Re: special shoes

[Guest guest]

Anj,

I did just get fitted for special shoes from Footwear COnsultants and in spite

of not feeling pretty when I wear them, it has helped tremondously with the

pain. I also got a leg brace and that has not worked well yet. It hurts too bad

pushing on the wrong place on my foot. Good luck with the shoes. Mine are

giving me some relief.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

These inserts never helped my feet feel any better. And you are

right, they are expensive and insurance didnt cover them. I guess

maybe they work differently for everyone, but for me I think they made

my feet worse.

[Guest guest]

Has anyone tried buying shoe inserts I am starting to wonder if it

would help with my foot pain and also back pain...Has anyone tried

this yet?

Someone on this board (Betz, I believe) recommended the Crocs relief

shoes to me, and I have to say they are just amazing! My feet are

both affected. My toe joints (particularly the big toe) are

deteriorated to the point where I have no cartilage left (bone

rubbing on bone....ouch!) plus I have pinched nerves and heel spurs

and other erosive arthritic bones in my feet as well. Wearing

regular shoes is just agony...getting them on hurts, taking them off

hurts, and walking around all day on my feet in them.....well,

suffice it to say that after a long day at work (I'm an office

nurse) in REGULAR shoes I cry all the way home because my feet and

toes throb so badly.

I tried the Crocs and still can't believe how much better my feet

feel in them. They still ache somewhat at the end of the day, but

nothing that a dose of Aleve won't help, and certainly not to the

point where I am crying over them. They do alter your balance and

gait a bit, so do take a little getting used to. My calves felt a

little stretchy and achy the first couple days I wore them, since

they were getting more of a workout than they were used to, but not

anymore. I would happily recommend Crocs to anybody else who has a

foot problem. (Betz, thanks again!)

[Guest guest]

I have both, good hiking shoes and arch support inserts.

I finally found a pair of hiking shoes that fit my feet. I wear

them nearly every day.

When my feet tire of the hiking shoes, I put on other shoes for

which I have found inserts that work for me. Having had to wrestle

with making my wife's $350 orthopedic inserts fit into various pairs

of her shoes, I took a different approach. I took my other shoes to

a few stores that had various arch supports until I found the over-

the-counter supports that best fit my shoes and feet.

As my feet seem to be changing all the time, I reasoned that

expensive orthopedics would not solve my problem for long. I have

been doing it this way for about 2 months now; my feet have not felt

better in years. My feet have healed to the extent that I can now

actually walk barefoot on hard surfaces for short periods and not be

aware of it. This is a huge improvement! My plantar fasciitis has

disappeared as has much of my joint pain between my metatarsals

(foot bones) and phallanges(toe bones) With the right shoes and

correct support I have a much easier time of it.

I know that being overweight can also cause much foot pain. That is

battle I have not yet had to fight.

[Guest guest]

Here is a link to plantar fasciitis. It does not explain it in

relation to PA, but it is a good article overall.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010201/467.html

[Guest guest]

, " dreimutter1957 " <dreimutter1957@...> wrote:

>

> Has anyone tried buying shoe inserts I am starting to wonder if it

> would help with my foot pain and also back pain...Has anyone tried

> this yet?

>

>

>

> Someone on this board (Betz, I believe) recommended the Crocs relief

> shoes to me, and I have to say they are just amazing! My feet are

> both affected. My toe joints (particularly the big toe) are

> deteriorated to the point where I have no cartilage left (bone

> rubbing on bone....ouch!) plus I have pinched nerves and heel spurs

> and other erosive arthritic bones in my feet as well. Wearing

> regular shoes is just agony...getting them on hurts, taking them off

> hurts, and walking around all day on my feet in them.....well,

> suffice it to say that after a long day at work (I'm an office

> nurse) in REGULAR shoes I cry all the way home because my feet and

> toes throb so badly.

