The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What interests you on Presidents’ Day? Finding bargains, traveling, or celebrating America?

By Rita R. Robison

It’s a strange custom. The holiday to honor two great presidents and the history of our country is becoming one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

However, if you want to shop rather than contemplate history, President’s Day sales do offer consumers great deals on cars, furniture, clothing, suits, handbags, and white goods. Prices on some items, such clothing, are better than Black Friday. For cars, it’s the biggest sale of the year.

To keep from making “sale fever” mistakes, follow these tips:

• Make a list of what you’re looking for.
• Compare prices. Check the Internet for what’s up in sale prices before you hit the mall.
• Start early so you can get the sale items in your size before they’re gone.
• Use apps that scan bar codes to see what others are selling the item for.
• Look for coupons on sites such as RetailMeNot before you go.
• Check social media sites, especially Facebook, because companies may be advertising their sales there first.
• Look for travel deals. You can still get big savings and there’s lots to do in historical cities such as Washington, D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and New York.

If you want to do some serious thinking about Presidents’ Day, see “Presidents’ Day Is a Time to Help America Move Foreword.”

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Girls and teens shouldn’t wear high heels

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

For years, I’ve written about how bad high heels are for women’s feet, especially baby boomer women’s feet.

But women keep wearing them, and high heels get taller and taller – and more dangerous.

High heels, especially those with heels higher than one inch, put the foot in an unnatural position. High heels change how you walk and change pressure points in certain areas of the feet.

A high heel three inches or more puts seven times more pressure on the ball of the foot. Wearing heels may also increase the risk of back pain, sprains, and shortened calf muscles.

Now young girls and teens are wearing higher and higher heels, as part of the trend that is sexualizing females at younger and younger ages.

The recent media attention surrounding French Vogue’s advertisement featuring 10-year-old model, Thylane Loubry Blondeau, in extremely high heels, has brought attention to this alarming trend.

Neal Blitz, M.D., chief of foot surgery at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, questions the appropriateness of young girls wearing high heels.

From a medical point of view, young girls wearing high heels and pointy-toed shoes is a concern because their bones are more malleable and can be structurally deformed as they grow, Blitz said in The Huffington Post article “How Young Is Too Young for High Heels?”

“Simply put, bone growth occurs from a cartilaginous precursor that becomes calcified and hardened,” he said in the article. “The softer growing bone can be deformed and misshapen by external forces, such as high heels. This is the physiology behind the Chinese foot binding.”

Until young girls stop growing, there is a significant risk to cause bone and joint deformations within the foot, Blitz said.

“From a purely bone-related standpoint, females reach skeletally maturity around age 14,” he said. “This does not mean that this the proper age for one to begin wearing high heels, nor am I indicating that high heel wearing is safe at all for young girls and adolescents. But parents should strongly consider avoiding shoe gear that can have a life-long impact on the foot prior to maturity of the foot.”

In his article, Blitz also reminded women of all ages that, even after skeletal maturity, the risk of developing foot problems from wearing high heels still exists.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Damage from high heels even worse for baby boomer women’s feet

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Neal Blitz, M.D., foot surgeon, asks the question "Are high heels really bad for your feet?" in a recent Huffington Post article.

The answer is a resounding yes, he said, adding common problems associated with high heels and pointy toe shoes are bunions, hammer toes, and tight calf muscles.

While these painful problems sound awful, it’s even more likely baby boomer women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s will experience them.

As women age, their feet change. Wearing high heels can be much less comfortable due to these changes. Loss of fat in the bottom of the foot is one common change.

When boomer women step down in high heels, their weight is thrown on the spot where they have less protection, Morris Morin, D.M.P., director of podiatric medicine at the Hackensack University Medical Center, said in the Good Housekeeping article "Foot Pain and High Heels."

This causes pain and may increase the risk of stress fractures and osteoarthritis in the feet, Morin said.

While some doctors recommend repadding the foot using injections of silicone or wrinkle filling injections such Restalyne, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society warns against these and other cosmetic procedures for the feet. Calling the trend alarming, it warns consumers that risks – including infection, nerve injury, and difficulty walking – often outweigh benefits.

