The Monthly – Shopping Around June 2009 :: Something’s Afoot | Step up to smarter foot care and avoid common faux pas.

Step up to smarter foot care and avoid common faux pas.

One night last January, I peeled off my socks to find that my toes had become plump little sausages, strangely swollen and fiery red. By the next morning, they were so tender that any contact with a shoe made me cringe. After hobbling around for a few days, I realized that my fantasies of that dream job and the body I’d had in my 20s had morphed into a simple wish for pain-free feet.

I was hardly alone in my foot-centered worldview. “Feet are the architectural foundation for the body,” says Oakland-based personal trainer and massage therapist Lisa Vonnegut. “Any pain, weakness, or imbalance in the feet can change your movement patterns and compromise everyday activities.”

Unmistakably compromised by my own sore feet, I sought medical help. The diagnosis was chilblains, an inflammation caused by exposure to cold. The prescription: warm socks.

Although not all foot woes are so painlessly solved, it is easy to take steps toward healthier feet while not completely sacrificing fashion. Whether you’re a distance runner, a veteran of bunions and hammertoes, or someone whose aching feet just need a dose of TLC, here’s some advice from the experts who care for, dress, and pamper our feet.

If the Shoe Fits

For carefree tootsies, it’s crucial to pay close attention to shoe shape and support. Dr. Mark Wolpa, chief of podiatry at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, likes to hold a patient’s shoe next to his or her foot. If the shoe is a stylish high heel, Wolpa likens the fit to putting a rectangle into a point—“something’s gotta give.”

Oakland podiatrist Anna Sorkin recommends comfortable shoes that support the foot and have adjustable closers like laces or bungees. “Once you go higher than a one-inch heel,” she says, “the Achilles tendon starts to shorten, which can cause tendonitis or put pressure on the front of the foot.” If you have a tendency to develop bunions (a protrusion of bone at the base of the big toe) or hammertoes (deformed toes bent inward like a claw), fashionable heels will likely mean trouble.

In all seasons, including the rainy ones, my teens don their flip-flops or crocs. Wolpa, who practices in Berkeley and Lafayette and writes the advice column “FootNotes” for Lafayette Today, views this fun footware as trouble. When children come to his office wearing crocs, jellies, or flip-flops, he makes his point by holding the shoes over the trash can. “Kids’ feet are still growing and are very susceptible to problems,” he says. “Both kids and adults need shoes that provide support, protection, and shock absorption.”

Once you’ve found a pair of supportive shoes, make sure they fit. “Nearly every day I measure someone who is surprised by their foot size,” says Richie Boulet, co-owner of Transports, with shops in Rockridge and North Berkeley. Shoe size can change over time, and the foot may widen or the arch drop, making the feet longer. Boulet urges customers to allow for a bit of room in the toe, as feet swell during the course of the day. Biomechanics also plays a role in assuring a great fit. At LaFoot Plus in Berkeley, which specializes in athletic shoes and custom orthotics, staff look at the motion of the foot in order to recommend an optimal shoe. “Watching someone walk barefoot,” says manager Matt Bell, “allows us to assess the natural foot pattern, including rotation of the foot, variance in heel position, and the effect of the foot’s motion on the ankle, knee, and leg.”

Comfort in Style

It wasn’t so long ago that fashion and comfort in footwear didn’t mix. According to owner Julian Kershaw, when The Walk Shop opened in Berkeley in 1978, shoe soles were made of leather, and comfortable rubber soles were only for running shoes. Back then, comfortable or orthopedic shoes conjured up an image of square, flesh-colored Wallabees with a thick crepe sole. But not anymore.

Today, the East Bay is rich in stylish shoes that would earn a podiatrist’s stamp of approval. They now come in myriad funky styles—low boots, high boots, flat Mary Janes, chunky heels, and stitched designs. At Berkeley’s Shoes on Solano, you’ll find an array that lives up to the store’s tag line—“comfort in style.” They offer a wide selection of Danskos—“the shoe of choice for people like nurses and waitresses who need to be on their feet,” says owner Carol Fabretti. The venue also features Wolkys, a Dutch shoe with adjustable straps and a cork footbed, as well as Earth Shoes, which immediately brought me back to the corridors of my high school. (Based on the Earth Shoes you remember from the ’70s, the new model retains the downward-angled heel, but now has a more tapered look.)

