Signs you need new shoes!!!!!

You need to go shoe shopping when.....

10. You are using permanent marker to color in your scuff marks.

9. The dog will no longer even go near your footwear, let alone put his mouth on them.

8. You look forward to a rain because you won’t need to wash your feet later that night.

7. You’ve forgotten what color they were when you bought them.

6. You can easily entertain small children by making a puppet with your flopping outsoles.

5. When you flip the shoes over, old toenails fly out onto the floor.

4. Your worn shoes resemble “Grandpa Joe’s Famous Deer Jerky”.

3. You’ve noticed lately you’ve developed a limp.

2. It would be more comfortable to tie concrete cinder blocks thinly coated in fiberglass and heated to a steamy temperature of 220 degrees to your feet than put your old shoes back on.

1. When at an event, you notice the host whispering to the caterer about rotten onion dip in the general area you are standing.

MBTs: Friend or Foe???

Once and for all, what is all the hype about? This healthy walking shoe has made appearances on shows such as Rachael Ray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PveOPhwv22A

News Shows across the nation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eav7U9DevqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N22TzRetgQo

MBT'S have also been the subject of Magazines and Newspapers everywhere including Shape, Women's Health, and many more!

So......what's the deal?

Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) is a brand of uniquely designed footwear made especially to activate the muscles our bodies use to balance. Before the invention of concrete and high heels, humans walked barefoot on soft and uneven ground. Now that most of us have to stand all day on hard floors that wreak all sorts of havoc on the body, these natural muscles start to lose their function. In the gym, treadmills, elliptical machines, and stair steppers also depend on flat and even surfaces. This also contributes to making your body lazy, so you're shorting yourself lots of burnt calories by exercising in conventional shoes.

An easier way to exercise? Count me in!!

Not only does the MBT help to kick those muscles back into gear, they do a wonderful job at relieving joint aches and pains. The more research I do, the more I hate concrete! Flat surfaces are also often to blame for lower back, hip, and knee pain. I know I'm not the only one who comes home with tired feet, an aching back, and stiff knees after a 9 hour shift! That's where the MBT comes in. The aspect of this footwear that makes it so unique is the patented sole. Beneath the heel is what is known as a "heel sensor". This is a special blend of the finest polymers designed to absorb the shock of each step, taking the pressure of the ankle, knee, hip, and back joints by nearly 20%!! A very noticeable difference. In addition, this cushion encourages the body to walk correctly starting with the heel and rolling through the foot, embracing the body's natural movement in soft terrain. Pretty neat!

When I first put the MBT on myself, I was quite curious as to how in the world something so simple can do so much. You have to try to know! It is really amazing how I could feel the footwear actually correcting my posture and softening the ground beneath me as I walked. I personally have dealt with knee issues from my soccer days (one too many blows to the leg I suppose!) that always seem to act up when it's time to walk. Not with the MBT. I can comfortably walk, or jog, all day in these without a hitch.


I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical, at first, about this new line of footwear that can help the body in so many ways----but I wear mine daily!

Stop in the store sometime, even if just to look at the newest models we carry, or our online store at www.goodcomfortableshoes.com. It's an experience you don't want to miss out on!

-Sarah Nelle Timberlake, Manager
Donnelly Euro Footwear (352)385-0909

Meaningful Store Happenings

Despite the deluge of rain this morning, we have had customers in and out of the store all day. Leigh Anne and I have been shelving and re-shelving shoes since 10 o'clock! I finally managed to slip down to the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce and register Donnelly Euro Footwear in the Annual 4th of July Parade! How exciting! We are planning to ride the red, white, and blue decorated four-wheelers down Donnelly Street with plenty of Ice Pops and Flags for all!

After I returned, I came to the realization that it makes you feel loads better about coming in to work each day when you know you are genuinely helping people.

I had a customer come in, with tears welling in her eyes, explaining her terrible foot, hip, and knee ailments. As it turns out, her doctor misdiagnosed a broken ankle as a "mild sprain", and she had been walking on it for over a year! As you can imagine, this caused a large amount of damage to her ankle and seriously affected her gait altogether.

The issue she had for me to solve was that she had so many shoes in her closet that she could not wear due to the way they made her feet and knees feel. Seeking something to make her uncomfortable shoes more comfortable, she stopped in. So, I sized her, only to discover the insoles she came in wearing were nearly 5 sizes too large! No wonder they were not of any help! We had her size in stock in a 3/4 length Birkenstock Micro-fiber Arch Support and I placed them in her shoes to try. She was noticeably limping less around the store---the arch had helped to re-align her gait.

The main contributor to her knee pain was the fact that her ankle was severely pronating (falling inward as opposed to remaining upright while walking) which was literally forcing her knee to twist with each step.....ouch. As you can imagine, the pain was slowly working itself up to her hips, back, adn even neck. Just one example of how important healthy footwear is for your body.

After discussing several other options for an insole for her, and having a sincere talk about just how many times she had made the wrong decision for her health, I ordered full length Birkenstock Arch Supports that she can place in any of her shoes at home, even the dress shoes. :)

She left the store a very happy woman, and I went home knowing I helped!

Sarah Nelle Timberlake, Manager
Donnelly Euro Footwear