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I did a quick Google search and saw that there are tons of heel cups…from gel type to moldable and beyond. However, the ones I have, and worked for me, are the molded plastic ones which is said to have been created in the 1960’s for sports injuries! Wow - who knew!
What I have look identical to the “M-F Athletic Heel Cups” on Medline dot com. It looks like they can be had through e-Bay and Walmart, etc., and cost anywhere from $4 to over $38/pr.
I got a size Medium but didn’t see them advertised. My partner in crime, who also plays golf and came down with plantar, borrowed a pair of mine and it fit and worked for him as well. He is a 10-1/2 shoe size.
Now don’t worry your pretty little head…WE know what we’re talking about…that is, @cabinhost and me.
(Trouble is…I don’t know how to PM. People PM me, and I know how to respond but I don’t know how to initiate it. It’s hard to believe but I am sooo challenged.)
Here’s what you do, so EZ. Just click on your little brown circle with the S in it. Then it brings up your message Icon and you click that and you will see the word MESSAGE. Click that and start a new message to the user of your choice!
Aside from the dirt thing, and those with medical issues, I just can’t understand why anyone would want to wear their shoes in the house. I can’t wait to kick mine off when I walk in the house! One of the best feelings!
I am with you, shoes come off automatically at the door and into the shoe rack. I can’t imagine wearing shoes in the house, but whenever we have someone over for the first time, they almost never take their shoes off, so we’ve gotten in the habit of just causally asking, “would you mind slipping your shoes off?”. Occasionally, someone who knows Asian culture-my other half is Asian-will think ahead and know to slip them off or ask right before coming in, but I find it rare.
Yikes. You know, when I was a kid my mum used to tell me that I could ‘catch goodness knows what’ walking around in bare feet and I never believed her!
In this neck of the woods, we’re a very shoe-free environment. I sometimes think that it’s because we have so many people locally who live on their boats. Whether that’s because bare feet are less slippy or because bare feet create less mess on pristine decks I don’t know. @KenH might know.
Some of us like to be shoeless because it’s less slippery. Others because they’re on really tight budgets and don’t want to afford proper deck shoes. Then there’s the “my feet get too hot” school of Southern Comfort.
Ah, what’s a few hook worms among friends? On board a boat they’re not a problem. Ashore you can catch a lot worse things especially in not-so-clean areas… Hookworms won’t kill you but you can in extreme, get so anemic you just don’t care…
I’ve got one of those too. I think it helps that I do a walk through with all guests and immediately kick my shoes off and put them in the tray when we enter the house. People will generally follow suit.
Please explain this to me. I have read the scientific articles about bringing contaminants into the house on your shoes. I may spend all day walking around in the city and in public places where the surfaces are contaminated, but I don’t eat off the floors or ground. When I come home, yes, I may bring these materials into the house but I don’t eat off the floor anymore than I would eat off my toilet seat. I don’t have children crawling around on the floor and putting everything they lay their hands on in their mouths. Why should I make the distinction between the outdoors and my home?
If you truly want a clean house you should look at this site. https://www.healthline.com/health/germy-places
Among other recommendations including wiping off your pets’ feet before they enter the house, they say this–
“Surfaces also contribute to bacteria growth and diversity. For example, a carpet can hold up to eight times its weight in dirt and dust and may be dirtier than a city street, according to Chem-Dry.” This site does recommend removing your shoes, but it also says you should wipe off bathroom surfaces daily using a new disinfectant wipe for each spot. It goes on
Of the 22 homes surveyed, the NSF found fecal contamination, yeast, and mold present on:
cell phones
keys
wallet and money
lunch boxes
the bottom of purses
I understand that the world is a dirty, contaminated place but the time and effort I am willing to spend combating this contamination is limited. I have a beautiful home with antique furniture, mostly hard suface flooring but also hand tied Asian carpets but I am not willing to inconvenience myself and my guests by requiring that shoes be removed anymore than I am willing to disinfect my bathroom on a daily basis. It may help you to understand my point of view when I point out that I am a down-winder. I grew up in the vicinity of the Hanford Project where the plutonium for the nuclear bombs was developed. A little bacteria seems relatively unimportant by comparison.
My attitude is also based on my belief that friends and their comfort are far more important than the cleanliness of a floor. I feel unwelcome when I am asked to remove my shoes and I don’t want my guests to feel that way.
Crocs or similar shoes are awesome for Plantar Faciitis as well. They even make a sandal version. I wear New Balance shoes for everyday and use Crocs mostly at home as “ slippers”. I do wear the sandals out on hot days.