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Commentary

Sore Feet

By November 30, 2014February 21st, 2020No Comments

Sore feetAging brings with it diminished density of the connective tissue in the soles of our feet and that leads to sore feet from standing and walking when that did not used to be the case. I am talking about everyone over about 60, though the onset of this issue is variable. Moreover, sore feet may also be accompanied by pain the knees, hips, and lower back.

Better padded shoes or inserts help

As the baby boomers have aged, producing megamillions of sore feet, the shoe industry has responded with many different brands of “comfort shoes,” from Ecco, New Balance, Rockport and Mephisto to Birkenstock, Clarks and New Balance. Some of them look reasonably stylish, others not so much. Most do a decent job of increasing the padding in the insole to protect the heel and the metatarsals that bear your weight and which ache if not protected during prolonged standing or walking on hard surfaces.

My personal research has uncovered at least two inserts that substantially increase the resilience of the padding in your shoes and which I believe are worthwhile to investigate for regular use. I became highly motivated in this effort after spending 4 hours walking on asphalt at Lego Land in southern California with my two granddaughters. My Eccos were totally inadequate to the task. I reconfigured my shoes with Spenco inserts before going to Disneyland a few days later and was dramatically more comfortable. Subsequently I explored the market further and identified the Air Orthotic brand that appeared comparable to the Spenco inserts.

Remember, when you use these inserts, you first remove the existing inner soles. Because these inserts have a greater height of padding, it is likely that you will need to purchase your shoes a half size larger.

Inserts to Consider

Spenco TotalSupport Original have serious gel pads under the heel and the metatarsal heads. They work really well to mitigate impact from hard surfaces. About $35 at Foot Locker among other retailers.

Air Orthotic SofSole inserts, available at Sports Authority, seem equivalent to the Spenco inserts but less expensive.

These suggestions are just that and have no pretensions to be exhaustive.

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