Does anyone find that a type of shoe helps your foot neuropathy?

Posted by lorirenee1 @lorirenee1, Mar 25, 2019

I am on a constant quest for shoes that don't kill my feet due to the neuropathy. I find that Spencos and Wolky shoes seem the best. Are there any other suggestions? Shoes can be just crippling for me. Horrid.

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@marieltha
Is you Neuropathy in the painful state or are they numb?
Thanks,
Jake

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Actually I am not sure I have neuropathy. Drs kept saying spinal stenosis was causing pain and numbness. But then an MRI ordered by a nerve dr (when feet didn't respond as nerve issues) showed a torn anterior tibial tendon! So I had surgery to repair that and after 2 1/2 yrs, when the foot and lower leg seemed weak and there was pain in the toes and ball of foot, the new md (foot ortho surgeon specialist) ordered a spinal mri and nerve&muscle tests and prescribed foot, ankle, & lower leg PT. So far, the PT has led to much less pain and more strength. I haven't had his feedback yet about the spine and foot/leg tests (but I have briefly seen the nerve & muscle tests report and it doesn't mention neuropathy, but we'll see what the dr says). I think my foot was traumatized by the surgery and very hard custom orthotics worn in hard shoes (different dr's recs), because the longer I wear the Birkenstocks and the more PT I have, the more normal the foot feels and looks.

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@lorirenee1

Carol, Best of luck with the Spencos. I know QVC has slow delivery, but they will be there. A few things; do you take PEA? (Palmitoylethanolamide) It is a natural fatty acid for nerve pain. I just started it about a week ago, and it is supposed to take a month before you feel results. People have great results from it. I buy it on Amazon. I buy Ergomax, because there are no fillers in it. Research PEA. It was first used in the Netherlands for neuropathic pain. I learned things about the dosage, and you must always take it with a fat, so it will absorb. Also, do you do foot exercises? I think they are important. I do specific ones, regularly. Sometimes, not always, when I am in pain, I do my foot exercises, and the pain vanishes. The neuropathy is such a BITCH!!! Anyway, bye for now, and we will talk! Lori R.

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what foot exercises do you so?

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Update on trying Grand Attack zero drop wide toe box shoes:
I ordered the women's beige. Measured 8.5, but Amazon recommended 9, so I got the 9, particularly since I was hoping to add my footscientific OTC pronation (type 1) insoles and wear in the house, and to do many of my foot PT exercises at home. Glad I got the 9. But the tag on the shoe says they can be worn for swimming, and I need a wide water shoe, so I may end up using them in the saltwater pool (as is or with an inexpensive OTC arch support. Too soon to say. First impressions: Great cushioning; nice wide, stretchy toe area. I have high insteps and there's plenty of stretchy lacing and long velcro straps

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@marieltha

Update on trying Grand Attack zero drop wide toe box shoes:
I ordered the women's beige. Measured 8.5, but Amazon recommended 9, so I got the 9, particularly since I was hoping to add my footscientific OTC pronation (type 1) insoles and wear in the house, and to do many of my foot PT exercises at home. Glad I got the 9. But the tag on the shoe says they can be worn for swimming, and I need a wide water shoe, so I may end up using them in the saltwater pool (as is or with an inexpensive OTC arch support. Too soon to say. First impressions: Great cushioning; nice wide, stretchy toe area. I have high insteps and there's plenty of stretchy lacing and long velcro straps

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Thanks for the update @marieltha . I love the wide, roomy space for toes. I can walk with much better balance with these shoes. Best wishes! Mike

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I'm going to wear them gently around the house a bit before I decide just how I want to use them, and make sure the size is correct (love Amazon's easy UPS returns). The insole they come with is so springy/cushiony, but very thin, that I am trying them with both that and the thin footscientific, which feels good standing and walking on tile and wood floors. Later, I'm going to try them with just the insole they come with to do the exercises I can do barefoot (or with a shoe because of the arthritis). I think they're going to be perfect for the sitting and standing (holding on) balance board exercises.
You are right about how steady they make one feel. Great for balance.

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Zcoil and I like Columbia Hiking Boots my ankles rotate inward. Also, flight attendants wear Dansko shoes. I heard they are great. I worked for AA for 25 years. My mother wears them and she is not a flight attendant.

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@allegheny

Hi Mike I tried the Grand Attacks ladies shoes. Comfortable, however not enough support for my overpronation. I have Hokas, which work well, still on the search for the perfect shoe for balance issues.

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Have you looked at LEMS shoes? They have many different styles. I ordered a pair of the Primal 3 with laces because they seemed a lot like the wide toe box of the Grand Attack. The sole is a bit more firm, and I think they will be good for when I need a shoe that looks a bit dressier. Still good for balance .... for me, at least. http://www.lemsshoes.com
Best wishes! Mike

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Hi Mike, thank You for the info on Lems shoes. I have never heard of them. I will look into them.

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@marieltha

Thanks for this shoe recommendation. They offer women's and I am going to try them. I have recently started wearing Birkenstock Arizona sandals and my feet are much happier with the zero drop and the wide forefoot so the toes have room to act like toes and the foot is level on the ground. Excellent arch support. I got the soft footbed. Once broken in (about 2 to 3 weeks), these are very comfortable. But I also want a soft shoe that I can wear indoors sometimes, as my feet have a lot of arthritis and need some soft/cushion time, so I am glad to learn of the Grand Attack. They have a removable insole,I see, as I will need to switch that for my comfortable FootScientific arch supports. I got fitted for mine at my dr's, but Amazon sells these also. I am also going to go to a Fit2Run store and try on the Altra sneaker/athletic shoe with the Original shape, which is the wide forefoot shaped liked the human's foot. (They make narrower designs, too). These also have a zero drop. My dr also suggested I try a HOKA if I can find one with a wide enough toebox. So I will look at those as well. The longer I wear the Birkenstock's, though, the happier my feet are with a zero drop/near zero drop. PS For folks who asked for pics of the Grand Attack, the Amazon site offers lots of pics and the shoes come in several colors and sole colors. I will follow up after I get these.

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I’ve bought sneakers and shoes from Orthofeet.
Sometimes I send them back because they hurt my feet.
I have trouble finding footwear that don’t hurt me at the end of the day,or after wearing them for any length of time.
Very frustrating trying to find something to wear on my feet.
With orthofeet you can try them for 60 days.
My feet are numb, yet they hurt after wearing certain sneakers and slippers, go figure!

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