Last weekend I did a clean up on my Birkenstock Arizona sandals. Part of the process was giving the exposed cork a healthy dose of Cork Life. It was apparent that I had exposed the Arizonas to a bit too much water. The cork was dull and dry. They really needed the Cork Life to seal and protect against further damage.

Proper maintenance of the cork will help you get the maximum life out of any sandal or clog. So, how do you know if you need to add a coat of Cork Life? Here’s a picture of a sandal that needed Cork Life a long time ago. Notice how the cork appears dried out and pieces have broken off. Also, the suede footbed has separated from the cork. The only course of action in this case is to replace the footbed and sole. A $5.99 bottle of Cork Life is a lot less expensive that $65.00 refurbishment.

As a side-to-side comparison, here are two sandals in differing states of need. The one on the left recently had a new coat of Cork Life applied to it. The sandal on the right is begging for a recoating – notice the dull appearance of the cork. You should apply Cork Life once a month or so, or when the cork looks dull.

In ten minutes you can wipe down the cork and add a healthy coat of Cork Life. With proper maintenance you Birkenstock footwear will last a good long time.

Great footwear at great prices. What a great deal! Stop by a Happy Feet Plus store near you and save.

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Regards,

Dave

As you might guess, my perspective on footwear is biased. Happy Feet Plus sells footwear that emphasizes health and comfort. I look for information that reinforces our opinions on “proper footwear” when I write these blogs. In all of the research I did, as in-exhaustive as it might be, I never saw that anyone recommend that pregnant women should wear pointy-toed high heeled shoes or flip-flops. Instead, the consistent theme is flat or low-heeled shoes with a wide toe box and good support. Hey, that’s what we believe too!

So, what’s the connection to Edema? While wearing good footwear is important any time, it is especially important when you are pregnant. The added weight and altered center of gravity (see Are You Pregnant and Do Your Feet Hurt?) as well as the fluid retention create changes to a woman’s body that require a solid, stable base. Here’s where good footwear comes in.

As early as the second trimester you may find your shoes fitting a little bit tighter. They’re only going to get tighter so you might as well plan on getting new shoes. The swelling is usually caused by the increase in blood volume needed to transport oxygen and nutrients to your baby. Increasing levels of hormones also change blood vessels, joints, ligaments, and, well, your whole body. No wonder you feel swollen and bloated.

Gravity is largely responsible for fluid retention to be more pronounced in your feet, ankles, and calves. Your growing uterus also puts pressure on the veins that carry blood back from your lower body. Blood flow back from your feet is restricted and fluids stay in your feet and legs. Increases in foot size should be expected, but one foot should not swell more than another. If you do find this happening, see your doctor.

Until you give birth you’re going to have to live with Edema in your feet, but there are things you can do to minimize the impact:

• Have your feet measured several times throughout your pregnancy and wear the correct shoe size for your foot.
• Elevate your feet as often as possible. Use a small stool at work while seated at your desk.
• Wear seamless socks that do not constrict circulation or wear surgical stockings — with advice from your doctor.
• Keep active, but see your doctor before starting an exercise program. Walking is usually recommended. Try lying on your back and simulating riding a bike. This will exercise the muscles in the leg and reduce swelling.vDo not stand for long periods of time. Walking gets your calf muscles working, which helps pump some of the extra fluid out of your legs and feet.
• Take a bath or go swimming; the water puts an outside force on the swelling and helps to decrease it.
• If you are driving for a long period of time, take regular breaks to stretch your.
• Sleep on your side, not your back. This relieves pressure on the vena cava, the largest vein leading to the heart. Otherwise, the pressure slows the blood returning from your lower body.
• Consider reflexology to help decrease the swelling (or buy our exclusive Kenkoh Reflexology Sandal).
• Eat a well-balanced diet and avoid foods high in salt that can cause water retention.
• Drink plenty of water to keep the body hydrated. This helps the body retain less fluid.

