“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”
~Unknown
I think one of the hardest things to to for a runner is to find the right pair of shoes. Each foot and shoe is different. Sometimes you find a shoe that is recommended; it has a great write up in the Runners World magazine; and it gets great reviews. It is a good fit in the store. You pay the $100+ and walk out of the store. You walk around in the shoes to begin the break in process and may be few short runs to get use to the new shoes. Then you begin the longer runs and you realize that you feet are killing you, there are blisters, and your toenails are turning black. That was probably not the shoe for you. Choosing a specialty within orthopaedics is very much like choosing a pair of running shoes. There are a lot of specialties and all have positives and negatives. Not every specialty is for everyone. Over the next several months, I will have a number of guests on my blog. I have asked some of my friends to describe their specialty practice. We will have a discussion of the pluses and minuses in each specialty and speak a little about particular practice types. The titles of these posts are listed below.
NEW BALANCE: General Orthopaedics
ASCICS: Sports
NIKE: Shoulder and Elbow
REEBOK: Hand
SAUCONY: Spine
ADIDAS: Total Joint
KEEN: Foot and Ankle
BROOKS: Tumor
MIZUNO: PEDS
NORTH FACE: Trauma
So, please stay tuned. I hope these topics will be helpful at distinguishing the different specialties. It is only a guide. I will try to be as unbiased as possible. Although, I may have to make a couple of digs at each specialty. (Smiley face)
“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”
~Frederick Keoni
~Frederick Keoni
4 comments:
Can't help but make a light-hearted critique of you selections:
NEW BALANCE: General Orthopaedics
-Pretty obvious choice. The name fits. Pretty much indistinguishable from Adidas. Nice wide forefoot, breathable, durable, easy to find a good pair. Stays away from some too "out there" stuff that Adidas makes. No cleats or those Adidas ones with all the holes so you can run through brooks & streams, etc.
ASCICS: Sports
A Anterior
S Superior
C Capsular
I Insufficiency
C Comp... oh who cares, throw some anchors in it, name the procedure after me, make sure there are no less than 6 codes on the billing sheet. I still cannot believe they used PASTA for one of their conditions.
NIKE: Shoulder and Elbow
-Don't have anything here. Nike has become a good everyone's shoe - even you can "be like Mike". S&E, not so much. Some say the only places that need S&E specialists are acadmeic centers and that people are just as well served by a sports person otherwise. S&E guys are also often pretty willing to point out things non-S&E guys shouldn't be doing - don't try to "be like Mike". (They are right very often, too)
REEBOK: Hand
-Reebok is know best for 2 things. Dee Brown at the slam dunk contest and being marketted as the shoe for working women to wear during their commute instead of their work shoes. Trying to say something about going into hand with that one?
SAUCONY: Spine
-Don't have much here either unless Saucony's cost $500 and after 2 years you were as well off if you were barefoot. Is Saucony trying to no longer be classified as a sneaker, but in its own category of footwear?
ADIDAS: Total Joint
-Pretty reliable, durable. Like to expand into other areas - more formal shoes, etc. Not all good ideas, neither was air sterilized poly. In the end, who can recognize them, know someone who likes them, trust them, be willing to try them out when the time if it is right for you.
KEEN: Foot and Ankle
BROOKS: Tumor
-Didn't know they were even shoes. Do people wear them?
MIZUNO: PEDS
-They make a heck of a batting glove and those old shiny waterproof windbreakers were ugly but warm and dry. Yeah, no real ortho parallel here... sorry.
Looking forward to reading your contributors' comments.
great comment ... i hope the future series will be helpful.
you forgot to talk about keen for foot and ankle. it's all about shoe wear and comfort not about style.
Ooops...
KEEN: Foot and Ankle
-First time Keen wearer: "So are these Birkenstocks?"
-First time F&A referal: "So are you a podiatrist?"
Both are anti-bunion.
A lot of people need a shoe that is comfortable more so than stylish... a lot of practices need a F&A guy.
for those future and current trauma folks, i forgot to place trauma in this list. my apologies. you get the north face running shoe, a durable, all weather brand.
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