Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race is just 5 days away- are your feet ready for the 6.2 miles of pavement through the heart of Atlanta?  Training for a race can be intimidating Whether you are an avid runner or a weekend warrior, these helpful tips will get you to the finish line pain free….. and smiling for the camera!

Q: What should the ‘casual’ athlete do to prepare for a race?

A: The initial emphasis should be on your overall health.  Be sure to have a physical examination before engaging in any strenuous physical activity. That examination must include any lower extremity and foot complaints you may have or have had in the past when you tried a particular sport.

Q: Since all sports activities require the use of your feet, what should the average person do to help their feet function properly?

A: There are a number of areas that must be taken into consideration. The most important is wearing not only the proper type of shoe for the activity but also the properly fitted type of shoe. The use of a well made sock that is padded in the forefoot and the heel are also very important to the health and function of the foot.

Q: I experience pain in the arch of my foot.  How should I train for a road race?

A: Proper training for a race is critical.  Depending on the severity and the location of the pain, an arch support may be helpful as well as a proper fitted shoe that is designed for your foot type. If the pain came on suddenly and is severe you should see a doctor or foot specialist to make sure there is no injury to the area.

Q: Why is the type of shoe so important?

A: Many modern shoe manufacturers design and make shoes for specific uses. For example- the construction of a running shoe and a tennis shoe are very different. The sole of a running shoe has  is designed to dig into the surface with a firm grip, while a tennis shoe is more smooth on the bottom allowing the shoe to have a full contact with the court surface. You wouldn’t run the Peachtree Road Race in baseball cleats would you?

Q: Is there anything else I can do to help my feet function correctly?

A: Always warm up, stretch your calf muscles and lower limbs like hips, back, shoulders and neck. Walk briskly for a few minutes to stimulate the circulation to all parts of the body.

Q: What about arch supports, do I need them?

A: Supporting the arch of the foot is very important.  Any stretching or collapsing of the arch beyond what is normal can cause painful foot problems such as; plantar fasciitis, heel pain metatarsal pain and ankle pain to name a few. A properly fitted and personally designed orthotic/custom insole will aid the in normal function of the entire lower extremity.

Of course, you can always count on the good ole’ Georgia humidity on race day- make sure you stay hydrated!

-Many thanks to Foot Solutions Director of Training Dr. William Faddock, DPM, C. Ped for providing tips on training for the Peachtree Road Race! Remember, properly training for a race is critical for happy feet and a happy finish!

Summer brings warm weather, vacations and tons of fun.  But before you take the first step outside, there are a few must-know tips to keep your feet healthy this summer season.  Dr. William Faddock, DPM, Certified Pedorthist,  and Director of Training for Foot Solutions answers your top 5 questions on summer foot care.  Follow these 5 simple tips for a healthier, happier summer season!

Are there any special precautions that I need to take concerning my feet in the summer?

Feet must be protected at all times; even in the summer. Warmer weather means we want to liberate our feet from confining shoes and let them breathe. However, there are many dangers to going barefoot or wearing a flimsy “flip flop’s”. The dangers come from many directions.  The obvious ones are sharp objects or hot surfaces like asphalt paving. But, there are also insect bites and stings, infections from tiny abrasions, bacterial, fungal and allergic reactions to plants or other substances.

If all those things can happen what should I do to protect my feet?

A well-fitted sandal is your best line of defense from the above-mentioned problems. It can allow the feet to enjoy the warm summer air while still protecting the plantar surface from injury. A well-fitted sandal also offers the necessary support to the foot, especially one that may have some problems from faulty function. Most of the sandals carried by Foot Solutions stores have extra depth so you can easily wear your custom orthotic in them.

You mention “flip flops.” Why are they bad  to wear?

The construction of this type footwear is flimsy and as such is very unstable. Wearers can easily stumble or trip in them. The thong between the big toe and the second toe can lead to irritation, blistering and even infection, and ruining summer time fun. They have no support and are unsuited for anyone with health problems such as diabetes or circulation problems.

