Meet Podiatrist, Dr. Sahra Sellers

We recently met a local podiatrist, Dr. Sahra Sellers and she was generous enough to sit down with me to chat about feet and clogs. Dr. Sellers recomends our clogs as a healthy shoe option to her patients. So, of course, I had to know more! Dr. Sellers wears our clogs to clinic most days, and she's shared her clog-collection with us and why she loves them so much. 

Sahra at her clinic wearing the Daphne in whiskey

Isobel: Thank you so much for taking some time to answer some of our most-asked foot and clog questions. I’m excited to learn more about why clogs are so good for feet. 

I think the biggest question people have about clogs- especially if they have never worn them before- is how rigid shoes made of wood could possibly be good for your feet. Can you explain how and why rigid shoes are good for us?

Dr. Sahra Sellers: As I am sure you will see, I am always excited to talk about foot health and shoes! Especially when the shoes are able to manage the trifecta of keeping our feet healthy, allowing us to perform normal daily activities and looking good! 

Of course, there is not one perfect shoe for every foot. Generally speaking people tend to have more flexible foot joints resulting in flattening or instability of the natural arch. When the arch gets strained the small muscles along the bottom of the foot have to work extra hard to stabilize the joints and propel you through a step. This results in sore, achy, fatigued feet by the end of the day. A shoe with a solid and rigid bottom reduces the amount of instability of the arch, allowing the muscles and tendons to work as they were designed rather than get overused. Although we generally correlate soft things with comfort, when it comes to shoes they do nothing to control any excessive foot range of motion and will end up resulting in more foot pain over time. 

Sahra at her clinic wearing the Daphne in whiskey

Isobel: We pride ourselves in engineering a really comfortable base because we know that’s where it all starts! What have you noticed about our clogs in particular that are things you would recommend to your patients?

Dr. Sahra Sellers: I have been a big fan of clogs for decades. They are versatile and good for so many different foot types and ailments. My two clog-cautions had been the weight and the fit of the shoes. Clogs are generally very heavy. They require a slow break in process for the wearer to gain the strength needed to wear them all day. The fit is also critical. Clogs were designed as a loose fitting shoe that you slip into. This can be okay if you are mostly standing in them. If your daily activities require more movement the shoe needs to fit snug enough that your foot doesn’t slide around inside the shoe.

BRYR clogs address both of these concerns. They are lightweight and very easy to adjust to, even for a clog novice. There is also a style of BRYR clog that works for most people’s daily needs, standing vs. walking vs. sitting. The materials used as the upper also make a big difference. No two feet are the exact same shape. A good upper material will stretch slightly to conform to the wearer's unique alignment. If it stretches too much the foot will shift and move inside the shoe creating blisters and sores. It is difficult to strike the perfect balance and BRYR does this incredibly well.

Isobel: I was thrilled when I learned that you wear our clogs and that you wear them to work! What do you personally love about your BRYR clogs? 

Dr. Sahra Sellers: I am obsessed with my BRYR clogs. I have four pairs that just live at the office and I wear them basically everyday. My job involves a lot of standing and short spurts of walking. The Worker and Lila are perfect for that. They are so versatile and match with whatever I am wearing. 

My first pair of BRYR clogs was actually the Miranda peep toe high heel. I needed a shoe I could dress up but still wear comfortably all day. Because of the wide and comfortable toe box and structured ankle strap, I can actually walk in these for hours without any foot pain. As a podiatrist I know people are always curious about what shoes I am wearing. I like to lead by example by wearing quality shoes that are well made and good for foot health. 

Isobel: I turned 50 this year, and I’ve been talking a little with our community about Menopause, and the correlation between our changing foot health and menopause. What are some of the things that we should look out for as we go through this change?

Dr. Sahra Sellers: This is a great topic for discussion! As a podiatrist, I won’t pretend I’m on the cutting edge of menopause research. The medical community in general is still learning so much about how our bodies are affected by hormonal shifts and changes. Menopause, like pregnancy, lactation and puberty, causes transient hypermobility, increased inflammation and altered collagen production making it difficult to recover from the micro injuries of everyday weight bearing. One consensus is the importance of exercise to help manage the symptoms of hormonal shifts. If your feet hurt from your regular daily life, how can we really expect you to exercise at the end of the day? In my practice, I encourage my patients’ to try to incorporate exercise throughout the day, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, setting an alarm to get up from your desk every hour, walking for 30 minutes at lunch, etc. This is much easier to do if your daily shoes can be worn during these activities. Any barrier to movement, including changing foot gear, limits consistency.

Isobel: Is there anything else you want to share with us about foot health? 

Dr. Sahra Sellers: Pain is NOT normal! We get so used to being uncomfortable it can be hard to remember what healthy feet feel like. You should be able to stand, walk and move around all day without feeling fatigued or sore by the end of the day. 

Here are Dr. Sellers' Sahra's personal Clogs and why she loves them.

	Daphne in whiskey "I love the strap on the back of this clog. This holds your foot a bit more stable inside the shoe. A great choice if you tend to have tight calves! "- Dr. Sahra Sellers Shop Daphne here
	Worker clogs  "My everyday go-to clog for work. My co-workers can always hear me coming and I love that."- Dr. Sahra Sellers Shop Worker here
	Lila in cocoa "I love that this clog can dress up or down. This is one of my go to shoes to wear at work. It is so easy to slip on and I can wear it all day without having achy or fatigued arches at the end of the day. Great if you have fallen arches or flat feet." - Dr. Sahra Sellers Shop Lila here
	Miranda High Heel "My first pair of BRYR clogs was actually the Miranda peep toe high heel. I needed a shoe I could dress up but still wear comfortably all day. Because of the wide and comfortable toe box and structured ankle strap, I can actually walk in these for hours without any foot pain."- Dr. Sahra Sellers  Shop Miranda here