I appreciate all of the links and information. There is in fact a Superfeet fitter nearby, as well as a store (in a hospital) that sells Dansko shoes. My mom expressed some concern about using clogs: that they can cause you to walk unnaturally, scuff your feet, and that you can't run in them (although she indicated that there may be exceptions). Seems like a bit of an over-reaction on her part to me, but thought it good to mention. It may be because she has back problems since childhood so her needs have always been a bit different.
And thanks Heimdallr for the info about the Vibram shoes. It seems maybe I was pulled to strongly by the barefoot idea. The question was sitting in the back of my mind, "what does the science say", but maybe not loudly enough. I looked up Asics, but I don't know if they are an option, since my dress code says "no tennis or athletic shoes", and the shoes must be black. I say a few of those that looked like possibilities, though.
I took a moment to try and find some info about the science of healthy footwear, and this seems like a balanced article:
_http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/comfort-shoes-arent-necessarily-good-for-you-how-to-find-the-support-you-need/2013/11/11/99846312-40dd-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html
What makes a shoe a “comfort shoe”? Generally speaking, it means cushioning under the foot and supportive features such as arch support. Birkenstock sandals, another comfort line, have a molded foot bed with an indented heel cup and a bump under the forefoot — the metatarsal pad, which deflects pressure away from the ball of the foot. “They’re a really comfortable choice for many people,” says Erika Schwartz, a podiatrist with DC Foot and Ankle.
But for others, not so much. You know what they say about if the shoe fits — well, not all comfort shoes are comfortable or healthy for every foot.
A small study of people with osteoarthritis of the knee found that walking in clogs and so-called stability shoes was harder on the knees than walking barefoot or in flip-flops. [A concern because I've been having some knee strain at work due to repetitive kneeling.] This suggests that certain supportive shoes can alter your gait in a way that’s unhealthy for joints above the ankle, at least temporarily and in people with arthritis.
“What are the best shoes to wear? I hear this question 20 times a day,” says Selene Parekh, an orthopedic surgeon at Duke University Health System.
Parekh says to look for a shoe that’s supportive and comfortable — for you. That may not mean spending nearly $200 on a pair of loafers marketed to fit what one shoemaker calls the “anatomical footbed.”
If you are having foot problems, the best thing to do is figure out the type of foot you have and how you walk. Do you pronate — rotate your foot so that the inner edge of the sole bears the bulk of your weight? How high or how flat are your arches?
[...]
What about minimalist shoes, designed to honor the form and function of the foot? They are the antithesis of the comfort shoe: Advocates say that cushioned supportive shoes encourage runners to land on their heels, which can lead to bad form and chronic injury.
However, minimalist shoes are not right for everyone. “We’ve seen enough patients with Achilles tendon issues and stress fractures from running in these,” Schwartz says.
And whether the purported benefits hold true for walking and standing has not been nearly as well studied.
[...]
Orthotic inserts, whether purchased at the drugstore or custom-made, are designed to correct the alignment of the foot and ankle, which helps maintain proper positioning of the knees and hips and even the lower back.
Clinical studies of orthotics demonstrate their usefulness in many serious foot problems, such as diabetic neuropathy. For the rest of us, with more everyday aches and pains of life on our feet, there’s less applicable research. [Which means there's probably even less research about prevention, I'm thinking.]
A 2008 review of research on easing foot pain found one small study in which custom orthotics helped people with high-arch, supinated feet. For other conditions, such as bunions and plantar fasciitis, the evidence was equivocal.
Orthotics can be helpful, but “the vast majority of people don’t need custom orthotics,” Parekh says.
“In my experience, cheap orthotics really work just as well as custom-made ones for the most common problems,” says Katherine Margo, a family physician at the University of Pennsylvania.
Foot experts recommend shopping at shoe stores with experienced staff who take the time to do a good fitting. Schwartz sends her patients to high-end running shoe stores with a description of what to look for and what to avoid.
