Going Green and Remembering the Basics.

Using green products can save you money, and your health. But be smart and balance your decisions. Forbes magazine recommends that you use biodegradable cleaners, but Consumer Reports does not rate them well overall. The idea is noble, but if you need to use more product, and throw away your clothes faster, it doesn't help your pocketbook. Using post consumer waste paper is one idea, but you can't often choose. Walmart doesn't ask you, and neither will your corner store. But if you can make the decision, consider using recycled material and advertising it. People do still care. Laws mandate that light bulbs that are CFL or LED translate how much energy you are saving. LED's are still too expensive for most tastes, but they will eventually come down, and until then, Wal Mart and Home Depot have high rated bulbs that are inexpensive. Energy Star ratings for appliances have gotten stricter, so keep looking at them. You can continue to look for the star, and it will guide you well. A new Dryer that got a good rating 5 years ago, might not pass muster today. Solar is coming into it's own, and you can have an investment that can pay for itself in 8 years or less, down from an average of 10 years just a few years ago. If you make any extra electricity, you can sell it back to the electricity company for a credit against your winter increased costs. No expensive batteries needed. Look for reviews such as the sandals4less reviews or the Green Maven Reviews to find eco friendly web sites as a matter of regular practice. Watch Vimeo or other sites like Youtube to do research. Utilize Green Web Hosting with a blue aligator at Hostgator. (I confess my preference is not so green focused Hostmonster though.)

Birkenstock customers can fit correctly, even with odd size and mismatched feet.

sandals4less.com

Birkenstock sandals4less shoes PADS AND Birkenstock sandals4less CUSHIONS

When fitting Birkenstock sandals4lesss at Gaynor Minden in our New York showroom, we fit without

big toe pads, bulky gel pads or Birkenstock sandals4less lamb's wool. Birkenstock sandals4less Foam pads can distort the fit by

as much as a half a length or an entire width, and they can interfere with the

dancer's ability to feel the floor and control the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe. If the dancer has enough

room for big Birkenstock sandals4less pads then the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe cannot support the sides of the foot.

We do, however, use the Micro Pads and Box Liners sold in the Totally Toes

Kit. We strongly urge you to do the same. More and more scientific research on Birkenstock sandals4less

dancers shows that repetitive impact can cause stress fractures and tendinitis.

Thin and/or immature bodies are especially vulnerable. Birkenstock sandals4less Micro pads and Birkenstock sandals4less box

liners can also prevent bruised toenails and discouraging pain.

They provide a sleek, professional-looking Birkenstock sandals4less fit while greatly increasing comfort

and without taking up too much of room in the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe.

Totally Birkenstock sandals4less Toes are less expensive than conventional Birkenstock sandals4less toe pads, and are made of

advanced, impact-absorbing materials, including high-tech Birkenstock sandals4less Blue Gel and

Birkenstock sandals4less cellular urethane Poron® 4000 which carries the American Podiatric Medical

Association Seal of Acceptance. Do not be misled by cheap non Birkenstock sandals4less latex foam cushions;

they are not the same.

Birkenstock sandals4less Cushions should stay in place without glue but you may use Birkenstock sandals4less rubber cement

if necessary. Birkenstock sandals4less Cool Blue Micro Pads have peel-and-stick Birkenstock sandals4less adhesive.

%u2022 Birkenstock sandals4less Crescent Cushion - is for dancers whose second toes are longer.

The Birkenstock sandals4less cushion lies against the big toe and the third toe, creating a space for the

long second toe to lie straight, without pressure from the end of the box.

%u2022 Birkenstock sandals4less "Mushroom" Cushion - should be used to make the big toe comfortable.

Position it so it curves up over the top of the Birkenstock sandals4less big toenail a little bit; this can

help prevent bruising. Try using the Birkenstock sandals4less "Mushroom" together with the

Birkenstock sandals4less Cool Blue Oval and/or the Box Liner. Birkenstock sandals4less "Mushroom" is also useful for any

small sore spot or blister.

