Fairbanks Woman Makes 350-Mile Journey to Find Pain Relief after Years of Suffering

Z-CoiL® Footwear Quickly Becoming First Choice for Pain Relief

( Anchorage, AK ) – Millions of Americans suffer chronic pain, which can be debilitating and life-altering. According to an April 2005 poll by ABC News, USA Today and the Stanford University Medical Center, a little less half of the adult respondents have experienced pain in the last two weeks, and nearly four in 10 do so on a regular basis. A majority reported knee and back pain to be the most common.

For Fairbanks, Alaska, resident Leona Allridge, chronic pain was part of her daily routine, as she suffered from pain in her feet, back, and legs for many years. Pain was a powerful motivator for Leona, as she tried many remedies during the years, with no success. On a friend’s advice, Leona found an amazing pair of shoes that has made a complete change in her life.

Leona made the 350-mile journey to Anchorage to find Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™, at The Shoe Box, owned and operated by Mary DeZarn.

“I fell in love with the Z-CoiL® shoes as soon as I put them on,” she says. “Instead of experiencing pain within 30 minutes of being on my feet, I was able to walk for hours without any discomfort.”

Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™, unlike any other footwear on the market, is specifically engineered to help alleviate foot, leg, and back pain. According to hundreds of already satisfied customers, Z-CoiL® shoes have helped reduce the pain from plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, arthritis, sciatica, fibromyalgia, chronic lower back pain, just to name a few conditions.

The unique footwear has three special components that combine to provide impact reduction, cushioning, and overall comfort. Z-CoiL® footwear features a conical shaped coil that compresses to reduce the shockwaves traveling through the body with each step. Built in each shoe is a rigid full-length orthotic that runs from the heel to the metatarsal heads, providing overall midfoot support. Superior forefront cushioning also lessens the impact of each step and helps provide comfort.

“These shoes are so comfortable that I absolutely hate to take them off. They are more comfortable than any other shoe, and even more comfortable than going barefoot!,” Leona says. “From now on, only Z-CoiL® shoes for me.”

Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™ is available in Alaska only at The Shoe Box 4240 Old Seward Highway, A-15, in Anchorage. To contact Mary, call 907.336.7463.

Oh, My Aching Feet! - Northwest Woman's Magazine

by Karen Buck, RN

Spike heels were the first to go. Then, even the low sensible heels that old-time schoolteachers wore became too painful. The last attempt was an athletic shoe—plenty long, and as wide as a barge. Maybe this sounds familiar, but your feet continue to hurt. Why? What can be causing all this pain?

Our feet take a real beating. Each day they bear several thousand pounds of pressure as we walk, run, dance, jump, or exercise. This, combined with the wrong shoes or heredity, can produce problems and pain. Here are some of the most common foot problems and some suggestions for help.

Corns A corn is really just an ordinary callus on steroids. Corns form from unrelieved pressure over a bony spot, like at one of the toes’ knuckles. They will gradually go away if the pressure is relieved. Never try to cut them out! Not only is it dangerous, it could lead to a life-threatening infection.

In some cases there is a tiny extra bump of bone on a toe joint. Unless this bump of bone is removed, or you decide to go barefoot for the rest of your life, the corn will never completely go away. (more)

A Step In Time LLC - Contact Information

Lisa Murdock and Rhonda Hagenstein

We are located in the city of Spokane Valley, Washington — near the intersection of Argonne Road and Trent Avenue - next to the Pizza Pipeline.

When you purchase a pair of Z-CoiL® footwear, we make sure you have the proper fit. We take the time to adjust the coils, specifically for your step. Our personal service to you is unmatched in the industry.

A Step In Time
9411 East Trent Ave. (map)
Spokane Valley, WA 99206

Mon. - Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Phone: (509) 891-7776
FAX: (509) 891-8776
Email: astepintimellc@yahoo.com

Testimonial: Susan Rogers

I suffer with a disability known as "dropped foot" (also called "foot drop"). This is a result of a ruptured disc in my lower back, which has since been removed, but has left me with some lasting nerve and muscle damage, the worst of it being "dropped foot" on my left side.

