There are 3 key things you should remember when purchasing shoes;

1. Flexibility; Where does the shoe flex when you push from toe to heel?- It should only break where the toes naturally flex, (about the ball of the foot). This indicates the strength of the midsole.

1. Heel cup; Grab hold of the heel cup or counter. This should be nice and strong, ideally you should find it differcult to compress. This indicates the manufacturer has placed a slip of plastic around the back of the shoe, which will help stabalise your heel

2. Lace or strap? It should be. This'll give you the most flexibility in terms of support or control.

List of shoes

General

The NZ made McKinlay range is currently excellent.

Their Kids range of school shoes and sandals are very good, and their Mens range of shoes and boots make excellent platforms for modification. I use them a lot with people requiring added ankle support. In Lower Hutt, these are available through 'Bay Shoes'. In the Wairarapa, try 'Saunders'

Sports

Sports footwear is a highly technical area. One in which it would be inappropriate to offer a specific advise, as often a specific shoe is required for a specific foot type, condition or activity.

Sports shoe manufacturing had steadily improved in the past decade. Some of the key players in this have been companies such as Asics, New Balance and Adidas. Nike, though not as dominant in NZ, is the US's strongest selling shoe in this range. Like most such markets though, this sector is heavily influenced by fashion so you should always rely on those 3 key guides as listed above.

Sports retailers such as 'The Shoe Clinic' offer excellent advise, as well as 30 day right of return so I would suggest visiting retailers such as them first. You can then consult your podiatrist on the appropriateness of the shoe to the foot, and or/orthotic. In the Wairarapa, retailers such as 'The Great Outdoors', 'Trevs', and 'Sports Arena', are all happy for you to take the shoe away and have our podiatrists evaluate before you buy.

Womens

The NZ made Kumfs range is without doubt NZ's most reliable and podiatrically sound shoe for women. Kumfs retailers in Lower Hutt are Banks Shoes, in Wairarapa; Saunders.

Other trusted brands include Hush Puppy, Joseph Siebel and Ecco.

There is always debate over high heels (greater than 3cm relative difference between forefoot and heel). They are fine in moderation. Too much use, and you condition your calf muscles and foot to the shoe. This runs the risk of injury to the achillies and forefoot, not to mention the effect on you lumbar and thorasic spine. Incidentally, they can be helpful in the treatment of heel pain (plantar fasciitis), again in moderation.

Kids

It's generally thought, in the absence of foot deformity, that kids should be wearing shoes that are flexible, strong soled and of leather/ breathable upper. Stear away from hand-me-downs if notiably worn as the wear pattern from the previous user may differ from your childs foot.

Some reputable kids shoes are Clarks, and New Balance. 'Bay Shoes' Lower Hutt offer an excellent range and advise about all sorts of childrens footwear.