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I just came across a website for a new shoe company called "OESH" founded by Casey Kerrigan, MD, that tells people to "ditch your orthotics". Her shoe company claims that "Orthotics are not only worthless but actually harmful." Of course, her new shoes provide the complete alternative solution to orthoses.
Just as traditional shoe design is flawed, so is the concept of immobilizing the foot with an orthotic. Orthotics are not only worthless but actually harmful. Whether flexible or rigid, made of foam or plastic, an orthotic detrimentally increases joint torques and pressures. Even a minimal, flexible, off-the-shelf orthotic increases knee joint torques and forces that are associated with knee osteoarthritis.
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Ditch Your Orthotics
Medical professionals historically have recommended wearing foot orthotics for anything ranging from foot, knee, back, to even shoulder and neck problems. In fact, orthotics are often recommended for people who don’t even have problems, particularly, people with “flat feet” who have been told they “overpronate.” The idea was that orthotics create a more normal posture and indeed, orthotics have been shown to reduce pronation (the inward turning of the foot). The problem though – and this is what gait laboratory research kept demonstrating – is that while the posture might look good, the measured forces and torques associated with that posture are actually not good at all.
It is now increasingly recognized that the inward turning of the foot that consistently and repeatedly occurs (in everyone, by the way, not just “overpronators”) is a very good thing – it provides compliance (a compression and release), which helps mitigate forces upward from the foot. But, the foot can only do so much. Just like the rest of the body, it is at risk for injury at the critical time that the body weight force reaches its peak, well after impact when the foot is fully planted.
Simply, OESH helps the foot provide compliance at the critical time when the foot and the rest of the body are maximally stressed. The carbon fiber cantilevers are oriented in such a way that they flex downward when and only when the foot is fully planted. It is the orientation of the cantilevers that allows the midsole to compress and release in perfect harmony with the compression and release of the arch of the foot. This action ensures that the foot undergoes a complete, fully natural and uninhibited range of motion, while simultaneously providing compliance to the rest of the body.
So, what if you are flat footed? A flat footed posture is not going to cause you any problems in and of itself. But your foot may be maxed out in trying to provide effective compliance to the rest of your body. OESH will help your foot achieve that compliance.
And what if you are a “supinator” or have been told you have a high arch? Again, this is not a problem in and of itself. OESH will simply help your foot provide greater compliance to the rest of the body than your foot otherwise would.
And what if you have foot pain? Orthotics are often prescribed for plantar fasciitis. Granted, orthotics may provide limited relief but that relief is most typically short-lived. Wearing orthotics creates a vicious cycle whereby the plantar fascia becomes even more shortened and subsequently strained. On the contrary, OESH provides an organic approach – simultaneously allowing the foot to move as it should (especially around the time that the body weight forces are at their maximum) while gently encouraging the plantar fascia to achieve, over time, a more complete and full range of motion and function.
I hate to say that I told you so, but I knew that this would eventually happen. All one had to do was look at Kerrigan's previous research (Kerrigan DC , Franz JR , Keenan GS , Dicharry J , Della Croce U , Wilder RP: The effect of running shoes on lower extremity joint torques. PM & R, 1:1058-1063, 2009), certainly aimed not at answering a scientific question objectively, but more at promoting her plans to market a new shoe in the future with her new shoe company
Here is what I said over two years ago on January 4, 2010 on Podiatry Arena where we were discussing Kerrigan's paper that made great leaps of faith in order to set the stage for introduction of her OESH shoe company's products....
Now let me guess. She will next proclaim that her patented shoe "device" (or Brooks shoes will proclaim it for her) is the only shoe design that truly mimics barefoot running and will eliminate all those nasty joint torques that are so bad for runners.
By the way, a Brooks Adrenaline is not a neutral shoe. It is a support shoe, "for mild to moderate pronators" which is closer, in Brooks lingo, to a motion control shoe than to a neutral shoe.
