Yes, the long-running legal dispute between shoemakers Crocs, Inc. and Kent, Washington-based Australia Unlimited, Inc. is over.

Crocs™ and Australia Unlimited, maker of the NothinZ™ lightweight ergonomic clog, agreed to settle all outstanding litigation between the parties by filing for dismissal of all claims and counterclaims. The agreement was filed August 5 in the U.S. District Court in Colorado. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. (Australia Unlimited markets the lightweight foam shoe NothinZ™ under the Old Friend Footwear® brand.)

Crocs had claimed breach of contract and patent and trade dress infringement, while Australia Unlimited sought damages relating to its NothinZ foam shoe brand. Australia Unlimited’s claims against Crocs included declarations of non-infringement of patent and trade dress, breach of contract and violations of anti-trust laws.

The settlement between the two shoemakers comes four years after Crocs filed complaints against several companies, including Australia Unlimited, contending the companies were infringing on Crocs’ patents for lightweight resin clogs. Kent small businessman Jim Klavano, president of Australia Unlimited, then countersued Crocs.

Klavano said he is satisfied with the recent resolution. From the beginning he’s asserted his company never violated any patents and that he sells a unique product designed for performance and comfort, Klavano said.

“We will continue to market our unique, patented diamond clogs and shock-absorbing footwear worldwide,” he said. “Australia Unlimited’s NothinZ brand offers a distinctive ergonomic, correct fit design with thick, rebounding heels and melting arches.”

With the settlement, Klavano said he’s eager to get his NothinZ brand lightweight clogs into the hands of people for whom these shoes can really do some good. “We plan to service our niche in the market for a long time,” he said.

See the full press release at http://www.oldfriendfootwear.com/oldfriend_pr_2009-08-17.php.

Search online for a specific foot pain related product like shoes for heel spurs, shoes for flat feet, or shoes for plantar fasciitis, and you’ll get a plethora of results, many of them Web sites selling you orthotics, mixed with a few informational Web sites that explain the foot pain causes, symptoms and treatments.

What we’re proud of at Old Friend Footwear is selling shoes and slippers that are friendly to your feet whether you suffer from arch pain, flat feet, heel spurs or plantar fasciitis. Rather than make one shoe or sheepskin slipper to help with one particular foot pain problem, like heel spurs, we focus on designing and manufacturing arch support slippers and shoes with heel cushioning so your feet are well cared for no matter which shoe or slipper you buy from us…and no matter where you are, whether you’re on your feet working in a pair of our lightweight foam NothinZ, or puttering at home in a comfy pair of sheepskin arch support slippers.

As we age, and that includes those of us at Old Friend Footwear who are baby boomers, our feet change, yet we rely on them just as much to get us around and support us. Consistently buying and wearing arch support slippers and shoes can help keep your feet healthy and happy longer, leading to better all physical health for you as you avoid the other body pains that can come along with foot pain.

Stop looking for the quick fix orthotic or a specialty shoe for flat feet. Instead find a footwear company that puts your best foot forward, by keeping you foot pain and arch pain free with shoes for flat feet, shoes for heel spurs, shoes for plantar fasciitis…and shoes and slippers for all around comfort and physical health!

Trust Old Friend Footwear for the arch support that makes a difference without you having to think twice about it.

Yes, foot pain and arch pain can be avoided and even prevented by wearing shoes with arch support.

Especially as we grow older (and as our nation ages, so do we!), our feet flatten and widen. We lose the fatty cushioning, and sometimes even our arches. Don’t wait until that happens. Be proactive with arch support shoes now.

Women’s shoes like dressy high heels and strappy sandals and men’s dress shoes that lack arch support and pinch the toes are fine to wear for special occasions. But for every day wear, and even around the house wear, be friendly to your feet with good shoes.

Shoes with arch support, slippers with arch support, and shoes and slippers with heel cushioning will take care of your feet now and help you avoid foot pain and arch pain later. Even if you don’t suffer from flat feet or other problems now, you can avoid flat feet by choosing

As you celebrate our nation’s independence, free your feet from foot pain too with arch support shoes.

After I stopped pondering why delving into Darwin’s 19th century financial choices while a young student would be so interesting to so many, I decided to say “kudos” to Darwin’s memory for at least putting his money where his feet were. The report didn’t specify if Darwin suffered from arch pain or flat feet nor do I know if he would have preferred shoes for plantar fasciitis. But maybe he spent more money on shoes to make sure he cared for his feet?

Your feet are like any other part of your body that you want to keep in working order for as long as you can. Your teeth are brushed and flossed daily and checked by a dentist twice a year to make them last longer. You exercise and eat healthy foods now to prolong your life later. Weight lifting at a young age helps prevent osteoporosis at an old one. And so it goes: What we invest in our bodies earlier in life will benefit us later in life.

But we haven’t yet realized feet are another part of the body that must be watched over and cared for in order for them to last longer. We—unlike Darwin—aren’t putting our money on our feet. OK, we are, but not necessarily with the smartest choices.