I play a lot of sports in the summer. What do I need to know about my foot health?

Anyone playing any sport needs the proper shoe for their particular sport and the shoe must be well fitted. Runners, joggers and walkers need the type of shoe designed for their specific activity. You shouldn’t wear a walking shoe to run in or a running shoe to play tennis. The wrong shoe means there is a potential for injury. The feet also need the proper sock, one that cushions the heel and forefoot area and wicks away perspiration, helping to prevent both shock and shearing forces. This combination of a proper fitted shoe and the well-designed sock will help to prevent injury, blisters and burning, tired feet.  Of course, if there are any biomechanical problems such as hyperpronation, the use of a custom orthotic is critical. The use of the custom orthotic can be a great asset in the prevention of strains, sprains and serious injury.

Do hikers need to follow the same advice?

Absolutely, their footwear needs are the same as any other athlete. Because of the varying terrain trod upon, shoe requirements call for a boot that goes over the ankle. This type of boot gives the ankle additional support and can prevent an ankle sprain or worse. The use of a custom orthotic in the case of a person with a functional problem is absolutely necessary to aid in normal function and to prevent injury.  The type of sock is very important.  It should provide the foot needs with a well-cushioned heel and forefoot and have a moisture wicking quality.

Team ‘Legally Pink’  is gearing up for the Atlanta 2-Day Walk October 3-4, 2009, thanks to their company and supporter:  Alston + Bird LLP.   One of the team’s walkers, Ginger Choice, is a is a 2-year survivor of Breast Cancer and is excited to be a part of such a passionate organization (Ginger is also the big sister of Foot Solutions very own VP of Operations- Bobby Saade).  Co-captains Robin Wagner and Debbie Ritchie brought their team into Foot Solutions’ Windy Hill Location to be properly fitted for the 30-mile walk, and to receive a monetary donation!

“We had a blast when we visited the Windy Hill store- We are training in style, safety and comfort and will be ready for the 30 mile walk in October!”

Ginger explained to me that The Walk is produced by It’s the Journey, Inc. which was founded in 2002 by two-time breast cancer survivor, Randi Passoff.   To date, the organization has raised $5.5 million and presented 107 grants!”  I’m amazed at the outpouring of help that ‘Legally Pink’ has received- they have worked so hard to help raise money for the cause.  In fact, Ginger was an actual beneficiary of an organization that had received a grant from It’s the Journey, Inc.

Every dollar helps- Each team member must raise a minimum of $1,000 in order to participate in the 2-Day Walk.

“We raise money individually and participate in fundraising events as a Team.  Team funds are redistributed to any member having trouble reaching their goal.  We leave no Legally Pink member behind!”

Legally Pink’s Upcoming Fundraiser:

“Karaoke for the Cure”

Thursday July 30th 5-8pm

Carolyn’s Gourmet Cafe

1151 W. Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30319  (map it!)

404-607-8100

Help Legally Pink reach their goal!  Click here to donate

Let’s face it, times are tough.  You’ve cut back  on entertainment and weekend dining, but money is still tight.   You just can’t afford to keep giving money to your favorite charity.  No matter how bad life seems, there is always someone who has it worse than you. Help shine a little light in these dark times by becoming a ’sole’ ambassador.  Make a difference without spending a dime, and donate your used shoes to   Soles4Souls- a non-profit organization that helps donate new and used shoes across the world to those in need.

We’re using  Social Media for Social Good-

and challenge you to do the same.

How many shoes in your closet are gathering dust? Did you know over 300 million children around the world don’t have shoes? And that doesn’t even include adults.  It’s time for some serious spring cleaning to help put shoes on the feet of those in need.  Our goal is to collect over 50,000 pairs of your shoes-strictly by spreading the word through Social Media.

“How does giving a pair of shoes truly help someone?”

“You never know when life will hit you hard or where a disaster will hit. One day you have everything you need, the next day you may only have your life. A pair of shoes can help people begin the rebuilding process. Shoes not only bring hope but in millions of cases they can save lives.