Amazing how the internet allows us to see through the true financial purposes of "researchers" much more clearly than before.
Amazing!
__________________
Sincerely,
Kevin
**************************************************
Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Applied Biomechanics
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College
Re: Casey Kerrigan's Shoe Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaVinci
She obviously missed the research that shows foot orthotics work. Where is the evidence that her shoe works?
Indeed! The leaps of faith they make on the website is extraordinary.....funny how the $ makes that happen! They are certainly showing their ignorance of foot biomechanics and foot orthotics. The gullible public would not realize that they making so much up.
Someone with a PhD in biomechanics should know the difference between lab based research and clinical outcome research. If foot orthotics are so bad, why has every single clinical outcome study shown they work? Why do they have no outcome studies on the OESH shoe?
Given the litigation that toning shoes are facing because of the claims they made, the statements on the OESH website is certainly opened them to the same.
Having said that, I would love to try a pair of the shoes!
Re: Casey Kerrigan's Shoe Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
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Originally Posted by Craig Payne
Indeed! The leaps of faith they make on the website is extraordinary.....funny how the $ makes that happen! They are certainly showing their ignorance of foot biomechanics and foot orthotics. The gullible public would not realize that they making so much up.
Someone with a PhD in biomechanics should know the difference between lab based research and clinical outcome research. If foot orthotics are so bad, why has every single clinical outcome study shown they work? Why do they have no outcome studies on the OESH shoe?
Given the litigation that toning shoes are facing because of the claims they made, the statements on the OESH website is certainly opened them to the same.
Having said that, I would love to try a pair of the shoes!
Was thinking the same thing re law suits - got to be careful with you claims these days especially if you are from the states.
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Did we have a thread on here about these already?
I seem to vaguely recall speaking with someone about these. Something along the lines of "its not a shoe its a complete turnaround (OESH not SHOE)". Oh please...
Re: Casey Kerrigan's Shoe Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Quote:
Originally Posted by mike weber
Was thinking the same thing re law suits - got to be careful with you claims these days especially if you are from the states.
Yes, the class action lawsuits, which are very popular in the States, make it so that pretty much every company is involved in a lawsuit at some point. Still.. it's quite the claim to make, don't you think?
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Anyone have any links to or PDF for positive clinical outcome studies? I'm presenting and hopefully convincing my physio colleagues (many of whom believe muscle conditioning is enough and barefoot is best) to refer to my bmch clinic in a few weeks.
I'll keep my orthotics thanks ;-) have a pair for all my shoe types now, and enjoy being pain free.
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
One component of OESH shoes that has my attention is the use of carbon fiber for cushioning and stability.
I assume that with time, the engineers and designers in the running shoe industry will be able to develop the use of carbon fiber or thermoplastic plates that will outperform EVA foam.
The concept is to not only provide cushion and stability but can act like a spring to capture and return energy. The key will be to develop a shoe that replaces foam with carbon fiber or thermoplastic that is lightweight, durable and at the right price point.
Mizuno has the wave series shoes that use a thermoplastic plate. An apparent downside that I see with these shoes are that they are expensive and heavy. I don't know about their durability.
I have seen concept shoes from Adidas and Puma using carbon fiber, I would not be surprised if many of the other big shoe manufacturers are secretly developing their own carbon fiber or plastic spring plated concept shoes.
It will be interesting to see were this goes over the next few years. In the world of minimal shoes, a little carbon fiber or plastic with the right design, might result in a big time advancement in shoe technology.
"It is unfortunate that OESH shoes has taken it on themselves to proclaim that all patients suffering from mechanically-related foot and lower extremity pathologies should "ditch their orthotics". Not only does this advice border on medical negligence, but it also is certainly not supported by the majority of scientific articles from peer-reviewed articles that show that foot orthoses help reduce pain and also positively alter the motion of the foot and lower extremity and the abnormal forces which cause many pathologies.
