I’ve written about women shoe obsessions on several occasions, but I just cannot resist commenting on the latest news feeds pertaining to women and their shoes.
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Believe it or not, the woman with the largest collection of shoes is not the infamous shoe lover, Victoria Beckham. It is of all people, a poker pro. Beth Shark is world class poker player and proud owner of 1,200 pairs of shoes. Not just any kind of shoes either, but rather revolving closets of high end designers such as Jimmy Choo, YSL, and Louboutin. Shark will be featured in a documentary on women and shoes, “God Save My Shoes,” that will premier during Fashion Week. The documentary not only exposes famous shoe lovers but also investigates the psychology behind obsessive shoe buying. Spoiler alert: they may have found a connection between shoes and sex. Some go as far to say that the foot http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifis analogous to the penis!!!. I am very interested to see how they explain that connection!
Some women have hundreds of shoes, but some only need one. A woman in Georgia was arrested for allegedly killing her boyfriend with a stiletto heel during a domestic dispute. The autopsy report has not been received but officials are confident that is was a blow to the head with the spike of a high heel that lead to the man’s death. Conceal and carry…. Why would you when you can defend yourself with fashionable footwear?
What could be worse than being attacked by a cute shoe but being attacked by a size 9! Online shoe sales are higher than ever and women’s feet are growing. http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifCoincidence? Women with large feet are so ashamed of their foot size that they have a higher tendency to buy behind the computer. Reports are showing that the demand for size 9 has increased over 80% and 82% of Women who wear size 8 and 9 say they are embarrassed by their shoe size. 67% of all size 9 shoes are bought online and 47% of women admit they lie to partners and friends about their shoe size. What is going on here? The average female shoe size has increased 1.5 sizes in the last 10 years and many researchers are attributing this to the http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgeneralized increase in size of American women. That hamburger is going straight to your feet!!!
All in today’s news: Shoes linked to hoarders, penises, murder, shame, and weight gain. Today in my office I didn’t have quite this display of shoe predicaments but I did find shoes linked to both pain and pain relief. Maybe what we put on our feet is more than just shoes. It is fashion, passion, revenge, dignity, humility, therapy, and of course….priceless.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
NEED AN EXTRA 12 INCHES? WOMEN TRY THESE SHOES…OR NOT!
A Romanian man, known as the “shoe architect” has created a line of stilettos that will increase a women’s height by twelve inches! Mihai Albu claims his shoes are distinctly appealing to most women since many do not have long legs. The shoes are miraculous sculptress of beauty. With feathers and jewels, skull heads and curves, he has created masterpieces for fashion. Not only are these shoe eye catching, they are also wallet drying! A pair of Mihai Albu’s shoes cost over $1,500. That is a lot of money, for something I would never put on my feet!
Yes, these shoes are beautiful and truly a piece of art, but probably the most ridiculous thing you could put on your feet. We would all like to be a little taller, but at what expense? Not only will these shoes hurt the pocketbook, they will also hurt the foot and ankle and all other body parts that hit floor after an easy accident in these towering skyscraper shoes.
Have you ever sprained your ankle? The first reason to not wear these shoes is an ankle sprain. After an ankle sprain or other similar injuries, your ligaments get damaged and weakened. Your ankle is inevitably less stable and you are prone to more injuries in the future. Not really a good idea to jump into intensely tall shoes that gives you zero protection to the ankle and makes you quite unstable. I would give you two hours in these shoes before you injured yourself, and I am being generous!
Do the balls of your feet ever hurt? Your foot is not designed to walk only on the balls of your feet and your toes. This week, I removed a fractured bone from women in her 20s. She injured her sesamoid bone, a small bone near your big toe. The injury occurred while dancing in high heels all night at a wedding. She unfortunately could not heal the bone and it had to be removed. Stress fractures are also common. To heal these types of fractures, surgery is usually not necessary. The area will need to be immobile in a surgical boot or cast. A severely unattractive and cumbersome device that has to be worn in replace of your cute high heels.
High heels are attractive and fashionable. I understand why women love to buy them and wear them. Many of them are truly pieces of art, but some should just be art. Not all shoe skyscrapers should be worn. Many should be admired from the store window or from the box. As soon as they hit the feet, they are disastrous. Be sensible.
Yes, these shoes are beautiful and truly a piece of art, but probably the most ridiculous thing you could put on your feet. We would all like to be a little taller, but at what expense? Not only will these shoes hurt the pocketbook, they will also hurt the foot and ankle and all other body parts that hit floor after an easy accident in these towering skyscraper shoes.
