I might have the highest foot arch ever. This is not an exaggeration; I have never seen a higher arch than mine. This never bothered me before I started working for Dr. Lockwood because I didn’t know better. Now that I am a “foot care specialist”, I know most of my heel pain can be attributed to my custom foot condition.

I used to believe everyone’s feet hurt like mine. We are busy people walking around all day and it is just natural to have foot pain, right? This is definitely incorrect! No one walks properly; we all need a little help.

Custom molded orthotics are beneficial for everyone. Any type of foot or ankle pain can be reduced or eliminated with orthotics. Orthotics are custom inserts made specifically for the individual needing them. They are made from a mold of your feet, so the inserts are an EXACT match to your specific arch prescription.

Orthotics work so well because they actually change the way you walk. They will properly modify your body’s alignment, including hips and shoulders to eliminate whole body pain. Custom orthotics decrease pain by changing the way forces act on our feet.

Specifically for me and my high foot arches, orthotics help distribute my body weight more evenly to a greater surface area across my foot. By allocating my weight properly, I have decreased the stress on my feet. As a result, my heel pain has decreased and I feel like I am walking on a cloud!

I have never felt better while I walk. Getting custom molded orthotics was the best decision I have ever made. Call Heartland Foot and Ankle Associates at 309-661-9975 with any questions or to schedule your appointment for orthotics today!

We all have those cute shoes that we just “have to have!”  I know I have fallen victim to shoes with heels, pointy toes, and flip flops. However, my feet do not love these shoes as much as I do.  Stilettos, open backed clogs, pointy toe pumps and even ballet flats offer no arch support.  This can cause numerous problems for your feet including nerve damage, hammertoe, calluses, and heel pain.

Worst Shoe Offender: Flip-Flops

I literally had 10 pairs of flip-flops until I learned these are one of the worst shoes to wear.  I have fallen out of my flip-flops and scraped my feet, strained my ankles, and even broke a toe.  Flip-flops are one of the biggest reasons podiatrists see so many patients during nice weather.  The common conditions associated with wearing these shoes are tendonitis and plantar fasciitis due to lack of support. 

The solution: Invest in real sandals with supportive inserts like our Aetrex Sandalistas we carry in office. 

Spike Heels

When I was a little younger, I would wear heels to go out because they made the outfit look cute.  I still wore them even though I knew I was only going to wear them briefly because of the pain they caused me.    Pain can form due to the pressure and strain on the ball of the foot from heels. These high heels have even caused a friend of mine a stress fracture because they were so high! 

The solution: Only wear heels on special occasions and infrequently. Also, if you do have to wear heels, use a ball of foot cushion to help relieve some of the pressure.  Additionally, bring a backup pair of shoes just in case. 

Pointy-Toed Pumps

Pointy pumps are hazardous because they can cause neuromas. A neuroma is inflamation of the nerve between the toes.  It is most common to see neuromas between the third and fourth toes, but it can also affect any of the toes. 

The solution: Avoid these at all costs.  Look for a shoe with a toe box that is more wide than pointy.  You never want to squeeze your foot in a pair of shoes so much that you are put into an unnatural and uncomfortable position. 

Ballet Flats

I love flats, but have found there are different types that give you more support than others.  Ballet flats generally lack support and cushioning.  Without proper support, there is a risk of tendonitis and plantar fasciitis, which is never good!

The solution: One rule to remember when choosing a flat: if it can be folded and put in your purse there probably isn’t much support.  You want to make sure there is a real rubber sole with arch support.  If there isn’t support in your flats, orthotics or Powersteps would be a great option for additional support.

Many patients ask me if I have kids and I respond, “No-I have dogs.”  My two pups are like children to me; they sleep with me, eat with our family, and go on vacations with us.  I even leave the lights and TV on for them when I’m not at home.  And they are usually precious little angels…except for the other day.

