Fit Feet for shuz: Fashionable Footwear for Bunion Sufferers
September 24, 2009 by cinder
Filed under Fit Feet for Shuz
Fit Feet for shuz by Dr. Emily Splichal ~
In this segment of “Fit Feet for shuz”, I’ll address fashionable footwear for bunion sufferers.
Did I just say the “B” word? And even more shocking – did I just use the word “fashionable” and “bunion” in the same sentence??
Yes ladies – you heard me right. For the average of 3 in 10 women noticing that growing bump on the side of their foot, I have good news for you. You may not be able to wear your favorite Jimmy Choos anymore, but some fabulous shoe designers have come to the rescue and created the perfect high heel – just for you!
A bunion (aka Hallux Abducto Valgus) seemingly appears as a simple bump on the side of the foot – however this “bump” is actually a change in the bony framework of your foot. Bunion formation is progressive and typically not reversible. Sorry ladies all those crazy gadgets and braces really aren’t going to turn your tootsies back to pre-stiletto time!
A bunion, which appears as a bump on the side, is actually a change in the bony framework of your foot.
Swearing over ever starting your stiletto-obsession? Some good news is that stilettos are not entirely to blame for your bunion formation. True, certain heels are definately not helping that poor bunion, but do know that a bunion is actually caused by faulty foot biomechanics. What does this mean? For some women, your bunion formation would have developed stiletto or sans stilettos.
So you have the bump, now what? Sadly to say the only way to really correct the foot and get rid of the bunion is – surgery. You heard me right – but I’ll say it again – surgery. Bunion surgery is not fun and will have you laid off your foot for 4-6 weeks. Not ready to go under the knife? But also not ready to say goodbye to the heels? There is a fabulous shoe designer who has created the perfect shoe just for you – and we aren’t talking your grandmothers orthopedic shoes!
Introducing Selve (pronounced “sell-vay”), a customized shoe just for you! Started by Claudia Kieserling in Germany, Selve shoes are customized to fit the unique size and shape – bunion and all – of our feet to create the best and most comfortable fit. The journey through a Selve shoe purchase begins with the scanning of each foot to create a computerized image which will be used to create your customized shoe. Then the fun begins – women are allowed to create their shoe including colors, materials, shoe style and heel height. What could be better than a high heel that is fashionable, fits your bunion and unique to you?
Selve offers many styles for their "made to measure" shoes.
Selve offers women a wide selection of styles for their “made to measure” dress, casual and boot lines. The Selve product line has expanded over the eight years to include bridal shoes, as well as men’s dress and casual shoes. In the first quarter of 2009 Selve introduced golf shoes for men and women. For more information visit www.selve.us
For stiletto-wearers lucky enough to have avoided bunion formation, here are some great tips to keep the bunion off:
1. Stretch your feet everyday. By maintaining flexilbilty in the larger muscles surrounding the foot and the smaller muscles in the foot, you may be able to avoid a biomechanical imbalance.
2. Strengthen feet by doing towel crunches, picking up marbles with your toes and towel sweeps. Exercises can be found on my Stiletto Recovery DVD – Fierce Feet Chapter. www.CatwalkConfidence.com
3. Avoid pointed toe heels and this puts pressure on the big toe. Round toe shoes better mirror the natural foot shape.
4. Avoid heels greater than 2 inches as this puts pressure on the already stressed big toe joint.
