Another IFGEC Certified Doc!

Here is what Dr Brad Hochstein has to say about the National Shoe Fit Certification Program.

“Taking the National Shoe Fit Certification course has introduced me to many things that I didn’t take into consideration when working with my patients. The depth of information introduced is very helpful and presented more clearly than other courses I have taken in the past. I have studied a lot of the concepts that are introduced through the program in the past but struggled to put everything together. This certification did just that for me. It has helped me to link things together and look “outside the box” more than I had in the past.

I am a chiropractor with an extensive functional/biomechanics background and this has added another level of depth to my practice assessment and treatment. I am excited to incorporate the knowledge I have gained through this certification into my practice to give my patients an even better experience!”

Is it time to up your knowledge base and separate yourself from other clinicians, coaches, trainers, therapists and retailers?

Want to know more? Email us at : thegaitguys@gmail.com

Congrats to Coach Cameron! Our 1st Certification in Germany!

Here is what this coach has to say about the IFGEC Certification program:

“I found the National Shoe Fit Program very informative. So much information was presented in a short amount of time, and I have learned a huge amount. Without being able to stop to write and go back to check I had the information clear in my head I would have only taken away a very small amount of the detail required to start to get my head around this subject.

I am a coach, personal trainer and an athlete and will be using this within my coaching here in Germany. After buying so many shoes and seeing Doctors in the past about problems had with running I am amazed that not one person had gone into the detail and really looked at my feet in the way they should have been. I now believe I have been given a short cut to all the basic information and now have a solid platform on with to build more biomechanical information.

Thank you for the course.

Regards Cameron Lamont”

Want to know more? Contact us at: thegaitguys@gmail.com

Another IFGEC Certification granted:

Here’s what Mark Small has to say

“The National Shoe Fit Program is beneficial to many fields/disciplines including, but not limited to, coaches, personal trainers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, podiatrists, and chiropractors (I would say MD’s, but it doesn’t come in a pill), as well as those who sell shoes.  The program offers tools to help us understand individual differences and their effects on gait and performance.  Some of the material includes:
    •    Foot anatomy
    •    Anatomical Landmarks
    •    Foot types
    •    Pathologies
    •    Basic biomechanics
    •    Shoe fit functional testing
    ⁃    Static and dynamic tests to assist fitting
    •    Finally shoe selection
    ⁃    Picking the best shoe for your client/athlete/patient

Some of these topics may be a good review for some of the advanced disciplines listed above. What the program is able to do, even for them, is to link everything together in a methodical, step by step, detailed approach, that applies what we have learned into something predictable and usable. We are often looking for ways to increase performance, decrease pain and get people to move better.  I, for one, believe that much of bad movement, pain and dysfunction have to do with inappropriate footwear, this course is a starting place to help correct that problem.  I am looking forward to Level 2 & 3 certification programs, but more importantly, I am looking forward to applying what I am learning with the people I serve.  I’m not a Gait Guy… more like a gleam in the gait daddy’s eye, but I’m working on it.”

Congratulations, Mark!

The Gait Guys

Another IFGEC Certification Granted

“With more than 2 decades in the fitness industry, and a MS in Exercise Physiology, I’ve learned that there is so little that I really know.  I am constantly looking to improve what I can do to help the triathletes and runners that I see.   As an endurance coach and clinician that focuses on preventing injuries, optimizing performance, and avoiding reoccurring injuries, the IFGEC Shoe Fit Certification is going to be a keystone (much like the Navicular Bone) to my screening process of athletes and clients.  Making sure they are fitted properly in shoes, working with their movement patterns, teaching them running form skills, and then building on all aspects from there.  What I have learned from "The Gait Guys” has already made an impact on what I do, but it’s at a whole new level now.  This is not just a “online course”  this is real education that stays with you for life.  This is a true Ground Up approach to helping and is something that every running shoe store, coach, and medical professional that deals with runners and triathletes needs to learn.“

Ryan Smith, MS is owner of the Personal Impact, LLC and The Runners’ Clinic in the Cincinnati, Ohio area.  He is a USATF Level 1 Coach, Newton Natural Running Form Coach, & ACSM-CPT that works with runners and triathletes helping to prevent and recover from injuries that athletes deal with.  More information on Ryan Smith, visit his site at.  http://ryansmithfitness.com

Want to get certified or learn more? Email us at thegaitguy@gmail.com

More to say about the National Shoe Fit Certification Program…

“I found the course to be the perfect blend between science and retail practices, making it an essential tool for any specialty running store. Immediately after finishing the video I was able to recognize specific issues in my customer’s feet and their reaction to my knowledge couldn’t have been more positive. As a result of becoming certified I will have happier and healthier customers and will know when to refer particular foot and gait issues to my partner doctors and physical therapists. The video will be a resource long after becoming certified.”

