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Written by Tammy Walro
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Saturday, 06 December 2008 12:20 |
 Nurses know it. So do hair stylists, factory workers, letter carriers and others whose jobs require them to spend hours at a time standing. Spending hours walking and standing can be a pain in the neck, not to mention the hip, the back, the knees and the feet.
On Dec. 10, the St. Charles Mercy Hospital Auxiliary is sponsoring a sale of a line of pain-relieving footwear that can bring welcome comfort and even put a new “spring” in your step.
From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., John Thierry, from Z-CoiL Comfort Shoes in Dearborn, Mich., will be on hand in the hospital’s Oregon Room with a display and a select inventory of the footwear, which was recently featured on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The line of men’s and women’s styles includes running shoes, sandals and dress shoes. Steel-toed work shoes and boots are also available.
The most eye-catching feature of the shoes is a three-inch wide conical-coil steel spring in the heel. The spring, when completely compressed, reduces to about one-quarter inch high.
The compression, coupled with the absorption and energy return absorbs shock and reduces skeletal stress, the manufacturer says.
(If you’re wondering, the spring won’t make you jump any higher, but it can help you land more softly, the company says.)
The benefit of the Z-CoiL design doesn’t end with the coil. A built-in orthotic insole cradles the foot’s curve to provide rigid support and promote even pressure distribution. In addition, special cushioning protects the ball of the foot and a rocker bottom creates a natural roller motion when walking.
“The shoes reduce impact between you and the ground by 50 percent,” Thierry said. “The result is greater comfort and a reduction or elimination of pain for people who spend a lot of time on their feet, or for those who have back, knee or hip pain, arthritis, etc.
“We encourage people to try on a pair on and get an idea of how they feel,” he said. “The shoes are adjustable and can be custom fit in lots of different ways, including adjustment of the built-in orthotics.”
Because the shoes are custom fit by trained dealers, they can’t be purchased online or through a catalog.
Though they may not be considered the most fashionable footwear option, those who have tried them say they are perfectly willing to trade fashion for function.
“More than 90 percent of the people who try them on end up buying,” Thierry said.
In fact, his visit to St. Charles is an encore, requested by employees who weren’t able to purchase when he came last month, according to auxiliary president Irene Csanyi.
“They made a big hit, so we decided to bring them back again,” she said. When asked if she purchased a pair for herself, Csanyi said, “Not yet.”
The cost ranges from $190 to $210 for 90 percent of the styles, Thierry said. A portion of the proceeds raised from the sale benefits the hospital auxiliary, which uses the funds to purchase equipment and other items for the hospital.
For more information about the sale, call 419-691-3323. To learn more about the Z-CoiL line of footwear, visit www.zcoil.com.
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