I’ve known a girlfriend to spend $600 on in flimsy, strappy pair of high-heeled sandals that were horrible for her feet and body. At the other end of the scale, I know someone who slips on $2.50 flip flops before stepping out her back door. In both cases, price is irrelevant. The shoes are bad for the feet and will cause foot pain at some point if worn too much or too long. Meaning we’re spending the money, but not protecting our feet from future arch pain and foot pain, and maybe even flat feet.

Bad shoe choices early can lead to foot pain and arch pain by middle age, and even more complications by our senior years, like flat feet. Smart shoe choices can prolong how long our feet serve us pain-free. Good shoes with arch support help prevent problems like flat feet and arch pain from developing, and the other body pains that result from flat feet.

Did Darwin invest in good shoes to prevent arch pain and flat feet? Or maybe Darwin spent more money on shoes than books because he was simply vain.

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Web site, over 43.1 million Americans—or one in every six—have trouble with their feet, mostly from improperly fitting shoes. The Web site calls it a huge public health risk, stating foot problems in the U.S. cost $3.5 billion a year.

There are two things to consider about foot pain based on these startling statistics.

One is how many women wear shoes that are bad for their feet, no doubt causing foot pain either now, or setting themselves up for foot pain in the future. According to an in-depth report on plantar fasciitis on the New York Times Web site, most foot pain and foot problems suffered by women are caused by high heel shoes. The report states that high heel shoes aren’t that different from foot binding in China, because high heel shoes can constrict the foot by up to an inch! Ouch!

To avoid foot pain and plantar fasciitis, the report recommends that if you are going to wear high heel shoes, you make sure to get shoes with a lot of toe room, heels that are relatively wide and sturdy (to protect your ankles from twisting, I bet) and cushioned insoles.

And if you are going to insist on wearing high heel shoes, which many of us women are at some point when an occasion calls for it, that you limit the amount of time you spend in those shoes.

The other thing is the lack of thought that we put into buying shoes. I suspect we Americans—especially women—are drawn to the next shiny new thing, meaning we see how “cute” shoes are and buy them without thinking through the future foot pain ramifications of wearing those shoes. You know it’s not just Imelda Marcos who enjoyed a closet full of shoes!! (Did she have heel spurs or plantar fasciitis I wonder?)

For the non-high heel shoe occasions, including puttering around the house, you can make up for the foot pain caused by making sure you wear shoes and slippers with arch support and plenty of heel cushioning. This is especially important if you suffer from flat feet, heels spurs or plantar fasciitis.

In any of those cases, be sure you are buying slippers or shoes for flat feet, heel spurs, or plantar fasciitis, depending on the cause of your foot pain, or other pains caused by your feet (keeping in mind that flat feet don’t necessarily hurt, but they cause other pains in the body by throwing off your body’s alignment).

By making smart choices when buying shoes, especially women’s shoes, you can avoid being one of the statistics suffering from foot pain!

But many adults suffer from flat feet. Some people have flat feet because they never develop an arch. Some get flat feet later in life because their arches have fallen over time as a result of age. Others get flat feet as a result of wear and tear, or obesity.

Flat feet don’t necessarily hurt, but flat feet can be sore after standing for a long time. Flat feet can also lead to other foot pain due to plantar fasciitis and pain elsewhere in the body, like the ankles, hips or back. And if you suffer from flat feet, you might not stay as active as you should, which leads to a whole new set of problems caused by lack of exercise.

The point we’re making here is even if your flat feet aren’t causing you pain now, it’s best to buy shoes for flat feet to prevent more problems later, whether that means foot pain or other complications like plantar fasciitis, heel spurs or back pain.

Shoes for flat feet are shoes with arch support. Shoes for flat feet won’t fix your flat feet or make them go away, but the arch support in shoes for flat feet will help prevent the complications from happening, like the over pronation.

When shopping for shoes for flat feet, it’s the arch support that matters. Make sure you’re getting the arch support, and then make sure to replace your shoes for flat feet before that arch support starts to break down.

Old Friend Footwear sells shoes and slippers with arch support that are perfect for flat feet.

If you’ve reached a certain birthday, you know age does change your body, despite our efforts to keep aging at bay with exercise, diet, pills and creams. 

Your feet are definitely affected by age, and that makes sense when you consider how hard a 65-year-old’s feet have worked over the course of the 64 years he or she has been walking! You’ve likely noticed foot pain already if you’re a baby boomer.
But it’s not just the years of use. As we age, our feet spread and lose some of the fatty cushioning we’ve taken for granted for so long. If we gain weight, we’re impacting our bones and ligaments. Your arches flatten as your muscles weaken, leading to arch pain and flat feet. Plantar fasciitis is common in older people because the plantar fascia loses its elasticity and is easier to injure. That, in turn, often leads to a heel spur.

And if you’re a woman, you’ve likely done extra damage over the decades by squeezing your toes into heels…high heels, that is. That’s likely why women have four times as many foot pain problems as men, no matter their age.

It’s important to keep your feet in good working order and free of foot pain and arch pain, because the longer you’re mobile, the healthier you’ll be as you age.

The good news is, much of the foot pain that results from aging can be remedied by simple at-home exercises and treatments, and by better shoes, shoes that offer arch support and heel cushioning, and are friendly to your feet.

