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b e a c t i v e

The 80/20 Rule Let’s be realistic. For many occasions such as weddings, dinner parties or cocktails with the girls, women will often select fashion over function - no questions asked! However, when it comes to more practical situations such as your daily walk to and from the office, working in a retail scenario or any job that de- mands standing while being dressed to impress, fashion should come second to having a functional, pain-free shoe. To address this requirement, Pedorthists will often suggest that their patients follow the “80/20 rule.” Eighty percent of the time, when you are at work, doing housework or ex- ercising, wear sensible shoes. For the remaining twenty percent of the time, feel free to let fashion be your guide! For the dedicated high heel wearers out there who think the pain is only temporary, think again. Research shows that habitual high heel use can increase your risk of developing medial knee osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the knee joint. Wearing high heels alters the forces acting through the knee joint and imposes more force along the inside of the knee - a predisposing factor to devel- oping medial knee osteoar- thritis. A second concern with fashionable footwear is pointy toed shoes or too narrow of a toe box. Compressing the foot into a narrow shape (such as a pointy toed shoe) can lead to painful forefoot conditions such as a Morton’s neuroma ( compression of a nerve) or Hallux Valgus (bunions). Both a Morton’s neuroma and/or bunions can require corrective surgery if severe enough, so

box. Stay away from 2 or 3 toed shoes where only 2-3 of your toes are actually in the toe box! Many women don’t realize that even dress shoes come in multiple widths. Your Canadian Certified Pedorthist can measure your feet for both length and width to make sure you are getting the best fitting footwear. If your fore- foot is wider than a “D” width, it is highly recommended that you purchase shoes that come in wider widths to decrease your chance of developing bunions or Morton’s neuroma. Low, stable heel Choose shoes with a solid heel, such as a square heel or a wedge design. As for heel height, research recommends wearing heels 1.5 inches or less to minimize excess forces from occurring at the knee. Cushioning Look for shoes with cushion- ing under the heel and ball of the foot. Many shoes will have a removable foot bed that your Pedorthist can either replace or modify according to your needs. Also, make sure the heel counter (the back of the shoe) is cushioned and/ or lined so it does not cause blisters or friction. Still want more advice? Book an appointment at your local BioPed clinic with a Canadian Certified Pedor- thist. He/she will perform a biomechanical assessment of your foot structure and gait mechanics. Your Pedorthist will then provide you with particular brands and styles of shoes to try based on your specific foot structure and needs.

good for the so l e

Dress for (Foot Health) Success. What To Look For in a Dress Shoe Many women face the ultimate dilemma of fashion versus function when it comes to selecting shoes. Can the two ever meet? Are we forced to pay a painful price in the name of fashion? In this article we offer some tips and tricks when it comes to selecting footwear that will suit both your functional and fashionable senses!

again, proof that the pain is not always temporary. What to do about a shoe Now that we have your atten- tion (hopefully) regarding the risks associated with pointy toed high heels, here are some characteristics to look

for when shopping for practi- cal dress shoes. Round or square toe box The roomier the toe box the better. A good test is to stand with your foot on top of the shoe and see how many toes splay outside of the toe

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