A better idea is the use of heavily padded insoles, said Morin.

A study at Manchester Metropolitan University of 80 women aged 20 to 50 who had been wearing heels of at least 2 inches almost daily for two years or more showed changes in their feet.

When compared with women who didn’t wear heels, ultrasounds revealed the women had calf muscle fibers that were 13 percent shorter, and MRIs showed the Achilles tendon, which attaches the heel bone to the calf muscle, was stiffer and thicker.

Shoes that hurt your feet aren’t good for you, Johanna Youner, D.M.P., a spokeswoman for the American Podiatric Medical Association, said in the article "Those To-Die-For High Heels May Alter Anatomy."

The association’s recommendation for the best shoe for women? A walking shoe with laces, not a slip-on, that has a polymerized composition sole and a wider heel with a rigid and padded heel counter, no more than three-quarters of an inch in height.

See the association’s "Footwear" for a list of tips for buying shoes. In addition, the association offers the APMA Seal of Acceptance for shoes and shoe products it thinks allow for normal foot function and promote quality foot health.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Five footwear tips to make walking safer during winter storms

Winter boots need to have quality treads to make walking in the snow safer during hazardous conditions.

"With the number of snowstorms we've a had during the first half of the winter alone, I'm already seeing a 30 percent increase in the number of patients coming into my office with fractures, sprains, and pulled arches from snow-related incidences,” New York City podiatrist Suzanne Levine, M.D., said.

With storms dumping record amounts of snow across the United States, often mixed with dangerous layers of black ice and slush, conditions often occur that are potential accidents for baby boomers and their parents.  

"Pedestrians should treat their feel like tires in this kind of weather," Levine said. "We have regulations for vehicles in treacherous weather, so we should at least establish some important standards of quality for treads used on footwear designed for winter walking."  

Levine offers these five footwear safety tips:

1. Think of your footgear as tires.

Consumers buy new snow tires when the treads wear down. They should do the same for boots and shoes, which become smoother and less effective after three months.

2. Don’t use tires that are flat.

Consumers often choose boots with a flat sole. A wedge is actually better. The forward angle of the foot allows it to dig into the snow with great proficiency.

3. Not all treads are created equal.

Choose a tread with a varied pattern – one that has a different design in the front and heel of the sole. This will give you a variety of stopgap measures when walking and climbing through snow and ice. Galoshes don’t work, since they provide little to no support for the foot. Galoshes can actually facilitate a fall.

4. A snowstorm isn’t the time to make fashion statements.

Treacherous conditions require footwear that performs well, not boots that are high fashion. Ankle snow boots don’t provide enough support and can easily result in sprains or even breaks when slipping and falling on snow and ice. Uggs are flat and, if the treads on them aren’t sharp, they have a greater likelihood of causing injuries.
 
5. Carry a spare.

Never wear improper footgear during threatening weather and be prepared for the worst-case scenario. If you get caught without the right pair of boots because they didn’t go with your outfit, you could not only ruin your shoes, but also do permanent damage to your body. Be sure to change shoes during the day to give your feet a rest from wearing anything that challenges or restricts the natural mechanics of the foot. Feet that aren’t in good shape or strong won’t perform well in a crisis.

“Proper footwear is essential for protecting your feet, ankles, hips, and spine during inclement weather,” Levine said. “If you shop carefully, you can find a boot that keeps you upright, safe, and looks great at the same time.”

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Buster Brown & Co.’s clog children’s shoes

About 1.4 million Buster Brown & Co.’s clog children’s shoes are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 73,000 pairs of shoes were previously recalled in April 2009.

Manufactured in China and distributed by Brown Shoe Co. Inc., of St. Louis, Mo., and its affiliate Pagoda International Footwear Ltd., of Hong Kong, the shoes have decorative wheels that can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children, according to the commission.

The companies have received two reports of a decorative wheel detaching from the shoe. No injuries have been reported.

