May I wear sandals to the royal wedding?
Posted: April 28, 2011 Filed under: Wedding | Tags: comfortable sandals, orthopedic sandals Leave a comment »I 
only pause to wonder because of the recent dictum that beer cannot be imbibed in the Queen’s presence. If a pint of beer is considered too low-brow, might those ten little piggies wiggling free in the air also be considered too, well, plebian? Not so. According to Women’s Wear Daily, “A little known fact about Queen Elizabeth II: she has exquisite taste in shoes. In fact, Elizabeth II wore sandals, designed by Edward Rayne and made with gold duchesse satin and trimmed with silver and seed pearl buckles, on her wedding day in 1947.” For sandals that you can truly enjoy yourself in, opt for support from brands you can trust to deliver all-day-comfort. Here are some ideas for pulling your look together.
| SANDAL TREND | TRANSLATED FOR COMFORT |
| Style | Gladiator or Roman style in a low heel.Flip flops that have a back and have good support. |
| Color | With color, you are free to express your individuality.Try Nude, Silver, Gold, Pearlized White, Patent Leather.
Orange is hot for 2011. Coordinate or contrast nail polish color. |
| Low Heels | Flats or wedges with good supportNot so floppy that they bend in your hand. |
| High Heels | Use a wedge heel or a platform to minimize pitch. |
| Thin | Verticals or diagonal straps are slimming. |
| Spaghetti Straps | More is better, as long as the straps fit securely.A heel strap helps by holding your feet down. |
| Bare feet | If you’re more comfortable, it’s okay to wear stockings with sandals, especially for a formal occasion. Just go with nude-toe. |
| Ankle Bracelets, Toe Rings | If it rings your bell, go for it! |
Here are some sandal pitfalls to avoid…
| WEAR THIS SANDAL TREND | AT THE RISK OF … |
| Skinny straps | Straps rubbing |
| Flexible soling | Foot pain |
| Non-leather lined | Sweating |
| Non-adjustable closure | Rubbing, Chafing |
| Unstable | Falling over |
| Satin | Soiling |
| Tight | Correlated with bunions |
| High Heels | You already know |
By being comfortable, you’re free to really enjoy yourself. And isn’t that what it’s all about? 
Okay, gotta go, mailman’s here. Maybe it’s that wedding invitation I’ve been waiting for.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Moleskin
Posted: March 28, 2011 Filed under: Blisters Leave a comment »No longer made from the silky fur of a mole, today’s magic material, backed with adhesive is a humble savior. Dedicated to the task of ever-so-gently protecting our feet from the harsh realities of life in the fast lane, we can get on the right side by outfitting our summer handbags right here and now with a goodly amount of the stuff. Moleskin.
You know you’re going to need it if you feel your sandal strap moving, creating friction that could lead to a blister. Spring into action with that moleskin and line the sandal strap so the soft nappy side is against your skin. Also, see if you can also tighten the strap to reduce movement. Alternatively, you can adhere the moleskin to your skin, albeit temporarily. If you have a blister already, you can cut the moleskin into a donut shape, with your blister in the middle, giving it enough air to heal but no longer contacting the source of friction.
Where to find? Your neighborhood pharmacy or medical supply store.
Summer Fashion Trends meet my Humble Budget
Posted: February 25, 2011 Filed under: Budget, Trends Leave a comment »
Yes, it is possible to be fashion forward and be smart about our money. Here are three summer ideas to accessorize the apparel you already own:
- If your summer wardrobe plays up sheer fabrics and layering, use Nude leathers. to make you feel heavenly inspired.
- Do you rely on neutral colored apparel, like black, white, beige? Then you can add a the new fruit colors of green, melon and orange. Orange is a bold color that can update any look. It looks great on tanned legs, but works in small doses on any color complexion.
- Of course, there’s nothing that announces summer more than a WHITE sandal. And it’s color matching versatility makes good sense in an economic downturn. Keep white touch up dye available to keep it looking fresh.
How about custom orthotics in my sandals?
Posted: February 20, 2011 Filed under: Orthotics Leave a comment »If you’re not local to Boston then find the nearest comfort shoe store and be prepared to try on lots of sandals. Above all, remain calm; there are at least three challenges to the job:
- The sandals need to have a removable insole that you can replace with your custom foot orthotics.
- The shape of the footbed needs to be close to the shape of your orthotic because if it’s not perfect, it can fail to fit in places or gap in others.
- If the top cover of your orthotic clashes with your orthotics, that could be a “deal-breaker”.
