Naot sandals are among the "new" trendy healthy shoe companies - shoe manufacturers that bill their shoes as comfortable and good for your feet. This group boasts some very well known names in addition to Naot - Ugg boots and Earth shoes among them. Like the others, Naot shoes boast that their sandals are uniquely designed to make your feet feel good with a number of technical innovations.
Naot shoes are made by YALEET, Inc., a company that claims to be guided by two basic principles - "we offer solutions, and we promise trust", says their web site. They began making shoes as a response to a need for healthful, comfortable footwear that was also fashionable. The company is committed to cultivating a base of clients that are satisfied with sterling customer service and high quality shoes that are beyond compare. YALEET prides itself on being a place where employees are family, with members who are free to suggest innovation while experimenting with new ideas. Many of those new ideas work their way into the company's shoe designs and other products.
The key difference between Naot sandals and most other 'healthy' shoes is in the removable footbed. The inside of the shoe is designed to cradle the foot in comfort and support. It is uniquely designed to replicate the foot just like a foot print in the sand. The footbed is made of all natural materials that absorb perspiration and offer superior resilience and shock absorption.
The NAOT Footbed
Materials:
The footbed is made of all natural, resilient materials that cushion your foot and mold to it. The combination of natural latex and flaked cork gradually adapts to your unique footprint, personalizing the fit while providing superior support and stability. It's covered in soft, breathable suede to help remove perspiration from your feet to keep them cool and comfortable all day long.
Construction:
The Naot footbed is molded using a unique process that retains the resiliency of the natural materials while allowing it to shape itself to fit your foot perfectly. The inner latex layer is combined with flaked cork and surrounded by another layer of natural sponge latex padding that provides a caress of softness while walking. The whole is covered with natural suede and inserted into the shoe. The footbeds are designed to be easily removed for cleaning and airing, and can be replaced when they wear out. They can also be removed and replaced with orthotic or prescription foot pads.
The Shape
The Naot footbed has a number of unique points that allow it to shape itself to your foot.
Hallux support
Your hallux, or big toe, actually plays a major role in your balance and your walking gait. Traditional shoes push your hallux into the other toes, and seldom give it anything to grip against. The Naot footbed incorporates a unique hallux support, a bar that helps keep your big toe in place and gives it something to grip when walking. It's an unusual innovation, but one that makes sense.
Elevated footbed center
The center of the footbed is elevated to offer support and relieve strain in a place that most shoes ignore - that area behind the ball of your foot but before the arch. The gently rounded elevation provides support and massage that keeps your feet feeling pampered even after hours of walking.
Arch support
The arch support is vital to health of your feet. With each step, your weight lands on your heel, and is distributed through your entire foot by the arch, which serves as a sort of shock absorber for your body. The arch support in Naot sandals offers gentle support and structure to keep the foot properly aligned - and by extension, helps your body align itself properly above your feet. The unique material composition of the inner foot bed will shape itself to your foot, accommodating high or low arches so that your feet are always cushioned and supported
Heel indentation
The heel of the shoe is indented deeply to cradle your heel and hold it comfortably in place. The deep indentation is designed to cup your heel while keeping your heel pad in the proper shape to cushion your footsteps and reduce shock on your spine and knee joints.
Molds to your foot
One of the most unique properties of the Naot sandal foot bed is the way that it molds to your foot. As you wear the shoe, the foot bed will gently take on the impression of your foot to become uniquely yours. The footbed is designed to be flexible and move with your foot even as it offers support, however Naot is aware that the outer shoe in any shoe will last longer than the foot bed and insoles. When the shoe does wear out, you do not have to replace the entire shoe, just the foot bed. It is a unique and sensible solution.
Naot Sandals For Women
The story begins in the 70s when a tourist returned from a trip to Germany with a pair of Birkenstocks. The 'ugly shoe' proved to be one of the most comfortable shoes she had ever worn. After selling a few pairs to neighbors, she approached local stores with no success, but eventually convinced Birkenstock to make her their official U.S. distributor. That was over thirty years ago, and the 'ugly shoe' has become the healthy shoe, sparking an entire revolution in the way people view footwear.
Two of the major players in the healthy shoe market are Earth and Naot, makers of shoes that feel good on your feet. While the products of both companies have a lot in common, there are also a few key differences that make Earth sandals and Naot sandals distinctive and unique from each other. Those differences do not make one shoe a 'better' sandal than the other. "Better" is an individual decision that has a lot to do with the shape and needs of your own feet. The following is a rundown of the differences between Earth sandals and Naot sandals to help you decide which is better for your feet.
The Sole of the Shoe
What makes both Naot and Earth sandals unique is the construction of the sole. Both companies follow principles of design that are meant to stabilize the heel and ankle, maximize support of the foot and help your feet move the way that nature intended. The similarities are marked:
Extra width to give your feet the room they need to move naturally
Flexible, cushioned core materials which provides shock absorption while molding to the shape of your foot.
Wide toe beds allow the toes to grip naturally when walking.
Molded insoles to help stabilize and position the foot properly
Heel support to provide greater stability and allow natural movement
While those qualities make Earth and Naot sandals seem very similar, there are distinct differences in the way that they are executed and realized.
Naot sandals...
focus on the foot bed, building it from the inside out for comfort and stability
use a blend of natural latex and flakes of cork to build a footbed that is designed to absorb moisture and adapt to the shape of your foot as you wear them
are covered in high quality suede to pamper your feet and absorb moisture
include a layer of natural latex sponge to cushion your feet and absorb shocks when walking
hallux support provides stability for the front of your foot, preventing the big toe from slipping forward and helping your toes grip naturally with each step
are molded with an elevated central footbed to provide support and ease strain on the joints of the foot
support arches with a molded arch support that conforms to the unique shape of your foot
offer exceptional heel stability by indenting the heel bed to help hold the heel and ankles in the right position
feature replaceable heel beds so that you can keep your favorite shoes longer
Earth sandals...
incorporate Kalso Negative-heel technology to position the heel lower than the toes to position the body in a more 'empowering' stance
feature a gel insole made of Gelron 2000, a memory gel that shapes to your foot and retains the shape naturally, cushioning your foot in comfort
encourage a more natural posture that helps tone and firm calves and other muscles, translating to whole-body benefits
were designed by a Danish yoga instructor to encourage correct posture and movement
claim to increase the calories that your body burns in walking and doing every day things because the muscles are stretched further when wearing Earth sandals
are built to incline the foot so that the heels are 3.7 degrees lower than the toes
have just a few styles with footbeds designed to incline the heel. Most have the feature built into the sole
The Earth Company touts its sandals for their healthy difference, claiming that the slight change in positioning encourages the body to be more 'empowered'. The degree of the incline is derived from a Yoga exercise that positions most of the weight of the body on the heels, which are meant to support that weight.
Naot, on the other hand, claims that the unique design of their footbed puts the foot into a more natural position, allows the toes to grip properly without slipping inside the shoe and relieves stress and tension on the joints. The more natural position encourages better posture, placing less strain on your joints, and the natural cushioning provides shock absorption to reduce damage caused by impact stress.
Stephanie Larkin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Kitchen Home Improvement, Marketing and Bahamas Vacation. About Author:Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics concerning fashion and shopping often highlighting specific brands such as
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