At Village Shoes in Oakland, men and women will find a selection with rounded toes that owner Mark Freeberg calls “Euro-comfort shoes”—brands like Ecco, Dansko, and Naot. Earthly Goods in Berkeley also features women’s shoes from Dansko and Naot, as well as a collection from Keen for outdoor enthusiasts. Owner Christine Connolly says she views her customers as “active women who care about appearance, but will not sacrifice comfort.”

Bill’s Men’s Shop on Telegraph Avenue offers an extensive selection of men’s shoes—everything from hiking boots to dress shoes, including Clarks, Merrells, Keens, and Frye boots. In Alameda, Scott’s Shoes provides professional and sporty styles for both men and women.

Athletic footwear varies to suit differing foot types and to provide a range of motion control and shock absorption. Popular brands, including Saucony, New Balance, Adidas, and Asics, are available at Transports and La Foot Plus.

We can’t all be like Carrie Bradshaw, the heroine of Sex and the City, who collects Manolo Blahniks by the dozen. But even a sensible-shoe type like me has a pair somewhere in the back of her closet—the ones that make you feel just a little bit like a supermodel. Mine have a three-inch heel and are covered in black silk, with a floral splash across the toe. In spite of all the advice to the contrary, certain moments, and certain outfits, require high heels. Rabat on Fourth Street, Tootsies in Rockridge, and Nordstrom in Walnut Creek, San Leandro, and San Francisco all carry the footwear you need for flirtation, seduction, or revenge.

Shoe Fix

Model Shoe Renew, a Berkeley staple for 53 years, specializes in the care and maintenance of aging shoes and bags. Berkeleyite Caroline Lepman, who relies on owner Peter Kemel to rebuild the vintage boots that she snaps up at resale stores, recently brought a bedraggled pair into the shop. “These boots need some love,” she instructed him. Kemel also rebuilds orthotics and worn-out Birkenstocks, and sells Halfinger and Aetrex shoes, as well as an assortment of laces, polish, shoe trees, and shoe horns.

Once you’ve got the right shoe and the right fit, an orthotic—an insole molded from a plaster cast of the foot—may also make sense. Designed to treat foot pain, fallen arches, or structural problems, orthotics align the foot in a neutral position and prevent excessive turning in (pronation). At the Alameda Orthopedic Footcare Center, owner Peter Orsov makes custom orthotics or recommends a non-prescription pair based on an analysis of foot structure and gait. Not all shoes can accommodate an orthotic, so be sure to ask. Alameda Orthopedic also carries products for people with diabetes, who are prone to foot problems due to poor circulation and nerve damage.

Funky Feet

The sister plagues of athlete’s foot and toe fungus are caused by the same organism. Athlete’s foot often resembles peeling, dry skin on the soles of the feet; toenails become yellow, thick, and brittle. If you’re susceptible, Wolpa recommends daily use of antifungal shoe spray and antifungal foot cream, as well as giving shoes a day to air out after use. And the right time for those flip-flops is at the gym, in the shower, or en route to the pool. The fungus thrives in a warm, moist environment, so keep your feet dry, and don’t wear sneakers without socks. A synthetic or light wool sock will wick more moisture from your foot than a cotton one. And if you’re wary of taking pills to cure your fungus, a podiatrist may be able to treat the problem using lasers or topical medication.

Another common problem is heel pain, often caused by overuse or exercising on a hard surface like concrete. Wolpa urges a gradual buildup to exercise as well as daily stretching of the calf, Achilles tendon, and arch. Heel pain with your first steps in the morning may indicate plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of tissue that runs from the heel to the ball of the foot.

Divine Soaks

At Bellissima Day Spa in South Berkeley, clients relax into the sounds of flowing fountains and gentle music. On a recent visit, I meet Oakland resident Tracy Hazelton, mom of a newborn and a toddler, sitting in a comfy massage chair and soaking her feet in a bowl of warm water, ginger-lemon salts, and rose petals. I watch with envy as manicurist and esthetician Trang Pham grooms Hazelton’s nails; buffs the soles of her feet with pumice; massages each toe, foot, and calf; and finally, applies pale pink polish. “I leave totally relaxed,” says Hazelton, “and with pretty feet.”

