I, too, have worn orthotics (off-and-on) since childhood. The hard plastic kind, generally. It's not at all unusual, and not old-ladyish -- given that there are orthotics for every sport imaginable, dress ones, etc., it seems like everybody and their brother's got them. :)
General thoughts:
Don't mess with discount orthotics, no matter how tempting it is. My benefit plan only pays for $200, and my chiropractor charges $425 (not including shoes, which run into the hundreds, as well), so I haven't bought new orthotics in several years (even though I desperately need them because of the pregnancy-foot thing). I just don't want to get them from some $99 place, where the odds are, they're not properly made for my feet, and will fall apart in short order -- and I haven't yet found a place that costs in-between.
Check with your plan to see what's required to get them -- you may need a doctor's prescription. You should also check with the doctor (chiropractor, podiatrist, etc.) to see what they need to do in order to get the right fit (X-rays, computerized gait analysis, etc.).
It's better to get the inserts so that you can use them in many of your current shoes. If you get the ones that only work as insoles for specific shoes, or get the shoes-that-are-orthotic, you'll find yourself stuck wearing the same pair of shoes all the time, because it'll hurt to wear the rest of your shoes.
If you can somehow get two pairs (obviously cost is a factor, but you never know, you might find something reasonable and reliable), you might want to get a dress pair and a sports pair. That way both work and workout are covered -- considering that those are your greatest-impact situations, that's where you'll get the most benefit. If you can get only one pair... well, that's a tough call. I went with sport ones that don't really work with dress shoes (some makes do, I think), and never like to wear dress shoes as a result (when I do, without orthotics, I wind up in serious pain after about an hour). I can live with that in my current job (where I can wear sneakers and Docs and so on), but if I were to work in an environment where jeans and t-shirts were frowned upon, I'd have to get dress ones to go with the nicer shoes I'd have to wear. At this point, eight or more hours a day without orthotics sounds like a nightmare. :(
It's a good idea to bring the same kind of shoes you'll be wearing most often to your orthotic fitting. The biggest problem with orthotics is that a lot of regular shoes just don't accomodate them, even when you take the regular insoles out. With orthotic inserts (as opposed to orthotic shoes of these styles), open-back shoes, sandals, mules, and slingbacks are all pretty much out of the question. Closed-back pumps and loafers (depending on your arch), boots, and sneakers (with a relatively high cut if your arch is high) are your best bets. I wouldn't buy new sneakers until you get the orthotics -- then when you go shopping, you can try the orthotics in your sneakers. Best bet are New Balance. Their stores have people who understand how to properly fit a shoe (I grew up in a shoe store and trust me, most shoe store/department clerks don't know squat about fitting), and more importantly, their shoes are excellent value and easily accomodate orthotics. Not cheap, but if you're planning to spend money on sneakers, they're worth every penny. My New Balance sneakers are only now starting to deteriorate, and I've had them for about four years, wearing them at least 200 days of the year. Even really well-used ones sell on eBay for serious money, they're that good.
You'll notice a huge difference when you've been using the orthotics for a couple of weeks. You'll feel taller, you won't have leg or foot pain, you'll take longer strides... honestly, it's like getting a whole new body. My dad has always maintained that if you don't take care of your feet, it affects your whole body, your health, your state of mind -- we walk upright, it makes sense. :)
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Date: 2005-04-01 04:44 pm (UTC)General thoughts:
Don't mess with discount orthotics, no matter how tempting it is. My benefit plan only pays for $200, and my chiropractor charges $425 (not including shoes, which run into the hundreds, as well), so I haven't bought new orthotics in several years (even though I desperately need them because of the pregnancy-foot thing). I just don't want to get them from some $99 place, where the odds are, they're not properly made for my feet, and will fall apart in short order -- and I haven't yet found a place that costs in-between.
Check with your plan to see what's required to get them -- you may need a doctor's prescription. You should also check with the doctor (chiropractor, podiatrist, etc.) to see what they need to do in order to get the right fit (X-rays, computerized gait analysis, etc.).
It's better to get the inserts so that you can use them in many of your current shoes. If you get the ones that only work as insoles for specific shoes, or get the shoes-that-are-orthotic, you'll find yourself stuck wearing the same pair of shoes all the time, because it'll hurt to wear the rest of your shoes.
If you can somehow get two pairs (obviously cost is a factor, but you never know, you might find something reasonable and reliable), you might want to get a dress pair and a sports pair. That way both work and workout are covered -- considering that those are your greatest-impact situations, that's where you'll get the most benefit. If you can get only one pair... well, that's a tough call. I went with sport ones that don't really work with dress shoes (some makes do, I think), and never like to wear dress shoes as a result (when I do, without orthotics, I wind up in serious pain after about an hour). I can live with that in my current job (where I can wear sneakers and Docs and so on), but if I were to work in an environment where jeans and t-shirts were frowned upon, I'd have to get dress ones to go with the nicer shoes I'd have to wear. At this point, eight or more hours a day without orthotics sounds like a nightmare. :(
It's a good idea to bring the same kind of shoes you'll be wearing most often to your orthotic fitting. The biggest problem with orthotics is that a lot of regular shoes just don't accomodate them, even when you take the regular insoles out. With orthotic inserts (as opposed to orthotic shoes of these styles), open-back shoes, sandals, mules, and slingbacks are all pretty much out of the question. Closed-back pumps and loafers (depending on your arch), boots, and sneakers (with a relatively high cut if your arch is high) are your best bets. I wouldn't buy new sneakers until you get the orthotics -- then when you go shopping, you can try the orthotics in your sneakers. Best bet are New Balance. Their stores have people who understand how to properly fit a shoe (I grew up in a shoe store and trust me, most shoe store/department clerks don't know squat about fitting), and more importantly, their shoes are excellent value and easily accomodate orthotics. Not cheap, but if you're planning to spend money on sneakers, they're worth every penny. My New Balance sneakers are only now starting to deteriorate, and I've had them for about four years, wearing them at least 200 days of the year. Even really well-used ones sell on eBay for serious money, they're that good.
You'll notice a huge difference when you've been using the orthotics for a couple of weeks. You'll feel taller, you won't have leg or foot pain, you'll take longer strides... honestly, it's like getting a whole new body. My dad has always maintained that if you don't take care of your feet, it affects your whole body, your health, your state of mind -- we walk upright, it makes sense. :)