Dr. Jordan Cardoza PT

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Dr. Jordan Cardoza PT

Physical therapists Offering physical therapy and sports performance to help you move and feel better.

Making movement easy and freeing you from pain in the Orange County.

04/03/2024

One the most important parts of a shoe, besides the toe box (Previously Posted), is the heel drop. This is the amount of drop from the heel to the forefoot. Most typical running or casual shoes have a considerable drop like the top shoe shown. This has no benefit in my opinion and has 3 major downfalls:
1. It places the foot in constant plantarflexion which can limit ankle dorsiflexion mobility over time.
2. Encourages heel strike and can effect normal gait pattern.
3. A higher heel places more stress on the ankle dorsiflexors eccentrically if you have a heel strike gait pattern.

The shoes shown in the second and third photo are different, but they both are zero drop. The main difference is that the middle shoe has some cushion where the barefoot shoe cushion is very minimal. Zero drop shoes are ideal as it allows your foot to sit in a natural position which allows the rest of your body to maintain good positioning.

Zero drop with cushion:

Barefoot style:

19/02/2024

Toe box shape is one of the most important aspects of a shoe with regards to toe and foot health. This is especially important because a narrow or pointed toe box has no value except that it is what we as a society have become accustomed to. The widest part of your foot should be your toes and when you wear shoes that look like the A category then your foot will take on that shape. A natural foot shape should not look anything close to a triangle.

Which regards to a toe box, you want something that look like the in picture B or if you want alot of room for your toes to splay then something like the in picture C. The two main points to look for in a good shoe are below:
1. You want enough room for your toes to spread out when weight-bearing.
2. The inside edge of the shoe should be relative straight up and down to allow the big toe to remain straight and the lateral edge should stay straight until the end of the pinky when the shoe starts to curve.

Follow these tips when looking for a good toe box for healthy feet and toes.

30/10/2023

What a 3 months it has been. I Successfully compled Direct Commission Course (DCC) and Basic Officer Leader Course (BOLC) in the Army and will now be stationed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the outpatient department. I had a lot of great memories and met a lot of great people along the way.

28/05/2023

The foot is a complex structure composed of many joints, ligaments, muscles, fascia and several arches. They all function together to give your foot balance, strength, mobility and overall functionality. Just like any part of your body, if you don't use those muscles, then they weaken over time.

Shoe companies keep building more "technology" into their shoes which alters the natural running form and foot function. For the average runner or walker who is not focused on peak performance, all of these extra features can cause more issues over periods of long duration; but they don't tell you that when you're buying the shoes. The shoes make it easier to run as it provides rigidity, cushion and arch support you need. With artificial support at the ankle, many injuries in running happen at the next joint up: the knee.

Most people like to argue that shoes have evolved because people now run on hard surfaces. This point would be valid if companies only added a little bit of cushion, but they don't. The typical shoe provides cushion to support the arch, flares on the sides and back to alter movement, and a oversized high heel cushion. The heel cushion places you in a relative position of plantarflexion and alters your natural foot mechanics. Further, the shoe usually has a narrow toe box which contributes to abnormal stress on the toes.

I recommend spending most of your time wearing barefoot style shoes or being barefoot whenever possible. There are alot of barefoot style running shoes, but if you want more cushion I would check out . They make zero drop shoes with a foot shaped toe box. With that said, if your goal is strictly performance based and your options are limited, then wear what you have to and make sure to take practice good foot health practices when not wearing them. This is something I make sure to do after wearing rock climbing shoes.

What do you look for when buying running shoes?

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Our Story

Dr. Jordan Cardoza DPT is physical therapist and strength and conditioning specialist who has always strived for the best. His goal is to optimize your life and eliminate pain by teaching movement, therapeutic exercises, and mobility techniques. Prehab Performance Method is a program that combines the best of multiple mobility techniques to provide the best results that you can get. We provide educational content in multiple forms to help you reach your goals.