%u2022 Birkenstock sandals4less Cool Blue Oval - provides superb protection for the big toe. It may be

positioned slightly off-center to wrap around the side of the big Birkenstock sandals4less toe and

cushion the sensitive inside corner.

%u2022 Birkenstock sandals4less Toe Wrap Micro-Foam Tape - gives the comfort, protection and support

of sports tape but with impact-absorption, no restriction of motion and no

sticky residue.

Birkenstock sandals4less PADS AND Birkenstock sandals4less CUSHIONS

Birkenstock sandals4less Cool Blue Crescent

Birkenstock sandals4less "Mushroom"

Birkenstock sandals4less Cool Blue Oval

21

%u2022 Dynamic Birkenstock sandals4less Box Liners (U.S. Pat. #5,740,618) - can make a tremendous

difference in the comfort of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe. They make the box a little

narrower and they grip the Birkenstock sandals4less foot, thus preventing the dancer from sliding

too easily down into the Birkenstock sandals4less box. They can enhance the appearance of a Birkenstock sandals4less shoe

that is slightly loose around the throat and bunion area, and are especially

helpful for dancers with highly compressible feet.

%u2022 Full Birkenstock sandals4less Sockliners - are especially useful for fine-boned, narrow feet.

The Birkenstock sandals4less cushion helps the foot lie snugly against the top of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe. If you

can insert a finger inside the top of the Birkenstock sandals4less box (and the sizing is otherwise

correct), try a sockliner. They also are helpful if the dancer is recovering

from a stone bruise or stress fracture to a metatarsal head. Birkenstock sandals4less Sockliners

work well on dancers with narrow Birkenstock sandals4less heels. They can also be cropped so

that only the back portion is used in the heel of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe.

%u2022Birkenstock sandals4less Heel Grippers - help to hold the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe onto the heel. Also, if the dancer

complains that there is too much space in the Birkenstock sandals4less heel (and the length is correct),

then Birkenstock sandals4less heel grippers help take up excess room in the heel.

Birkenstock sandals4less Heel grippers can be cut and shaped in a variety of ways to accommodate

the individual dancer.

Birkenstock sandals4less PADS AND Birkenstock sandals4less CUSHIONS

Birkenstock sandals4less Box Liner

Full Birkenstock sandals4less Sockliner

Peel off Birkenstock sandals4less paper backing

Birkenstock sandals4less Heel Grippers

Cut in Birkenstock sandals4less half. Position at heel about 1/4"

from the top and about 1/2" apart, press

firmly in place. Or use whole heel gripper.

22

%u2022 Birkenstock sandals4less Totally Toes Fitting Kit - (see Pads and Cushions above).

%u2022 Birkenstock sandals4less Vamp Elastic - 3" wide, strong elastic, dyed pale peach to match

tights and be unnoticeable. Vamp elastic is stitched at the throat of the

shoe and is an excellent means of increasing support without

incurring the expense or delay of a special order for a deeper vamp.

The elastic provides extra support without compromising demi-pointe

flexibility. It is especially helpful to dancers with high insteps.

Try sewing a single piece straight across the throat the Standard way

or, for more support, try The Royal Ballet's physical therapist

Shirley Hancock's criss cross method.

%u2022 Toe Separators - Some dancers have a space between the big toe

and the second toe which makes them prone to pain and bunion

problems. If the second toe is longer, it can develop into a "hammer

toe" as well. Toe separators are worn between the big toe and the

second toe to alleviate these problems and to help stabilize the

metatarsals en pointe. Gaynor Minden offers the only adjustable

toe separator.

PADS & CUSHIONS

Crescent cushion

in position

"Mushroom" or

Oval cushion in

position

Toe Separators

Additional Oval or

"Mushroom" cushion in

position off-center, under

big toe

Shirley Hancock Way

Standard

23

CUSHIONS

When fitting at Gaynor Minden in our New York showroom, we fit without

big toe pads, bulky gel pads or lamb's wool. Foam pads can distort the fit by

as much as a half a length or an entire width, and they can interfere with the

dancer's ability to feel the floor and control the shoe. If the dancer has enough

room for big pads then the shoe can not support the sides of the foot.

