I think our new Athletic sandals are so especially good for combating bunions, I almost wanted to call them our “anti-bunion sandals.” The toe strap that reaches back to the ankle not only helps secure the foot, but also helps actively separate the big toe from the second. That gentle separation between the big and the second toe is good for everyone but is especially good if you have a bunion or have a big toe that is just beginning to lean inward toward the second toe. Simultaneously with this toe separation, the strap on the other side of the big toe is positioned such that it helps provide counterforce to where bunions like to develop.
Bunions are very common in women… in fact we are ten times more likely than men to have them–suggesting the obvious, that our shoes are the culprit. High-heeled shoes with a narrow toe box are often blamed. But even traditional, so-called “sensible” women’s dress shoes that have only a moderately high heel compared to the forefoot, place more pressure on the ball of the foot and tend to push the big toe inward toward the second toe.
It’s thought that this continuous pushing of the big toe inward leads to inflammation on the other side of the big toe, at its base. Inflammation over time leads to pain and/or deformity.
What’s unique about all OESH, not just our Athletic sandals, is that the forces through the forefoot are more evenly distributed compared to an ordinary shoe. The typical shoe construction, even the most sophisticated comfort or athletic shoe, tends to cradle the forefoot, which bunches up the pressure around the base of the toes. Another unique facet about all OESH is the perfectly flat heel (compared to most traditional athletic shoes which have a half inch of heel lift) as well as the relatively wide forefoot and toe box, also unique to OESH.
And then there’s our new Athletic sandal with the strap configuration that actively helps separate the big toe from the second…and as long as you wear them you are helping reverse a lifetime of poor footwear options.
Some women tell me they don’t like wearing anything between their toes. It’s interesting, but it seems more often than not that the woman who tells me this already has a bunion or has a great toe that is leaning a little too much inward toward that second toe…in other words, this is a woman who I think would especially benefit from wearing our OESH Athletics!
Though we could have tagged these the “anti-bunion sandal”, we were amazed at how fun they were to wear everywhere–including runs at the beach, hikes on the Blue Ridge mountain trails, playing tetherball, etc.–as we worked through the prototypes these past few months.
So, “Athletic sandals” they are. And in their early debut, they are now a big hit with a number of both talented athletes and beautiful women…all delighted to have a reliable ally to actively fight off those bunions. OESH to the rescue…again!