Diseases such as hookworms can be fatal. When children are continuously infected by many worms, the loss of iron and protein can retard growth and mental development, sometimes irreversibly. Hookworm infections occur mostly in the tropical and subtropical climates such as sub-Saharan Africa followed by Southeast Asia, India and the Americas and infect about 600 million people – about one-fifth of the world’s population.   -Soles4Souls CEO Wayne Elsey

Here’s what to do:

1. Clean your closets, gym bag, any place shoes are hiding.

2. Donate your shoes! find locations around the country here

2. Spread the word on Twitter, or your favorite social site.

I donated ____ pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls. You can too: http://tinyurl.com/nrkgyr

Your voice is more powerful than ever.  Let’s use it to help those who can’t help themselves. If you’re up to the challenge, we’ll double the goal to 50,000 pairs of shoes.  If we’re going to do it, let’s do it big!  Are you in?

A simple, selfless good deed is all it takes to make a difference. It also sets us apart from others.

Follow @FootSolutions on Twitter- together we can use Social Media for Social Good!

Many thanks to Mashable for inspiring us to share our story through Social Media!        

A common issue for runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts is finding out when to replace running shoes.  Although the title specifies running shoes, I’m writing this with all types of athletic shoes in mind: tennis shoes, walking shoes, sneakers, aerobics shoes, basketball shoes, etc. The principle is generally the same.  For brevity, lets just refer to them for the most part as running shoes.

We all know that running shoes do not last forever, but how do you know when its time to replace running shoes?  Most people continue to wear them well after their useful life has ended.  Most commonly in my office I’ll have people tell me that their shoes are three years old BUT (insert excuse here…). Some of my favorites, it fits my feet perfectly (meaning it’s broken down), the heel is worn out just how I like it (meaning it has a hole inside the shoe), new shoes just bother me (meaning that I’ve worn these for so long, the support is too different at this point), and my favorite: They still look new.

Yes, they may still look new. When all you do is run on the treadmill, use the elliptical, and some stationary bike, and your shoes never see the light of day, of course they look new. What’s problematic is the part you don’t see.

The support and function of a running shoe has little or nothing to do with the overall appearance of the upper part of the shoe or even the sole.  It’s the midsole, the portion of the sole that is largely invisible from the outside, that has the most function and limits the useful lifetime of a shoe. With every stride, the midsole compresses and, with time, loses the majority of its support. For runners, I estimate the useful lifetime of a running shoe at approximately 350 miles. This amount may be slightly shorter for heavier runners and slightly longer for lighter ones. For those who don’t run regularly or participate in other sports and activities that can’t me measured by mileage, replace running shoes every 4-6 months, depending on the frequency and level of the activity.

So, start keeping track of the life of your shoes!

Dedicate a pair of shoes (or more) exclusively for exercise to get the most out of its useful life. Keep a tally of the mileage in your running journal, or even on the side of the shoe in pen. Write the date of the shoe on the tongue or the sole of the shoe so you really know how old it is.

Whenever you are involved in serious exercise, minor injuries are inevitable. You must do everything in your power to minimize them.  Understanding when to replace running shoes will help, along with wearing the proper shoes for your type of exercise.

Dr. Andrew Schneider, DPM

There are many fundraiser events these days that truly tests a person’s endurance. The Houston area hosts several of these events every year. One of the most popular examples is the two and three day breast cancer walks in which you can walk the distance of almost two marathons. The way most of these events work is you walk for charity all day, sleep in a tent overnight, and then get up the next morning to keep walking. While causes like breast cancer really strike a cord with people there are a couple of things that people must keep into consideration when taking on a challenge like this so that they can prevent getting hurt.

1. Listen to your body, not your mind:
Many times when people walk for charity they get very emotionally involved in their drive to finish the race. It is important to listen to your body. If it hurts, stop!! Just because you don’t finish a race or event does not mean you are letting someone down or that you don’t care about the cause.