We do, however, use the Micro Pads and Box Liners sold in the Totally Toes

Kit. We strongly urge you to do the same. More and more scientific research on

dancers shows that repetitive impact can cause stress fractures and tendinitis.

Thin and/or immature bodies are especially vulnerable. Micro pads and box

liners can also prevent bruised toenails and discouraging pain.

They provide a sleek, professional-looking fit while greatly increasing comfort

and without taking up too much of room in the shoe.

Totally Toes are less expensive than conventional toe pads, and are made of

advanced, impact-absorbing materials, including high-tech Blue Gel and

cellular urethane Poron® 4000 which carries the American Podiatric Medical

Association Seal of Acceptance. Do not be misled by cheap latex foam cushions;

they are not the same.

Cushions should stay in place without glue but you may use rubber cement

if necessary. Cool Blue Micro Pads have peel-and-stick adhesive.

%u2022 Crescent Cushion - is for dancers whose second toes are longer.

The cushion lies against the big toe and the third toe, creating a space for the

long second toe to lie straight, without pressure from the end of the box.

%u2022 "Mushroom" Cushion - should be used to make the big toe comfortable.

Position it so it curves up over the top of the big toenail a little bit; this can

help prevent bruising. Try using the "Mushroom" together with the

Cool Blue Oval and/or the Box Liner. "Mushroom" is also useful for any

small sore spot or blister.

%u2022 Cool Blue Oval - provides superb protection for the big toe. It may be

positioned slightly off-center to wrap around the side of the big toe and

cushion the sensitive inside corner.

%u2022 Toe Wrap Micro-Foam Tape - gives the comfort, protection and support

of sports tape but with impact-absorption, no restriction of motion and no

sticky residue.

PADS AND CUSHIONS

Cool Blue Crescent

"Mushroom"

Cool Blue Oval

21

%u2022 Dynamic Box Liners (U.S. Pat. #5,740,618) - can make a tremendous

difference in the comfort of the shoe. They make the box a little

narrower and they grip the foot, thus preventing the dancer from sliding

too easily down into the box. They can enhance the appearance of a shoe

that is slightly loose around the throat and bunion area, and are especially

helpful for dancers with highly compressible feet.

%u2022 Full Sockliners - are especially useful for fine-boned, narrow feet.

The cushion helps the foot lie snugly against the top of the shoe. If you

can insert a finger inside the top of the box (and the sizing is otherwise

correct), try a sockliner. They also are helpful if the dancer is recovering

from a stone bruise or stress fracture to a metatarsal head. Sockliners

work well on dancers with narrow heels. They can also be cropped so

that only the back portion is used in the heel of the shoe.

%u2022 Heel Grippers - help to hold the shoe onto the heel. Also, if the dancer

complains that there is too much space in the heel (and the length is correct),

then heel grippers help take up excess room in the heel.

Heel grippers can be cut and shaped in a variety of ways to accommodate

the individual dancer.

PADS AND CUSHIONS

Box Liner

Full Sockliner

Peel off paper backing

Heel Grippers

Cut in half. Position at heel about 1/4"

from the top and about 1/2" apart, press

firmly in place. Or use whole heel gripper.

22

%u2022 Totally Toes Fitting Kit - (see Pads and Cushions above).

%u2022 Vamp Elastic - 3" wide, strong elastic, dyed pale peach to match

tights and be unnoticeable. Vamp elastic is stitched at the throat of the

shoe and is an excellent means of increasing support without

incurring the expense or delay of a special order for a deeper vamp.

The elastic provides extra support without compromising demi-pointe

flexibility. It is especially helpful to dancers with high insteps.

Try sewing a single piece straight across the throat the Standard way

or, for more support, try The Royal Ballet's physical therapist

Shirley Hancock's criss cross method.