If you’ve tried this, and the experience has left you with a bitter taste in your mouth, let’s ponder for a moment. In a perfect world, a custom foot orthotic would fit in all your shoes and sandals — and some ¾ length orthotics do fit in “most” shoes. But it comes at a price. If you were fitted to custom foot orthotics to address a therapeutic goal, then the best solution is a shoe that gives the orthotic enough depth and breadthe to do its work. And that usually means an athletic shoe, or what we used to call a “sensible shoe”. But don’t lose faith. If the orthotic is doing its job therapeutically but it doesn’t fit into any sandals that you can find, here are two options:
- Ask your provider if you can get a subsequent pair of orthotics discounted for your sandals.
- See if one of the pedorthic sandals on the market does a good enough job.
If you are going to invest in another pair of custom foot orthotics especially for sandals, try to identify a popular sandal that is likely to continue to be manufactured for years to come, and is available in a variety of colors and patterns. When you think of your summer attire, you may need a few categories, including warm tones, cool tones, dress up patents and/or metallics, and neutral nudes and suedes. The top cover color is an important consideration since it will be visible.
At the end of the day, no one is the wiser that you’re wearing custom foot orthotics because the footbed is deep and accommodating, burying all that custom comfort for you and you alone.
Make Way for Ducklings. OK Bunions.
Posted: January 14, 2011 Filed under: Bunions Leave a comment »
At bedtime, when your parents read you this beloved children’s picture book by Robert McCloskey, did you ever take a good look at your parents feet? Yes, their feet. If you have bunions now, there’s a good chance that they did too. Bunions are correlated with a history of tight fitting shoes and excessive pronation (feet collapsing inward). So start finding shoes that allow your toes to wiggle freely and quack about, and see about getting orthotics. Short of a bunionectomy, the idea is to accommodate the bunion, with stretchable side panels and soft uppers that feature as much adjustability as possible. With bunions, you have to try on the shoe because it matters where the accommodative stretching ends and the leather starts. Xsensible New Steffie and Wolky Nimes Sandal in nubuck are two excellent options.
Ouch! Sandals of last resort.
Posted: September 9, 2010 Filed under: Pain, Uncategorized Leave a comment » No, we’re not talking Club Med.
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Something touched me deep inside…
Posted: August 17, 2010 Filed under: Theresia M. Leave a comment »
Comfortable Wedding Sandals
Posted: May 28, 2010 Filed under: Wedding Leave a comment »
With today’s destination weddings at the beach and on the grass, you want to concentrate on the couple and on enjoying yourself, not on the fact that your footwear is getting ruined and ruining your feet. The good news is that whoever invented the June wedding was a kind and caring person because it is so much easier for people with difficult-to-fit feet to look good in sandals. For women, the fun begins, so choose your flavor. Muted or Shiny Gold, Silver, Pewter, Pearlized White. At the risk of appearing too “matchy matchy”, metalicized colored leathers to coordinate with your dress and nail polish can be a knock-out!
Gladiator Sandals. Friends, Romans Lend Me your Feet.
Posted: May 12, 2010 Filed under: Gladiator, Roman Leave a comment »
Gladiator Sandals, made comfortable. The problem with wearing Gladiator Sandals is that they’re either pitched unreasonably, skyscraper-high or world-is-flat to the earth with absolutely no support: think a board under your feet with straps and straps. I’ll never forget a pair of brown leather Roman Sandals I wore with an Indian skirt when I was fifteen. My teenaged, male cousin came visiting from London and it was my job to show him around NYC. All day, he had to stop for me to adjust my straps. It was so embarrassing! And because the soles were so close to the ground, the sandals picked up debris all day long. Yuck! So for a sandal that you can actually wear all day, here are a few recommendations: Finn Comfort for fabulous comfort with great metallic leathers. Try the Finn Comfort Wichita for a flip flop. More sensitive feet that need stability may like the Adana. An adjustable option for wider feet or to avoid bunions, hammertoes is the Pattaya, Choose the Dahlia Sandal by Haflinger if you’re in the mood for a softer, more delicate upper.
Could divine deliverance of pain be the origin of Theresia M?
Posted: April 2, 2010 Filed under: Pain, Theresia M. | Tags: Pain Leave a comment »
Few have passed by the Baroque relief sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in Rome known as “Ecstasy of St. Theresia,” without being affected by the human expression of relief, pleasure and submission in the face of St. Theresa.
For years, the Theresia M shoes and sandals delivered to countless women an amazing relief from pain. No one knows whether the divinity was in the soul (excuse the pun), the structure of the outersole, or the soft, supple and often adjustable uppers.
But these ladies’ relief was short lived because of a recent interruption of imports into the U.S. They are still sold in Europe. In the US, you can find them on E-Bay, the Find, Boston Pedorthic and a handful of local retailers while supplies last.
