It's a tough road for all of us, and though we share a common problem, each search for shoes must be tailored to individual needs. I also have MS, and I think in the past year I have tried every shoe on the market and learned some lessons. While seeking comfort for foot pain, I discovered that those trendy, heavily-cushioned shoes make me lose my balance and can cause additional pain. I also found that too high a stack (height at heel) and too little or too deep a foot drop (difference between heel and toe height) can cause pain and imbalance, too. Last, I find that the wider platform of men's shoes often accommodates my painful fallen arches more gently than does a women's shoe; I can't take too much sudden and harsh arch support because it hurts my arches incredibly.

At this writing, my walking finalists feature mildly corrective shoes with just reasonable cushioning, not too high a stack, and a drop of about 6.0-12.0 or so, including NB 990v6 after a long breaking in period, Hoka Clifton 9, and Brooks Beast (men/)Ariel (women). Skechers Archfit 2 is also on the list for rest periods - one of the few Skechers that doesn't have cushy memory foam and does offer some support. Naot Okahu is also very comfortable from the start, though I don't know about its support, and I am trying Brooks Walker Addiction 2, which is really, really stiff to begin. For stores, I rely mostly on Zappos, which has a 365-day return policy for shoes in pristine condition, with side trips to Amazon (30-day returns) and Dicks Sporting Goods (90-day returns for DSG members), and Fleet Feet (60-day returns for FF members). I find a long trial is necessary to get a realistic sense of the shoe. FleetFeet has a terrific scanning program that can get you started and offers knowledgeable salespersons and all the top brands, including Altra, which features a wide toe box, but 0-drop, which didn't set well with my foot. NB has a good scanning program, too, and I've found helpful salespersons in NB stores, too. As I said, each search must be tailored to the individual. Hope this helps. Good luck! - Rebecca