Have you ever sprained your ankle? The first reason to not wear these shoes is an ankle sprain. After an ankle sprain or other similar injuries, your ligaments get damaged and weakened. Your ankle is inevitably less stable and you are prone to more injuries in the future. Not really a good idea to jump into intensely tall shoes that gives you zero protection to the ankle and makes you quite unstable. I would give you two hours in these shoes before you injured yourself, and I am being generous!
Do the balls of your feet ever hurt? Your foot is not designed to walk only on the balls of your feet and your toes. This week, I removed a fractured bone from women in her 20s. She injured her sesamoid bone, a small bone near your big toe. The injury occurred while dancing in high heels all night at a wedding. She unfortunately could not heal the bone and it had to be removed. Stress fractures are also common. To heal these types of fractures, surgery is usually not necessary. The area will need to be immobile in a surgical boot or cast. A severely unattractive and cumbersome device that has to be worn in replace of your cute high heels.
High heels are attractive and fashionable. I understand why women love to buy them and wear them. Many of them are truly pieces of art, but some should just be art. Not all shoe skyscrapers should be worn. Many should be admired from the store window or from the box. As soon as they hit the feet, they are disastrous. Be sensible.
Friday, October 22, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Forbes Claims Shoes to Tone Your Legs are a Waste of Money!
You see them on TV, hear about them on the radio, and you see them on everyone. Shoes that promise to tone your legs and lift your butt are the new craze. No time to work out? No problem, just wear some special shoes to help melt the pounds away. These shoes carry a heavy price tag and Forbes has announced your money is better spent on a gym membership. Are you wasting your money or do these shoes actually work?
The theory behind all of the different “tone shoes” is to make you less stable so your legs work harder. The more you use your muscles, the stronger and better looking they will become. Your legs are made up of a number of different muscles. Some work harder than others. The shoes rock in abnormal directions or have different contours than a typical shoe or foot. This causes your leg muscles to work harder to keep you upright and walking normal. A simple concept, but does it work?
These shoes will work muscles that you are not used to working. Many will notice soreness in their butt and legs after their first few walks. I have no doubt that different muscles are being strengthened and that toning of your legs is essentially happening. The question is whether or not it is enough to be noticeable?
Very few dependable studies have been done to allow us to assess the long term outcomes of wearing the shoes. With no scientific evidence it is very easy to be skeptical. What I do know for sure is that there is no magic trick, magic product, or magic pill to help you lose weight. If you are simply buying the shoes and not changing your lifestyle, you will most definitely not see a change in your weight or muscle strength. If you buy the shoes and as a result start a walking program then, you will probably see a difference due your increased activity.
I do not discourage my patients from buying the shoes unless I feel their foot type puts them at an increased risk of injury. Since the shoe is intentionally making you unstable, it is important for the consumer to be stable in nature and able to withstand those abnormal forces. I caution elderly or the disabled since their gait can already be unsteady. The shoes will put them at higher risk for falls. Anyone who has had an ankle injury or has frequent ankle sprains should avoid theses shoes or wear with caution. The shoes can cause greater instability in the ankle and may lead to sprains or fractures. No one should use the shoes to run or play sports. The shoes are specifically designed for walking only.
Since these shoes function much different than your typical shoe, you should expect some discomfort after the first few times of wearing them. It is recommended to make a slow transition into the shoe to prevent overuse injuries. If you experience consistent pain or discomfort discontinue wearing the shoes and allow your muscles and feet to rest. Some shoes are not for everyone. Be sensible. Don’t replace your gym membership with a magic shoe; it will not work out in your favor.
The theory behind all of the different “tone shoes” is to make you less stable so your legs work harder. The more you use your muscles, the stronger and better looking they will become. Your legs are made up of a number of different muscles. Some work harder than others. The shoes rock in abnormal directions or have different contours than a typical shoe or foot. This causes your leg muscles to work harder to keep you upright and walking normal. A simple concept, but does it work?
These shoes will work muscles that you are not used to working. Many will notice soreness in their butt and legs after their first few walks. I have no doubt that different muscles are being strengthened and that toning of your legs is essentially happening. The question is whether or not it is enough to be noticeable?
Very few dependable studies have been done to allow us to assess the long term outcomes of wearing the shoes. With no scientific evidence it is very easy to be skeptical. What I do know for sure is that there is no magic trick, magic product, or magic pill to help you lose weight. If you are simply buying the shoes and not changing your lifestyle, you will most definitely not see a change in your weight or muscle strength. If you buy the shoes and as a result start a walking program then, you will probably see a difference due your increased activity.
