Thursday, April 28, 2005

Testimonial: Susan Rogers



I suffer with a disability known as "dropped foot" (also called "foot drop"). This is a result of a ruptured disc in my lower back, which has since been removed, but has left me with some lasting nerve and muscle damage, the worst of it being "dropped foot" on my left side.

I cannot lift my left foot at all and must concentrate on every single step I take. I walk with a limp and cannot run, jump, skip, or dance. Sometimes I stagger because I cannot support myself with my left foot. And because I also can't lower my body weight on the left foot, my whole left side takes an extra jolt every time I put that foot down when I'm walking.

It is jarring and painful and adversely affects everything from heel to ankle, knee, hip, and lower back. Chronic pain becomes a constant companion, and walking becomes an activity I want to do as little as possible, to avoid the pain. When I do walk, I must focus on each step to try to lessen the pain. I cannot walk along absent-mindedly, like most people do, or I will come down harder on the left side. Even with concentration, I could not avoid the limp and some pain, and after 10 years of this, I had developed a chronic pain in my left hip that kept me awake at night.

I would buy good running shoes, the ones with the most cushioning in the heel that I could find, and wear them until the cushion in the left shoe was mashed down from the pounding it had taken. The shoes would last two months at the most. I also own every gel and cushion insole out there.

Several weeks ago, my husband saw a colleague wearing [Z-CoiL® footwear] and asked her about them. She explained that she was wearing them because of knee and back pain and she said they helped her. He wondered if they would help me.

I contacted a dealer 29 miles away and he called headquarters in Albuquerque to inquire about any other people with drop foot who had been helped. I was encouraged when I learned that one gentleman with drop foot had great results. This encouragement was enough to get me beyond the negative Good Housekeeping review I had seen that was not very scientific or helpful. (more)

Monday, April 04, 2005

Testimonial: Javan R. Oston, Doctor of Chiropractic


I am a chiropractor with a busy schedule, on my feet for hours a day, adjusting patients four to five days per week. I am always looking for tools to help me increase my energy and effectiveness. Z-CoiL® shoes have been a boon to me and my practice.

Since childhood, I've had a tendency toward flat feet, a slumped posture, and overall tightness in muscles and joints. Biomechanically, I knew I needed something more in the way of foot support, but had never had good results with traditional orthotics. High quality shoes helped, but did not solve the problem. I had seen friends and colleagues wearing Z-CoiL® shoes for years and had been struck by their innovative design. Coincidently, two patients of mine, long-time employees of Z-CoiL Footwear, began to educate me about the Z-CoiL products and methods. I tried a pair of Z-CoiL clogs in March 2004, and have been in love ever since.

To date, my posture is straighter, my arches are higher and stronger, and I am less tight and tired at the end of the day. Due to my better alignment in the Z-CoiL® footwear, I believe that all my muscles are more "switched on" and that it takes less effort to perform the same tasks. I wear my Z-CoiL ® shoes throughout my workday, and now cannot imagine doing without them.

Patient response to Z-CoiL® footwear has been overwhelmingly positive. I've been as impressed with Z-CoiL's dedication to service as I have been with the results of wearing the footwear. Everyone is treated and fitted as an individual, and Z-CoiL employees are trained to work with customers until their needs are met. This has always been my central concern in practice, and I am pleased to be able to recommend a company and a product that share my same patient-centered philosophy.

A number of years ago, I was forced to stop running due to a knee injury. I look forward to buying my next pair of Z-CoiL® shoes, the Freedoms, and getting back to a sport I enjoy.

My Z-CoiL® shoes are important because I enjoy chiropractic and intend to practice for another 20 years. Z-CoiLs will help me continue to do this energetically and without pain.

