Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

myVALE Custom sandals/thongs/flip flops

Discussion in 'Biomechanics, Sports and Foot orthoses' started by BEN-HUR, Jan 20, 2012.

Tags:
  1. BEN-HUR

    BEN-HUR Well-Known Member


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Has anyone heard of this company - myVALE (Australian website) or have any experience with them... or own a pair.

    They are actually German based (however it seems the manufacturer got the inspiration whilst on a beach in Australia). They make "custom made" sandals/thongs/flip flops (whatever term you prefer) via getting a weight bearing foam impression box cast of the individual's feet. This is then digitally scanned & apparently "faulty positioning" is corrected (??? how is this determined???) to then mill the "custom" footbed/sole of which the sandal/flip flop is based (as outlined in the Euromaxx video on this page).

    I have actually had a similar idea due to the frequent problems/frustration I hear from my female patients in wanting to wear summer fashion or any sandal (sleek) type fashion whilst wanting/needing support. As we know it can be frustrating trying to accommodate orthotics to this genre of footwear/shoes. Incorporating the orthotic into the midsole/sole would be one way in addressing this problem - in fact really the most efficient way - particularly for the more sleek designs.

    I know there are companies (i.e. Naot) which do make sandal type footwear with a cavity on the midsole to house an orthotic but I have found there are still problems with this i.e. ideally the orthotic must be flush with the border (shape & depth) of the cavity, which then can limit the orthotics use in other footwear.
     
  2. Boots n all

    Boots n all Well-Known Member

    l know the company well, l will see if one of the senior C.Ped's will come on and answer your questions.

    As for "..inspiration whilst on a beach in Australia." that is a very true statement, l will let Karl explain more, he is based at Dee Why NSW...not far from an Australian beach for even more inspiration if needed.

    As for other sandals on the market that will take a TCO, we do a lot with the Ziera brand with such styles as Mira, Melissa and Mona.

    These products by Ziera have cavity of 6mm depth at the toe and 15mm at the heel once their foot bed is removed
     
  3. footpower

    footpower Active Member

    Thank you for discussing my Vale. As you have seen Euromax TV video clip, you know the back ground. There is also a video clip from the Kerry-Anne show on the website now.
    Our family is doing orthopaedic foot wear and orthoses since 1888 in Germany. Orthopaedic Shoemakers Meister (OSM) are the key provider of foot orthoses, foot and ankle orthoses as well medical grade footwear in Germany. Markus Schott, the myVALE inventor is an OSM and also a Podologe, the German version of a Podiatrist. The connection to Australia is me. I came to Australia after graduating in Germany as an OSM many years ago and started www.shoetech.com.au in 1988. Coming from Germany I wanted a location that is very different and the northern beaches in Sydney are just that so I set up near the beach. From a business perspective this is not the best location, but it is good fun and if you do a good job, the business will work everywhere.
    My brother visited me and noticed the same problem you were discussing about orthoses and summer footwear. On top of it he saw that everyone wore thongs. While watching the waves and people in thongs, he thought about making orthoses with straps, which eventually became the myVALE sandals.
    They are custom made, one piece at a time in Germany and in Dee Why, NSW Australia. The video on the website shows some of the process. The corrections that are made, well that is part of the company technology and knowhow accumulated over more than 120 years. However in the end the myVALE are thongs and good fun.
    MyVALE had an exhibition booth at the podiatry congress in Melbourne in April 2011 and will have a stand at the international Pedorthic congress www.ivo2012.org.au Please come and see us there. Pedorthics in Australia is on the move and you should not miss it.
     
  4. Griff

    Griff Moderator

    In the UK some of the companies that supply custom made foot orthoses provide a similar service (send in your negative model with prescription as usual, but choose a sandal from the catalogue at the same time). Firefly have offered this for at least 4 years. Langer have just begun offering it too as I understand.
     
  5. footpower

    footpower Active Member

    Hi Ian G

    Fantastic, please let me have the details of those companies. I like to invite them to come to Australia to attend future congresses.
    myVALE is not seeing itself as a medical supply, rather a comfort sandal, as it is open to the public. Everyone can order via their online shop. No Pedorthic assessment takes place. However a couple of Pedorthist have been using myVALE for their patient and have given assessment details. In those cases the product was made incorporating their prescription requests.
     
  6. BEN-HUR

    BEN-HUR Well-Known Member

    Thank you Karl for your response. I do think this is an important area to address - supplying support (comfort) for people wishing to wear unsupportive/scantily footwear.

    Since becoming a Podiatrist I have realised how important female foot fashion is (I am a male). Still not quite understanding the female logic/psyche regarding fashion over pain, I have learnt to accept it & subsequently try to accommodate the phenomenon :eek: Like I said - not easy!

    I don't live too far away from Dee Why so I'll try & pay you a visit some time. My brother also has interest in this area; he is also a Podiatrist as well as a certified Pedorthist (however, he's based in England) so he would also be interested with your set up/views (albeit, myVALE, Germany).

    Kind regards,
    Matthew.
     
  7. footpower

    footpower Active Member

    We have an open day at our Dee Why Pedorthic clinic and Lab on April 1st a Sunday following the IVO 2012 for delegates. I know it is April fool’s day, and maybe I will learn the meaning of it on that day.
    My brother, the myVALE creator, will be there as well during the IVO 2012 and the open day. Please register to the IVO 2012 in Sydney as some exhibitors will have custom CAD CAM systems on display for thongs as well as orthoses. Pedorthics is about footwear and orthoses and as a Podiatrist with an interest in those areas; you should not miss the IVO2012.
    Mathew, please check your website link in your signature, I do not seem to get to your website.
     
  8. BEN-HUR

    BEN-HUR Well-Known Member

    Recently lost the whole website due to an incompetent webhost :mad: :boxing:. Having to now rebuild it from scratch.

    Just out of curiosity; what's with the name "myVALE" - does "my" &/or "VALE" represent something? Was there a 2007 IVO conference in Queensland & did you attend?
     
  9. footpower

    footpower Active Member

    Thank you for asking

    The name myVALE has a meaning.
    Below are a couple of definitions I took of website.

    “In geography, a vale is a wide river valley, usually with a particularly wide flood plain or flat valley bottom.”(Wikipedia)

    “vale/ˈveɪl/noun plural vales” [count] literary : valley
    ▪ hills and vales” <a href="http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/vale">vale</a>

    The intent is to express the myVALE sandals having topography of high elevations as well as valleys. You may have noticed the topographical elevation lines on the myVALE website. They are expressing that we are looking at a landscape. In this case the personal landscape moulded to your foot the myVALE. MyVALE sandals are genuinely milled one piece at a time for every individual foot. Hence it has your foots individual vale.

    About the IVO congress, there was no 2007 congress. It is an international event taking place every 3 years in a different country. 2003 in Tokyo, Japan; 2006 in Basel, Switzerland; 2009 in The Hague, The Netherlands; 2012 in Sydney, Australia and 2015 in Paris, France. 2018 is not yet decided but there is an interest flagged from North America.
    All the more reason to come to the IVO 2012 to Sydney; there will be no other in Australia for a long time to come.
     
  10. Boots n all

    Boots n all Well-Known Member

Loading...

Share This Page