When shopping for shoes, keep in mind the changes your feet are going through. If you’re suffering from foot pain,buy shoes for plantar fasciitis or shoes for heel spurs. If you’re not yet suffering from foot pain, prevent foot pain from happening any time soon by buying smart: shop for arch support shoes with plenty of heel cushioning. And be friendly to your feet around the house too: buy arch support slippers that will give you the same benefit as arch support shoes when you’re staying in.

To read more about your feet and aging, see the article on the topic republished at SeniorJournal.com: http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Aging/6-04-21-SoreFeet.htm.

Any time the economy goes down, our sheepskin slippers sales go up. Women’s slippers, men’s slippers, extra-wide slippers…all our arch support slippers get more popular during recessions.

We suspect it’s a combination of staying home and wanting comfort. If your budget shrinks and dinners at the fancy gourmet restaurant are no longer an option, then those strappy, patent leather high heels are no longer necessary. But a pair of comfy sheepskin slippers is suddenly much more so.

The term “staycations” is now popular, meaning people are staying home for fun rather than going out of town on vacation. Whether this means renting movies and popping popcorn, or taking up a new hobby like scrapbooking, warm, cozy feet are required to truly enjoy being home.

For some people, the sheepskin slippers are so comfortable—and durable—that they wear them all over all the time. Plus our arch support slippers are built for all-purpose wear, and all-terrain walking, with tight stitching and thick soles. These sheepskin slippers work as shoes for people wanting to be friendly to their feet too, as shoes for flat feet, shoes for heel spurs and shoes for plantar fasciitis.

Are you staying home more? Are your tootsies aching for some warm, cozy comfort and some sturdy arch support? Then Old Friend Footwear might be just the way for you to weather this recession! Check out our arch support sheepskin slippers at http://www.oldfriendfootwear.com/sheepskinslippers.php.

Even though your foot are all the way down there, if they’re not functioning correctly, they put your whole body out of whack. They are your foundation after all. You wouldn’t build a house on a crooked foundation and expect straight walls, would you? Same with your feet. Your feet need to be right for your body to work right.

Flat feet, or over pronation, cause lower back pain because you lack an arch, making your legs roll in. Try it even if you don’t have flat feet, but a normal arch: Stand on your feet, then push your arches towards the floor to simulate flat feet. Feel your ankles and legs rolling inward?

When that happens, your body is out of alignment: Your house has crooked walls. And that eventually leads to lower back pain.

Even if you don’t have flat feet, if you have poorly fitted shoes, or shoes lacking arch support, you’ll likely suffer from lower back pain after standing for a long time, or walking a long distance.

Excessive pronation typically causes the legs to rotate inwards, and the pelvis to tilt forward. The result is increased spinal curvature and continuous tension on the muscles in the lower back, causing pain and discomfort in this important area of the body

In 1999, an article by H.J. Dananberg and M. Guiliano published in Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association studied custom orthotics as a way to relieve chronic lower back pain. The results of the study showed that those people who used custom orthotics vs. traditional back pain treatment had twice the improvement for twice as long.

The good news for you if you suffer from flat feet or lower back pain is you can buy shoes for flat feet and alleviate the pain without the expense and hassle of custom orthotics. Shop for shoes with good arch support and you’ll straighten out your foundation and therefore your walls.

Shoes for flat feet mean the arch support that can end your lower back pain. Or if your arches are fine, but being on your feet for a long time makes your back hurt, shop for shoes as if you were searching for shoes for flat feet. It could just be the arch support you need.

1.    Try on shoes later in the day when your feet are bigger.

2.    Go for open-toed shoes if you want the pointy toe look.

3.    Don’t think flat shoes mean better for your feet. You still need arch support and heel cushioning.

4.    If you go for heels, go for cushioning. That way they won’t be quite as hard on the ball of your foot, lessening your chance of ball of foot pain.

5.    Get shoes that breathe, either because they’re made of natural materials, or made to ventilate.

6.    If you’re shopping for shoes you’ll wear socks with, wear your thickest socks while trying them on.

7.    One foot is likely bigger than the other. Make sure that’s the one you measure and fit.

8.    Get your feet measured and try the shoes on. Don’t assume that because you were a size 8 last time you bought shoes, you’re still a size 8. Feet change over time and manufacturers will vary in shoe size too.

9.    Don’t buy shoes thinking they’ll stretch. You’ll be sorry, and end up suffering from foot pain!

10.  You want the heel to fit snug enough that it doesn’t slide up and down when you walk. Otherwise, blister city, baby!

11.  Give your toes some wiggle room.

12.  If you’re buying shoes online, you obviously can’t try them on. But here are two tricks to help you get the right size: Go to a store that sells that manufacturer’s shoes, and see which size fits you. Also make sure the online shoe store has a good return policy, just in case.

These tips are all especially helpful if you’re shopping for shoes for plantar fasciitis, shoes for heel spurs or shoes for flat feet!

Remember that your feet are your foundation. They pack around all your weight all day long. Be friendly to them and avoid foot pain by buying shoes that fit.