How To Pack Shoes For Travel

In this Thanksgiving week, many college students will head home for break, families will head across country, and friends will knock on friend's doors. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest travel holidays, and packing correctly for your trip is essential.
And if you're like a lot of travelers, especially women, you struggle with what shoes to pack, how many, and

how to pack them. Some women will decide to pack all of their shoes, simply because they can't decide, and end up with suitcases that too big to check. 
But being realistic is important on your journey. How many pairs of shoes do you actually need? Look over this checklist to help you decide

• Where are you going? Are you travelling to a warm climate, where you will be on the beach a majority of the time? Are you headed to a cold climate, where you will be watching the local Thanksgiving football game and enjoying time inside? Will you go to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and walk around the city afterwards? While flip-flops may be appropriate in the beach location, in the colder locations boots and closed-toe shoes with support are necessary. If you're doing a fancy Thanksgiving dinner out at a restaurant, pack a pair of "dessert" shoes. You know, those shoes you can only wear when sitting down. If you're going to be doing a lot of walking, shoes with support should be packed in your suitcase. But don't think those adorable fashion sneakers will keep your feet pain free- walking sneakers are best for a trip that includes a lot of walking. You'll thank us. We promise. 
• What's the purpose of your trip? Are you doing sightseeing while you are away? Will you have a short business meeting? Headed to Disney World for the holiday? Going to the stadium to see your favorite football team play? Different shoes will be needed for each activity. If you have a lot of activities planned while you're away, or back home for Thanksgiving, plan shoes that can be used in a multitude of ways. Sneakers can be worn to the football game, but also while you are sightseeing in NYC. 
• Lay your shoes on their sides. Shoes and boots should be arranged on their sides when possible, heel to toe. Lay one shoe down and then place its pair so the heel is at the toe of the first shoe. This way the shoes will take up the least amount of space. 
• Keep pairs together. To ensure pairs don't get lost in the clutter of a suitcase, pack your shoes in a large resealable bag. If you don't have any bags, tie them together with a rubber band or twist tie. 
• Placement. The Transportation Security Administration recommends placing your shoes at the top of your suitcase for checked luggage, to expedite inspection, if need be. If your suitcase isn't going to be checked, arrange the shoes around the perimeter of your suitcase to distribute the weight evenly. 

Remember: don't overpack your suitcase with shoes! Pack lightly and economically.
References: Huffington Post and USA Today.
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Rocker Bottom Shoes Don't Reduce Back Pain

Ahh, those rocker bottom shoes. 
First, they're touted as a way to help you lose weight. Then they were marketed as a method of reducing your back pain.
Guess what?
They do none of that.
A new study has shown that rocker bottom shoes are no better than regular sneakers in reducing lower back

pain. 
The shoes were branded as a way to positively impact your posture, reducing back and joint pain. However, new research from King's College in London disproves this theory, stating that traditional sneakers may be more beneficial for back pain brought on by standing or walking. 
Lead researcher physiotherapist Dr. Sian MacRae studied 115 people with chronic lower back pain and asked them to wear rocker bottomed shoes or regular sneakers for at least two hours a day while standing and walking. 
Those in the sneaker group had less disability than those who wore rocker bottomed shoes after one year. Researchers also found that after six months, 53 percent of the sneaker group had a small improvement in their back mobility, compared to 31 percent of the rocker sole group. 
MacRae said that physicians can now say that there is little difference in wearing the rocker bottom shoes versus sneakers, as they will provide similar results in decrease of pain and disability. 
Researchers did add that if the patient experiences lower back pain when walking or standing they will see a decrease in pain when wearing sneakers rather than rocker soled shoes. 
Reference: Business Standard
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
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Cher To Have Foot Surgery

Pop singing icon Cher will have surgery to repair a problem she has suffered with for 16 years. 

The Sonny and Cher star recently told her fans on Twitter that she sustained a compound fracture in the late 1990's when a piece of equipment fell off the wall of her rehearsal studio and "crushed" her foot.
Cher admitted that every time she wears high heels she is in terrible pain (then why wear them???) and has resolved to take care of the problem. 
She was wearing stilettos Monday night for an appearance as a guest judge on a tribute show of Dancing With the Stars and revealed that she will have to wait until after Christmas to wear heels again. 
She tweeted on Tuesday morning, "Last Nite, WAS Last Nite 2Wear Heels Till After Operation... Sooo... I Bit The Bullet.. &.. Wore Them! Heaven & pain But Worth It... 6 wks till I'm running around on Stilettos (sic)!"
Having the surgery now gives Cher plenty of time to recuperate for her 49-date Dressed To Kill tour, which starts in March. 
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
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Why Can't I Find Shoes That Fit?

It's the groan heard in shopping malls across America on a daily basis: "Why can't I find shoes that fit?"
You would think that with all of the different shoe companies in business that women could find one brand that fit their foot. But finding that company is often as difficult as that proverbial needle in a haystack.
Over 60% of women in the USA are unable to find their size in the average shoe store. Problem is, fewer

than 5% of US shoe companies make larger and wider shoe sizes, limiting our options. In a time when people can have made to order cars and personalize just about everything under the sun, women with different shoe needs are unable to easily find footwear that is trendy and fits.
Barbara Thornton, AKA The Shoe Lady, a Harvard Business School graduate with over 15 years in the footwear industry and owner of AskTheShoeLady.Com has some answers as to why it's so hard for women to find shoes that fit:

1. Customers in general do not understand the width system in shoe sizing, or even that there are options other than medium. So when they need a different width, they don't ask for it. Women who need a size 8 extra wide will end up purchasing a 10 medium. 
2. Shoe companies bellyache about making additional lasts, the frame shoes are made on, beyond the basic sizes between 5 and 10. So they just don't make the extra lasts. Making just six lasts to create 10,000 shoes is much more cost effective, in their eyes, than making 85 lasts for 10,000 shoes. 
3. The shoe companies are cheap. Even if they did have the lasts to make different sizes, they would have to pay their workers additional time to switch out the lasts. The companies believe this switching out of lasts is distracting for the factory worker, leaves room for error, and increases production price. 
4. Shoe companies don't want to push factories to make styles in extra sizes and widths because they don't want to put a strain on their good relationship with the factories. 
5. Shoe companies believe they will be stuck with unsold merchandise at the end of the season because of all of the different options. 
6. Shoe companies plan for the current and next year based on the prior year's sales and how much they sold in each size/width. This is a practice they've been doing for a long time.
7. Shoe companies don't actually track real size trends in the population, but base their future plans on how many they sold previously. They also haven't factored in the change in women's average shoe size, which has changed from a size 7 in 1990 to size 9 in 2013. 
8. Shoe companies also don't track the sales lost because of the options they do not have available. Reports are based on sales per style, per color, per heel height, re-orders, and other data. What they do not track is number of shoes sold per width/size, the change over time in that category, and the estimate of sales they lost due to few options. 
9. Shoe stores base their pre-season ordering on what they believe will draw the customer in, not providing options for the customer. What will look best in the store window? Customers with certain needs will have to try to squeeze into the shoe or not wear it at all. 
10. Customers don't demand that their shoes fit properly. Many feel that what they see is what they get. Women need to actively demand from shoe companies and stores properly fitting shoes. 

Reference: Digital Journal
If you believe have a foot problem and do not currently see a podiatrist, call one of our six locations to make an appointment.
Connecticut Foot Care Centers
Podiatrists in CT
Visit our website, like our page on Facebook, and follow our tweets on Twitter.