Shoes in London and online

[Guest guest]

Joana, others,

A friend of mine in London has very flat feet and she just bought the Masai –

model shoes. They are called Masai Based Technology, and rebalance the body for

more upright posture, and also she claims them to be extremely comfortable.

Again they are not cheap, but sometimes I think it is worth it to pay for shoes

that are comfortable for me. The Masai system is on

www.mbt-uk.com <http://www.mbt-uk.com/> although I think they sell

worldwide.

I am a firm believer in Birkenstocks, as although they are not the most

comfortable in the beginning, the cork does mold to feet with wear. They are

also completely back in fashion, with this season the thong sandles (Gizeh

model) tipped as the hippest shoe for the summer in London. The thongs actually

fit over my high arches and because they go down far on my foot as well as have

a buckle on the strap they also stay on.

As for custom shoes in London, the only place I know of to have shoes made is

near lebone High Street – the sign on the door says that they make shoes,

shoes that fit orthotics, etc. My mother-in-law has very narrow feet and was

going to go there as well for her shoes, although she cancelled her appointment.

These are very expensive – about £200 a pair or so – but maybe if you do not

have other luck they might be an option for you.

I would ask your doctor (probably your orthopaedist but maybe the neurologist

knows too) for more places to go to – they tend to be pretty tuned in over here

in the UK especially in London.

Over time I have lost the ability to move my toes – it is strange as I used to

wear flip flops or go barefoot all the time as a kid, now I find it so hard to

wear flip flops… But one thing is that although my arch was getting higher too

with time, I have found that stretching (I do yoga) has helped to lower it down

a bit and also flatten my toes out. For info, my foot size is about 6 and a

half, but sometimes is 7 or 7 and a half depending on the cut and sizing of the

shoe – like clothes I think shoes are not so standard!

I think I will try the Vitamin C, although I would never do nutrition

supplements without the advice of a qualified professional. I asked my

nutritionist about the Vitamin C loading, and she said it was fine and warned me

of tolerance symptoms. I encourage everyone not just to diagnose via the web or

the group here, but to seek professional advice. My nutritionist has me on a

programme to manage the long term impacts of nerve function / degradation, I am

sure that a professional is a good way to go to better manage CMT or any

condition for that matter.

Hope you all have a brilliant day – the sun is shining in London, and it is an

amazing early summer morning. If I do not manage to stay awake until one in the

morning tonight, have a great chat.

- Donna in London