Ben Nelson is the manager of Goldstream Running, the farthest north run specialty shop in North America (and maybe the world!), located in the Goldstream Valley outside of Fairbanks, Alaska. He also coaches high school cross country and track and field.

Want to know more about getting certified? drop us an email: thegaitguys@gmail.com

Shoesday Tuesday:

Shoe News You Can Use: The Shank

Look at the “skeleton” in the photo on the left. Now look at the black material above the white area of the midsole (above the outsole) on the right. This is the “shank” of the shoe. The shank is the stiff area of the shoe between the heel to the transverse tarsal joint. It should correspond to the medial longitudinal arch of the foot. It is designed (along with the midsole material: see post here), to provide additional torsional rigidity to the shoe and helps to limit the amount of pronation and motion at the subtalar and mid tarsal joints. It also acts as a “plate” between the outsole and ininsole to provide protection to the foot from rocks, sticks, broken glass, shrapnel and small animals : ).

Not all shoes have a shank, so it may not always be present. We usually dissect shoes sent to us so we can see what they are all about if the manufacturer or rep is unable to provide us with an “exploded” or sectioned model. Look for our take on the new SKORA soon, complete with a dissected version!

The Gait Guys. Making sure you know what you need to so you can make more educated decisions

all material copyright 2012 The Homunculus Group/ The Gait Guys. Please ask to use our stuff. If you don’t, you have to deal with Lee. You don’t want to deal with Lee….

Shoe News you can use….

The Midsole

Last time we talked about the outsole (see here and here if you missed it or need a review). Today we will focus on the midsole.

The Midsole, sandwiched between the outsole and the upper, provides torsional rigidity to a shoe. They can be single (uni) density (left picture) or multiple (middle picture).

Midsole material is very important, as it will accommodate to the load imposed on it from the person as well as any gear they may be carrying. It serves as the intermediary and transducer for load transfer between the ground and the person.  Softer density material in the heel of the shoe, like in the blue lateral side of the shoe in the bottom picture, softens the forces acting at heel strike and is good for impact and shock absorption.

Because the midsole tranduces forces and provides torsional rigidity (picture on right). The stiffer the material, the more motion control it provides.  Midsoles like the one in the center are made with materials of differing densities (white is softer, light grey more dense, dark gray, most dense) to absorb force and decrease the velocity of pronation during heel strike and mid stance, with a firmer material medially that protects against overpronation as you come through mid stance and go through toe off.

Wow. Shoe anatomy for the day. Knew this? Great! Lost? Want to know more? Download our Shoe Fit Certification program by clicking here. You can also email us for more information about becoming IFGEC certified in shoe fit: thegaitguys@gmail.com

Ivo and Shawn. Bald. Handsome. Knowledgeable. The Gait Guys!

Certification. See what your peers are saying….

“The shoe fit certification program is a must for anyone who wants to take their knowledge base of shoes, foot types and how they interact to the next level. The program is detailed, thorough, and the test will make sure you know this cutting edge material. 

If you are a doctor or therapist that treats foot or other lower extremities disorders, this information will help ensure the patients you treat are in the right shoe to assist them in their healing process and help prevent future problems.  If you are a shoe retailer, it will give you the confidence you are putting the right shoes on your customer’s feet to minimize complaints and unwanted returns.  The retail practice of simply looking at a customer’s feet while standing, asking them their shoe size, and pulling a shoe off the shelf has gone by the wayside in light of this new information.

If your profession involves shoes or feet, the information contained in this program is priceless!”

   

Ryan D. Hamm, D.C.

Corrective Chiropractic Center

612 E. Golf Road

Arlington Heights, IL 60005

847.718.0071

www.correctivechiropracticcenter.com

Specializing in the Conservative Treatment of Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Spine and Extremities

Foot Types and Shoe Selection, anyone?

Join Dr Allen in this excerpt from the National Shoe Fit Certification Program. Need to know more about foot types? Consider taking the program. Want to take it a step further? Get Certified!

email us at: thegaitguys@gmail.com for more details.

Yet another IFGEC certification

Here is what Diana Keh has to say

“The Gait Guys have really helped me learn more about foot anatomy and biomechanics and how they relate to fitting customers properly for shoes.  I had followed their blog posts in the past but it was the course that helped solidify those concepts and put them into practice.”

