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Shoe inserts are a podiatrist’s not-so-secret weapon to combat foot pain. If your favorite pair of shoes is a walking nightmare, don’t take another step.
“Shoe inserts, also known as orthotics, help to improve your foot health by stabilizing your mid-foot joints and supporting your arches,” says Velimir Petkov, DPM, a podiatrist at Premier Podiatry in Clifton, New Jersey. “Providing proper arch support can improve your overall gait and posture, and therefore relieve your ankle, knee, hip, and lower back pain. In addition, proper shoe inserts can relieve heel pain and reduce arthritic pain.”
There are many different types of shoe inserts, from options that slide into your high heels to those made specifically for your boots or sneakers. When possible, however, Dr. Petkov prefers to go the custom route. “Custom molded orthotics are so much more accurate and effective than store-bought over-the-counter inserts,” he says. Dr. Petkov uses an in-office 3D-scanning device that captures each foot individually to produce a create custom orthotics for his patients. To mimic the process, there are some kits you can use right at home.
After receiving this kit in the mail, you’ll create a mold of your feet and send it back. A few weeks later, your insoles will arrive, which are made with cushioning layers of shock-absorbing material.
These shoe inserts are designed to help reduce arch collapse and prevent fatigue, pain, and injury. There are also multiple design options that can fit any type of shoe you desire.
Dr. Petkov loves Footmaxx for custom orthotics, but they must be ordered through your podiatrist. This is an affordable alternative he recommends. “They can give sufficient arch support for the average runner that has flexible flat foot deformities,” he says. “In combination with good running shoes, such as Brooks or Asics, they can work really well.”
If you’re looking for something perfect for your fall boots, this is a great pick. Because of the shorter length, they can fit a variety of different shoes. “These affordable shoe insoles provide sufficient arch support,” says Dr. Petkov.
If you’re experiencing foot pain, try these mobility stretches:
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I’m a sucker for a multitasking sex toy. While I admit that may make me sound like I’m bringing the productivity imperative to my pleasure practice, dual stimulators have been popular for a long, long time.
sex educator and founder of the erotic ethical porn site FrolicMe.com.
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More than 25 years ago, in 1998, Sex and The City gave air time to the iconic rabbit vibrator, a category of sex toys that stimulate the vagina and clitoris at once. Since then, these inside-outside stimulators have continued to reinvent themselves time and time again through different shapes (see: SnailVibe), different external stimulation tactics (see: Lelo Enigma Double Sonic), and various hinges (see: We-Vibe Nova 2). But with the launch of Playboy Pleasures’ latest creation, a brand new style of multitasking toy is now available. Introducing: The Aurelie Tickler ($84).
“The Aurelie Tickler is like an updated rabbit toy,” says sex educator Marla Renee Stewart, MA, an expert with Lovers and co-author of The Ultimate Guide To Seduction and Foreplay. But rather than focusing on the clit and shallow portion of the vagina, “it is designed to simultaneously stimulate the deep and shallow erogenous zones in the vagina canal,” which are known as the A-spot and G-spot, respectively, she says. Another key feature of this motorized toy lies in its name; rather than just vibrating against these vaginal hot spots, users have the option to employ a new-to-market tickling technology.
Curious if this innovative multitasker is as pleasurable as it is intriguing, I decided to try it. After a solid month of testing this tickle-met G-spot vibrator, all I have to say is, ‘again, again’!
The first of its kind, the PlayBoy Pleasures Aurelie Tickler is an internal stimulator that can pleasure all the erogenous zones inside the vaginal canal with vibration and tickles.
“The Aurelie is an innovative dual simulator that focuses the A-spot and G-spot in the vaginal canal,” explains Stewart. To the naked eye, it may look like a regular ‘ole rabbit vibrator, which typically has a long arm for internal stimulation and a short nub that stays outside and gives the external clitoris some love. But actually, both prongs of the Aurelie are designed to go inside your vaginal canal, where they each target different vaginal erogenous zones.