I cannot lift my left foot at all and must concentrate on every single step I take. I walk with a limp and cannot run, jump, skip, or dance. Sometimes I stagger because I cannot support myself with my left foot. And because I also can't lower my body weight on the left foot, my whole left side takes an extra jolt every time I put that foot down when I'm walking.

It is jarring and painful and adversely affects everything from heel to ankle, knee, hip, and lower back. Chronic pain becomes a constant companion, and walking becomes an activity I want to do as little as possible, to avoid the pain. When I do walk, I must focus on each step to try to lessen the pain. I cannot walk along absent-mindedly, like most people do, or I will come down harder on the left side. Even with concentration, I could not avoid the limp and some pain, and after 10 years of this, I had developed a chronic pain in my left hip that kept me awake at night.

I would buy good running shoes, the ones with the most cushioning in the heel that I could find, and wear them until the cushion in the left shoe was mashed down from the pounding it had taken. The shoes would last two months at the most. I also own every gel and cushion insole out there.

Several weeks ago, my husband saw a colleague wearing [Z-CoiL® footwear] and asked her about them. She explained that she was wearing them because of knee and back pain and she said they helped her. He wondered if they would help me.

I contacted a dealer 29 miles away and he called headquarters in Albuquerque to inquire about any other people with drop foot who had been helped. I was encouraged when I learned that one gentleman with drop foot had great results. This encouragement was enough to get me beyond the negative Good Housekeeping review I had seen that was not very scientific or helpful. (more)

Press Release: Good Housekeeping Institute Fudged Facts On Z-CoiL Footwear To Media

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Had Nothing To Do With Evaluating Springy Shoes




April 11, 2005 - In February, the Good Housekeeping Institute published a video report regarding Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™. Their unfavorable story stated the springy soled shoes were unsafe on sticky surfaces and uneven terrain and could cause back strain.

In the report and the 2005 May issue of Good Housekeeping (Page 90), Dr. Stuart Hirsch was accurately presented as an expert in the medical field and Chair of the Council on Communications for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

But when the Good Housekeeping Institute submitted an article about their Z-CoiL report to King Feature Syndicate, a wire service that daily newspapers nationwide subscribe, Dr. Hirsch was omitted from the story:

"But the elevated heel might strain the back and increase arthritis in the knee, said the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons Communications Council." - Salt Lake Tribune - Business (03/16/2005)

An American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) representative tried unsuccessfully to contact the Good Housekeeping Institute to have the 120-year-old women's magazine issue a "media correction." The AAOS has never communicated with the Good Housekeeping Institute about Z-CoiL pain relief footwear or issued any official statement about the product. (NOTE: This paragraph was edited by Teena T. Purdiman, Manager, Public Relations, AAOS)

In March, using information from the Good Housekeeping Institute, WCBS-TV consumer news reporter Kirstin Cole (photo) stated in her story, "Are Z-Coils Z Answer For FootPain?," that Dr. Hirsch was WITH the "American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons."

This is not true.

Dr. Hirsch is a “member” of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Chair of the Council on Communications for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - a volunteer position. (NOTE: After fact checking this press release, Audrey Pass, Director, Communications, WCBS-TV, sent this one line e-mail from her Blackberry handheld wireless device: "Thank you Jack. We stand behind our story." My reply: Are you interested in contacting the AAOS?)

1) Why would the Good Housekeeping Institute embellish the facts to the media?
2) Why won't Good Housekeeping answer questions regarding their story?

Links, background information, unedited reader comments and interviews with medical professionals regarding the Good Housekeeping Institute Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™. controversy are available at the Z-Blog Reporter, a syndicated blog maintained by a multi-Z-CoiL shoe owner (6 pair) that is working towards getting several more styles for friends, family and himself.

NOTE: The Z-Blog Reporter is not associated with Z-CoiL or a Z-CoiL independent dealer. The focus of the daily online journal is on customer stories, customer satisfaction, community and adequate, fair media representation.

