A Shoe can Change your Life

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If Cinderella taught us anything, it would be that.

When i was younger, i liked to take the window seat on the aeroplane. As i grow older, i prefer the aisle seat for convenience of visits to the loo and stretching my legs. Similar with shoes, in recent years, i prefer to go for quality over quantity. If any of those Buzzfeed articles is true, it is that as i grow older, i am less concerned about style over comfort.

Ok, i lied. Style still matters. I'm not going to let myself go and turn into a frumpy woman overnight!
But i'll be more discerning and even if a pair of heels is drop-dead gorgeous, i will put it back on the shelf with all my will power as i know i wouldn't wear it more than once.

Walking into Arch Angel located at 16 Purvis Street was an informative experience. Finding the right fit took about an hour, about the same amount of time the Prince searched for Cinderella.

I've never thought about foot health. However, lately my toe nail have dropped twice and i noticed the arch of my feet hurting after a long day of walking even in my most comfortable shoes!

At Arch Angel, i found out why. Arch Angel have an in-house podiatry every month and i had the honour of having Owen, a professional shoe fitter (pedorthic) who helped to prescribe the right footwear to give a better walking experience.

With a rather lengthy lecture explaining his profession, Owen gave me a diagnosis on my current foot health by observing how i walk, measuring my feet and using sensors to weigh my pressure.

A foot scan to figure body pressure on feet.

It turns out that my left is shorter than my right foot. This explains the reason why my left toe nail turns black or falls off, my shoe is too small! I don't have a very high arch either, thus my feet overcompensate by putting more pressure on the outer side. I also have mild calluses at the ball of my feet because of unequal distribution of body pressure.

Foot changes may not happen to everyone definitely, but they can occur with prolonged use of ill-fitting shoes and these changes peak in above 40 years of age. No wonder an ex pointed out that a part of my feet is growing larger, like his grandma. I had no idea what he was talking about, until Arch Angel handed me a horrifying brochure on BUNION.

The below is NOT MY FEET, but an internet picture to demonstrate.

The bunion, a bump that seems to vie for the big toe's position, occurs when ill-fitting shoes rub against this spot as you walk.

Owen absolutely understands a lady's need for variety, colour, trend but as he aptly labels these ill-fitting shoes as Church, Wedding, Funeral shoes, they are not to be worn for more than 2 hours.

Arch Angel's staff were exceptionally patient in finding the right fit for me as i try over a dozen shoes, finding the right fit and style that pleases me. 

The final prescription for me was to get the newest arrival Isabella with zebra print fitted with Xsensible Inside, that is stretch leather that gives it maximum elasticity. This way, it can be a perfect pair according to my right foot bigger, left foot smaller condition.

When i shared that this will be my default travel shoe (with lots of walking), Owen replaced the detachable insole with a Spenco RX full-length arch cushion to give me maximum support and comfort.

With the right shoe, Owen did a simple exercise to test my balance by exerting strength on my palms.

Without Arch Angel's shoes, I was lifted off my bare feet (heel or front lifted) when pressure was exerted on my palms. With Arch Angel, my feet was firmly planted down.

No longer it's a situation where comfort and style can't be best buddies. Arch Angel have a good variety of options. They not only have their in-house brand but also carry brands from Israel and Europe. Almost all shoes are made of leather.

Heels, sandles, sneakers and shoes.

Both male and female styles available. 

I was also introduced to the smallest gym in the world!

Modeled after the Japanese traditional footwear, the clog, this Arch Angel version works out your back and calf muscles as you walk.

Fit for the lazy people who wouldn't go to the gym! I believe this pair called the Earth Woman will give you a nice ass too.

If you want to have your feet checked, Arch Angel organizes monthly Podiatry Day and the first Pedorthic Day to answer footwear questions is on 31 October at their store. Monthly podiatry dates can be found on their Facebook.

Even if you haven't got a foot fetish, i urge you to love yourself.