My feet hurt, more or less all the time. This is because I have absurdly high arches, which are fine on a Barbie doll but a design flaw in an actual human. Not many people have that particular problem, but a whole lot of you have some other foot complaint. Flat feet, bunions, corns, callouses, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs—the possibilities are endless. A friend just told me she thinks she has gout!
I'm finally starting to deal with the problem—I've seen an orthopedist and I think I'm going to finally try an orthotic, the custom-made variety. But it seems like such a big deal, such a tortuous process—getting a plaster cast made of my foot, and then an insert designed just for me. Such effort, so many decisions. But I'm going to painfully walk the whole nine yards and report along the way. Coming soon: Do they help? Will they fit into my shoes or do I have to buy a whole new shoe wardrobe? (That's not happening.) Heaven help me, do I have to get clunky orthopedic shoes? (That's not happening either. Besides, I don't think they'd fix my problem anyway.)
But it's likely to take me a while to get those high-end orthotics—my friends can attest to the fact that I've been complaining about my feet for, oh, decades, and haven't done anything productive about it yet. In the meantime, I want to share a few footwear options that I've discovered recently, options that are surprisingly comfy. One is cheap and easy, one is kind of expensive and remarkably goofy. And one I haven't actually tried myself but is very intriguing.
Cheap and easy: Dr Scholl's recently came out with a new kind of over-the-counter orthotic. It's called an Arthritis Pain Relief Orthotic, and though I don't have arthritis, I'll try anything. I slipped them into my shoes and—wow. Amazing! They really help, much more than any other insert I've ever tried. They're much sturdier than your average drugstore orthotic: Instead of simply providing a cushioning layer (worthless to me), these give you serious arch support. They're tough and fairly inflexible, which I guess helps them do a better job of absorbing shock. And the "stabilizing design" doesn't fool around—your feet aren't going anywhere they're not supposed to go inside your shoes. No inappropriate pronating or supinating allowed. The downside is that they're a bit bulky—they fit into only one pair of my shoes. Still, I haven't taken them out of those shoes since I put them in. If your feet hurt, these are definitely worth trying; look for them at the drugstore. And if you're the intended buyer for these insoles—if you actually have arthritis—please tell me whether they help with that problem.
Expensive and goofy: I've been trying out a pair of Z-coil sandals, which actually have a coil, vaguely reminiscent of the innards of a couch or car suspension, under the heel. When I say goofy-looking, I mean goofy-looking, even if Helena Bonham Carter does wear a pair. But I have to say, they're really, weirdly comfortable—those springs actually make a big difference. I called them expensive, but they're not that bad; unfortunately I'm too geeky to be able to pull off geek-chic, so I haven't worn them out of the house yet. My daughter won't let me anyway. But if you are braver than I am, more power to you. Again, if you buy them let me know if you like them.
Intriguing: A new kind of sneaker, called the Rotasole sneaker, is coming soon to basketball courts and tennis courts near you. These are fairly normal-looking sneakers, except that on the bottom of the sole, under the ball of the foot, there's a little disc with a "patented turning ability." They were designed by an orthopedic surgeon; the idea is that the little pivoting disk will let you pivot more easily, with less risk of spraining or of tearing something. I asked my husband to try out a prototype, since he's the survivor of two, count ‘em two, ACL replacements. (Basketball: It's a killer.) He liked them, though he said that he found the prototype a little heavy for his taste. Supposedly the final off-the-shelf model will be lighter. If that sounds interesting, they're supposed to hit store shelves in a couple of months.
That's all I've got for now—the above, plus foot massages. If you have any good solutions for problem feet, I'd love to hear about them!