There are literally hundreds of arch support devices on the market. So many supports, not enough info. So what’s a consumer to do?
Well let me tell you a few things about the industry. First, there are many people that have spent countless hours lobbying for regulations and fair market value on all sorts of arch support devices, and for the pedorthic industry in general. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. What I am saying is that there are allot of people just simply trying to make big bucks off of your pain who don’t know the first thing about what makes a orthotic work well. May I say, it’s not just something that fills up your arch. It must, to work well, be designed to bio mechanically enhance your step by controlling pronation, not stopping it. If you see a company claiming to stop pronation, stop, don’t buy their product.
I just stumbled across yet another orthotic company doing business on the Internet. This company claims that they will send you an impression kit with instructions and then after you do your impressions, they will make your orthotic and send it to you. So I looked at the products they had for sale. There was an orthotic for comfort, dress, and sport specific like running, skate and skiing, golf, ball, you get the idea. The one for dress shoes didn’t look like it would fit in any kind of fashion dress shoe that most people wear. It was still rather thick in the heel and would talk up too much room in general fashion shoes. And what really bothers me, is the impression instructions are only going to create an impression of your collapsed feet, not a foot with it’s highest possible level of support necessary. A collapsed foot impression will not yield a supported orthotic.
So how do you know if your getting a quality orthotic when you choose to use a certain company? It’s not about price. There is allot of poor quality orthotics on the market that are very high priced. It’s not about the fact that your Dr. is the one who did your impressions, because more than likely he didn’t, someone on his staff did. The labs come in and gives a brief demo on how to make an impression or a slipper cast to be used in the fabrication of your othotic. Most likely the person doing the impression dosen’t even understand how an orthotic is made. I’m telling you there is big money to be made and allot of people are getting ripped off.
First look for a company with Certified Pedorthist on staff. These people are highly trained in the fabrication of custom orthotics.
Second, look for a company that does all their own work. These people understand what they are doing, they are the ones doing the fabrication so therefore they have to know. Don’t buy from a company that sends their work somewhere else to be made.
Third, look for a company that stands behind their product, even when it’s custom. Most companies, when they make custom orthotics, it’s all sales final because the work is custom and won’t fit anyone else. If they are sure about their products, they will stand behind them, if not…you may have a fight on your hands if your not completely satisfied.
Fourth and finally, Ask for lots of referrals. There should be a good selection on their website and if not call them and ask for a list of referrals. Most legitimate companies will be happy to supply this information, because they understand the power of word of mouth. If you think you can’t trust the referrals, then make sure you have a money back guarantee. It’s always nice to know if you investment your good earned money that what you purchase is returnable if your not satisfied.
Know that gone are the days of bulky orthotics that have to be worn with shoes that are made specifically for the use of a custom orthotic. You don’t need an orthotic that has been made for a certain type of activity. What you do need is one that has been made just for you and in such a way that the joint responsible for pronation is not prohibited to move and that your big toe joint can still bend properly to toe off. So many orthotics, custom or over the counter, compromise the action the foot should take for better bio mechanics. If the foot is guided into a better step, your entire body will feel the difference.
There is one place I know of where you can truly depend on quality and guarantee when it comes to custom orthotics, The Walkezstore.com. Here you can always depend on the 90 day 100% money back guarantee and they will supply you with state of the art impression making instructions in both written and video form to be done at your convenience. No Dr appointment, no office visit fees. And you will never have a difficult time getting hold of someone if you have questions. Their hours are from 8am to 10pm EST. They are only closed on Sun to observe the Sabbath. Simply e-mail them at info@walkezstore.com or dial 1-888-3-WALK-EZ.
You should try an ezWalker Custom Orthotic from www.walkezstore.com. Not only will you receive a quality plus product, but you will also have peace of mind that you wallet will not be too heavily compromised. At about half the cost of doctor office orthotics and the money back guarantee, you’ve got nothing to loose but your pain.
Go to www.walkezstore.com and try an ezWalker Custom Orthotic today because…When your feet feel good you feel good.