2. Just because you are a runner doesn’t mean you are a walker:
There are many runners out there who attempt to do one of these long walks and find themselves more sore then after they run…this is natural. Walking uses different muscles than running, so it is like your body is starting a new exercise routine that it is not used to.

3. Don’t be afraid to stop for aid:
At all of these events there are always medical and podiatry tents to care for race-day injuries. One of the most common injuries seen when walking long distances is blisters. If you stop at a podiatry tent, there are many trained medical volunteers who are there to help drain your blisters and bandage you up so that the rest of your race will be more comfortable. It also prevents further trauma that can cause infection.

Walking for a cure is one of the most emotionally gratifying things you can do. Just make sure that if you attempt a walk with a distance longer than you’re used to that you know what to expect. Listening to your body and stopping for help if you need it, even if you are an experienced runner, should not be a blow to your athletic psyche.

Soles4Souls recently celebrated its 2nd annual National Barefoot Week, so I headed downtown to Atlanta’s City of Refuge to meet up with the non-profit organization and see them in action.   They spent most of the morning donating shoes-TEN THOUSAND pairs of brand new shoes to be exact! As each person was handed a brand new pair of shoes, time froze -  for a single moment, you could see the  fatigued and worn expressions vanish from their faces as tears of appreciation and excitement welled up in their eyes.

I tried to capture the moment on camera, but even the best pictures couldn’t have done it justice.  But there was an unexpected element of the morning that left me speechless….  before the receivers were given a new pair of shoes, they had to donate a pair of their own in exchange.  It’s proof- everyone has a pair of shoes they can give. Donating shoes is a great way to make a difference without emptying your pockets.  Kudos to Soles4Souls for making such a positive impact on the world- we are proud to be associated with such an amazing and passionate organization!

Boutiques everywhere are catering to maternity clothes, enticing women to focus on fashion even during pregnancy.  But where do you draw the line between fashion and safety? What about comfort?  Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? Laurie Sullivan, a certified pedorthist and owner of four Foot Solutions franchise stores,  shares her secret of how she lived a pain-free pregnancy without sacrificing fashion or comfort  (hint… it was all through her feet!)

My name is Laurie Sullivan.  I am 42.  My son is 18 months old, so I was pregnant 18 1/2 months ago!   When I was pregnant I initially switched to flats.  But,  I did much more than that.  I put custom arch supports in my shoes and then switched to Chung Shi shoes (rocker soled shoes that take pressure off the knees, hips and back and improve circulation to the feet so I didn’t end up with swollen feet or ankles). The Chung Shis were a God-send.  I didn’t have the lower back pain, the aching knees or swollen feet and ankles.  My OB was amazed.  They helped me keep up a walking regimen throughout my pregnancy.

As for the custom arch supports, they prevented me from getting plantar fasciitis, a common heel pain syndrome pregnant women often suffer.  But, they did much more than that.    “There is a really interesting phenomenon that occurs in pregnant women and only pregnant women.” When we are pregnant, our bodies produce the hormone Relaxin that literally relaxes everything in our bodies, allowing our hips to spread in preparation for delivering the baby.  Relaxin affects all of the body, not just the hips.  This hormone, combined with the sudden increase in body weight, is the reason women’s feet get bigger in pregnancy. But, the hormone Relaxin also presents a window of opportunity.

The arch of the foot falls over time, so the foot shape you had when you were 17 and the foot shape you have at 30 are different.  When the feet become highly flexible (due to the Relaxin), you can capture the natural arch shape the woman had when she was much younger and put a custom arch support under the foot to hold the youthful arch shape.  After pregnancy, the hormone leaves the body.  The foot tightens up and remains in this better position.  You can literally turn back the clock on the aging process of the feet and restore better foot shape and function.  The beauty of this is that you can also keep the foot from stretching longer and wider so the woman won’t need an entirely new shoe wardrobe after pregnancy.  So, while so many women bemoan the fate of their feet during pregnancy, I am hoping to spread the word that not only can your feet feel good during pregnancy, you can take the pressure of the joints, the back and restore your feet to better position than they were BEFORE you got pregnant!