Its that time of year again. In Canada and the pacific northwest during the winter every year there are abnormally high tides, which wash ashore all kinds of treasures. One such “treasure” is a little more gruesome. A beach on Vancouver Island, British Columbia had a record 13th foot wash ashore in the last decade. It’s a strange phenomenon indeed. Authorities say the feet can come from as far south as Seattle and North as Alaska. They also reported that all of the feet which have washed ashore are not due to foul play, rather unfortunately usually due to at sea accidents.
You may be asking yourself, but why the foot? I wondered the same thing and the answer is actually quite simple. The foot has a shoe attached to it! Shoes are generally made up of a large amount of rubber which is buoyant allowing the foot to float to shore. Now as a Podiatrist, I find myself recommending shoes to patients on a daily basis. The reasons for my recommendations vary on the patients pain, foot type etc. Generally speaking, a good supportive shoe should have some flex just before the toes, however should not be able to be folded in half or twisted like a pretzel! A shoe that has these attributes offers the most support for both the longitudinal and transverse arches of the foot, which can help diminish many foot aches and pains. However, even the best shoe can fall a bit flat sometimes. In these cases we often recommend custom made orthotics which evenly distribute your weight across the sole of your foot, while positioning your foot in a position best suited for pain free life! So, if the advice of your podiatrist wasn’t enough to get you into good shoes, and custom made insoles, consider this; A floating foot washed ashore because of a good pair of shoes, is much easier to identify with an insert inside that has our phone number on it! Call today for your same day consultation for any of your foot or ankle needs!