SKYE stephenson

My father had some unusual ideas were not the mainstream opinion. One example was shoes. He only allowed my younger sister Heather and me to use wide toed shoes when we were children. My mother had to drive us half an hour away to White Plains, New York to go to a shoe storethat stocked these kind of shoes.

His reason? Dad was a natural doctor in New York City and had several patients who were ballet dancers. He told us that the kind of shoes that female ballet dancers had to use gave many of them lifetime medical issues.

My sister and I were not allowed to take ballet classes, which was fine with me since I never wanted to anyway.

He passed on many years ago. But if he was alive today, I would tell him how right he was.

Recently, I began to experience some pains in my heel, especially upon waking. With some internet sleuthing I realized I was probably experiencing planter fasciitis. I soon learned this is very common and that as many as 20% of all people will experience some bouts of this in their lifetime.

I also learned more about how complex our feet are. And for good reason considering the heavy task they have carrying our body along as we walk. In fact, 25% of all bones in our body are in our feet. Each foot is made up of 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, all of which work together to provide support, balance, and mobility.

My wonderful primary care provider who suggested several methods to try to alleviate the pain in my heels. I followed her advice for several weeks but did not notice any improvement.

Meanwhile, I cranked up my use of padded shoes, and began wearing my favorite Brooks sneakers all the time. Even in the house, where I usually prefer to go in stocking feet or barefoot. But I thought the cushioning was helpful, in the sneakers, and it did seem to limit the pain a bit in my feet.

But I began to notice that the more I wore these very nice sneakers, the more it would hurt when they were off. I began to get to the point where walking barefoot even for a few minutes in the bathroom was moderately uncomfortable.

“Am I to live like this forever?” I wondered.

Then I found a website that suggested a very different approach to treating planter fasciitis. This site suggested that most planter fasciitis is caused by micro abrasions that leave small amounts of scar tissues on the fascia in the feet. This is a different approach than the idea that planter fasciitis is caused by inflammation.

How do these micro abrasions happen?  According to the site, it is a gradual process over time caused, often, by shoes with narrow toe boxes and elevated heels!

Interestingly, the site mentions Brooks sneakers as a brand that has an elevated heel and narrow toe box. Of course, many other sneakers and other style shoes do so also. Most, in fact.

But an increasing number of companies are producing what is called ‘functional footwear,’ or sometimes ‘barefoot shoes’. These are shoes with wide toe boxes, zero heel elevation, and flexible soles.

I purchased two pairs of these kinds of shoes and been wearing these shoes lately. They look a lot like the shoes I used to have to wear as a child. The ones my father made us use, and my mother would drive us to get.

The other day at work, I noticed another woman with the same brand of wide toed shoes as I have recently purchased. She said she was recommended to use wide toe, flat shoes because of bunions. And she was noticing a positive improvement.

Me too! While I am not totally better yet, or pain free, I do notice an improvement. Of course, I am also doing suggested exercises and other helpful healing support for my poor feet.

Maybe my father is smiling down as I write this article now.

Published in The Monadnock Shopper News Nov. 8-Nov. 14, 2023