The main shaft, which has 7 inches of insertable length, is designed to slide deep inside the vaginal canal, where it can stimulate the A-spot, explains Stewart. An often-overlooked erogenous zone, the A-spot (anterior fornix) is a point deep within the vagina, right in front of the cervix, which some vulva-owners say responds well to pressure, explains sex educator Anna Richards, the founder of the erotic ethical porn site FrolicMe.com.
“Meanwhile, the rose gold prong—dubbed the tickler by Playboy Pleasures—is designed to stimulate the G-spot,” says Stewart. For the uninitiated: “The G-spot is an area located one to three inches along the upper wall of the vagina,” says Suzannah Weiss, an AASECT-certified sex educator and author of Subjectified: Becoming a Sexual Subject. To the touch, this area is reported as being springier and more textured than the surrounding vaginal tissues. However, the exact size varies from person to person, and Weiss notes that the term G-spot is misleading, as it is more a general area or zone. That’s why experts call it the G-area or G-zone instead.
The sensitivity of this area, as well as the sensations its stimulation elicits, also vary. “Some people can orgasm through G-spot stimulation alone, while for others, it may simply be a way to enhance a clitoral orgasm,” says Weiss. In fact, the clitoris and G-zone stimulation combo is often credited as a reliable way to achieve a blended orgasm. And an anatomical structure called the skene's glands—sometimes dubbed the female prostate—can be accessed through the G-spot. “Stimulating this area may emit prostate-specific antigens, zinc, and sugar, similar to the male prostate,” aka female ejaculate, she says.
By stimulating the G-zone and A-spot together, “the idea is that the Aurelie allows people to enjoy multiple channels of [vaginal] stimulation at once,” says Stewart. Notably, the dual stimulation can encourage people, especially those who have a hard time staying present in sex, to stay in the moment with their body, she says.
My honest review of the Playboy Pleasures Aurelie
As a professional sex journalist who reviews pleasure products for a living, my preference for external to internal stimulation is well-documented (case and point). A partiality to clitoral stimulation is common amongst vulva owners, with research suggesting that more than 70 percent of women require it to orgasm, and an additional portion say it intensifies and ushers along orgasm. My bias has, historically, been further encouraged by the fact I have a pelvic floor condition that sometimes manifests as my muscles being too activated for any penetration to take place at all. So, while I may enjoy a multi-tasking sex toy, I was skeptical that a dual-stimulator that doesn’t have an external attachment would do much for me. Well, color be tickled because it did.
I’ll give it to you straight: The first time I used this toy I came incredibly hard. ICYWW: I didn’t squirt or ejaculate, which wasn’t surprising because those aren’t things my body has ever done. But after spending more than thirty minutes listening to audio porn and teasing myself with my hand, I finally lathered Aurelie up with hellawater-based lubricant and slid the toy deep inside. After fiddling with the nine different vibration patterns and speeds to find the one that would get me off, I lay there listening to my erotica app until I came.
As it turns out, enjoying and orgasming from vaginal stimulation isn’t as huge a hop, skip, or jump from clitoral stimulation as it may seem, according to Weiss. “There is a high concentration of nerves that pass through the clitoris to the internal vagina,” to where the G-spot and A-spot are located, she says. So, while external clitoral stimulation is often the money-spot for many vulva owners, certain types of vaginal stimulation target the clitoris from the inside, she explains. And, based on the result, it seems that Aurelie was able to stimulate just that spot because the vaginal orgasm I experienced was similar in intensity to the clitoral ones I’m accustomed to.
The second time I used the toy, I didn’t have quite the same ample time for penetration prep. The toy, after all, is 1.75 inches thick, which requires a long warm-up for me. But, rather than swapping Aurelie for my go-to clitoral vibe or suction sex toy, I decided to experiment with using the toy externally. The bulbous head of the tickler is textured, and that, combined with the intense vibrations, did me in.