Over in North Berkeley, Joi Nail Spa on Solano Avenue offers a Peppermint Pedi featuring a minty foot soak and a lime blossom sugar scrub exfoliation. The Sole Reviver includes a walnut shell scrub to remove calluses and a foot mask to moisturize. Both Bellissima and Joi also offer foot reflexology, an ancient Chinese massage technique in which pressure is applied to specific areas of the foot believed to reflect the body’s organs.

To avoid fungus or staph infections, be sure that your salon sterilizes its foot baths and instruments. Many salons carefully cleanse with a combination of disinfectants and heat. If you’re apprehensive, though, bring your own equipment and polish.

Vonnegut, who co-owns Bay Functional Fitness in Rockridge, spends a significant portion of her bodywork sessions on foot massage. Loosening the fascia (connective tissue on the bottom of the foot), she says, is a key benefit. Tight fascia can cause painful inflammation and lead up the kinetic chain to tight calves, knees, and hamstrings. For do-it-yourself types, Vonnegut suggests rolling a tennis or golf ball under the soles of the feet each day to keep them loose and mobilized.

Once your feet are soft, relaxed, and happily ensconced in sensible shoes, you may want to consider a different type of foot experiment. My husband, Zach, has been walking the streets of Berkeley in shoes that look like stretchy black gloves. Known as Vibram FiveFingers, these shoes conform separately to each toe, have durable soles, and give the sensation of going barefoot while protecting the feet. Although a non-supportive shoe is clearly not for everyone, FiveFingers—one of Transports’ most popular shoes—are finding their audience. Enthusiasts believe the shoes strengthen foot muscles, and use them for water sports, yoga, running, and enjoying the feel of the earth beneath their feet.

Although our teens are mortified by Zach’s monkey feet, he relishes his faux-barefoot freedom. As for my own size eights, I am happy to report that they no longer look like the “before” photo in a medical textbook. Watch out, Carrie: here I come, in my black silk stilettos—and soft, warm, therapeutic socks.

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Rachel Trachten is a freelance journalist and copy editor and a frequent contributor to The Monthly.

Happy Feet

SHOE STORES
Alameda Orthopedic Footcare Center, 2322 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda, (510) 523-4316; www.alamedaorthopedic.com

Bill’s Men’s Shop, 2386 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley, (510) 848-5436; www.billsfootwear.com/home.html

Earthly Goods, 2100 Vine St., Berkeley, (510) 845-4564.

Happy Feet Children’s Shoes, 2311 Santa Clara Ave., Alameda, (510) 748-0524.

LaFoot Plus, 2917 College Ave., Berkeley, (510) 644-3668; www.lafoot.com

Model Shoe Renew, 1934 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, (510) 843-7218

Nordstrom, 1200 Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek, (925) 930-7959;
1285 Marina Blvd., San Leandro, (510) 614-1742;
865 Market St., San Francisco, (415) 243-8500; http://shop.nordstrom.com

Rabat, 1825 Fourth St., Berkeley, (510) 549-9195; www.rabatshoes.com

Scott’s Shoes, 1330 Park St., Alameda, (510) 865-5565

Shoes on Solano, 1770 Solano Ave., Berkeley, (510) 559-8062

Shuz of Rockridge, 6012 College Ave., Oakland, (510) 658-9742

Tootsies, 5525 College Ave., Oakland, (510) 595-7272; www.tootsiesboutique.com

Transports, 6014 College Ave., Oakland, (510) 655-4809;
1559 Solano Ave., Berkeley, (510) 528-8405; www.transportsrunswim.com

Vibram FiveFingers; www.vibramfivefingers.com

Village Shoes, 2915 College Ave., Berkeley, (510) 845-4054; www.elmwoodvillageshoes.com

The Walk Shop, 2120 Vine St., Berkeley, (510) 849-3628; www.walkshop.com

PODIATRISTS
Dr. Anna Sorkin, 419 30th St., Suite A, Oakland; (510) 444-8733.

Dr. Ted Mihok and Dr. Anthony Poggio, 2059 Clinton Ave., Ste. 1, Alameda, (510) 865-2500.

Dr. Mark Wolpa, 2500 Milvia St., #216, Berkeley, (510) 849-3800;
112 La Casa Via, Walnut Creek, (925) 937-2222; www.berkeleyfootclinic.com