A new patient Michael presented with pain around the ball of his foot several days ago from playing tennis. There was no changes in his activity, only a change to the newer model of his current Tennis shoes. Before I show you the shoes, please look at this video on the Shoe Flexion Test.
Here is the bottom of the right old and newest version of the same shoe. The older version with the grey bottom bends very easily across the ball of the foot. The newest version of the same shoe allows no bend at all at the ball of the foot. The yellow circle is where the bend should be. The bend is placed into the shoe before and after the appropriate spot to bend. The yellow dot was placed for pivoting, but does not allow for normal bend. By doing the Shoe Flexion Test in the shoe, this shoe should never have been purchased.
The side view of the yellow dot area shows the relationship of the dot to the ball of the foot where the shoe should bend. The grooves are too far towards the toes or towards the arch. This will force the foot the foot to bend in the wrong place possibly causing injuries. There are many shoes now out on the market that bend too much, too little, in the wrong place for the foot, or a combination of factors. Buyers beware!!
Over the next few days I will try to give more thought and recommendations in the Barefoot Running Controversy.
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Thank you very much for leaving a comment. Due to my time restraints, some comments may not be answered.I will answer questions that I feel will help the community as a whole.. I can only answer medical questions in a general form. No specific answers can be given. Please consult a podiatrist, therapist, orthopedist, or sports medicine physician in your area for specific questions.