%u2022 Toe Separators - Some dancers have a space between the big toe

and the second toe which makes them prone to pain and bunion

problems. If the second toe is longer, it can develop into a "hammer

toe" as well. Toe separators are worn between the big toe and the

second toe to alleviate these problems and to help stabilize the

metatarsals en pointe. Gaynor Minden offers the only adjustable

toe separator.

PADS & CUSHIONS

Crescent cushion

in position

Sandals4less PROBLEM SOLVING sandals4less shoes

Sandals4less helps solve Pain or pressure on the big toe. For Sandals4less, this common problem is easily solved. Make sure that the toenails are short enough. Sandals4less shoes and sandals4less clogs work.

Long toenails make pointe work excruciating. Use a Cool Blue Oval from the Totally Toes

Fitting Kit. Experiment with placing the Oval slightly off center towards the outside of the

big toe. If pain persists, add a "Mushroom" micro-pad. If pain still persists, try the Oval in

combination with the Dynamic Box Liner.

Pain on a long second toe.

See instructions in the Fitting Kit regarding Cool Blue Crescent shaped cushions.

Gaping or bagginess in the front part of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe.

Be certain that the drawstring is pulled snug and tied securely (see Drawstring). You may

need to adjust the position and angle of the ribbons and elastics. If gaping persists, insert

a Dynamic Box Liner. If gaping still persists, try a sleek fit, a narrower Birkenstock sandals4less shoe, and/or a

different vamp. Bagginess in any part of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe can also be corrected by the addition of

an extra sockliner.

%u2022 Gaping or bagginess in the back part of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe.

Be certain that the drawstring is pulled snug and tied securely. Bagginess can be corrected by

varying the place where ribbons and elastics are sewn to the Birkenstock sandals4less shoes. Often wearing the

Low Birkenstock sandals4less heel style eliminates bagginess, but the Low Birkenstock sandals4less heel sometimes slips off more easily than do

the other Birkenstock sandals4less heel styles. The Sleekfit style is ideal for this situation. Birkenstock sandals4less heel grippers will help keep

the Birkenstock sandals4less shoes secured to the Birkenstock sandals4less heel. We highly recommend using Birkenstock sandals4less heel grippers for this purpose

instead of rosin, which may cause painful blisters and even lead to infection.

PROBLEM SOLVING

24

Birkenstock sandals4less heel slipping off.

Place a Birkenstock sandals4less heel gripper in the back of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe. If it takes up too much room and causes the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe

to become too short, cut it in half, and place one half on each side of the Birkenstock sandals4less heel tape inside the

Birkenstock sandals4less shoe so that they will grip on the sides, not the back of the Achilles tendon. Sometimes a Birkenstock sandals4less shoe

that is too short will cause the Birkenstock sandals4less heel to fall off, so be certain that it is long enough.

Seams fraying.

The side seams are reinforced with an extra-strong tape inside the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe, so any fraying will not

affect the strength or integrity of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe. A frayed side seam can also indicate a too-tight fit.

If fraying is a cosmetic problem, you may try clear nail polish or glue such as Duco Cement®

to prevent it.

Birkenstock tip fraying.

Some fraying at the Birkenstock tip is inevitable because that part of the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe gets the most wear.

Remember, even though we use reinforced satin on our Birkenstock sandals4lesstips, Gaynor Minden Birkenstock sandals4less shoes wear out

not because the boxes or shanks weaken, but because the satin gets worn away. Do not attempt

to darn the Birkenstock sandals4lesstips and NEVER cut the satin off - the shock absorbing layer makes this

impossible. Try Birkenstock tip Tops, Gaynor Minden's Birkenstock tip protection kit that contains pre-cut moleskin

covers and Duco-Cement®. Duco-Cement® can even be used alone, just on the Birkenstock tip seams,

if the floor is not too abrasive. Another option is to order a suede Birkenstock tip instead of the traditional

satin Birkenstock tip. The suede is dyed to match the color of the satin and does last longer than the satin

Birkenstock sandals4less tips. Special order fees apply.