I had returned home from running errands to find my Brooks tennis shoes drug out in the middle of my living room floor.  Surprisingly my shoes had no harm done, but somehow Ginger, my puggle (pug beagle mix), managed to chew up my custom orthotics that were inside my shoes!

As other orthotic wearers can attest to, my orthotics are life savers for my feet.  Without them I experience plantar fasciitis, otherwise known as heel pain. Orthotics are a substantial financial investment, which can last for years, if my dogs don’t chew them up.  So when I walked in to see my custom inserts made into chew toys, I was initially horrified.

After a brief moment of shock, I remembered I (just like all other HFAA patients) have a 1 year warranty on my orthotics.  So I was able to send my orthotics into the lab and have them recovered and back to me in no time!  This 1 year warranty is a huge benefit to patients because it includes adding, removing, and moving padding to achieve the best custom fit possible.  Padding can offload areas of high pressure and make for a more comfortable wear.  The warranty also includes recovering the entire orthotic in a new top cover. 

So this is all fine and dandy if your orthotics are within the 1 year warranty, but what happens if you need an adjustment or recover after the warranty is up.  Good news- it’s only $50 to recover ANY orthotic, including modifying padding.  This includes orthotics that aren’t even from our practice.

So even though I had a mild heart attack at the sight of my custom orthotics all chewed up, I was at ease knowing I was protected by the HFAA warranty. Anyways, with those little cute puggle eyes, I could never stay mad at my Ginger! 

It was a summer night; I was eighteen living in Peoria Heights, when a friend and I decided to go for a ride. Since I was young and naïve, I made a big mistake and hopped in the care without shoes on. We drove for hours because gas was inexpensive at the time and ended up in Chicago.

Sadly, in the middle of the highway on our way home, the car over heated and stopped running. I was forced to get out of the car without shoes on and attempt to fix the problem. Originally, I thought it was not going to be a big deal, but boy was I wrong!

The summer heat made the pavement unbearable on my unprotected feet. I was in agony! From this experience, I definitely learned my lesson. Now, I never leave my house without shoes since it is unclean and horrible for your heels to walk without any support. Working at Heartland Foot and Ankle Associates, I definitely know better now!

On that day, I would have given anything for three things we offer in the office: Aetrex Sandalista Sandals, Gilden Tree Lotion, and a pedicure to help all the damage I caused myself not wearing shoes. A nice soothing pedicure would have helped to restore by dry, blistered feet while our lotion would really help to lock in that moisture.

What is a great lesson you have learned over time? Hit that comment button to let us know! We love hearing from you. 

As I had previously mentioned, I love to work out. I have started to get back into shape by hitting some fun gym classes. Personally, I find fitness classes much easier to attend and keep me motivated. In a fitness class, you are part of a team with one common goal. Everyone is there to help you reach your goals and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, when I started working at Heartland Foot and Ankle and learned about proper shoe wear, I was quite excited to see if I would notice a difference in my new shoes at the gym.

This week marked the beginning of my fitness journey with my new shoes. Everyone already knows I am a huge fan of the Brooks brand because of their stylish shoe wear and great fit, but how did they hold up during vigorous activity? I am proud to say the shoes were amazing during my work-out!

Yesterday, I went to the gym for class called “group active.” Group active incorporates many different fitness elements including step aerobics, strength training with weights, and balancing exercises. With all of these different fitness elements incorporated, it was the perfect class to test my new shoes.

Not only did the Brooks brand meet all my needs, they surpassed my expectations. I have never had shoes that ever made a real difference in my life, but these definitely are. I used to have so many problems tripping over my feet during step aerobics, now my shoes are secure. If you have ever taken step class, you know there are many opportunities to trip. Most of the time, my problem was improper shoe wear.

My shoes were always too loose and did not let me balance properly on the step. Now, my Brooks shoes contour better to my feet and there isn’t any slippage. Whether it be during strength exercise or a balance routine, my shoes are secure!