Many women who wear shoes that are too short develop hammertoes. This is a condition where the toes draw up, producing a buckling of the joints on the top of the toes.
Hammertoes typically occur more often in women having high arched feet as opposed to flat feet. Before you rush off to the surgeon though, have your feet measured and make sure your high heels are of proper length. Your toes will thank you.
Posted in Foot Pain
I wasn’t a fan of the Gel Cumulus 9 because of it’s flexibility and disproportional fit. I am a fan of the Gel Cumulus 10, especially if your foot is wide and you have a bunion. The Cumulus 10 has expanded the mesh in the area of the bump, which allows for less pressure in this area.
The cumulus 10 also has less flexibility in the forefoot than the 9 which can help alleviate ball of the foot pain.
The only downside of the Cumulus is the outsole, which is made of soft EVA which will tend to wear more quickly than a shoe with firm EVA. Both will accommodate a sport orthotic easily.
Posted in Shoe Review
If you have a wide foot that’s either deep or shallow then Chaco sandals (http://chacousa.com/) may be just right for you. They have a thick sole with a built in arch, which is great for flat or collapsing feet.
My favorite part of the shoe though, is how easily it adjusts by sliding the straps to increase or decrease depth. This makes for a better customized fit, then if you just had width adjustability alone.
Another added bonus is their repair program, which includes all parts of the sandal from strapsto soles. At around $100 for the sandal and $30 for the repairs, Chaco sandals can last years. And don’t your feet deserve that?
Posted in Uncategorized
A marathon runner came into the office asking about the new Newton Running shoes. He had seen their booth at his last Marathon event and wanted to try them, so he purchased a pair online and brought them in.
I was disappointed when I saw them, not only because of the expensive price tag ($150+) but because they were unstructured and flexible, reminding of Nike Free. Most discouraging of all though, was watching JR run in them on the treadmill. The upper was moving from side to side to the point that I was worried about rearfoot injury and the potential for knee pain with continued use.
Needless to say, he looked much better in his Saucony Grid Stabil’s which held him in proper alignment. If you are interested in running in a Newton, make sure you have a sports medicine specialist evaluate them on you including running.
Posted in Shoe Review
Arthur Beren in San Francisco http://www.berenshoes.com/ is the place to go if you are stylish and don’t mind spending $400 (or more) on a pair of shoes, including Thierry Rabotin. Previously a designer for Taryn Rose, he now has his own line which many of the well heeled wear. Butter soft leather uppers and insoles the color of Tiffany box blue. Genius marketing…if only I’d though of it!
Today someone brought in two pair of Thierry Rabotin shoes which perfectly fit her wide (bunion), shallow, hard-to-fit feet. This pair is “Grace”, a ballerina flat with an elasticized vamp insets which help with the fit. Stylish and fun. If you can afford the sticker shock, Thierry Rabotin is a great designer shoe line.
Posted in Uncategorized
Asics 2130 is one of my favorite shoes and I recommend it daily. Today however, someone brought in a pair of the new 2130’s in the storm/lightening/hot pink color. Her previous pair were the white/gold/python color and much to my dismay, the shoes were not the same width.
The new 2130’s (right) were 5mm narrower than the old 2130’s (left), which makes the fit more like the old 2120’s which have been discontinued.
If this is your running shoe, make sure you check the width as subtle changes can make a big difference. If the new 2130 seems too tight, switch to the D width which will probably work.
Posted in Shoe Fit, Shoe Review
Reader Joey asks “I need professional, non-biased opinions on the MBT’s”.
I reviewed MBT’s, on my 12/22/07 posting. Here’s the link: https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2007/12/22/cnettv-me-on-masai-barefoot-technology/
As an additional summary, I’m not a huge fan of MBT’s because they are heavy and expensive and don’t work at all for narrow or shallow feet.
Research the company cites to validate their findings were done on healthy college students, having little or no pathology. Not surprisingly, there have only been three studies, all sponsored by the company and none within the past several years.
Typically when someone comes into the office wearing MBT’s, I work with them to transition out of the MBT’s into a more normal type of shoe and I have never recommended MBT’s as a first line of treatment.
Posted in Shoe Fit, Shoe Review
Ebony brought in this great platform wedge sandal today, purchased from Gap.
Platform style sandals are a great way to add height without increasing ball of the foot pain. This sandal has the added bonus of buckles at the ankle and over the top of the foot for even better fit. All in all this shoe rates an A for summer style and wear.
Posted in Shoe Fit
Okay, I’m not going to really review all the different NikeiD styles because there are so many of them. Instead, what I wanted you to know, is how much fun the NikeiD process is.
Basically, you pick the shoe design, the colors and some of the materials which make up the shoes. For example – upper color, logo color, insole color and shoelaces.
The above image shows a pair brought in today ($110), which are fun and original. This is the Nike Dunk Low iD Men’s Shoe and it’s surprisingly stable compared to similiar shoes like Vans.
Posted in Shoe Review
Dear Readers,
In the next week I’ll be doing an interview, which will air in July, for Body Language, a new public radio show featuring contemporary attitudes towards health and wellness. http://www.onthepathproductions.com/
Part of what I’ll be doing is talking about the blog, including common shoe misconceptions as well as what it takes to keep your feet healthy and happy for years to come.
In preparation of the interview, I thought your input would be helpful, so I’d like to have you answer the following questions on the blog. If you would prefer to keep you’re answers anonymous, just let me know and I won’t post them.
Thanks and if there is anything else shoe wise that you would like me to blog about, let me know, I love hearing from you!
Dr. Sanders
Reader and Medical Student Tony asks “What do you think about the FitFlop?”.
I think FitFlops are great. They have nice wide straps and a thick, contoured soles. I have used them successfully with narrow, shallow feet (Wiley’s Felt Remedy required) and wide, deep feet. I don’t however believe the company’s claims about muscle work-outs, toning and trimming of the legs so don’t buy them for this reason.
If you’re looking for a fun, comfy, well designed, well made and well fitting flip flops, then FitFlops may just be for you.
Posted in Shoe Fit, Shoe Review
Reader Andrea asks “Could you please review the New Balance 767? I have a relatively narrow foot and wear orthotics for my high and collapsing arch.”
I’m not familiar with the NB 767 model, but I am familiar with the 768 which is the next version. My problem with the 768 is it has a very deep toe box even in the narrow width.
On the plus side – it will work with an orthotic and it won’t strangulate your high arch. Just make sure it doesn’t fail the pinch test: https://drshoe.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/pinch-test-shoe-toebox/
If it does, then you might want to try Asics 2130 in medium, since this has a shallower toe box, fits the narrow foot with a high arch nicely and will work with an orthotic.
Posted in Shoe Fit, Shoe Review
Dr. Jenny Sanders Shoe Blog 
