Best Footwear for Orthopedic Problems

It is in the nature of humans to let the grass grow under their feet and not act until they realize it’ll be too late for their actions to have any impact on the situation. This is true for most of our daily activities. A lot of us ignore the apparently ‘minor’ health issues and act on them only when it exceeds our tolerance limits. An example of this is our feet and ankle problems that we tend to overlook (until it makes us limp). The cause of such issues are plenty- one of them is wearing the wrong pair of shoes.

When it comes to women’s footwear, more focus goes to making the shoes look fashionable. Comfort and orthopedic requirements are disregarded by most shoemakers. The handful of functional footwear that is available unfortunately is not in agreement with the current fashion requirements for footwear. So, what can we do about this situation? Clogs for women can be the solution for this problem.

History of clogs:

Made of wood and leather, clogs for women and men date back to the year 1230 to which the oldest clogs, discovered in Nieuwendijk in Amsterdam belong. Originally, they were made for the working people of those times. Fishermen clogs had pointed toes to pull in the fishing nets, whereas for the agricultural workers, clogs were rounded for easy movement in the muddy fields.

Wooden clogs are the best footwear when it comes to functionality and comfort. The following features will explain how and why:

Wood used:

Mostly, alder, lime, aspen, poplar, and willow wood are used. Alder is used in the clogs made in the US as it is widely available and has the desired properties (discussed below).

Properties of the wood used

The wood used is neither too hard (as it might chip or crack with use) nor too soft (as it has to withstand the wearers’ weight).

The wood has an open grain structure to absorb perspiration and keep the feet dry.

It is strong yet lightweight.

The wood used in most clogs for women (alder wood) can resist stains to a great extent.

Footbed design

Most shoe designs exert too much pressure on the heels that can cause orthopedic problems like heel pain, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendon injuries as well as adult acquired flatfoot.

The footbed of these clogs for women are orthopedically designed to give metatarsal arch support and can hold up the scaphoid.

The carved-in arch and roll of these clogs allow for even weight distribution.

The rolling motion of the wood used in these clogs takes up a major portion of the strain exerted on the feet while walking.

Leather uppers:

The wet lasted cowhide leather is attached to the footbed firmly which makes for a snug fit for all feet shapes, sizes and types.