Best Fashion Sandals 2013 (not!)
Posted: September 15, 2013 Filed under: Fashion, Gladiator, Roman | Tags: ancient style, best fashion sandals 2013, fashion, golden masterpiece, summer sandals Leave a comment
Vogue’s 2013 pick for top 18 summer sandals has us wondering if they were designed for human or goddess. This golden masterpiece is Hermes in metallic, nappa suede, €650, perfect for lounging on a sunny boat deck in the Mediterranean. Otherwise, plan to spend your time bending down tying your laces, certainly not walking. If anyone knows of a more comfortable alternative to this ancient style, please weigh in.
Best Fashion Sandals 2013 (not!)
Posted: September 9, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
 Dominatrix meets Grumpy Old Man. Wear with socks for best effect and less abuse to the ankles. Impatient Black Leather Sandals offered by Office |
 Hobbit Lovers can hide 25 pound ankle weights in these “stud ankle covered bootie sandal” by nowdiscountshoes.com |
Best Fashion Sandals 2013 (4)
Posted: September 6, 2013 Filed under: Flats, Flip Flops, Thongs Leave a comment
 Elle’s Summer Sandals 2013 features this flat by Saint Laurent offered by Pre-a-Porte at $795. This is a minimalist, barefoot walking look, bringing the foot right to the ground with all its glory. |
 But the ground is hot! Taryn Rose keeps those tootsies air conditioned with a similar rendition of the same, classically uncomfortable style. Reduced to $145 from $205 at Neiman Marcus.
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It’s in the soul, man
Posted: August 19, 2013 Filed under: cork insoles, Orthotics, Pain Leave a commentDesigns in insoles vary in philosophy. As consumers of mass-marketed products, we should tread lightly (excuse the pun) when we apply a force to our body. “The arch is hitting me in the wrong place” is a refrain heard often on the shoe showroom.
Some insole designers support the foot’s anatomy with a continuous, smooth surface that echoes the foot’s structure, albeit mass produced. Other designers add components, such as toe crests. What’s that? A toe crest is a ridge that runs across the insole, at the base of the toes. The ridge creates pressure that can be helpful in relieving pain caused by hammer, claw, and mallet toes. But for some complications and for some foot sizes, this concentrated pressure can be harmful.
To Birkenstock, for being there
Posted: August 19, 2013 Filed under: cork insoles, Trends Leave a comment
Original Birkenstock “Arizona”
The Daily Beast reports that Birkenstocks came back with a vengeance this summer. But that’s only because eighty percent of success is showing up*. So thank you to Birkenstock for making sure that your brand continued to show up in comfort shoe stores and online for the forty years it took for fashion to re-discover the benefits of wearing a sandal that doesn’t restrict the forefoot — causing all kinds of problems sooner than later, and definitely later.
* Statement attributed to Woody Allen
Best Fashion Sandals 2013 (3)
Posted: August 18, 2013 Filed under: Fashion, High heels | Tags: best sandals 2013 Leave a comment
 Fashionspot’s Best Wedge Sandal for 2013 is aptly named “State of Architectural Wedge by Matiko.” Oh for the youth, the legs, a white mini dess and impervious feet! |
 No contest here, but if the girl with the gams doesn’t happen to be in the same room with me, I might pull this off. Either way, ankle straps tend to be annoying, but here the pitch is lower and the front is adjustable. All day standing in this one.
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Best Fashion Sandals for 2013 (2)
Posted: July 29, 2013 Filed under: Fashion, Thongs | Tags: best sandals 2013 Leave a comment
 Glamour’s “Your Summer Sandals 2013” features the Lacy Sandal, available at French Sole. True, it’s lots more lacy and glam than its comfort cousin. But the thought of pounding floors with that unyielding sole, slipping in my own sweat has me breathless. |
 Think’s Julia Laser-Cut Thong is not any more adjustable. But where it lacks in a backstrap, it gains in a contoured insole that grips the bottom of the feet for more security. And yes, wicks sweat effortlessly.
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Best Fashion Sandals 2013 (1)
Posted: July 29, 2013 Filed under: Gladiator, Trends | Tags: best sandals 2013 Leave a comment
 Glamour UK Editor’s Choice for Summer 2013 has bare bones for cushioning and virtually no protection against shock. The only adjustability is on the ankle so one can only hope that their feet are neither too bony nor to fleshy, but just right for this sandal. |
 The Wolky Lion offers a more comfortable sandal in a similar heel height. A cork inlay molds to the foot, the EVA outersole absorbs shock, a slight rocker assists gait and this sandal is adjustable at the heel and right down the vamp for micro adjusting.
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Lifting Me Higher: Shoe lifts for leg length discrepancy
Posted: June 29, 2013 Filed under: Heel Raise, Leg Length Discrepancy, Orthopedic Shoe Modification, Platform Lift | Tags: heel lift, heel raise, leg length discrepancy, orthopedic sandals, platform lift Leave a commentMargot Fleming of Long Beach needed a shoe lift after her hip operation. Debbie Lundin of Glen Clove was born this way. Many people have leg length discrepancies that leave one leg literally hanging in midair while standing. The problem causes damage when walking because the short leg has to travel more distance to reach the ground. The shorter leg appears to crash down toward the earth, throwing the other hip up. The long limb deforms the joints to shorten and balance to the short leg. Even marginal cases that often go undiagnosed or treated can produce trauma to the body in gait.
Correcting for a leg length discrepancy starts with a prescription for the amount of lift to correct. Oftentimes, a clinical evaluation for correction may differ from the actual difference. Prescriptions for shoe lifts may come from should be obtained from a physician or a clinician under a physician’s supervision to order the:
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1) Type of elevation (platform lift or heel raise), and
2) Height dimension of the elevation.
The height elevation may be measured in inches or millimeters. In addition, the various dimensions of the lift from the heel to the toe should be evaluated with the patient standing in the shoe. Small amounts can be made to fit as heel raises in the shoe, generally up to 1/4″ or possibly 3/8″; larger amounts must be built into the sole of the footwear, usually by splitting the sole and inserting soling material.
Shoe Shock: Sarah Jessica Parker trades heels for flats on doctor’s orders
Posted: March 28, 2013 Filed under: High heels, Pain | Tags: Carrie Bradshaw, foot pain, high heels, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City Leave a commentSarah Jessica Parker could overcome anything New York dished out. As Carrie Bradshaw, the star of “Sex And The City,” she epitomized the fresh outlook of a young, single, thinking woman in the Big Apple – overcoming adversity head-on with heart, loyalty to her friends and an allegiance to fashion. 
But it was only a matter of time before mother knew best was right. Those high heels ground her long, lean gams to a painful halt. Like many other women, Ms. Parker will need to re-invent her sense of style, when, at nearly fifty years of age she has a lot more life in her, but her feet are done.
This is someone who has invested in herself. She is a seasoned actor, her body may be Pilates-trained. Her parents probably didn’t question the wisdom of providing proper dental care for their daughter. But her feet did not go the distance. Years of abuse from pounding the pavement with her feet in a permanent, hyper flexed position, squeezed into tight shoes, has forced her to just stop.
And the damage is probably not limited to the feet. The effects of years of self-imposed distortion run up the kinetic chain, causing contraction in the calf muscles, tensor stresses in the knees, right up through the hips and spine. The Faustian bargain for Ms. Parker is a lifetime of pain management in any activity that requires standing or walking.