>

> I tried the Crocs and still can't believe how much better my feet

> feel in them. They still ache somewhat at the end of the day, but

> nothing that a dose of Aleve won't help, and certainly not to the

> point where I am crying over them. They do alter your balance and

> gait a bit, so do take a little getting used to. My calves felt a

> little stretchy and achy the first couple days I wore them, since

> they were getting more of a workout than they were used to, but not

> anymore. I would happily recommend Crocs to anybody else who has a

> foot problem. (Betz, thanks again!)

>

About five years ago I was diagnosed with PA (finally) when I could no longer

walk without

agonizing pain in my feet. I found relief only when I bought a pair of wooden

soled clogs.

The splinting effect that the wooden sole has on my toes keeps my toes from

flexing and

this has reduced the pain and inflamation to the point that I walk pain free and

when I do

have flare ups my feet are not involved. I own over 20 pairs of clogs in a

variety of colors

and patterns (The lighter side of PA). I only wish that I could figure out how

to relieve all

my joint pain elsewhere.

[Guest guest]

Hey Kat,

I've been rather infrequent on the boards as of late (adjusting to a

new job), but I noticed someone mentioned Danskos. I ADORE Danskos.

They are literally all I wear anymore - they're all my feet can

stand.

Remember though, they are European sizing (for example I wear around

a 7 1/2 - so for a slip-on I get a 38...a 37 is just a bit too

tight). I would recommend finding a store that has them to try on a

few pairs for size. They don't seem to give like normal shoes, maybe

that's because they're of a higher quality.

The main reason I'm posting this is that there are some reputable

dealers on eBay that sell BRAND NEW Danskos at a fraction of a cost

and some sellers who bought them and got them home, only to find out

they didn't give after two or three wears and sell them at a major

loss. Most of these stores, in my experience, won't take them back if

they've been worn outside or you've had them over 10 days. I've got

one pair I paid full price for that I wore maybe three times because

they are too small. When I get a chance I'm going to sell them.

Right now I'm looking for a bright red pair - or just even red and

black will do - since that's our school colors.

Peace,

Jenn in Arkansas

[Guest guest]

Thanks to everyone who recommended Dansko shoes!!! I bought a pair

on Wednesday and already I can walk about twice as much as I could

in any other shoes. If I'm still doing well after a month, I'm

going back to get a pair in every color. I cannot BELIEVE what a

difference this makes -

thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...

sherry z

P.S. I'm middle aged and felt like I was going back to my hippie

days and somewhat self-conscious about these huge clogs. But my

daughters and the girls in a Bible study class I teach for young

women LOVED them! So on top of having my feet feel better, I get to

be a COOL old lady! lol

>

> This must be why my Dansko shoes feel soooo good... the fixed sole

> rocks, but my toes do not flex in the shoe.

>

> -Marietta

>

[Guest guest]

YAY!! I'm so glad they helped you! I bought my first pair when I

was pregnant & my feet hurt *all the time*. I thought they were very

weird at first, and now I just love them. People tell me they look

cool too, I don't know why

It's finally cooling off a bit in Phoenix, I can put my Birkenstocks

away some days, and pull out my Dansko's (which feel better, but just

get too hot when it's 100+ outside!

-Marietta

> Thanks to everyone who recommended Dansko shoes!!! I bought a pair

> on Wednesday and already I can walk about twice as much as I could

> in any other shoes. If I'm still doing well after a month, I'm

> going back to get a pair in every color. I cannot BELIEVE what a

> difference this makes -

>

> thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you...

> sherry z

>

> P.S. I'm middle aged and felt like I was going back to my hippie

> days and somewhat self-conscious about these huge clogs. But my

> daughters and the girls in a Bible study class I teach for young

> women LOVED them! So on top of having my feet feel better, I get

to

> be a COOL old lady! lol

> > This must be why my Dansko shoes feel soooo good... the fixed

sole rocks, but my toes do not flex in the shoe.

> > -Marietta