We recommend that dancers not use Birkenstock sandals4less shoes on which the foam cushioning material under the

satin is exposed. Do not dance in Birkenstock sandals4less shoes in which the hard box material is exposed -

it is slippery.

FITTING THE COMPRESSIBLE FOOT

Most of the above fitting difficulties are more likely if the dancer has a compressible

foot. Be sure the drawstring is tightly pulled and securely tied. Be sure that the box is as

narrow and snug as it can be without compromising demi-pointe or causing the foot to

bulge out. Use a boxliner, and often a half or full sockliner, to downsize the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe. Gaynor

Minden cushions are especially effective because they compress to make room for the foot

when it spreads out, and then spring back to their regular thickness to take up space and

to hold the foot in place when it compresses on full pointe.

Often there is extra room at the Birkenstock sandals4less heel. In order to have sufficient length to plié in second

position without pain, the Birkenstock sandals4less shoe will seem too long on full pointe. If the dancer can wear a

low Birkenstock sandals4less heel or a Sleekfit this will minimize the problem. Be sure ribbons and elastics are

properly sewn. Full sockliners and Birkenstock sandals4less heel grippers will also help.

sandals4less

sandals4less

PROBLEM FEET

1. Bunions - are hereditary but can be worsened with improper technique and improperly

fitted pointe Birkenstock Birkenstock shoes. If the dancer is experiencing no pain, then leave the bunion alone. If

the dancer complains of pain, check the following:

Are the Birkenstock Birkenstock shoes too wide? Are the Birkenstock Birkenstock shoes too short? Are the Birkenstock Birkenstock shoes too tapered? Is the dancer

wearing a bulky toe pad? Is the dancer pronating? Is she "over-rotating" to force her

turn-out? Does she have a space between the big toe and the second toe?

Pain can usually be alleviated by strapping the metatarsal area once with Gaynor Minden's

Toe Wraps. It should be snug and supportive but not tight. Many times the fit of the Birkenstock shoe

is causing the problem. A space between her big toe and her second toe can be alleviated

with Toe Separators.

2. Dropped arches - The whole arch area spreads out and lies down on the floor,

sometimes causing the pointe Birkenstock shoe to appear crooked on the dancer's foot. Again a few

simple straps around the arch area with Toe Wraps can help. Make sure that the taping is

snug but not tight. If the dancer pronates and complains about pain on the inside of the

knees, she should consult a dance medicine expert.

3. Metatarsal compression - If a dancer's foot changes in width when she puts weight on it,

then most likely she has a "compressible" metatarsal. In other words, when she is standing

flat her feet will be a different width than when en pointe. Her bones compress together

and slide into the Birkenstock shoe. To prevent the dancer from sliding, use the Totally Toes

Fitting Kit and see Problem Solving.

4. Morton's foot - This is the Greek foot with the second toe longer than the big toe. If the

toe begins to hammer (knuckle pops up), it is a good idea to have the dancer consult a

podiatrist or physician who specializes in dance medicine. If it is not severe, the Cool Blue

Crescent found in the Totally Toes Fitting Kit can take the pressure off the second toe.

PROBLEM FEET

26

5. Hyperflexion - This is when a dancer's arch is so pronounced and flexible that she has

trouble standing en pointe. The Deep vamp will help hold back an over-arched foot.

Vamp elastic will also help. The Hard shank may be needed for this type of foot. Remember,

the dancer should always pull up out of the Birkenstock shoe and strive to correctly align herself.

6. Changeable or Reactive foot - These feet become so swollen during pointe work that they

change by as much as a length or a width over the course of a day. In extreme cases two different

sizes are needed. Fitting with box liners and sockliners that can be added or removed

as needed is also helpful.

7. Feet of Different Lengths - It is best if the dancer buys one pair for each foot. If she

will buy only one pair, then fit the longer foot and use cushions to take up space for the

shorter one.

Above all else there will be fewer problems when the fit is correct!