Check her out at:  www.fitgeeksports.com

 

(408) 418-5888

The Gait Guys. Bringing the world of gait geeks together, one shop at a time.

Join Dr Ivo as he talks about pronation and supination. This is excerpted from the National Shoe Fit Certification Program.

want to know more? email us at thegaitguys@gmail.com

Another IFGEC Certification Granted!

“My name is Eric Johnson.  I’m a runner and triathlete, and manage a running store called Ultramax Sports in Springfield, MO.  I am a self-confessed exercise physiology nerd but don’t have an advanced degree in exercise science.  As a result, I’m always reading and trying to learn more.  My fascination with running, shoes, and injuries also stems from an extended bout of lower leg problems stemming from attempting to run through an injury in the early 2000’s.  I came across the Gait Guys’ tumblr blog one day and was instantly fascinated by the detailed descriptions of human gait abnormalities they wrote about but also how easy it was to apply to myself and my customers.

At our store, we pride ourselves on doing very thorough fittings, including detailed athlete history, foot and leg observations, video gait analysis, and trying on lots of shoes with close customer care.  We’ve been doing this fitting process since we opened in the late 2000’s and have built a very solid following based upon customer care and attention to detail.  We try to avoid the fads and base our process on scientifically valid methods.  Through my explorations over the past couple of years, it became apparent that some of the things we were doing were right and some were wrong. 

I had the opportunity to watch Shawn and Ivo speak at the 2011 IRRA conference and was very excited when they announced the upcoming release of a shoe fitting certification.  It took a bit longer than expected, but it was well worth it.  The three Level I videos were very clear and easy to understand, and it was an easy shift to apply the concepts to our fitting process.  I took and passed the Level I exam today in fact, and am working on the first wave of changes our store will be implementing on our shoe fitting process.  My understanding of the anatomy and physiology of human gait is incredibly better now.  In fact, I was able to apply concepts from the videos to a customer the other day whom I would not have served as completely without that knowledge.  She had been fit at our store in the past, but commented that our level of knowledge really seemed to grow in the interim.  She loved learning about why her feet her and why certain shoes felt better.  She was also very grateful to learn exercises to help her particular condition.

This certification has the potential to greatly impact the running industry in a very positive way.  I wholeheartedly recommend all of you run specialty managers/owners/staff who want to provide a more complete and accurate experience for your customers to pursue this certification.  Customers will be more impressed with your level of knowledge and your returns will reduce.”

Gait Guys. Certified! Get the edge!

Another IFGEC Certified! Eric is our 1st non retail individual to pass the exam!

Some comments on the course an exam from Eric:

“ I was impressed by the depth of the material and your abilities to keep a highly complex subject like foot/ankle mechanics and shoe fit to only 3 hours. I have been to a full weekend course on the foot/ankle and didn’t leave with as much practical knowledge!  As for the exam, I noticed that some questions had a couple of layers to them that really ensured that the material presented needed to be understood by the participant.  I haven’t taken a test before where I received immediate feedback on whether I was right or wrong.  At times, I got a little too excited at knowing I was wrong, but for the most part that may help people take extra time to think their answers through. 

As for studying, everyone is different.  I watched the video three times, took detailed notes and studied them.  Also, I’ve been an avid follower of the blog, facebook page and now podcast since I saw Dr. Allen present for the NSCA earlier this year at Chicago State University.

I am the manager for an outpatient orthopedic facility in Flossmoor, IL (southern suburb of Chicago).  The overwhelming majority of referrals are worker comp physical therapy and work conditioning patients.  I primarily took the course to answer my and my patient’s questions on proper shoe choice and since I’m not a runner, I really didn’t put much thought into shoes beyond "whatever feels comfortable."  I have much more confidence on what recommendations need to be made following this course.”

The Gait Guys. Stepping toward foot, gait and shoe competency, one individual at a time

Get Certified!

Our 2nd Nationally Certified Individual! Congratulations to Marianne Fitzgerald, LMT.   Marianne is the coordinator of “ all things shoes and sox” @ Summit Chiropractic  Rehabilitation, PC in Dillon, Colorado ( Dr Ivo’s office).

“The course was super informative and well structured.  It was great to be able to watch the videos online at my own pace and on my schedule.  I learn by repetition so I was able to watch each one a couple of times. .  The exam was challenging but no trick questions.  I wish I had taken better notes because I know that all the information on the test was in the video.  Now when I’m working with someone to try on shoes and hopefully buy them, I feel more confident and actually sound like I know what I’m talking about.”

The Gait Guys: spreading gait, foot and shoe competency, one pair at a time…