HealthiFeetTM

As an educational service, Dr. Shavelson has developed HealthiFeetTM, a program that helps fashion conscious and career oriented women design and select their shoe wardrobe for long term health and comfort.

The popularity of high heels and tight toe boxes, although admittedly unhealthy, can be summed up in two words: cosmetics and style.

The dictionary defines cosmetics as "done superficially to make something look more attractive, or more impressive, rather than useful.” It defines style as “a mode of fashion that reflects approved elegance and smartness.” When it comes to women’s shoes, the two cosmetic areas that create problems are high heels in the rear and a toe box whose height, width or length is smaller than the foot of the wearer.

High heels and tight toe boxes correlate with women undergoing 74% of all bunionectomies, 66% of all knee replacements and a disproportionate number of hip replacements when compared to men. Simply put, it is “fashionable” to accept pain and suffering in order to wear high heels and tight toe boxes.

In Marie Antoinette’s day, women were not active and they lived a short lifespan. Today, baby boomers are finding themselves living until ninety and Generation X and Millennium Generation women want advice for developing their shoe wardrobe with both style and future health in mind.    

The Functional Foot Typing System™, utilizing HealthiHeel  and HealthiToe sizing creates a custom plan for ones shoe wardrobe centered on optimal heel height and toe box size, enabling the wearer to be stylish and comfortable for a lifetime, intelligently.

Heels and Toe Box Basics   

A heel is an elevation of the shoe that causes the shoe to stand higher in the back than the front. A high heeled shoe is one with a heel height of 2.5 inches or more.

Even though scientific evidence demonstrates the negative effect of high heels upon the feet and posture, the fashion shoe marketplace continues to be dominated by high heels. 

There are compelling reasons for wearing shoes with high heels:

1. Heels dress up a shoe
2. Heels mean fashion and style.
3. Heels make the wearer taller
4. Heel make legs curvier
5. Heel makes the buttocks curvier
6. Heels make feet look shorter

The toe box of a shoe is the space occupied by the foot, from the bunion area forward.  It is measured by width and height (girth) as well as length.  Stylish shoes have toe boxes that squash and deform bunion joints and toes from the sides and top.

 Even though scientific evidence demonstrates the negative effect of tight toe boxes upon

feet, the fashion shoe marketplace continues to be dominated by toe boxes that squash the front of the foot.

 There are compelling reasons for wearing shoes with tight toe boxes:

1. They make the foot look smaller
2. They mask deformities such as bunions and hammertoes
3. They make the foot look narrower
4. They make the foot look shorter
5. They make the throat of the foot look sleeker

In summary, past a certain point for each individual, as the heel height raises and the toe box tightens, shoes become more damaging to the wearer over time.

 It’s Your Choice…

 You Can Wear “Granny Shoes” and suffer or… you can choose your wardrobe using HealthiFeetTM Based upon The Functional Foot Typing System®

The Plan

1. Every person has a foot type-specific “healthy” heel height that should serve as the center of their shoe wardrobe.
2. Every person has a foot type-specific “healthy” toe box size that should serve as the center of their shoe wardrobe.
3. Once foot typed, sized and educated, woman can utilize their custom HealthiHeels and HealthiToes sizing to re-build their shoe wardrobe.
4. Custom Foot Centrings® can be dispensed adding support and balance to the feet and posture as they reduce spread and collapse of feet.
5. Foot type-specific exercises and rehabilitation of feet can be prescribed to prevent future foot and postural problems and reverse existing ones, short of surgery.
6. Foot type-specific foot surgery can be performed if pain or deformities are beyond conservative care.

The New Paradigm

Most women make a decision at some stage of life to reduce or give up stylish and fashionable shoes because they have developed pain, deformity or a reduced quality of life due to poor selection and use of their shoe wardrobe. 

The timing has never been better for every woman to follow a new paradigm that can reduce foot and postural deformity and pain, while increasing functional comfort and quality of life when it comes to her shoes.  That new paradigm is HealthiFeetTM and it is here today, at The Foot Typing Center®.

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