The Bunion Blog Archives – July-August 2007
Vibram Five Fingers – Going Barefoot with Bunions
August 15th, 2007
The other day I received a newspaper clipping about the strangest shoe I've ever seen: the Vibram Five Fingers. Actually, I wouldn't even call it a shoe, it's more a foot glove really.
As I don't own a pair myself, I cannot tell you from experience what it feels like walking on them. But I do believe these 'shoes' could make good 'bunion shoes', because they keep your big toes in a straight position when you're moving around. Something no other shoe can do – as far as I know.
Besides, I've always believed going barefoot is good for your feet. The foot is a complex mechanism: it consists of about 30 bones and joints, and lots of muscles, tendons and ligaments. For your feet to stay healthy, you have to put those musles etc. to work. Which simply isn't possible when you force your feet into (narrow, high heeled, pointed) shoes.
Personally I don't go barefoot often, because it hurts (especially the ball of my second toe). But these 'foot gloves' might change that. The upper is made of a stretch fabric (which I suppose will accommodate your bunions just fine), while the sole is made of rubber. This might prevent the pain associated with going barefoot for me.
Though they're originally developed for sailing, climbing, and hiking, I cannot see why you couldn't wear them around the house. True, they look a bit funny, but I'm sure you'll get used to that.
If you already own a pair of Five Fingers yourself, please leave a comment and tell the rest of us what you think of them.
Wearing Posture Control Insoles Upside Down!
August 2nd, 2007
I contacted the insole manufacturer about my problem with walking long distances on Posture Control Insoles, and apparently I did wear them upside down! I didn't cut away the semi round shape at the inside of the insoles, which is meant for attaching arch supports. Maybe that's the reason this part of the insoles rose a little, giving me the impression I had to put them in my shoes cloth side down. Or maybe it was just because of the shipping and handling procedures that I received them bended like this.
Apparently you can leave those semi round parts in, even if you don't use arch supports. So if you're thinking about trying those insoles, don't make the same mistake as I did and put them in your shoes cloth side up right from the start!
Long Distance Walking Wearing Posture Control Insoles
August 1st, 2007
Last weekend we spent two days walking in a very nice part of our country (the Netherlands) to get ready for a long distance walk later this year in Cornwall. And of course I was wearing the Posture Control Insoles I recently bought, to check out if they still felt comfortable after many, many hours of walking.
I'm sorry to say they didn't, though I did continue to wear them. After a couple of hours however, they started to feel very uncomfortable and I was glad that I could change shoes when we arrived at our destination. (I found out I even had developed two blisters; something that doesn't happen easily to me!) The reason I think is the material the insoles are made of.
The bottom of the insoles looks like felt – quite comfortable. But the top is made of a hard, rubber like material. The hardness isn't so much a problem for me, but the friction caused by the rubber is. I think this is what causes me discomfort. For a moment I thought that I maybe was wearing them upside down, but that wasn't the case.
I kept wearing them however, because the support they give the ball of my big toes really feels good. And I didn't experience any pain under the ball of my second and third toes, which often happens when I walk for hours on end. Next time, I'll try wearing other socks (maybe silk ones), to see if that helps in reducing friction.
Otherwise, I'm quite happy with my insoles. I'm wearing them most of the day, and I have the impression they keep my feet warmer than usual. (A side effect I truely like, because I suffer from cold feet a lot).
Welcome to The Bunion Blog
July 31st, 2007
I'm sure you'd like to know how this bunion experiment is working out for me. Well, that's exactly what this bunion blog is for. Also, I'd like to have your opinion – what do you think of the bunion treatments and the bunion care products I selected for this experiment? Do they do anything for you? And of course, if you know of any additional bunion treatments, I'm sure we all want to hear about them!