Javan R. Oston, Doctor of Chiropractic
Albuquerque, NM

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Seeing is Believing

Using an i-Step machine, I tested my own feet. I actually was surprised to see just how great these shoes are. Below are the results:

"'The introduction of computerized foot analysis systems in the early 90's brought the science of pressure and gait analysis to an exciting phase. Using this new technology, scientific studies demonstrated that there is a direct cause and effect relationship between unbalanced pressure distribution during the gait cycle and lower extremity pain in areas such as the knee, ankle, or foot.' (View Video)

The red areas are those with the most pressure - the blue areas are those with the least pressure.

For this test I first stood on the machine barefoot, the results show a large amount of pressure on my heel and the outside edge of my foot. I roll my feet to the outside, this is called Over Supination. This is a common problem associated with knee and foot pain.

The popular shoe I tested had only been worn for a month and still look brand new. The popular running shoe did nothing but distribute the pressure around the whole foot no real impact reduction.

Next, I put a gel heel pad in my shoe, this took some pressure off my forefoot but my feet still absorbed most of the pressure.

Finally the Z-CoiLs - really do I even have to say anything? The Z-CoiL Spring actually absorbed most of the impact. And the Z-CoiLs I did this test with are a year and a half old.

This truly shows how great this product is."

Jeremy Brock
Feel Good Footwear!
Bellevue, WA

Friday, April 01, 2005

Testimonial: Tandy Whitaker

Hi, Carolyn,

I just had to write and tell you how ECSTATIC I am about my new Z-Coil shoes!

I come from a family of folks who all have structural problems with our feet. Even as a child, I had bunions, and every pair of new shoes was misshapen by the time I'd worn them a week. As I grew older, the bunions became more severe and my feet began to hurt worse and worse. For the past 10 years, foot pain has been a constant in my life.

I had bunion surgery on my left foot two years ago (the kind where they cut out a section of bone and then reposition your foot with pins and screws). That foot LOOKS better, but it has actually FELT WORSE since the surgery. Consequently, I haven't even bothered to have the other foot done.

I have spent a small fortune buying shoes that I hoped would allow my feet to feel halfway normal, but to no avail. I would buy some shoes that felt pretty decent in the store, but by the time I took them home and wore them a few hours I'd be miserable. It didn't matter how large the toe box was, or how wide the front of the shoe was, or how thick and cushy the sole was, or how supportive the arch was . . . my feet still hurt! And yes, I tried the famous shoes that so many people have found helpful, and they nearly killed me. The floor of my closet is littered with disappointments!

So now for the GOOD part. Since buying my Z-Coil shoes from you Saturday afternoon, I have hardly taken them off my feet! AND MY FEET DON'T HURT. I don't understand how these shoes work; I just know that, somehow, there is no pressure anywhere on my feet. All the joints, including the big toe joints, feel relaxed and comfortable and flexible. My arches have quit aching. I am, quite frankly, stunned. And delighted. And GRATEFUL.

THANKS for being at the Health Fair last weekend!

Tandy Whitaker

Press Release: April is Foot Health Awareness Month – Pamper Your Feet With a Z-CoiL® Treat

Uniquely Engineered Footwear Brings Welcome Relief to Sore Feet

( Albuquerque, NM ) — Your feet take tremendous abuse. The impact of walking can deliver a force that is two to three times your body weight, and three to five times your body weight when running! No wonder the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has declared April to be Foot Health Awareness Month, to focus attention on this often-neglected, yet hardest-working part of the body.

“I have been off work for over one year, now going on two because of plantar fasciitis. I have had three different podiatrists as well, numerous orthotics, then I was given a series of shots, from cortisone to steroids and even shots to dissolve nerves in my heels. Nothing worked!” says Jovonne Rodriguez of San Bernardino, CA. By chance she discovered Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™ and says the shoes have made all the difference.

For millions of people like Jovonne who suffer from foot pain, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, or lower back pain, finding relief from pain may be as simple as finding the right footwear.

“Your Z-CoiL® shoes are a miracle!” Jovonne adds. “Now I actually look forward to going to the mall or to any function just to walk around. I don’t go places and just sit anymore; I’m up and moving or socializing. People don’t realize that they don’t have to go through life with foot pain. I can’t say enough about how your shoes have helped me.” (more)