I do not discourage my patients from buying the shoes unless I feel their foot type puts them at an increased risk of injury. Since the shoe is intentionally making you unstable, it is important for the consumer to be stable in nature and able to withstand those abnormal forces. I caution elderly or the disabled since their gait can already be unsteady. The shoes will put them at higher risk for falls. Anyone who has had an ankle injury or has frequent ankle sprains should avoid theses shoes or wear with caution. The shoes can cause greater instability in the ankle and may lead to sprains or fractures. No one should use the shoes to run or play sports. The shoes are specifically designed for walking only.
Since these shoes function much different than your typical shoe, you should expect some discomfort after the first few times of wearing them. It is recommended to make a slow transition into the shoe to prevent overuse injuries. If you experience consistent pain or discomfort discontinue wearing the shoes and allow your muscles and feet to rest. Some shoes are not for everyone. Be sensible. Don’t replace your gym membership with a magic shoe; it will not work out in your favor.
Monday, May 31, 2010
NEED AN EXTRA 12 INCHES? WOMEN TRY THESE SHOES…OR NOT!
A Romanian man, known as the “shoe architect” has created a line of stilettos that will increase a women’s height by twelve inches! Mihai Albu claims his shoes are distinctly appealing to most women since many do not have long legs. The shoes are miraculous sculptress of beauty. With feathers and jewels, skull heads and curves, he has created masterpieces for fashion. Not only are these shoe eye catching, they are also wallet drying! A pair of Mihai Albu’s shoes cost over $1,500. That is a lot of money, for something I would never put on my feet!
Yes, these shoes are beautiful and truly a piece of art, but probably the most ridiculous thing you could put on your feet. We would all like to be a little taller, but at what expense? Not only will these shoes hurt the pocketbook, they will also hurt the foot and ankle and all other body parts that hit floor after an easy accident in these towering skyscraper shoes.
Have you ever sprained your ankle? The first reason to not wear these shoes is an ankle sprain. After an ankle sprain or other similar injuries, your ligaments get damaged and weakened. Your ankle is inevitably less stable and you are prone to more injuries in the future. Not really a good idea to jump into intensely tall shoes that gives you zero protection to the ankle and makes you quite unstable. I would give you two hours in these shoes before you injured yourself, and I am being generous!
Do the balls of your feet ever hurt? Your foot is not designed to walk only on the balls of your feet and your toes. This week, I removed a fractured bone from women in her 20s. She injured her sesamoid bone, a small bone near your big toe. The injury occurred while dancing in high heels all night at a wedding. She unfortunately could not heal the bone and it had to be removed. Stress fractures are also common. To heal these types of fractures, surgery is usually not necessary. The area will need to be immobile in a surgical boot or cast. A severely unattractive and cumbersome device that has to be worn in replace of your cute high heels.
High heels are attractive and fashionable. I understand why women love to buy them and wear them. Many of them are truly pieces of art, but some should just be art. Not all shoe skyscrapers should be worn. Many should be admired from the store window or from the box. As soon as they hit the feet, they are disastrous. Be sensible.
Yes, these shoes are beautiful and truly a piece of art, but probably the most ridiculous thing you could put on your feet. We would all like to be a little taller, but at what expense? Not only will these shoes hurt the pocketbook, they will also hurt the foot and ankle and all other body parts that hit floor after an easy accident in these towering skyscraper shoes.
Have you ever sprained your ankle? The first reason to not wear these shoes is an ankle sprain. After an ankle sprain or other similar injuries, your ligaments get damaged and weakened. Your ankle is inevitably less stable and you are prone to more injuries in the future. Not really a good idea to jump into intensely tall shoes that gives you zero protection to the ankle and makes you quite unstable. I would give you two hours in these shoes before you injured yourself, and I am being generous!
Do the balls of your feet ever hurt? Your foot is not designed to walk only on the balls of your feet and your toes. This week, I removed a fractured bone from women in her 20s. She injured her sesamoid bone, a small bone near your big toe. The injury occurred while dancing in high heels all night at a wedding. She unfortunately could not heal the bone and it had to be removed. Stress fractures are also common. To heal these types of fractures, surgery is usually not necessary. The area will need to be immobile in a surgical boot or cast. A severely unattractive and cumbersome device that has to be worn in replace of your cute high heels.
High heels are attractive and fashionable. I understand why women love to buy them and wear them. Many of them are truly pieces of art, but some should just be art. Not all shoe skyscrapers should be worn. Many should be admired from the store window or from the box. As soon as they hit the feet, they are disastrous. Be sensible.