Back To School Shoes

Summer is quickly ending and now many students and kids will be returning back to school. At this time, many parents will be buying their children new sneakers/shoes to also start the new year off. There are many different things to look into when buying sneakers and shoes. The American Podiatric Medical Association has listed a "1,2,3 test" to ensure a good quality shoe when purchasing new shoes.
The first thing to do it press on both back parts of the heel. this area should be firm and not compress.
(Images on the left are better quality sneakers than images on the right)
Click on picture for bigger picture.


The next step to check for is toe flexibility. The shoe/sneaker should compress at the ball of the foot and not the entire shoe. The shoe should bend with your child’s toes, but should not be too stiff or bend too much in the toe box area.




The 3rd test should be to grab the shoe/sneaker and twist it from side to side. A good quality shoe/sneaker will not easily twist in the middle.



Other important considerations is to go shoe shopping with your children. This will help promote good quality shoes early and often. Always look for the Podiatry Seal of Acceptance on the shoes. We have blogged about this earlier. Continually examine the wear pattern of the heels. Many kids will tend to wear out the heels even though their shoe size has not changed. Lastly, socks is always important when trying on shoes. Make sure to wear the correct socks when trying on shoes to ensure a proper fit.

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Flip Flops and Bacteria

There was an interesting article posted by NBC about Flip flops and bacteria that I would like to discuss. The University of Miami emergency mobile flip-flop lab found more than 18,000 bacteria on one flip flop. Now remember that's just ONE flip flop. What was even more interesting was that some of the bacteria that was found on the flip flops, were bacteria from fecal matter, respiratory germs, diaper rash, and yeast infection. Oh the places we go....the study tested different parts of NYC. The subway, parts of Coney island, Coney island public restroom at the train station, West Village, and Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Wow I couldn't even imagine wearing a pair of sandals, or flip flops in a subway. Let a lone a busy one like NYC. That one in the public restroom had about 13,900 bacteria!! Another interesting finding by Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University’s Langone Medical Center, said "if such shoes were worn for three months over the course of an entire summer, 93 percent of them would have fecal bacteria on them and 20 percent of them would have E. coli."
Just think about what you are potentially walking in with those flip flops in bathroom floors, especially in a subway station. And I just don't mean human waste either. You also have small animal droppings as well.
The most important thing that one should consider is not having any open cuts, blisters, or sores. You shouldn't be wearing flip flops to begin with, with any of the above foot ailments. But with all those bacteria, this can lead to severe infections in the foot.
It is always important to take good care of your feet and to recommend checking your feet daily. For further information, please check out our website.

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

What is My Foot Type?

We typically will get many questions regarding "What is my foot type?" and "What type of sneaker should I be looking for? Motion control? Stability?" Well it can be very easy to determine what your foot 'type' is. This can range from a flat foot, high arch foot, or a normal foot. It is very important to know this, so that when it comes to buying a pair of sneakers you can determine which kind to buy.

The images that you see from left to right are pictures of a High arch foot, flat foot, and a normal foot. To find out what type of foot you are you can perform the "Wet Test"

This simple test can be done at home. Basically, pour some water in a pan. Step in the pan so that the bottom of your foot is wet. Then step onto brown paper bag, shopping bag, or heavy paper. Then take a look to see which image your foot type is similar to.

Lets start off with the High Arch foot. If you don't see much of the instep, and a thin line of the outside part of your foot then you have this type of foot. You will basically be looking for a Cushioned or Flexible shoe type

Next would be the flat foot. If you see the majority of your foot than this is your foot type. You will typically be looking for a Motion Control or Stability shoe.

Lastly would be the normal foot type. You would most likely see half of your arch area. If so than you have a normal or neutral foot type. When buying shoes you want to typically look for a Stability type shoe.

This can help out tremendously when deciding between the differences out there between cushioned, flexible, motion control, and stability

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

Athlete Update

If I come across some athletes with foot injuries I will tend to blog about them with their injuries and treatments and monitor their progress. Sometimes, their injuries are not always listed. A few weeks ago, I blogged about Carlos Quentin and his heel pain condition, plantar fasciitis.

Carlos Quentin is a baseball player for the Chicago White Sox. He plays the outfield position. His lat game played before going on the disabled list was May 25th, 2009. he did not return until July 20th, 2009. He underwent the ESWT treatment that we have discussed earlier in the blog.
Currently, he is doing very well since his treatment. He is batting .357 just in the month of August. That is up from just .190 in July with only 42 At bats. He also has had 3 HR's since his return. He still has a way to go to be where he was, but its good to know that he has not yet been limited by the plantar fasciitis.

Even after having the treatment he was still developing soreness in his heel. This is common from ESWT with everyone being different. Sometimes people do not get soreness, and some people may develop it from days, to weeks, to months. I will conitue to monitor his progress along with other athletes that we have talked about in the past.

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/

New Running Sneaker Style

I recently saw an interesting article from Wired magazine. Research is being done that is suggesting barefoot is the way to run. I do not agree with this at all, but we will see what kind of literature will be published in the future. Certain companies are developing models like Nike Free, the Newton All-Weather Trainer and the glove-like Vibram FiveFingers.

Could these things be the new Crocs? Only time will tell. I dont see it as a good idea due to the lack of support and cushion. By running barefoot, you increase your chances of sprain, strains, fractures, and developing cuts and bruises. The new sneakers do not seem at all supportive for the heel and arch. I will keep you posted on the new running style to see if any literature is out there. Until then, its best NOT to run barefoot, and to be in good supportive sneakers and shoes at all times.
The original article can be found at : http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/

http://www.podiatrycarespecialists.com/