These shoes are a plastic molded EVA “water” clog and are designed to resemble a car. The shoes are red, brown, blue, yellow, and pink and most shoes bear the words “CARS,” “Transformers Animated,” or “Barbie.”

“Buster Brown & Co.™” is printed on the shoe inside at the heel, on a sewn-in tag inside the fleece-lined shoe, and on the original hang tag. The model or retail number can also be found on these tags.

The shoes were sold in children sizes five to 13 and youth sizes one to three.

Click here to read the retail numbers.

The shoes were sold at major retailers nationwide, including Bealls’, Famous Footwear, J.C. Penney, Meijer, Rack Room, Sears, Shoe Show, Target, and Wal-Mart from August 2007 through June 2009 for $10 to $25.

Customers should immediately take this product away from children and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact Buster Brown & Co. toll-free at 888-869-1044 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Friday and between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, visit the firm’s website at www.busterbrownshoes.com, or send an e-mail to Busterandtige@brownshoe.com.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Girls’ shoes from Nordstrom

About 31,000 girls’ shoes imported by Nordstrom, of Seattle, Wash., are being recalled because surface paint on the outer sole of the shoes contains excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Six styles are involved in the recall:

“Clarice-Fab” flats – bone colored with a bow.

“Eva-Fab” – bone colored T-strap sandals.

“Fern-Fab” – ankle strap sandals sold in bone, pink, white, blue polka-dot, or pink polka-dot.

 

“Lilly-Fab” – fuchsia gingham ballerina flats with a bow.

“Rita-Fab” – ankle strap dress shoes sold in ivory linen, pink linen, white linen, cafe satin, silver satin, or white satin.

 

“Vivi-Fab” – open-toe dress shoes in bone, white, green polka-dot, lavender polka-dot, or yellow polka-dot.

Manufactured in China, the shoes were sold in girls’ sizes 10 through big-kids 7. All shoes have an embossed “NORDSTROM” printed on the insole. Only the colors identified above are subject to the recall.
 
Nordstrom stores nationwide sold the shoes from September 2006 through February 2009 for about $35 to $45.

Consumers should take the recalled shoes away from children immediately and return them to any Nordstrom store for a full refund or exchange, the commission advises.

For additional information, call Nordstrom at 800-804-0806 between 7 a.m. and 1 a.m. ET, e-mail Nordstrom at contact@nordstrom.com, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.nordstrom.com.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Children's flip flops by Alpargatas

About 210,000 children's flip flops are being recalled due to a violation of the lead in paint standard.

Manufactured by Alpargatas USA Inc. of New York, N.Y., the flip flops have decorative paint on the sole that can contain lead levels in excess of the federal standard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Flip flops of the Havaianas brand containing decorative paint were sold under the following model names: Baby Estampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, Kids Fairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, Kids Monsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas, Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun, Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed, Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock, Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, Kids Small Flowers, and Kids Tropical w/Kit.
 
Havaianas flip flops without decorative paint aren’t being recalled, according to the commission.

 Manufactured in Brazil, the flip flops were sold by department and specialty stores nationwide from November 2006 through February 2009 for about $15 to $24 a pair.

Consumers should immediately take the recalled flip flops away from children and return them to Alpargatas USA Inc. to receive a replacement. Call 888-289-5306 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the company’s Web site at www.havaianasus.com. You’ll find the recall at the bottom of the home page.

For more information on recent recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

People love, hate their flip-flops

When New York Times blogger Tara Parker-Pope wrote a post on "Flip-Flops May Lead to Foot Pain," she received 200 comments on her blog Well from people who loved and hated their flip-flops.

In her post, Parker-Pope reported on research from Auburn University in Alabama that looked at the biomechanics of the flip-flop. The study determined that wearing thong-style flip-flops can result in sore feet, ankles, and legs.

In a follow-up post, "The Well Podcast: More About Flip-Flops," she interviewed Elizabeth Semmelhack, curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, about the history of flip-flops and other footware and why footwear inspires such passion.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist