121: Do No Harm, But Also Sell Shoes? The Doctor vs Brand Problem Video
Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely HeldShow Notes
In this solo episode, Sarah takes the "doctor vs brand" framework that went viral on Instagram and runs it as a real-time case study on a real company. The target is Cadense, an adaptive shoe that claims to help with foot drop, toe catch, and neurologic walking difficulties using "variable friction" tech, basically a glide-to-grip outsole design meant to reduce toe snagging while still giving traction during stance and push-off. Sarah breaks down what foot drop is, who this type of device might help, who it might put at risk, and why any rehab-adjacent product should be judged on more than vibe, testimonials, or white-coat authority.
Then she gets into incentives, the part everyone wants to ignore until it's their wallet. She walks through Cadense's ambassador, coach, and affiliate pathways, and uses the full checklist to evaluate where Cadense lands on the clinician-led spectrum, including what they disclose well, what they oversimplify, and what they should tighten up if they want to be truly "do no harm" about a product that can literally change someone's fall risk. Finally, Sarah looks at the actual research (yes, it exists, no, it's not robust yet), explains what a five-person pilot study can and can't prove, and lays out the line she personally won't cross, recommending a product case-by-case versus becoming financially tied to a medical-ish purchase decision.
FREE Barbell Mini Course—SIGN UP [https://mailchi.mp/d4c544ab3a5d/minicourse]
FOLLOW [https://www.instagram.com/movementlogictutorials/] @MovementLogicTutorials on Instagram
Verse Agile Rack, Foldable Home Barbell Rack [https://verse.fit/movement-logic] coupon code MovementLogic50OFF
RESOURCES Instagram Post [https://www.instagram.com/p/DS5cUmlEpdh/?img_index=1]: When a Doctor Becomes a Brand Cadense, Official Website [https://cadense.com/] Cadense Coaches Program, Clinician Partnership [https://cadense.com/pages/coaches] Pilot Study of Cadence, A Novel Shoe for Patients With Foot Drop, Evora et al. 2019 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/] NIH Clinical Trial, Variable Friction Shoe vs AFO (NCT06234124) [https://clinicaltrials.gov/] Global Wellness Economy Reaches $6.8 Trillion, Global Wellness Institute [https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]
More from Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely Held
In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kemi Doll, a double board-certified OB-GYN and gynecologic oncologist, about endometriosis, fibroids, uterine cancer, PMOS, and hormonal birth control. We examine how wellness influencers exploit real experiences of medical dismissal to promote fear, undermine trust in established treatments, and sell alternatives.
In this episode, Sarah Court and Laurel Beversdorf investigate the bone supplement company AlgaeCal and ask whether its marketing claims are supported by good evidence. They unpack the company's promotion of algae-derived calcium, its use of strontium supplements to claim increases in bone density, and why improvements on a DEXA scan don't necessarily mean stronger bones. Along the way, they explain how appeals to nature, authority, and fear are used to sell expensive supplements to women worried about osteoporosis.
SIGN UP [https://themovementlogic.com/bone-density-course-lift-for-longevity/] Lift for Longevity. Enrollment closes Sunday, September 20th. Classes begin September 28th.
In this episode, we look back at how our thinking about exercise has changed over the years, from our beginnings in yoga and physical therapy to strength training, bone density, power, fall prevention, and longevity. We talk about the ideas we stopped believing, the evidence that changed our minds, why "lift heavy shit" was an important corrective but ultimately an incomplete message, and how all of this has shaped the newest version of Lift for Longevity.
In this episode, we talk with bone health researcher Dr. Lora Giangregorio about what the evidence really says about resistance training, impact exercise, menopause, fracture prevention, balance, and falls. We also get into claims from OsteoStrong, why not all published research deserves equal weight, and why confident claims about the "best" way to build bone often outrun the evidence.