Seeing is Believing

Using an i-Step machine, I tested my own feet. I actually was surprised to see just how great these shoes are. Below are the results:

"'The introduction of computerized foot analysis systems in the early 90's brought the science of pressure and gait analysis to an exciting phase. Using this new technology, scientific studies demonstrated that there is a direct cause and effect relationship between unbalanced pressure distribution during the gait cycle and lower extremity pain in areas such as the knee, ankle, or foot.' (View Video)

The red areas are those with the most pressure - the blue areas are those with the least pressure.

For this test I first stood on the machine barefoot, the results show a large amount of pressure on my heel and the outside edge of my foot. I roll my feet to the outside, this is called Over Supination. This is a common problem associated with knee and foot pain.

The popular shoe I tested had only been worn for a month and still look brand new. The popular running shoe did nothing but distribute the pressure around the whole foot no real impact reduction.

Next, I put a gel heel pad in my shoe, this took some pressure off my forefoot but my feet still absorbed most of the pressure.

Finally the Z-CoiLs - really do I even have to say anything? The Z-CoiL Spring actually absorbed most of the impact. And the Z-CoiLs I did this test with are a year and a half old.

This truly shows how great this product is."

Jeremy Brock
Feel Good Footwear!
Bellevue, WA

Press Release: April is Foot Health Awareness Month – Pamper Your Feet With a Z-CoiL® Treat

Uniquely Engineered Footwear Brings Welcome Relief to Sore Feet

( Albuquerque, NM ) — Your feet take tremendous abuse. The impact of walking can deliver a force that is two to three times your body weight, and three to five times your body weight when running! No wonder the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has declared April to be Foot Health Awareness Month, to focus attention on this often-neglected, yet hardest-working part of the body.

“I have been off work for over one year, now going on two because of plantar fasciitis. I have had three different podiatrists as well, numerous orthotics, then I was given a series of shots, from cortisone to steroids and even shots to dissolve nerves in my heels. Nothing worked!” says Jovonne Rodriguez of San Bernardino, CA. By chance she discovered Z-CoiL® Pain Relief Footwear™ and says the shoes have made all the difference.

For millions of people like Jovonne who suffer from foot pain, heel spurs, plantar fasciitis, arthritis, or lower back pain, finding relief from pain may be as simple as finding the right footwear.

“Your Z-CoiL® shoes are a miracle!” Jovonne adds. “Now I actually look forward to going to the mall or to any function just to walk around. I don’t go places and just sit anymore; I’m up and moving or socializing. People don’t realize that they don’t have to go through life with foot pain. I can’t say enough about how your shoes have helped me.” (more)

Testimonial: Bill F. Jones

We were in the Kentucky hills this last August, specifically at the site of the Battle of Camp Wildcat. This is a very rough area, with sheer cliffs, steep hills, lots of trees, practically no roads and only rocky, dirt paths. It has not changed appreciably since 1862. There is one trail that leads through the hollow and up the mountain spine to the top, where the Union forces had dug trenches (which are still there).

Four of us started on the 3½-mile trail. Two dropped out at the one-mile point; the other two, including me, went all the way to the top. This picture of me was taken there, and gives you an idea of the terrain. Unfortunately, there is so much broken ground, leaves, rocks and sticks, that you can't even see the shoes.

But since the most frequent question I get on your shoes is, "Don't they make you unsteady?" it is nice to show you what kind of ground you can cross with these shoes, and they actually are more stable than conventional shoes due to the firm heel support. . . . I enjoy telling people just how versatile and effective these shoes are and being able to prove it with the little story above.

I have been wearing Z-CoiL® [footwear] now for something like two years and find they hold up very well - I haven't even had to replace the heels, which I hear is unusual. Even more, I am finding that when I am not wearing Z-CoiL® [footwear], my back and foot problems are much less severe. While I wouldn't say the Z-CoiL® [shoes] are healing these problems, I do feel that the rest and support they give do help in the healing process.

Bill F. Jones
Orange, CA