Women's Resource Center in Alamance County

Shoes.  Why is it so hard to find pretty ones that are comfortable, too?

Our guest speakers at January’s Working Women’s Wednesday gave us a great look at popular shoe styles for ladies (courtesy of Tanger Factory Outlet Center) and what to consider when choosing the best shoe for you.

Gray Carpenter and Mike Sherk, physical therapists at Alamance Regional Medical Center, explained how boots, pumps, flats, and even stilettos can be comfortable and health-conscious, yet stylish at the same time.

Gray recommended first determining your foot’s arch as low, high, or normal, since different arches require different types of support.  A low arch needs soft support that allows it to collapse, while a high arch needs a hard support that keeps it propped up.

For women who like flats, opting for a one-inch heel is a healthier choice than no heel at all, which can cause leg pain.  If you prefer heels, chose the styles that have a platform under the front part of the foot.  Even stiletto heels can be comfortable if they have a thick platform, since this keeps the front of the foot higher up off the floor.  When choosing athletic shoes, make sure the shoe twists without much resistance from heel to toe.  Also check that it bends where the ball of your foot would be.

What about that “one-finger” test our parents did on the toe of our shoes when we were kids?  It’s true that this test gives us a good idea of how much wiggle room the shoe gives our toes.  To do the test properly, place one finger across the end of the shoe. There should be no less than your finger’s width between the tip of your toes and the end of the shoe.

Now that we know all about arches, heels, and wiggle room, there’s only one thing left to do…go shopping!

Click here to view the PowerPoint presentation.

Elon University’s new women’s basketball coach Charlotte Smith encouraged her audience at October’s Working Women’s Wednesday to have faith in yourself to your reach goals, even when the circumstances look impossible.

“You live your life in a fishbowl, and everyone is watching.  It’s not what you say, it’s the doing that matters,” she told the captivated crowd.

Charlotte grew up in Shelby, NC, the daughter of a pastor and a ministry worker.  As an accomplished high school and college basketball player, she reminded everyone that her stardom had very humble beginnings:  Her first basketball goal was an old bicycle rim nailed to a tree.

In middle school, she walked away from the basketball team tryouts because the older girls told her she would never make the team.  But with her parents’ encouragement, she tried out and made it.

Years later, as a standout on the UNC women’s basketball team, Charlotte found herself in the final game of the NCAA women’s championship.

“Down two points, with seven-tenths of a second left on the clock, Coach (Sylvia) Hatchell told us to go for the win, not the tie.”  And she wanted Charlotte to make the winning shot.

Even though a win looked doubtful in such little time, Charlotte threw the ball from behind the three-point line, sinking it to give UNC the national title.

“It was the shot that was heard all around the world,” Charlotte said with a grin.

That shot made it possible for Charlotte to speak to and encourage others who are “building from the ground up.”

Charlotte inspired the audience by telling them to get out of “self” and invest in other people, helping to change lives for the better.

“Our lives are like roses,” Charlotte said.  “We have beautiful times, and we have thorny times.  My life’s journey and experiences are something I can pour into young ladies’ lives.”