My name is Claudio Carvalho.

I'm an Osteopathic Physician specialized in physical medicine and

rehabilitation. I largely care for patients with musculoskeletal and joint pains from

injuries or degenerative diseases such as arthritis.

I have used the Beach Sandal with patients with painful feet with very good

results. The patients reported that the sandals allowed them to walk and stand with

less pain.

Although this information is purely anecdotal, I observed the walking

behavior of persons while wearing the Beach Sandals and I noticed that the

toe spacers assist the toes to spread with weight bearing during static

standing and during rolling-over phase while walking. This "toe spreading"

is a normal and necessary part of the foot mechanics, which is lost when one

wears closed-toe-box shoes. Thus, the toe spacers may assist the

distribution of the force loads over the metatarsophalangeal joints, and it

may re-educate the neuromuscular system to better stabilize those joints.

This, in turn, helps to decrease pain in those joints, and it can also

decrease pain in the others joints of the feet.

The most importantly however, is the correct selection of the patients that

may benefit from these sandals and the gradual wearing time of the sandal

(30 min- 1 hour in the first couple of days, then increasing by 1 hour every

2-3 days) if one has painful feet.

I hope this information helps.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.

Sincerely,

Claudio M. Carvalho, DO, MS

http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-2-68-197-8024-1,00.html

A BETTER FLIP-FLOP

Toe-separating Yoga Sandals ($30; yogasandals.com) work out your feet
by spreading weight evenly across the foot. That not only eases joint strain
but wakes up nerve pathways from the brain to the toes, improving balance
and posture.

The muscles of the feet tend to get lazy from a lifetime spent in
shoes, so start by wearing the sandals for just 45 minutes a day--sport them
on the way to the gym to get your workout off on the right foot!
-- Katie Becker,
Prevention Magazine (July '07, pg. 116)

Miami Herald, The (FL)
2007-06-19
Edition: F1TL
Page: E6

GET IN GEAR: You'll flip for these sandals
VALERIE NAHMAD, vnahmad@MiamiHerald.com

Summer has no better shoe than the flip-flop. It's easy, as breezy as June in Miami gets and increasingly multifunctional. Athletic inspiration and innovative materials have paved the way for a leaner, meaner, more efficient product. We took a look.

Said to "cushion like a sports shoe," PecheBlu flip-flops (above), $59.99 at PecheBlu.com, are designed to combine the support of athletic shoes with the freedom of flip-flops. Support arrives courtesy of a hard rubber Z-flex lug design and cushioning is provided by a padded antibacterial footbed. I'm doubtful that any flip-flop can provide the support and comfort of a sneaker, but this is as close as I've seen.

Keep feet dry, fresh and securely rooted to the ground with Aquaz Athena sandals (below), $39.95 at Aquazinc.com or Bermuda Bay Clothing, 401 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, 305-374-5535. A patented drainage system channels water out of the shoe while textured outsoles improve ground contact and grip. The shoes are a bit stiff, but grew on me after a few hours -- perhaps because of the notable arch support. Aquaz sandals also feature raised dimples and a light jasmine scent, said to aid circulation and keep feet feeling fresh, respectively.

Retrain your feet with Yoga Sandals (right), $29 at yogasandals.com. The lightweight flip-flops feature plastic toe separators designed to stretch toes and spread weight evenly across the foot. It feels a bit odd to have your toes nudged apart (some may want to start slowly with 30-minute stints), but the positioning is said to improve balance and body alignment, correct some foot disorders and help with leg, hip and spine discomfort. Extra perk: The sandals are great for pedicures.

Channel your inner spa-goer with a pair of Sensi Sandals (below), $30 at sensi.com. Popular at spas and health clubs throughout the country, the Italian-made flip-flops bring a bit of indulgence into everyday life courtesy of a water and sand drainage system, an inner cooling system and a massaging bubble footbed. They look and feel like many other sandals, but marketing is a powerful thing -- I felt more relaxed the moment I slipped them on.