Here are some shoe-buying tips:

• Choose shoes with a broad base, and a short heel.
• Choose shoes with a toe box that is high enough and wide enough to comfortably fit, either rounded or square shaped, not pointed.
• Choose shoes with extra shock absorption, a supportive arch, and firm heel.
• Look for a walking or athletic shoe with good shock absorption.
• Visit a local Pedorthist for a shoe-fitting recommendation. Pedorthists specialize in fitting shoes and orthotics to alleviate foot problems.
• Periodic measuring is recommended because the feet may increase in size during the pregnancy.
• Shop late in the day. Feet tend to swell as the day goes on.
• Be sure that the shoes fit properly before you leave the store.
• Buy boots with room in the calf area, because your calves may swell. Also choose a boot with a side zipper — they’re easier to get on and off than a pull-on style.
• Replace worn heels often. Uneven heels can throw you off balance.
• Wear comfortable, supportive footwear, ideally with a strap, laces, or Velcro.

Great footwear at great prices. What a great deal! Stop by a Happy Feet Plus store near you and save.

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Regards,

Dave

There’s still a lot of warm weather left this year. Enjoy it in a pair of Birkenstock Arizona Soft Footbed sandals. This week we’ve got three leather Arizonas on sale. Check ‘em out, save $31.25 and be cool!

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OK, so I’m a guy and can’t fully appreciate the effects that pregnancy bestows on a woman’s body. Although if I knew then, when she was pregnant oh so many years ago, what I know now my wife would have been at least a bit more comfortable.

You may hate for saying this, but do your toes look like sausages stuffed into your shoes? It’s not your fault, you’ve just got the wrong shoes. Normally a woman will wear a half size or even a full size larger, even after delivery. Sorry, but that’s all part of the process. Don’t fight it, recognize it and wear what fits and is good for you. You’ll definitely feel better.

Let’s start at the beginning, well not the very beginning. We all know pretty much know how what happened there. But once you’re pregnant things start happening. The most obvious change is the belly-bump and the corresponding weight gain. Center of gravity changes and the added weight affects everything from the hips to the soles of the feet – and everything in between. You’ll also start retaining water and edema will make your toes feel like those little sausages. I’ll talk more about edema next week.

Often referred to as “flat feet”, over-pronation is a common result of being pregnant. To compensate for the added weight, a woman will adjust her walk by tilting her pelvis forward, curving the lower spine. This changes the pressure on the feet, resulting in the over-pronation. The arches flatten and the knees can tilt inward. The plantar fascia (the muscle/ligament that makes up the medial arch) is stretched and aggravated. But wait there’s more.

Among the hormones now surging through your body is relaxin. The hormone relaxin is 10 times more concentrated in the female during pregnancy. Relaxin enables the joints in the pelvis to relax and allows the baby to pass through the birth canal. Unfortunately relaxin affects all joints and ligaments, including those in your feet. The relaxing ligaments make the over-pronation condition worse.

You might wonder what Happy Feet Plus can do to help pregnant women. The quick answer is arch support. While there’s more to it than that, arch support is a great place to start. Any pair of footwear with good arch support (e.g., Birkenstock, Alpro, Birki’s, Footprints, Papillio, Tatami, Finn Comfort, Kenkoh) will help resolve your over-pronation issues which will help alleviate any knee or hip pain. Also affected by the presence of relaxin and impact of the weight gain are the other two main arches in the foot – the metatarsal and lateral arches. Footwear that is good for you will support all three arches and help keep your feet from aching.

An added benefit of wearing good footwear is that they most often have a wide toe box. You already know that you’re not going to fit into your pointy-toed high heels while you’re carrying your “little bundle of joy”. Now would be a great time to get a pair of shoes, sandals, or clogs with good support and some space in the toe box. By wearing these shoes now, as well as after you deliver, you’ll be avoiding bunions, ingrown toenails, corns and calluses. Who wants any of those?

Being a mom means many things. Your responsibilities increase and you need to feel good. Why not start with having feet that don’t hurt? At least one part of your body will be happy and happy feet are, well, happy feet.

