop in the economy, there has been a big uptick in their business and they are pretty shocked at the quality of the shoes being brought in for repair. Mostly, they can’t fix the shoes because the shoes lack even basic structure or quality materials they can work with.
How can you identify which shoes look the same but are of greatly reduced quality? Here are some clues: Name brand shoes that have been popular in prior years and appear in full page ads at much lower prices, most shoes in outlet malls or discount shoes stores, big box stores, and in some Internet shoe stores. They may or may not be sale priced, but when they are priced low, it is a red flag on the probable quality.
The bottom line on these kinds of shoes is that you are not receiving the benefits of what made the brand or the shoe special in the first place. They probably won’t feel the same. We hear time and again, “These shoes (or brand) used to fit perfectly. Now they don’t last as long and don’t feel as good.” And those who come in because their feet hurt inevitably tell us that the shoes they are wearing are “just some cheap shoes I picked up at………” They thought they looked really good and at the price, they couldn’t resist getting a pair.
We get what we pay for. Those of us who are Pedorthists, have European shoe stores or comfort shoe stores, learn what is in a shoe and why. Shoe manufacturing representatives are uncommonly honest about their products – not to throw their employers under the bus – but because they know that we need to know what is best. We work with those whose loved ones don’t want to see Grandpa fall again, those who are trying to put off a knee replacement, and those who just want to finish a day of work thinking about the evening ahead instead of how badly their feet hurt.
We know more will buy shoes based on quality, at a reasonable price, if they know where those shoes are. It’s up to us and others who own stores like ours to get the word out - for those who have ears to hear and feet that need relief.
The answer to that question is “Yes!” Nearly all of us have at least a tiny bit of difference in the length of our legs, just as we do in the length and width of our feet. Less than .4 of an inch is considered normal, but more probing questions need to be asked. Here are better questions:
A “yes” answer to any of these questions is a clue that you may be dealing with different leg lengths and it is involved with these problems. Leg length differences throw balance off and disrupt normal gait. Studies show that for those with leg leg differences of .4 of an inch or more, long term there is an increased incidence of back problems, knee osteoarthritis and possibly hip and ankle arthritis. If you have any of the above problems, you can see this is not an insignificant matter!
There are as many ways to measure leg length as there are people to do it! Podiatrists, pedorthists, physical therapists, orthopedists and sports injury specialists will all tell you why their way of measuring is more accurate and valid than another’s. What is key is whether a correction reduces symptoms and discomfort.
Fortunately, this is an easy fix. If a lift of more than 3/8 of an inch is needed, the lift should be on the outside of the shoe. Less than that and a rubber heel lift inside the shoe usually does the trick. Generally speaking, the lift height should be about 1/2 of the difference in the leg lengths. You can, of course, do a combination of internal and external. For more on this subject, HERE is a link to our discussion of in the Smart Reference Library.
We are continually surprised to hear folks who work on their feet tell us how little they pay for their work shoes. Those shoes have to be replaced every 3-4 months, or at least every 6-7 months - – and so they consider it foolish to spend more on them. Or we hear “I spend a lot of money on my work shoes” and find out that $65 is the amount they pay. What is consistent is that they are in our store because their feet hurt, and they are hoping to find a better shoe to solve that problem without paying more.
Instead of just saying the obvious “You’ve got to pay a little more and get yourself good shoes,” we want to introduce this idea – Treat your work shoes like they are gold. Why? Because they are one of the most important investments you can make in your work, and your body. It isn’t just how you feel at work – How you feel after work is just as important as how you feel while working. Ask those who live with you! That does not mean that you must cash in a gold bar to pay for them. There are many good shoes on the market at about $100. If your shoes are the right shape and size for your foot, and if they are well cared for to keep the leather clean and supple, they will feel better, and last many times longer than the bargain shoes you’ve been wearing.
