Earth Shoes

[Lolabelle]

Has anyone heard of Earth Shoes/footwear?

I was dragged by a horse when I was 14 and have had back trouble ever since. In recent years I started suffering with Plantar Fascciitis, or heel pain and possibley a heel spur. A few days ago I heard an add on the radio about some kind of special shoes that were supposed to help with this, so I googled and found an outlet yesterday, that was only an hour drive from here. Off I went...

$500 later, I have 2 new pair of these shoes, the have this thing, (for want of a better word) that is called Negative Heel Technology, and basically all it is, is that the heel is lower than the toes!!!
When I first tried them on I hated them, they also have fairly prominent arch support, and they felt too wierd. But as I stood talking to the shop assistant, I noticed that my heels weren't hurting, and then I notice my back and hips felt straighter, more aligned! So I got a pretty summer sandally pair and some for with jeans etc....

I also read in one of the reviews that they help with weight loss as you are alway walking up hill, 3.7 degrees. I am going to be buying some more when my current hiking boots are worn out, I am totally sold.

So if you are suffering from back pain, foot pain or bad posture, have a look at these. The only thing is, that you have to get used to them, as they stretch the calf muscle out, with the heel down, you need to think of them like exercise and start off slowly, wearing them for an hour or so each day to get accustomed to the different angle. :D

[wifie]

Really interesting Lolabelle - glad you have found something to make you feel better! :)

[teenybash]

I think your shoes were shown tv tonight, a programme about back pain and the different treatments. Apparently the shoes are based on the foot shape of a Masai warrior. Don't know if they would help me with trapped nerves..................Aaargh!!!

[MadPict]

The shoes that were featured on the Tonight programme are MBT shoes -
http://www.swissmasai.co.uk/Default.aspx?lang=en-GB

Available in health shops usually.

[scottygirl]

I have been wearing MBT's for ages, they are fab and they do tone up your legs and bum and I notice quite a marked improvement in a back issue I had for a very long time.
Take a bit of getting used the rolling motion that they give but once you do you don't want to wear anything else.
You can get them in lots of places, John Lewis is where I got mine. They really should be fitted in the shop though and not bought over the internet as the wrong size is not something you want. This is pretty critical.
Not cheap at £135 but then they last a long time.

[joxville]

I would advise anyone thinking of buying these shoes to seek medical advice first. I've suffered backache for years which resulted in me getting treatment from a physiotherapist and a chiropractor. The *physio was a waste of money, it was the chiropractor who sorted out my problem. I had to have computer designed and custom-made insoles, which I transfer between my footwear.

The toes next to my big toes are the longest and as is common with people with this shape of foot, as we get into our late 30's/early 40's our skeleton becomes less flexible, giving us lower back pain. The insoles I had made are so that I walk/stand with the bias towards the big toes-the way we are meant too.







*After 10 visits to the physio my backache hadn't been 'cured', although the pain was eased slightly so I don't mean to do a dis-service to physiotherapy-my problem was caused by the shape/size of my toes.

[changilass]

Having looked into this the earth shoes are a whole lot cheaper than the mbt's.

Would love a pair of the mbt's but not sure where to go to have them fitted properly, heading Inverness way soon if anyone knows of anywhere that can fit them properly.

[Anne x]

Anyone have a list of UK (Scottish Stockists ) of these

[joxville]

I've had a look on the web Anne, I don't think there is any Scottish stockist's but try the link:

http://www.earthshoes.co.uk/

[Angela]

I think the earth shoes might be good for me as my physio kept telling me to 'ground down' through my heels more - I'd think that would be easier if my heels were lower than my toes! I also have small feet with high arches which are starting to need more support these days than normal shoes provide.

Not sure who to ask about it though -my physio never mentioned any special shoes or insoles, but then she has discharged me, saying there's nothing more she can do for me anyway :( :(

[joxville]

Hi Angela, my physio said the same as yours about being dis-charged. I then went to see a chiropractor who asked me to remove shoes, socks and T-shirt. Within a minute he told me what was causing my backache and his computer analysis of my feet confirmed it.

I had to walk over a mat a few times which formed an image of my feet and was then sent to a pc. That image was sent to a company in Canada which custom-makes the insoles. They cost me £200 but are guaranteed for 5 years and can be remodelled free of charge. Since I've worn them I can now play golf again, something I couldn't do for a couple of years.

The following link will give you an idea of what I had made:

http://www.theorthoticgroup.com/TOG-Products-CustomOrthotics.html

[Angela]

Thanks Jox, I'll take a look. I've a neurological condition that affects my balance, or more precisely, my perception of my balance.....wheeeeeee!!!! :lol: as well as pain in the 'tender points' -e.g. knees, hips, shoulders, elbows....I could go on!

It seems possible though that some of it may be musculo-skeletal pain with a different cause.

I'm willing to try anything, more or less;) but I do have to give any major outlays long and serious consideration.

Thanks for your help!

[Blondie]

Have PM'd you lolabelle

[Lolabelle]

I am finding these shoes to be fantastic with my heel and hip pain. I have been to the osteo/chiropractor and gotten a fair amount of help and relief with both, but I was still taking nurafen everyday to just be able to move. I don't allow myself to sit around anyway and make sure I walk a mimimum of an hour a day. I have had innnersoles and $250 hiking boots, and they did make everything slightly better, but these earth shoes are remarkable. No pain killers for 2 days, and I only purchase my earth shoes on Friday!

Only problem is that I can't stand my other shoes!!!

When I went to church yesterday I wore a dress and some normal shoes with a small heel, I was in agony within about 2 hours, my hips were killing me and my heels were paining! Luckily I had taken my earth shoes and hobbled to the car and put them back on!

I wouldn't buy them with out trying them on and walking around, I spent over an hour in the shop and tried on several different styles of these "type" of shoe, all different brands and these suited me best. Now I know my size and how good they suit me, I will buy over the internet, because you can find some good bargains online! They are too expensive to buy without trying them first.

The trained shop assistant who wears these shoes herself said some people cannot get used to the lower heels, so it pays to really spend some time in them. As I said in my original post, I hated them at first, now I have beside my bed and slip straight into them as I get up [lol]