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Does It Work?
Terri Roberts

1Whether you’re an athlete, a busy mom chasing young children, or an employee whose job keeps you on your feet, you most likely suffer occasionally from sore feet. Chronic foot pain, however, is a condition that can affect your daily routine. This serious affliction can impact your entire body, leading to discomfort in the knees, hips, and lower back.

2Today, many products claim to alleviate foot pain and correct posture to realign your body. If you watch television late at night, you’ve probably seen advertisements for the Pro Walk orthopedic inserts. This infomercial claims that these plastic inserts “offer support for your feet, correcting your gait and stabilizing your spine.” The advertisement also maintains that the inserts provide enhanced protection for the feet, absorbing some of the shock produced by standing, walking, and running. The Pro Walk Web site contains many positive assessments of the product’s benefits from anonymous consumers, but we wanted to evaluate the claims for ourselves.

3To analyze this product, we turned to sixteen-year-old high school student Christian Johnson. Like many students, Christian is extremely busy. Besides going to school, he also participates in a number of extracurricular activities, including soccer and track and field. On the weekends, he waits tables at his uncle’s diner to help save money for college.

4 “A long shift at the diner or a rough practice can really exasperate the discomfort I feel in my feet,” Christian explains. “Usually, I will do some stretching to try and relieve the pain.” Christian also attributes some of the pain in his hips to the problems he has with his feet.

5The skeptical teenager agrees to wear the Pro Walk inserts for a week and report his findings to us. On the first day, Christian noticed some tenderness in his feet. While he acknowledged that the inserts supported his arches, he felt slight pain on the sides of his feet. Feeling that the product was too narrow, Christian returned the Pro Walk inserts to the store and exchanged them for a larger size.

6Luckily, the larger size seemed to fit Christian’s feet perfectly. He decided to wear them to a soccer scrimmage in the park. He didn’t perceive any muscle tension or discomfort during the game, though he admitted that the feeling of the hard plastic under his feet was a little aggravating at first. The teen seemed optimistic about testing the inserts during a strenuous day at the diner. On Saturday, Christian wore the Pro Walk orthotics for the duration of his eight-hour shift.

7At the end of the seven-day trial, Christian reported a significant improvement in his posture and a sharp decline in foot soreness. Not only did the Pro Walk provide support around Christian’s arches, but he also noticed a reduction in the pain he felt in his hips. He believes that the product is even improving his coordination.

8After hearing Christian’s praise of the product, we contacted a local podiatrist to get her take on the Pro Walk. For decades, Dr. Ernestine Campbell has recommended orthotics to patients with flat feet or similar conditions. While Dr. Campbell believes that the Pro Walk can provide legitimate relief for people who suffer from chronic foot pain, she stresses the importance of finding an orthotic that fits your feet properly. Maladjusted inserts can have disastrous results, causing more pain and suffering for the wearer.

9Overall, the Pro Walk inserts seem to do just what they claim. Remember that every individual’s feet are different, so it’s important that you find a product that works for you.