Shoes can make puppies hush

Many customers swear by orthopedic footwear that offers comfort for those suffering with chronic pain



By Mekeisha Madden Toby / The Detroit News

"Vickie Levey has the same affection and adoration for her orthopedic comforters, Z-Coils. Levey co-owns Aura Spa Salon Wellness in Farmington Hills with her husband, Neal. Both love and wear Z-Coils.

Vickie Levey, who owns eight pairs, says the shoes give her relief after having had hip replacement and back surgery.

'My knees and ankles aren't too good either,' Vickie Levey says. Both she and Neal, a stylist at the salon, are constantly on their feet. Neal Levey also suffers from chronic back pain. He owns three pairs of Z-Coils, which are about $200 a pop.

'One day, I wore riding boots instead of my Z-Coils and after just 30 minutes, I was in pain,' Vickie Levey recalls. 'When I got home that day, I stripped down to my underwear and put on my Z-Coils. Nothing could make me feel better.'

Podiatrist Arnold Gross, who has a practice in West Bloomfield Township, says shoes such as MBTs and Z-Coils can be helpful.
'There are some patients with really stubborn foot problems that don't get better by conventional means,' says Gross, who owns a pair of MBT hiking boots. 'Most of these shoes help because they can improve your gait and relieve pain simply because they lessen the amount of pressure a person with foot problems feels in trouble areas.'

But Gross is reluctant to endorse MBTs and the like for everyone.
'Different things work for different people,' he says. 'Springs and other gadgets can work, but it depends on the person. For instance, some people get relief from Rockport. But Rockport shoes killed my feet.

'Very few of these shoes have been medically proven to work, but I do have a lot of patients who swear by these types of shoes and they're so incredibly happy.'

The only thing MBT and Z-Coil could do to make Laurie Kennedy and Levey happier would be if the comfort-shoe companies made formal footwear.

'I wear my MBTs everywhere except church,' Kennedy says. 'On Sundays, I put on my dress shoes and by the end of the service, I am in terrible pain. It's the only time I torture myself.' "

Resources

• Could you spend a week in MBT shoes? Reporter takes the challenge
• Z-CoiL/MBT Story