Thursday, October 3, 2013

Sole Provisions | Orthaheels [review]

If you've been following for awhile, you know that my feet have been in a constant state of disarray since a fall half-marathon last year. Along with that constant state of injury comes a loss of all the pretty shoes that I used to wear. With injured sesamoids and plantar fasciitis that does not want to die, heels are out of the question and actually, flats are, too. I can't even wear cheap flip flops anymore, which is probably the saddest thing of all. I spent three months at work when my injury was the worst wearing running shoes every day and dressing every morning killed a little piece of my formerly cute soul because there's just no way to make yourself look cute like that. No way.

I resigned myself to the fact that I was 31 and going to wear old lady shoes for the rest of my life, because my feet wouldn't have it any other way. Then I discovered Orthaheels. They make shoes that are orthotic, but they're actually cute. Like, so cute that when I wear them, people compliment me, ask where I got them... then can't believe that they're orthotic shoes, because although they have all the trademarks of an orthotic shoe, like a raised arch for support and a cushioned footbed, they don't LOOK it. They are cute.

Take for example, my newest pair, the Mia Pewter. Aren't they fun? They're silver and strappy and they fit work dress code guidelines. I definitely believe that I wouldn't be able to run again at this point with my plantar fasciitis if I couldn't wear Orthaheels to work every day, because standing on my feet for eight hours in regular shoes was leaving them a serious mess. Even if you don't have an injury and you're someone who works on your feet, you probably need to look into one good pair of orthotic shoes just because it's going to feel better at the end of the day. But if you have a foot injury and you're still wearing regular shoes? Knock it off!

The downside to Orthaheels, like any orthotic shoe, is that they aren't cheap. I think they're worth every penny and they're a heck of a lot cheaper than custom orthotics. With that said, I would definitely recommend purchasing from Sole Provisions. Although I've purchased Orthaheels from a few different places in the past (including the Orthaheels website), I'll be purchasing just from Sole Provisions from now on. Why? They have a huge selection of Orthaheels and other foot friendly shoes, many of which are discounted, making Orthaheels a more affordable purchase. All items come with free priority 2-3 day shipping--who wants to wait for new shoes (especially when your feet hurt)?! They also offer free returns, which is big for me. Sizing certain shoes, especially shoes you can't find in the stores, can be difficult. I like knowing that if they don't fit, I don't have to suffer through too big or too small shoes. I can easily return and order the right size for me. In short, Sole Provisions is interested in customer satisfaction and that's a huge deal. I will definitely be purchasing more Orthaheels from their website soon, especially since it's going to [sigh] get colder and I know I can't pull off strappy sandals much longer.

I was provided with a pair of Mia Pewter sandals for my review, but all opinions expressed are my own

3 comments:

Sue said...

OMG!!! I must look into this. I'm dealing with plantar fasciitis too & it's killing me! Sneakers at work are not cute! Thanks for this post!

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

I love my Orthaheels! I need to check into some boots for fall...

Anonymous said...

I remember you telling me about these months ago, and I've been meaning to look into it. i've been bad and have been wearing regular sandals all summer instead of shoes that I can wear my orthotics with. but even flats and other closed toe shoes, my orthotics wind up making them too tight. so yeah. this sounds awesome. but the prices make me sad. :( i wish i could try them on. or that this was a giveaway. ;)