What are the Best Athletic Shoes?

At Footcare Express, I am asked all the time “What is the best athletic shoe? It is a question that is asked daily and has many answers. The best shoe depends on fit, comfort, construction, and the type of sports activity.

The function of an athletic shoe is to protect the foot from the many stresses of running, walking or other high impact activities. This function of footwear will help the athlete achieve his or her maximum potential. While in some parts of the world athletes run and participate in sports barefooted, most of us require and benefit from the use of sport specific shoes. The forces and motions that occur in different sports vary greatly. The type of activity that you are using them for should determine shoe purchases. For example, you would not want to buy a basketball shoe for running and visa versa. Walking and running shoes function best in a straight line where a tennis or basketball shoe requires lateral or side-to-side movements.

The majority of athletic shoes are not well designed. There are many shoes that have inflexible soles. This can cause calf muscles to work harder and can contribute to Achilles Tendonitis. If the shoe is too flexible in the midsole or they flex before the point where the toes bend, a stretch in the plantar fascia can occur and contribute to foot strain. This can be commonly referred to as Plantar Fasciitis. There are many top name companies that are cutting out the midsole of the shoe to make it lighter, however, the long term or even in some cases, the short term effects, can result in strains in the feet. Other things to look out for are inadequate support in the rearfoot or lack of room in the forefoot and poor shock absorption. In general, the most important factor is feel and fit. The best time to shop for an athletic shoe is at the end of the day when your feet are somewhat larger from the day’s walking. Also, make sure that there is a finger’s width at the front of the shoe. This will help prevent runner’s toe.

When shopping for the perfect shoe, it is also important to go to a place where the sales representative has knowledge of the appropriate footwear that matches the foot type. A person with a low arch needs footwear with a lot of support and good rearfoot control. Whereas, as person with a high arch needs more shock absorption and footwear that has a narrower heel. A wide heel may cause the rearfoot to move around too much in the shoe. A person with a “normal” foot would probably work best with a combination of the control and shock absorption. Believe it or not, most of the high-end athletic shoe companies have various styles of shoes that will accommodate different foot structures.

Shoes are not made to last forever, especially with the rigorous activity we put them through. A shoe’s midsole only lasts so long. The soft materials the are used in the shoe normally compress over a period of time and wear out. Eventually, the materials breakdown and no longer serve the function they once had when they were new. Most doctors will suggest that running shoes be replaced every 350 to 550 miles. This means that if you are running 20 miles a week, you should consider changing very 20 to 25 weeks. Many people feel that if they don’t see the sole wear down, then the shoe is still in good shape. The materials can be worn down without the shoe wear even being noticeable.

So it is very important to wear the proper footwear, especially during sports. Sometimes even the best footwear will not solve or help each person’s condition. At FootLabs, we try to help with these types of questions and create custom inserts for solving those hard to answer questions. Everyone has different make-ups and unique biomechanics. The best athletic shoes are those that are the best for you.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles Tendonitis

The largest tendon in the human body is the Achilles tendon and it is designed to handle over 1,000 pounds of force. The Achilles tendon is also the most often ruptured or injured tendon. Achilles tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon resulting from overuse.

Achilles tendonitis can flare up for several reasons including increasing running distances or speed too quickly, attacking hills too aggressively during training, returning to heavy activity too soon after extended periods of rest, and lack of flexibility in the calf muscles. The condition can also appear after sudden calf muscle contraction during activity.

People experiencing Achilles tendonitis may feel dull pain after exercise that increasingly worsens over time. There may be severe pain along the tendon during or following exercise. Sufferers may feel tenderness in the morning in the lower calf or stiffness that will loosen as the area warms up with activity.

There are several treatments for Achilles tendonitis and they depend on the severity of the condition. Rest is the most immediate treatment but anti-inflammatory medication, stretching, message and ultrasound treatments prove helpful. The use of orthoses, more specifically, custom foot orthotics can dramatically improve the condition and prevent future flare ups.

Of course surgery to heal Achilles tendonitis is an option but should be considered as a treatment of last resort. Surgery will reduce friction between the tendon and its covering sheath which may have built up thick tissue. Also during surgery any tears can be repaired. Recovering from such procedures can be slow and will require rehabilitation to strengthen the area and prevent new injury.

Prevention is always the best medicine. It is very important to use the right shoes which will provide cushion and support during activity. A prescribed custom foot orthotic will change the alignment of misaligned heel bone and greatly reduce the chances of of experiencing Achilles tendonitis. A solid routine of warm up, stretch and cool down is always recommended .

Footcare Express Annouces New Pedorthist

AVENTURA, FL (January 4, 2008) – Footcare Express, a team of physicians, pedorthists, and biomechanical experts, proudly announces that they have expanded their team of pedorthists with the addition of Vahe Mike Sarkisian to their Aventura, Florida office.

In his role as a Pedorthist, Sarkisian will be seeing patients and filling a variety of physician prescriptions.  Sarkisian will be responsible for measuring, designing, fabricating, fitting and servicing pedorthic devices ordered by a physician.  Sarkisian joined Footcare Express in 2007 as a Lab Supervisor with 11 years of financial business experience and two years of pedorthist experience behind him.

His recent career experience hailed from Pedorthics at Eneslow Foot Comfort center and XL Health Inc. in New York, one of the nation’s largest Diabetic Preventive Care centers, where he fitted and cast patients for shoes and other orthotics, custom footwear and braces as a practicing pedorthist. Sarkisian graduated with a BBA in Finance Investments from Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business, CUNY, New York, NY and became a certified Financial Advisor.  Upon completing Eneslow Pedorthic Institute and the New York College of Podiatric Medicine course, Mr. Sarkisian became a certified Pedorthist in 2005.

Offering a variety of services, including a full service podiatry practice, Footcare Express also includes an extensive retail business and a Pedorthic facility.  The Aventura-based facility is fully accredited by the American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics which ensures that Footcare Express provide the highest standards in fulfilling patient prescriptions for therapeutic footwear and/ or other durable medical equipment including but not limited to foot orthotics, braces and other foot and ankle related modalities.  The physicians and pedorthists at Footcare Express work with various NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams and players, including several colleges and universities.

Footcare Express also has its own on-site state-of-the-art Custom Foot Orthotic Laboratory that allows the doctor and technicians to use technology to digitize the foot, allowing for a more accurate replica of the foot, making prescriptions more accurate as well.  Doctors and technicians use the latest technology to diagnose and treat foot problems including the F-Scan, which allows the clinician a split-second perspective on all phases of the walking cycle or gait cycle and through Video Motion Analysis, which captures the gait cycle using fame-by-frame imaging.

Footcare Express opened its Aventura-based office in 2000.  In just 6 short years, Footcare Express has successfully launched a retail portion of its business and increased its availability with various professional sports teams. The company prides itself on offering the most advanced services in the industry.  Footcare Express is a family owned business founded by Dr. Harold Reinhartz and his son Jarett Reinhartz.  Dr. Charles Mutschler is the Medical Director of Footcare Express.  For more information onFootcare Express please call 877.687.3338 or visit www.FootcareXpress.com.