Skecher shape-ups: do they really shape up?

Lately, I've been seeing more and more people wearing these funny looking shoes called "shape-ups" made by Skechers. So what are these rocker soled shoes and do they offer any benefits? The concept of a rocker soled shoe has been around for a long time and the shoe now being touted is really a knock off a shoe made by MBT or Masai Barefoot Technology. This shoe is based on the concept that the rocker sole provides a more natural gait and improves your posture as you stand.

I have suggested these shoes to some of my patients, especially those with foot pain due to arthritis, severe rigid flatfeet and any time there is need for more shock absorption due to a fused foot or ankle joint. Patients that work on concrete all day seem to think they have more support and less foot and leg fatigue. There are other versions of these shoes by Dr. Scholl's and Sports Authority makes a shoe called, "Aspire" for half the price of the Skecher which is half the price of the MBT ($240)

I think this shoe has a place for certain folks with foot pain, but I would not count this as a shoe that will truly "shape up" your physique. For more information about a variety of foot topics, see my webpage at gastonfoot.com!

Go bare this summer....

So many of my patients come to the office after a shocking discovery of discolored toenails after removing their nail polish. It seems that after several pedicures, they have contracted a toenail fungal infection but were unaware, as their polish cloaked the hidden villain. What they did not realize was that the polish trapped fungal spores (seeds) and prevented moisture from passing through the nails causing a fungus to grow. Reapplying polish week after week hid the process so once finally removed an unattractive sight was revealed.

Fungal nail infections are no fun to treat. They require months of care whether it be oral or topical medication. Oral lamisil is very effective but can be hard on your liver and can't be taken while taking cholesterol lowering drugs. I like Formula-3, a topical preparation of tolnaftate and several herbal extracts which seems very effective and even has an unconditional money-back guarantee! It still takes 3-6 months to clear the nail infection, so my advice is to never wear polish more than 3 weeks of every month and otherwise "go bare this summer" as well as throughout the year! Your toenails will thank you for it....

When shoes come off, bugs jump on...

A couple of weeks ago when I was traveling to Philadelphia to a wound care conference in the City of Brotherly Love, I got to thinking about what was taking place in the security line at the airport. Of course, as required, everyone was taking off their shoes to go through security. In many cases, as they walked barefoot, through the inspection line, they were exposing their feet to a variety of invaders: bacteria, viruses and fungi, any of which could penetrate a small break in the skin to cause some form of infection.

I began to think how dangerous that practice might be as thousands of travelers walk through these lines each day. Warts are caused by viruses and are pesky to eradicate and common in children but still can be found in adults and athlete's foot, a common fungal infection of the skin can be easily acquired by simple contact by the fungal spore found in the airport carpeting. Why take these invaders on a ride to your vacation destination? Take an extra precaution and wear socks through that line even if it is only to remove them to put your sandals back on.