What should you know about choosing a pair of work shoes? Of course, price is important. But first, choose several shoes that meet the criteria of what a good shoe is. Then match the shoes to the shape of your foot, pull the footbed out of the right shoe and stand on it. You should have about 3/8 of an inch in front of your longest toe. Try them on. Both shoes. Tie them, and walk around in them. Some stores, including Smart Feet, have foot scanners that will show which shape (last) shoe is best for your foot – straight last, semi-curved or curved last. After determining which shoes fit and feel best, choose the pair that is at the price you want to pay.
Choosing the right shoe is only the beginning of treating your shoes like gold. Maintaining them matters. Here is a good after work routine:
1. Put cedar shoe trees in the shoes after each use so all moisture and bacteria in the shoe is released before the next work day.
2. Wipe or brush the shoes down so that all debris and chemicals are removed.
3. Wear seamless anti-microbial socks for comfort and to ensure no fungal agents get on your feet and take up residence.
Add in an arch support and the longevity of the shoe, your comfort while working and the ability to enjoy time off of work because your feet don’t hurt will be………….. golden and priceless.
Smart Feet was privileged to take part in the Expo for the Rock & Roll Marathon in November. We had a booth and for 2 days we watched and talked with runners getting ready to run that Saturday. Over 20,000 of them, along with friends and family, came through the Expo in those 2 days.
We were inspired to start a new local walking club, The Moon River Walkers, because our friend, Dana Skiljan, had signed up to walk a half marathon. Already training through a program sponsored by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Savannah, she was looking for others to walk with so she would get all her training miles in. We saw it as the perfect time to launch the walking club – and we did, with Dana as the first President!
What we found while walking with Dana and by talking to runners at the Expo was that they do more than run or walk for fitness and competition. They walk and run as a result of their own gumption and dedication. Nobody wakes them at 4:00 a.m. to get their run in before they go to work! The energy produced through their routines gives them the energy to do more than those that don’t challenge themselves physically. In the heat of the summer, Dana got up at that hour to train before she met the rest of the club at 8:30 for a 3 mile walk. We came with our frozen water bottles and protections against Savannah’s unmerciful humidity and heat feeling pretty proud of ourselves but Dana already put in her training miles by the time we met at 8:30. She came to walk with us anyway, wanting to be sure she would be ready in November. She inspired us and others while seemingly just trying to get her training miles in.
That was the energy the marathon brought to Savannah. Although runners and walkers came from all over the US and from other countries, Savannah was very well represented. Many here took up the challenge. The lesson from this is not that everyone of us needs to train to walk or run a marathon. We all do need to devote a portion of each day to seeing to it our physical bodies are maintained. 15 minutes of activity, work up to 45 minutes; or 3 miles of walking 3 times a week, or maybe even training to run a marathon! If you want to do a marathon, there will be 4 more chances. The Rock & Roll franchise signed a contract to be here for a total of 5 years.
Start simple, feel the benefits of regular physical exercise – no matter how humble it may be at the beginning – and see where it leads. You will benefit, and in doing so, you may just inspire others to get moving and personally experience the benefits.
Have you ever had a pair of shoes where the throat of the shoe (it’s opening) or the tongue rub painfully on a bone in the ankle area? You either don’t buy the shoes because of it or stop wearing them pretty quickly if you do purchase them?
There are 6 bones in the ankle area that can take offense in this area of the foot – both ankle bones (malleolus), talus, navicular, fibula, tibia, cuneform or cuboid. Any of them can be sensitive to pressure on them. Even with that many bones, there are really only 2 things are in play when this happens: 1) The rubbing and discomfort are real, and 2) it is one of the easiest fixes there is!
Sometimes wearing a little thicker sock will take care of it. If that doesn’t work or a thicker sock isn’t possible (like, if it’s hot enough as it is!), then putting a leg length lift in both shoes will usually do it. If the rubbing only occurs on one foot, you still need to have the lift in both shoes so you don’t create another problem – a leg length difference.
The reason this works is that lifting the heel a bit will move the foot and ankle up out of the way of the painful intersection of bone and shoe. It doesn’t even take much lift – 1/4 inch or less – and it is as simple as that!
You can make your own lifts out of a firm material or buy the rubber leg lengths. To test which height will work, start with the lowest height and move up until the bone isn’t rubbing anymore.
