Kelly Ripa’s Charity is a Podiatrists Nightmare

Many know Kelly Ripa for her days in daytime drama starring on the legendary soap opera All My Children. She fell into superstardom when she hit the talk show host scene on Regis and Kelly. Now Kelly is turning heads while racing through central park in high heels!!! In an annual charity event sponsored by Regis and Kelly and Zappos.com, Kelly and many other women raced in high heels. The event was to raise awareness and money for women’s heart heath and The Heart Truth, a national campaign combating women’s heart disease. I am all about raising money for good causes, but in 3 inch stilettos? Running in high heels is near insanity.

Running shoes are designed specifically to absorb the impact of running and accommodating the foot forces on the terrain. When running, your feet take on an impact of forces that is three times greater than your weight. Athletic shoes are made out of shock absorbing materials that help reduce the amount force that gets transmitted through your knees and back.

There is a growing culture of runners who are ditching shoes all together and going barefoot. Some small studies have been done looking at the biomechanics of this naked foot running, but most results have been inconclusive. The current belief is that when running barefoot, you change your running style and run more on your toes than your heel. This promotes a softer step and less impact is transmitted through your body. It is also noted that you must have a healthy, rectus foot for barefoot running to be beneficial. Unfortunately, most Americans do not have a healthy foot structure.

So if running on your toes causes less impact and high heels force you to bear all of your weight on your toes, shouldn’t stiletto racing be to our benefit? In high heels, your foot doesn’t have any control. You are still confined to the narrow space of tight shoe. It is also difficult to clear the heel from hitting the ground. The distinct style of barefoot running that causes less impact on the body takes many months of training and foot strengthening. I cannot find any correlation between the benefits of forefoot running, or barefoot running and high heel running.

Nail avulsion or damage, blisters, lacerations, sprains, and fractures are only a few injuries that will dominate a stiletto race. I think it would be easier to run to the ATM in sneakers. I’ll happily donate to the cause, but you won’t be catching me in red high heels, especially since I am not that kind of guy. It is very commendable for these women to stand up to women’s heart disease and I am inspired by their strength and daring attitude. Hopefully they all survived the race with healthy feet and hearts full of joy. Kelly Ripa always keeps us on our toe! If you have an inspiring way to raise awareness of heart disease, visit http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/index.htm.

Back to School Shoe Shopping

If my kid doesn’t complain about sore feet, do I need to worry about what I put on his feet? Some children spend most of their days running around the yard barefoot all day and never complain about a thing until they step on a nail or thorn. Other children will wine all day about their feet hurting. So what do you need to be looking for when you are shopping for new shoes for the new school year?

My kid never complains!

Wow! Can we trade? Alright lets be serious all kids complain but not all kids complain about their feet. It is best to actively ask the child, “Do your feet hurt? Do you feel pain in your feet when you are out playing?” Some children ignore the pain because they are having so much fun. Think about how awesome it is to be on the soccer team or play in the park with your best buddies… You wouldn’t stop unless you had to. How many kids pee in their pants because they don’t want to stop playing?

There no special accommodation, devices, or exercises that are required for healthy foot living. There is a level of common sense that needs to come into play though… for some this is difficult. Kids shoes can be trendy, inappropriate, and can lead to pain.

Stay away from the following
· Pointy toes
· Platforms
· Flip flops
· Stilettos—Teenagers love to sacrifice comfort for style!
Standard Shoes for Back-to-School
· Good Athletic Shoes (light colors are preferred for the gym and will decrease sweating)
· A wide toe box for dress shoes

My Kid Does Complain about Their Feet!

It is not uncommon for children to have foot and ankle problems. The good news is that these are highly treatable! If your child is complaining about foot pain, seeing a podiatric physician will help prevent complicated problems in your child’s future. Common problems can range from flat feet to ingrown toenails. Treatment is often non-invasive and conservative. Children can be prescribed special insoles known as orthoses and physical therapy to help strengthen the weak or ill-working muscles, joints, and ligaments. Children tend to be extremely active, so podiatric physicians can work around sport schedules and care for their feet to optimized their performance and enjoyment of their preferred after school activities.
Save your child from grandma’s bunions and dad’s recurring ankle sprains. Seek consultation on your child’s foot pain from a medical professional such as a podiatric physician. Even if your child is not experiencing pain, remember to use common sense when shopping for this year’s new shoes!