Hamilton Brock	- Download MP3-

Women no longer have to sacrifice comfort for style when it comes to footwear.

“We get customers every week who say they’re now paying the price for wearing high heels for years,” said Hamilton Brock, co-founder of Zumfoot, a shoe store on Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd. “But they’re also wanting shoes that are cute.”

Fortunately, shoe manufacturers are designing stylish shoes that offer comfort and even health benefits.

“Masai Barefoot Technology (MBI) makes a shoe that totally contradicts what you think a shoe should do,” said Mr. Brock, 39. “Its platform is a ‘rocker’ base that’s unstable.

“The shoe makes your body do more work than a typical shoe. The shoe forces you to have good posture by working secondary muscles.”

The shoe is ideal for anyone with feet, knee or back issues, he said.

Zumfoot customer Diane Richardson, an avid fan of the shoe, said the shoe aligns one’s posture.

A 30-year-old foot injury caused Ms. Richardson’s right foot to roll. After wearing the shoes for only three days, the injury was corrected.

“The feet actually control everything else in the body,” said Ms. Richardson, 64, a massage therapist. “The feet is where balance starts. Look at any structure, and if the base is off, then everything else is off, too.”

Leslie Smith, a colleague of Ms. Richardson’s, agrees that comfortable shoes are vital. Ms. Smith, 64, said wearing comfortable shoes has been a priority of hers for decades.

“I wear Clarks sandals because they fit my feet and don’t cramp my toes,” she said, noting that she often wears the shoes with socks during winter months.