As a nurse practitioner who frequently works with older patients, Jennifer Armendariz often recommends ways to stay active and independent. It turns out, a simple pair of shoes can make a big difference. Here’s the pair Jennifer recommends for her patients–and her mom.
If you’ve ever spent a long day on your feet, whether that’s running errands, running a marathon, or waiting in lines at an amusement park, you know how important the right pair of shoes can be. To keep you moving and keep you comfortable, a good pair of shoes can make all the difference—and that goes double for anyone with joint or mobility issues, as Jennifer Armendariz knows.
Jennifer, a nurse practitioner and certified group fitness instructor based in El Paso, Texas, specializes in oncology and lifestyle medicine. For seventeen years, she’s been working with patients dealing with a cancer diagnosis and the after-effects of treatment, and helping them incorporate movement and wellness into their daily routines alongside evidence-based medical treatments. But beyond that, she’s giving advice on mobility and independence to someone she’s known all her life: her mom.
“My mom had fallen a few years ago and actually fractured her neck, and so it’s quite difficult for her to bend down,” said Jennifer. That can pose a lot of challenges, but one of the most common in day to day life is putting on and tying a pair of shoes. That’s why Jennifer has encouraged her mom, and many of her patients facing similar challenges, to use Skechers range of slip-in shoes. “To be honest, I really like the slip-ons for my older patients who might be at risk for falling, or who have trouble tying their shoes.”
The Skechers slip-ins line is extensive, with models for men and women, and variations including slip-resistant soles, waterproof athletic shoes, and more formal models as well as the classic sneakers and walking shoes. The styles are often available in a range of colors, including both brighter and more neutral options, and variations include boating-style shoes, embroidered suede shoes, and more. This means that Jennifer’s mom, and others like her, can have multiple pairs for different occasions, and find specific shoes to suit their personal needs.
And helping her mother and her patients meet their own needs is a big part of why Jennifer recommends these shoes. “I know it might sound a bit silly, but the shoes, and the fact that people can just slip into them, that actually helps people keep their independence. The fact that my mom can just slip into them, and not need someone to help tie them,” means that she can prepare for her day and head out on her own, without having to rely on someone being there to help her get dressed.
Jennifer has a long track record of advocating for her mom, and for others she loves. As a newly qualified Registered Nurse, oncology was her first clinical rotation and, “as a brand-new nurse who’d never been exposed to hospital life, to be thrown into the oncology world was an eye-opening experience. It actually ended up being an even better experience preparing me for real life,” as well as becoming her specialization. Jennifer’s mother has been on a cancer journey since 1995, and her aunt also had pancreatic cancer. Her professional training showed her how “people need an advocate for them, because there’s so many confusing aspects of oncology care, and it’s very helpful when you can have a family member or close friend help.” And that can extend to things as simple as what pair of shoes makes patients’ lives a little more comfortable every day. Jennifer’s mom “has suffered from a lot of joint pain, and she says these shoes are very comfortable for her. So that’s why I recommend them.”
Moreover, her patients know to take her recommendations seriously. “I do see a lot of my older patients wearing [the Skechers slip-ins] in clinic.” Not all of them have the same issues as her mom, but the slip-ins versatility still comes through. “Sometimes people on blood pressure medicines, if they bend down and get up too quick, they get dizzy,” making the shoes an ideal choice to prevent that discomfort.
