SHOES recommendation?

I love the clogs, too! All I can tell you is that I can walk forever in Birks and not so in clogs. I have wide feet with a very high arch. Birkenstock does make closed heel shoes. I don't have a current catalogue, but jump on their website. Buy the ones you love and when you can afford it, buy the others. :-)

What about Birkenstocks? I have them and they are really comfortable with lots of support.

Good shoes are worth the investment. I live in Birks and Dansko clogs. The clogs aren't nearly as healthy, but are a look I've worn all my life and what I always wear with suits and skirts.

Give Rockports a try. I'm on my third pair of walkers in, maybe five years. Reasonably expensive in Australia, maybe not elsewhere. Lots of styles in different widths. I personally prefer the mens walkers, just cos I like the style better than the womens. It's all a matter of taste, I guess. Mine have great arch support, good high ankles in case you need orthotics, with good cushioning on the top. The leather is thick, but very soft and flexible, and they don't leak if you walk through puddles. I scrub them with soap and water and a brush to bring them up good as new. The stitching lasts well, as do the laces. The soles are very flexible. They come in a few colours and styles change a little each season.

Cheers

Louise

Has anyone tried these? They have a 'negative heel' which is supposedly helpful for your posture.

I'm in the market for a fun, funky, comfortable casual 'everyday' shoe, and since I live in SoCal I'm looking more along the lines of a sandal. I also love the mary jane look. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Michele,

We've had this discussion in the past...you know I'm not a physiologist, but from my perspective a negative heel is not supportive of our natural design.

Think of how exhausting it really is to walk for miles in deep sand. Yet, that's what their product promotes and calls healthy. Try this:

Place a half inch-thick book on the ground and step onto it with the balls of your feet so that your heels hang off. With your heels dropped what also drops? Your tailbone! Those shoes pull the entire spine down, which is the antithesis of what we need.

My humble opinion,

Christine

hi

just a quick comment on bare feet walking, from a chinese medicine/ acupuncture perspective its thought to be harmfull to health and especially health of the uterus.

a major acupuncture point of the body lies here (kidney 1) and according to my teacher bare feet walking directs cold eneregy straight up to the uterus ( which likes warmth)

Also belly tops are seen as harmfull allowing coldness to circulate around the uterus, bladder etc. in the front, and the kidneys (hugely important in chinese trad. medicine), to the back.

Damm madonna and the eighties - Belly tops were my uniform!!!!

Best Wishes

Ann.helen

I'm a simple gal who owns one pair of errand shoes and it's worn to the bone! It was a aerosole leather with open back, flat shoe. I don't really like clogs b/c i feel more pressure when I lift my feet each time so i abandoned those.

So is it better having something with a thicker heel better or worse? Does anyone here feel comfortable wearing heels anymore? I haven't had an occassion to break them out since all this but just wondering.

Ihave a pair of Rockport boots I love. They have about a 1 or 1 and 1/2 inch heel. Very very comfortable. Any issues with the heel? I mean posturely? I don't want to do anything to contribute to further prolapse or compromise the posture. Christine?

Thanks.

The orthopedic literature says heels are “controversial” in terms of spinal health. Ballet recognizes that working on “demi-pointe”, or on the balls of the feet without balancing with equal time in plie, builds bulky calf muscles and legs that tire easily. We had a fellow (“feetback”) visit here a couple of years ago who believed shoes were the cause of all disease, including prolapse. And now Anne-helen tells us TCM believes shoes are necessary to avoid chilling the uterus!

I think short periods of time in heels are okay, as long as you can keep the posture!

Generally though, we should have great reverence for our arches. Leonardo da Vinci drew glorious praises of the human foot as the most perfect piece of engineering in the universe. The foot really needs to be barefoot for the arch to perform as it is designed.

The major part of this work is developing our own instincts around such issues.

I noticed yesterday something important. I was carrying baby and feeling like I had to really work to hold the posture. I was wearing clogs, but not my danskos. Then I changed to my danskos and breathed a sigh of relief from the feel of the arch support, and my body snapped back into correct posture with ease. So, I'm beginning to see that for myself, arch support is key.

Hi,

I read Christine's comment about a shoe with a negative heel not supporting the posture.

I was told Birks are designed to have a negative heel as well.

Is this correct????

Just wondering,
Evie

Hi Evie,

They have a deep heel as well as deep toes, but if you look on their website and read about their footbed you'll see that they call it a "neutral heel." They've tried really hard to replicate the bare foot, but not the foot walking in sand.

Christine

p.s. I'm so glad you're here, Evie...thanks so much for all your past support.

Thanks Christine for the info.!

I was worried (!) since I pretty much live in Birks in the house. Since I'm a full time mom of 2 young boys, I literally am running around all day :) and I have a pair of "inside" Birks that are on my feet much of the day.

Thanks for being here!

Evie