Shoes... From the Inside Out.

I see quite a few patients and "athletes" who come to me wanting coaching and or medical treatment related to their activities and/or exercise. I always start at the bottom (their feet) and work my way up. The overwhelming majority of people are wearing kinda fancy shoes ("neon Dions", or "Air Freds") that cost anywhere from $80 to $120. Usually, they are very proud of the "quality" of the shoes they are wearing. And, usually, I agree.

The pet peeve comes when I have them take off their shoes ("what?... careful, these babies smell naasssttyy!", is usually the comment I hear most) and look inside.

I most frequently find the original, what I refer to as "the advertisement", still inside. You know, that thin cushy, sometimes fancy looking insole that is made out of cheap foam rubber that bears the shoemaker's logo.

I refer to these as "the advertisement" because that's all they are good for, advertising the shoe. They are soft and cushy for about 3 days and then they become flattened and completely useless. They provide no support, and sometimes give the illusion of adding to the comfort of the shoe.

So now you have a great shoe, but the internal support is now gone. Yes, there is great external support, but have you looked under "the advertisement" at the bottom (last) of the inside? It is very stiff, flat, and usually quite uncomfortable.

The external of the shoe provides excellent stabilization or cushion or shock absorption (depending on the model), yet it is now then only providing a flat surface on the inside for your feet to stand or run or jump upon.

Do I really need to tell you how important your feet are???
If I do, then I will have my grandmother call your grandmother (the greatest source of common sense wisdom ever invented).

OK, "Dr. Ross" (smarty pants), what do I do?

Get yourself some SuperFeet (www.superfeet.com).

These are not the $300 custom orthotics that you need to see a Doctor or Physical Therapist to get. They are a great product that are sold "over the counter" at lots of places. REI, Super Jock & Jill, and, of course, DrTri Whole Health & Fitness to name a few.

Please, believe me, this is not a blatant advertisement for products I sell. I just want you to get rid of "the advertisement" in your shoe. I don't care where you get the SuperFeet, just get them! (and, no, I DO NOT get a kickback from SuperFeet).

They last for about a year, so you can reuse them in three to four pairs of walking, running, or hiking shoes. Which, incidentally, is an indicator of how often you should change your running/walking shoes (about every 3 to 4 months at most).
Another great thing about them is the price; only about $30.00!!!

They are made of some sort of excellent material (check out their website if you are curious) with a very supportive built-in arch that doesn't break down in 3 days, and they provide a great "neutral" support for your feet so that you are NOT walking on a flat hard (although cushioned) surface. They feel awesome and that feeling lasts, as I said, for about a year.

Caution: If you have serious foot pain and/or dysfunction, have an expert (Ballard Sports Medicine Clinic have two great Podiatrists: Dr. Blahous and Dr. Bouche') examine your feet and shoes and determine what is best for you!!!

DrTri