h e a l t h • l i f e • w e l l – b e i n g
27
Plantar Fascia. If you have
low arches or flat feet you
should not be in flip-flops for
any extended period of time.
If you have been previously
diagnosed with Plantar
Fasciitis, you should completely
avoid flips-flops and opt for
a more supportive sandal to
prevent the condition from
returning
Now, this does not mean that
your feet have to sweat it out
in heavy, closed toe shoes all
summer! Here are some
excellent summer sandal
solutions.
Sandals from Birkenstock
feature a contoured foot bed,
deep heel cup and a shock-
absorbing cork sole. They are
popular on school campuses
and with backpack travel-
ers, but Birkenstock recently
launched a line of sandals de-
signed by fashion model Heidi
Klum - offering a true blend of
fashion and function! Birken-
stocks are available in a huge
variety of colours and styles for
men, women and kids.
SOLE sandals raise the flip-flop
to a whole new level! Still
maintaining the sporty, casual
look of a flip-flop, SOLE has
incorporated many orthopae-
dic features to their Sport and
Premium Flips to keep your
feet happy, healthy and
comfortable. SOLE has beefed
up the sole of their sandals by
using shock-absorbing cork,
in a thicker, contoured shape.
Their sandals provide support
under the arch of the foot and
“
toe-spring” at the front of the
sandal to prevent your toes
from “scrunching” and doing
the flip-flop “shuffle”. SOLE
Flips come in 3 different styles
and several colours. Check
them out at
www.yoursole
.
com.
Mephisto also offers outstand-
ing quality in sandals. This
company has certainly “been
around the block” and knows
how to get there comfortably
and in style! Mephisto makes
a full line of footwear from
summer sandals to weather-
proof winter boots plus
everything in between. Their
top of the line sandal, the
Zach, is made with genuine
leather uppers, thick cork and
latex and suede foot beds – a
worthy investment that you
will enjoy for many summers
to come. To really get your
money’s worth out of these
high quality sandals, clean
them up in the fall and wear
them during the cooler
months as your in-house
footwear. If you are in the
market for something a bit
more feminine, Mephisto has
you covered there too. They
offer a line of wedge heel
sandals with removable foot
beds that can be replaced
or modified according to
your specific foot structure.
Visit
www.mephisto.com
to see their full line of year
round footwear.
So keep your flimsy
..................................................................
flip-flops for the beach
..................................................................
or the pool!
When it comes to long days
of shopping, sightseeing or
heading back to school, be
sure to choose your sandals
wisely to keep your feet
happy and healthy!