Rather, OESH seems to be taking the path of saying "ditch your orthotics" so that they can then claim that their shoes, with a very high price tag and minimal to no valid scientific research to back up their questionable marketing claims, will take the place of their medically prescribed custom foot orthoses. I would have thought that an otherwise well-respected physician with a financial interest in a shoe company would have taken a more responsible approach to marketing their shoes rather than totally ignoring the considerable body of prospective and retrospective orthosis research that clearly shows that foot orthoses are a very valuable medical device for a large number of patients, possibly causing harm to these individuals, rather than benefitting them."
Unfortunately, five minutes after my facebook posting was placed, it was suddenlty deleted by OESH. Nothing like prompt elimination of negative reviews in order to sell some over-priced shoes?
__________________
Sincerely,
Kevin
**************************************************
Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Applied Biomechanics
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin Kirby
Unfortunately, five minutes after my facebook posting was placed, it was suddenlty deleted by OESH. Nothing like prompt elimination of negative reviews in order to sell some over-priced shoes?
Doesn't it speak volumes about a company that just deletes anything negative rather than engages with them. They obviously can not defend the claims that they are making.
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Kevin, you are not the only one with this problem. This was in todays PM News "I recently posted a response to the claims of the makers of the OESH shoes. I disputed their claims as to ability to cure foot pathology and their claims to have scientific evidence to back up their claims. If you go to the site, my post has been eliminated, and I have been blocked from the site"
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPod
Kevin, you are not the only one with this problem. This was in todays PM News "I recently posted a response to the claims of the makers of the OESH shoes. I disputed their claims as to ability to cure foot pathology and their claims to have scientific evidence to back up their claims. If you go to the site, my post has been eliminated, and I have been blocked from the site"
That's where I got the idea from. Maybe we need to figure out a way to put something up on the internet so that anytime OESH shoes is put into a search engine, that podiatrists' thoughts on the effectiveness of foot orthoses and OESH's elimination of negative critiques are mentioned also. How can we do this? Anyone have any ideas?
__________________
Sincerely,
Kevin
**************************************************
Kevin A. Kirby, DPM
Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Applied Biomechanics
California School of Podiatric Medicine at Samuel Merritt College
Re: OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
What bothers me about OESH, is that the "ditch your orthotics" claim is completely unnecessary. It doesn't create anything value for the brand. It does invite controversy and creates a lot of enemies. When you're a new, emerging brand, you can't afford to be engaged in open battles with the medical community.
Several fitness & toning brands suggested that just wearing their shoes replaced the need to go to the gym. They created huge enemies in the fitness community, and some in the medical community. The PR counter-offensive, launched by the American Council for Exercise (ACE) successfully swayed public opinion about the brands in question, and class-action lawsuits are being filed. Sales of these shoes are in steep decline, and lawsuits are on the rise.
Sadly, it doesn't need to be this way. OESH does have a body of very positive anecdotal feedback from customers. Their technology could be very beneficial for many suffering from a wide variety of lower extremity pathologies. If I were in charge of marketing for OESH, I would discuss the technology behind the shoe, why we believe it could be potentially beneficial, and offer a money-back guarantee if not satisfied within a specified period of time. If it's a great product, the marketplace will respond with a wave of unsolicited testimonials from grateful consumers. If you have a gracious return policy, the number of complaints will be minimal.
The minute you claim that your product is the "cure" for anything, you had better be prepared to clearly make your case and back it with hard evidence. All they really had to say was that the goal of OESH was to produce a shoe that makes walking more enjoyable. The controversy wouldn't exist, and if they produced surprisingly good anecdotal results, then this discussion might be completely different. Kevin Kirby, and others might be engaged in a discussion about the potential merits of the brand (i.e. Hoka One One). I don't see that happening anytime soon with OESH.
__________________
Cam White
Regional Manager and Technical Consultant,
Novascarpa Group, LLC
Brands represented: Joya, Ryn, Terox
512-796-3012 cwhite@novascarpa.com
OESH Shoes' Company Says "Ditch Your Orthotics"
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