About my clogs? Parekh says their oversize shape allows “freedom of the foot” — a good thing. They’re comfortable and cushioned, which helps with standing on hard surfaces for long stretches. “The problem is,” he says, “no ankle support.” [I'm not sure this matters so much for me; at least, I'm not sure my current shoes offer any ankle support either, but I haven't had any problems on either flat or uneven surfaces. I suppose If there's a risk I should try to minimize it.
I’m nonetheless loath to part with them. I’ll just avoid hiking in them — and be super careful on uneven surfaces.
So, at the moment, I'm tending towards either a pair of good walking shoes (such as Asics) or an MBT type shoe for everyday use. For Work, maybe the clogs or MBTs. My question regarding the MBTs is: Is it really a good idea to wear those all the time? It probably depends on the circumstance, but it appears there is little if any long-term research on these new(-ish) types of shoe. I do get the impression that the round sole might make the repeated kneeling easier since the shoe could roll forward and resist the movement less, but that's just speculation. Here's an article about MBT shoes:
_http://lermagazine.com/article/unstable-shoe-designs-functional-implications
Also, for what it's worth, it seems that rocker/unstable shoes (The Skechers brand) have been involved in a similar class-action lawsuit to the one involving Vibram:
_http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39992618/ns/business-consumer_news%20Do%20those%20funky%20shoes%20really%20promote%20fitness?
Unhappy customer sues Skechers
Last month, a class action lawsuit was filed against Skechers by a woman in California. Venus Morga says she bought a pair of Shape-ups and did not experience any of the promised benefits.
In her lawsuit, Morga claims the company’s “false and misleading advertising campaign has allowed it to reap millions of dollars of profit at the expense of the consumers it misled.” The complaint also alleges that some people have been injured by wearing Shape-ups.
[...]
At Consumer Reports, Dr. Orly Avitzur, MD, is concerned that seniors who wear toning shoes could increase their risk of falling, which could result in hip fractures or other serious injuries.
“They are touted as this big miracle and actually for certain folks, they can be quite dangerous,” she says. “So if there’s no real advantage and some people risk falls, I think it’s actually more risk than reward.”
Eric Heit, DPM, who heads the podiatry section at Seattle’s Virginia Mason Medical Center, tells me toning shoes “redistribute the forces of walking” which can cause low back or knee pain.
That’s what happened to one of his patients, Brenda Moa, who walks on a concrete floor all day at her job. Moa says her knees and lower back started to hurt as soon as she started wearing the Shape-ups shoes.
“They were really wobbly and you could easily trip with them. I felt like I was drunk all the time,” Moa says. “I’m not a fan of these shoes. I wouldn’t buy another pair.”
Last year, the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter weighed in on toning shoes. The editor warned that they “may alter the biomechanics of your normal gait and your stride,” making it hard for you to switch back to your regular shoes.
“Rather than invest in these shoes,” the Wellness Letter suggested, “you can try going barefoot more often at home to build foot strength and flexibility – unless you have a condition, such as diabetes, that impairs circulation in the feet.”
(my bold) I realize "my mileage may vary". The following article shows the case was successful:
_http://www.boston.com/dailydose/2012/05/16/skechers-toning-shoes-buyers-can-get-refund-under-lawsuit-settlement-for-false-advertising/kPsQSXwo4xGAGtMtjedEMI/story.html
Ultimately, I suspect my knee strain will need dealt with via other approaches, like diet and supplementation so that my body can handle ordinary strain better, not to mention dealing with stress and emotional and psychological issues (and very likely spirit attachments). I suspect this because there was a period a while back when I had more energy, I actually had an unusual feeling of muscular strength and stability, my knees felt strong, and some minor aches I hadn't even realized I had went away. The idea that naturally follows is to figure out how to achieve that as a continuous state. But that's a whole other set of issues for another thread.
The ideal would be if I could try different shoes by using trial periods. I'll have to ask about return policies.
