CSN Giveaway Winner and Orthaheel Shoe Review

The winner of the $100 CSN giveaway is #103/221 - Mollie from Eat, Run, Read! I’ve been reading Mollie’s blog for awhile now. You should stop by if you love all things eating (think hazlenut meringue cake, key lime cake, etc), reading and running. Mollie is an amazing cook – her recipes and descriptions of her delectable cakes will make your mouth water. She is always finding time to read something interesting be it fiction or biographies. On top of all that, she runs her butt off around the D.C. area and gives some great details about her routes and experiences. Mollie, email me at brisdon@comcast.net and I’ll be sure your gift card gets to you!!

It’s true I’ve been a bad blogger. I get stuff to review, I wear it, use it, enjoy it, then I realize – Oh, snap! – I need to review it. I’m usually pretty timely, but not always. You see, Orthaheel, makers of shoes to make you healthier and restore improved foot function, sent me these shoes to try out about two months ago:

Kinetic Sandal: $59.00

Problem was they were the wrong size. One size too big. I told them and they were to send out another pair, but it never came.  When I realized the new pair was probably not coming, I started wearing the larger pair since they fit okay despite being a bit big. I wore them during a time when I had pulled something in my butt (no I did not pull something out of my butt). Maybe it was my imagination or maybe it was a placebo, but my glute pain started subsiding and then was gone. Mostly I wore the shoes after runs as recovery shoes. They take some getting used to because the arch is exaggerated, but in no time my foot adjusted and they felt really good. Very comfortable. They’ve become my summertime go-to shoe. In fact, last night a dog peed on my Orthaheels. I’m not kidding.

~~~Tangent: This is the second time I’ve been peed on by an animal this summer. The first time was by a goat at my CSA farm. He peed on my from about five feet away and I still don’t know how he managed the projectile effect. Maybe he was just glad to see me? Ewww…~~~~~~

Here’s the scoop, in the words of the Orthaheel folks, about how these shoes work:

“Our feet were designed to walk on soft, natural surfaces like soil and sand. Yet today we spend most of our time standing, walking and running on unnatural, hard surfaces.

This loss of our "footprint" has resulted in a variety of pain and injuries affecting not just the feet, but the entire body. Unnatural surfaces force our feet to pronate (roll over) to gain ground contact, which flattens the arches and can disrupt normal knee function and hip alignment and increase pressure on the lower back.

Clinical and practical research has resulted in the unique Orthaheel orthotic design that helps "reclaim" your natural footprint by restoring the foot's natural (neutral) alignment, enabling the feet, ankles and legs to function as efficiently and dynamically as they were intended. Orthaheel's unique orthotic is built-in to our collection of sandals, slippers and athletic shoes, and it is also available as an insert for your own footwear.

Orthaheel products are supposedly ideal for heel pain and plantar fasciitis, moderate to excessive pronation, shock-absorbing support and stability, and low- and high-performance athletes. While you are not running, but are at the county fair or grocery shopping or walking your dog, they supposedly correct your pronation thereby improving knee function and hip alignment.

Bottom line? Slipping into these babies after a long run feels awesome. They are comfortable and durable and will probably last several years. I like to believe they massaged the pain out of my glutes. Yet, they are one of most expensive flip flops you will ever buy. At $59 a pop, it is tough to know if the price is worth the benefits.  I will say that if you are looking for a comfy shoe that will correct your pronation while you do casual walking, this could be the choice for you.