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Because the handle of the Aurelie vibrates (which I find annoying) and the handles of wand vibrators don’t, I won’t routinely rely on the Aurelie when I know I only want clit stim. However, I love that I can use the Aurelie for external clitoral love to help myself get in the mood for the G-spot and A-spot stimulation that will follow.
Is the Playboy Pleasure Aurelie for you?
It may be! The Aurelie makes it easy to reach all of the nerve-dense spots that run the length of your vaginal canal, thus making it a suitable selection for those who already know they love incorporating internal stimulation into their solo or partnered play.
Richards also recommends it for any pleasure-seeker interested in exploring their internal erogenous zones. “Your fingers just aren’t able to reach as far as the Aurelie’s long, flexible shaft due to their shape and length,” she explains. Plus, “you are less likely to get tired out from holding it than from doing all the work with your own hands,” she says.
Additionally, because there truly is no sex toy on the market quite like it, the Aurelie may be worth trying if you enjoy experimenting in the bedroom. At just $84, it’s a more moderate price than many other similarly luxury or innovative options.
Ultimately, I don’t foresee the Aurelie ever gaining the same notoriety as the SATC-sanctioned rabbit because it isn’t designed to provide the external clitoral stimulation the majority of vulva owners crave. However, this dual stimulator def deserves a place in the collections of those who go nuts for vaginal penetration.
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February tends to get a bad wrap as a cold, dreary month, but that's not entirely fair. For starters, there's Valentine's Day, which is nothing if not warm and fuzzy. Then, there's Presidents' Day, which is a somewhat random federal holiday but rife with discounts on big-ticket items like appliances and mattresses. And then there are wonderful self-care brands like Foria, who are kind enough to help us beat the doldrums of winter by offering discounts on intimacy oils and sexual wellness products so we can heat things up with our partners (or solo!).
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This long weekend—as in now through Monday, February 17—you can snag 20 percent off any one-time Foria purchase when you use the promo code WELLANDGOOD at checkout. Whether you're shopping for a steamy CBD arousal oil to set the mood with your boo, or the brand's Intimacy Melt suppositories to enhance pleasure when things get more serious, Foria is ready to help you warm things up this weekend. Scroll on to see what the W+G team is scooping up.
What we're shopping during this weekend's Foria sale
This intimacy oil from Foria is infused with stimulating botanical ingredients like cinnamon and kava root, as well as 30mg of organic broad-spectrum hemp CBD to boost relaxation and help you set the mood. It can be used pretty much anywhere that feels good, but vulva owners can use it both externally and internally to ramp up the pleasure—just note that it's not compatible with latex condoms. We've tried it, we love it.
Another CBD-infused offering, Foria's Intimacy Melts are designed to slide into your vagina or anus and—as the name implies—melt. Each melt contains cocoa butter and 50mg of organic broad-spectrum hemp CBD to increase relaxation during penetration. Foria recommends inserting the suppository 30-60 minutes before you're ready to get things going with your partner (or a toy) for sheet-gripping results. (Heads up: This is another pick that's not compatible with latex condoms.)
There's nothing to warm you up on a cold day like a soothing full-body massage. Whether you're the massager or the recipient (I've been both with this oil and can vouch!), this blend of organic botanicals will definitely enhance the experience. The quick-absorbing formula smells amazing, thanks to the blend of ylang-ylang, ginger, vanilla, and coriander extracts, and the consistency is silky smooth to keep things sensual.
Made with organic pumpkin seed and coconut oil, as well as antioxidant-rich buckthorn and vitamin E, this moisturizer was designed to provide daily hydration to vulva owners. Think that's not something your bod needs? W+G contributing writer Cathy Nelson might convince you otherwise.
"This is the product I didn’t know I needed but now can’t live without," she shares. "Seriously—who knew we should be moisturizing our vulvas daily? Using it makes me feel so comfortable. The formula goes on easily, absorbs nicely, and the hydrating effects last for hours."
