How to Choose the Right Cane for You

Have you looked at canes lately? Stylishly designed, contemporary canes are a far cry from antiquated notions of what defines a cane. In short, they are not your grandfather's cane. Moving beyond mere function, canes have become a sleek luxurious accessory as well as a means of demonstrating personal flair. Their intricate patterns, unusual color combinations, and even customized handles and shafts make an elegant fashion statement.

Yet choosing the right cane for you requires a little knowledge. Sure, you know what you like, what captures your attention and expresses your individuality. However, selecting and using the right cane entails a bit more. From the height of the cane to the comfort of its handle, details matter. Take the cane's height, for instance. Select one that is too short, and you increase the likelihood of listing to one side as you walk. Of course, that negates the smooth and dapper image you might prefer to project. On the other hand, your arm will be perched awkwardly atop a cane that is too tall, hindering your ability to use it for its intended purpose. Clearly, striking the right balance is key.

Basic Sizing Instructions for Sizing a Cane

Well suited to both your height and your frame, the right cane for you can be decided with a bit of savoir-faire. First, these four steps make determining the correct cane height easy:

• Put on the shoes that you plan to wear for walking.
• Stand as straight as possible, yet still, be relaxed and natural.
• Let your arms hang naturally at your side.
• Ask someone else to measure the distance from your wrist bone to the floor, using a tape measure or yardstick. Then round that measurement up to the nearest half-inch.

Equipped with the correct cane height, you can then make your body size the next consideration. In view of the fact that a cane is used for balance and not for the genuine support offered by crutches, ensure that your cane matches your frame - with a narrower cane for a slender frame and one of greater heft if you are more amply proportioned. It's that simple.

What Cane Satisfies your Taste?

Rounding out the factors, personal preference becomes the final factor as specific canes speak to your sense of style, your delight in whimsy or your penchant for particular activities. Coordinating effortlessly with your lifestyle, canes are an accessory worth collecting in multiples. From the one that embellishes your tailored office wardrobe or your soigné evening apparel to the cane that accompanies you on your hiking adventures or shopping expeditions, there are canes for every aspect of your life.

For instance, the man whose time-honored style leans toward the understated will find that a traditional cane such as our genuine oak wood derby walking cane represents quiet eloquence. A great accompaniment to a suit and trench coat as he makes strides in life, this cane's classic oak shaft and the brass-embossed collar is unequivocally an asset on weekend walks as well as boating excursions or sporting events. What augments this cane is the ergonomic design of its derby handle, among the most popular and accommodating handle styles.

Meanwhile, the man for whom a well-ordered life designed to his exacting specifications is de rigueur will be gratified by our brass fritz handle walking cane with a custom shaft and collar. Exquisitely carved in a scroll pattern, the handle rests atop a collar and shaft of his choosing, anything from aluminum silver to brass 24K gold for collars and painted beech wood to ebony for the shafts. Enriching the handsome refinement of this cane, its fritz handle offers relief for arthritic hands, enabling the man who carries it to forego any discomfort to hands or fingers.

Bespeaking both the self-confidence and humor of the man who favors it, our Dr. House flame tourist walking cane is a replica of the one featured in the "House" television series. Devised entirely of black lacquered beechwood, replete with the customary hooked handle, it is evocative of the past in all the best ways. Yet the red and yellow flames ascending the lower portion of this cane make it au courant for both city and country pursuits.

Canes Compliment your Lifestyle and Add to it

For the man of distinction, our Mad Hatter multi-wood knob-handle walking stick enhances his gait. Crafted of dark-hued wenge wood, it is complemented by the extraordinary variety of woods that comprise its handle. At work or at leisure, a man saunters when using this cane, enjoying the extra measure of suaveness it bestows.

Yet superlative canes are not merely the province of men. Providing a chic accent to a woman's lifestyle as well as her wardrobe, the defining aspect of canes for women is the lan of the details. A case in point is our white pearlz with rhinestone collar and black swirl designer adjustable cane. A stellar celebration of femininity, it features a pearlescent derby handle that makes comfort elegant and graceful walking a given. Moreover, the rhinestone collar coupled with the paisley-print shaft in black and white is a stunning effect. Pair it with a sleek pantsuit and fedora on a daytime stroll or a little black dress for any event.

Sexy and sassy, canes with animal handles such as our brass jaguar-handle walking cane are the epitome of style. While its feline cachet befits the hands of a man, this cane is an unexpectedly whimsical assistant to the self-assured woman who struts with it.

In closing, Walking is elevated by the details of the cane that balances it. Choose the right cane for you and walk on. No matter if strolling or strutting. Keep walking.