ER critical nurse, Mary Alice Parker, Wears Z-CoiL Even Though She Has No Pain

Mary Alice Parker has been wearing Z-CoiL footwear for the last 6 years after seeing a brochure in a doctor's office at Group Health.

As a ER critical care nurse at Group Health, Mary Alice had been wearing Birkenstock sandals. After reading the brochure about the Z-CoiL shoes, she decided to give them a try. Mary converted to the Z-CoiL shoes although,"I have no pain, but I prefer comfort, so I wear the Z-CoiLs. I usually shop at St. Vincent de Paul since I prefer to pay $20.00 for a pair of shoes. By comparison, the Z-CoiL's are pricey. I find the value outweighs the cost. I really like them." She's heard orthopedists recommend Z-CoiL's to help relieve pain for bad backs.

Before working at Group Health, Mary Alice used to work at Virginia Mason. She got her nursing training 40 years ago in Wisconsin. In addition Mary Alice has had training in family therapy. She was a nursing teacher in Wisconsin years ago. When she moved to Capital Hill she began to officially work as an RN.

"I had a period of adjustment learning how to be safe wearing the (open) coils (Z-CoiL) at work. There are sometimes 8 pumps working at once in an ER room so it is imperative to learn to step carefully over all the cords", says Mary Alice. Now she relates having no problem with cords since she has trained herself to be careful.

Her first pair of work shoes were the white Freedoms (athletic style). They lasted three years until she went hiking in Nepal. Her favorite Z-CoiL, the ones she mostly wears, are her Sidewinder Sandals. She is on her second pair of black sandals. Because of her low arches, and previous foot surgery, the rigid foot bed arch support needed adjustments. While in the store, the arches were heated to expand and lower the rigid footbed of the Z-CoiL's to accomodate and keep the pressure from rubbing on her low arches. In addition she has a pair of black tennis shoes. She now comes to "Your 2 Feet" in Capital Hill for her most recent purchase of a pair of Loryn's (tan zippered Z-CoiL) shoe.

Although Mary Alice is officially retired five years ago, she now works per diem at Group Health. Her workdays are 12 hour night shifts. Per diem allows her the flexibility to adjust her hours around her travels all over the world. She has been to all seven continents. She went to Antartica four years ago on a cruise. She traveled on a small ship, which embarked from Iceland, for a 3 month cruise. She wears her Z-CoiL sandals the most (except in Antartica), but always takes another pair along in case she wants to go hiking. A couple of weeks ago she returned from a Hawaii cruise.