I’ve lived in Florida most of my life. I grew up wearing shorts, tank tops, and flip flops, at least eight months out of the year. However those flip flops and cold tile floors of the years have caused havoc on my feet. Or at least that is what I believe did the damage. I currently suffer from a condition that is very common called plantar fasciitis.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis (PF) is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole (bottom surface) of the foot. It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot. It is a very common condition and can be difficult to treat if not looked after properly.(source)
Unfortunately for me it seems to have worsen in the past six months. So I did what many people would do and hauled my foot down to a doctor. In addition to some medical treatments the doctor explained to me that wedges/heels or shoes with really good arch support would be the best shoe for me to wear. All I could think about was, OH NO! my flip flops.
When I was approached by Orthaheel to possibly review a pair of shoes I knew exactly what I wanted, a good pair of flip flops. While I can wear the wedges and heels to work I just can’t do so on the weekends, they don’t really go with my outfit. The doctor said whatever I wore around the house I just needed to keep something between my foot and the tile floor. So I scoured the Orthaheel site to find something I thought I would like. I decided on the Tide Sandal in black.
Orthaheel Tide Sandals
Orthaheel does not carry your average shoe. One of the reasons I wanted to give them a try is because they were created by a Podiatrist and I’ve seen them often recommended for suffers of plantar fasciitis. I also didn’t want to give up my beloved flip flops. When you are searching for shoes on the Orthaheel site you will see that each shoe is made for specific symptoms. For example the Tide Sandal is good for heel pain (my issue), knee pain, back pain, and leg pain.
This particular sandal had AWESOME reviews. 544 people gave this sandal a review and is currently rated at 5 stars (the highest). I figured I couldn’t go wrong with the shoe.
One of the problems with flip flops is the late of arch support. The Tide Sandal is not your average flip flop. See the arch support below?
I’ve been wearing the Tide Sandals now for a month. I really wanted to give them a good breaking in to see what I thought. The verdict is….I agree FIVE stars definitely. No matter what shoes I wear eventually at the end of the day I’m going to notice some type of discomfort. However it use to be on the weekends a couple hours into the day and I was already in pain. I absolutely LOVE these sandals. I can really feel that my foot is supported and I can wear them all weekend and my foot feels about the same as if I had worn wedges (which really are great for my feet because it takes the pressure off of the heel).
I wear these usually all weekend long when we go grocery shopping, to the mall, or just about anywhere. They come in several different colors and I would love to get a white pair. The black is great because it goes with almost everything but sometimes a girl just needs something different. The only thing I will say about the shoes is if you are in between a size for example I wear either 8 1/2 or 9 you are better off ordering down. I ordered 9 because I was afraid 8 would be way to small but the 9’s turned out to be a little bigger then I would have liked. However they are not so big I can’t wear them as I said I’m wearing them all the time!
Orthaheel Sale
At the time of this posting there are some great sales going on at Orthaheel. Like 40% off of selected styles. In fact the Tide Sandal is on sale for only $40.99 in selected colors. I totally love this color below it reminds me of FSU colors. There is also a flat charge of $7 for shipping. I may just have to hop on over and place an order after I finish this article!