Great footwear at great prices. What a great deal! Stop by a Happy Feet Plus store near you and save.

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Regards,

Dave

I just read a comment from one of the blog readers and was surprised.

The author is a male who has an interest in distributing foot health information, but he was unaware that Birkenstock made footwear for guys. What a wonderful world this guy has been missing!

If there’s one person who doesn’t know that there are Birkenstocks for men, there are probably thousands (tens, or hundreds of thousands, or more?) of guys wondering around with sore feet. Well guys, here’s a revelation – there are Birkenstock sandals, shoes and clogs that will fit you just fine. They’ll support your arches and allow your toes to have wiggle room. The cork footbed will mold to unique foot shape and in general, just make you feel better. At least they did for me.

It’s been a few years (if ever) that the New York or Paris fashionistas have unvailed footwear styled like Birkenstocks. And that’s OK. Birkenstock has been very constant in making what they believe to be honest, functional, high quality, and comfortable footwear. They’ve added brands like Alpro, Birki’s, Footprints, Papillio, and Tatami to provide footwear niche styling.

If you visit our retail site (www.happyfeet.com) and go to any of the Birkenstock brand pages mentioned above, you see links for men-sized sandals, shoes, or clogs (except for Papillio which is women-only.) Look around. There are options for work, casual or beach/pool use. You’ll find footwear made with leather, suede, nubuck, and synthetic materials. Lots of choices and they’re all good.

Try a pair, I’m sure you’ll like them.

Great footwear at great prices. What a great deal! Stop by a Happy Feet Plus store near you and save.

Click Here To SHOP at Happy Feet Plus

Regards,

Dave

Have you heard of Taos footwear? Probably not.

Taos is a small manufacturer that has been around for only about 5 years, but during that time they have made a big name for themselves as an independent label featuring comfort casual footwear.

With no fanfare, last week we began offer Taos footwear to our on-line customers. The response has been unexpectedly outstanding. So what is it that makes these shoes, sandals, clogs, and boots so different?

Taos describes them as “comfort gone cute”. Yes, they have style features that are different than most of our other brands – more about that later. Most important for us though is what goes on under your feet.

The Taos footbed meets the Happy Feet Plus “seal of approval”. It has a strong metatarsal arch, a moderate medial arch and is firmly cushioned. The sandals also feature a toe bar that strengthens the feet as you walk and helps your toes grip the footbed.

When you browse the 20+ styles of Taos footwear we offer you’ll notice a mix of conservative to funky. The Tempo sandal features adjustable straps in a familiar walking style. The Bungie Jump shoe, on the other hand, is one of the funkiest shoes we sell. Instead of straps or laces it does indeed use bungie cords to keep the soft leather upper comfortably secured.

You’re not going to find Taos footwear in your big department stores or on-line super sites. But you will find them here, at HappyFeet.com. We love them. You will too.

Great footwear at great prices. What a great deal! Stop by a Happy Feet Plus store near you and save.

Click Here To SHOP at Happy Feet Plus

Regards,

Dave

The Birkenstock Attraction: History.

The Birkenstock family has been making shoes for more than two hundred years, however Birkenstock shoes, sandals, and clogs did not gain popularity outside of Germany until 1966, when a woman named Margot Fraser discovered them during vacation in Germany and started to import them into the United States, where they developed a lot of popularity among people who recognize quality in footwear.

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Hello friends! It’s His and Her’s week again. This time I selected two Finn Comfort sandals. For Him, save $71.25 on the Tropez fisherman’s sandal. For Her, save $56.25 on the Saloniki with a cute contrasting strap. Both feature the exceptional comfort and support of a “Finn.”

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Finn Comfort Orthopedic Shoes are produced with the perfect combination of uncompromising old world European craftsmanship and skills. Finn Comfort shoes are widely prescribed by podiatrists and general health practitioners alike, to help alleviate chronic foot and back pain.

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The Birki’s sandal collection.
Birki’s sandals and clogs are available at HappyFeet.com in a wide variety of styles, colors and materials

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