Review on Relax And Unwind With Miko'S Shiatsu Foot Massager - Switchable Heat For Ultimate Comfort by Pao Novakovic

Review updated July, 2017 -- See end of original review.I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this little machine! What a lifesaver! I've been dealing with plantar fasciitis for over eight months and also have been having very sore, swollen feet for some time. My dear husband bought me this for Christmas and it has been heavenly! Although I have to credit a new podiatrist for a lot of the cure, I no longer have Plantar Fasciitis, and this machine definitely helped me along the way. I still use it every single day.Okay, for the mechanical info: It has moving nubs that massage your arch and toe area, and more nubs under the heel that move a little less, with the last row in the back stationary. Although it doesn't have any massage on the top of the foot, the pressure bags that inflate and deflate throughout the massage, feel very nice on the top as well as all around. It feels like a masseuse gripping the foot while pulling your toes. The foot bed is quite arched, with a lot of movement under the arch, so I think it does help to stretch that tendon. I think it has also helped a lot with the blood circulation in my feet.I wear a size six, so have fairly small feet. If I jam my toes all the way in, my heels don't really rest on the heel nubs. I get the best pressure on my forefoot this way. If my heels are sore, I reposition my feet to get more contact there (I get a little less pressure area from the air bags). The heat feature doesn't seem to do much except light up the foot bed, but I didn't need that feature so much anyway. It might provide slight warmth. There are several pressure settings that affect the air bag inflation pressure. This makes a lot of difference in the intensity of the massaging nubs on the bottom of your foot. If even the lowest settings is too much (I wouldn't think this would be true for many people), wearing a thick pair of socks does make a difference. It also has two massage settings: one is almost continuous movement with some occasional short pauses, the other has alternating periods of massage and pause. The unit feels well made and is heavy. The motor sounds pretty robust, so I expect it will last. I think this is a lot of machine for the money.Overall, I would highly recommend this foot massager to anyone with tired, sore, aching feet. What a wonderful relief!_______________________________________________________Now for the update._______________________________________________________Unfortunately, the receptacle where the cord plugs into the massager broke in less than a month and I had to return the device. The seller was very good about replacing it within a reasonable amount of time, and he was very polite and helpful. The replacement was a different color, which didn't bother me, but came in a very poor, too-small, bulging, torn box and the massager inside was obviously used. There was no user manual, cords were not neatly wound and twist-tied, there were fingerprints all over the outside, and the inside smelled like feet. I contacted the seller again. Although still polite and helpful, he denied that it could have been a returned/used item but offered to replace it again. I sent it back and then the waiting game began. Every month I would write and ask for an estimated delivery date, and each time I was told they were experiencing inventory delays but would have one in a few days. The original had been a Christmas present, but by June my feet were getting worse and I needed a massager. I found the same machine under a different brand name, which makes me assume one company makes them for multiple retailers and customizes the packaging for them. I bought it from this other seller and it came right away and was perfect. I contacted the original seller to initiate a refund. Interestingly enough, he suddenly had one in stock he could send me (but hadn't written to tell me that). I went ahead with the refund anyway. The seller refunded my money with no problems and apologized for the delays. Overall, he was pleasant to work with, but it's hard to excuse such a long wait with no updates or good reasons.