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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@mamma48

I bought the knockoff ones on Amazon. They help but my foot wobbles even barefoot. I don’t have pain, just loss of balance. Does anyone else have that problem?

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I am pain free in the shoes, but I still have a balance issue, that I am trying to address that through a excercise class.

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@marieltha

Thanks very much! I love the Hoka Bondi 8, but wish its toe box was stretchy. My crowded toes might like the Altra. Stores here (100 miles) stopped carrying them and I am reluctant to try another $$$ online. Thanks again.

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I’m buying and returning online much of the time. You have a whole year to return with Zappos and sixty days with Altra. Free returns. Absolutely no trouble with them. Just return in pristine condition.

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@bcool123

I have ordered bought and returned so many shoes including Orthofeet, Horkas, Skeetchers. When ordering toebox width is seldom available so I have to return another pair. Am currently wearing New Balance which I’ve worn for cpl years. My problem is I need WIDE toebox. Everything squeezes my bilateral PN and causes freezing/burning cold pain. I’ve even tried men’s hoping…but if they are wide enough then they are too big. Often just wear my Rock Dove slippers but rather not drive in them. Anybody know of WIDE toe box shoe that won’t break the bank? Appreciate suggestions.
Bcool123

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I hear you. I am you!! Currently I am trying out a new pair of Brooks Ghost.
What I do live in are Oofos sandals. I wear the sport ones that you can adjust. Unfortunately, they do make a shoe but the toe box is not wide enough for me. Also, I live Hawaii so I can get away with the sandals almost all year round. Not for the trails though and I do walk my dog on the trails. This has been an ongoing journey forever. However, it has been more difficult as I get older. I just put the Brooks Ghost on and they feel pretty good. You can wear them and return them which is cool. Good luck.

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@myhealthmatters

Bad neuropathy. Just got Hoka Bondi 8. Change was almost miraculous in how much better my feet feel.

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Crocs

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I can’t find any shoes that fit me feet
I think I need a wide shoe box
My neuropathy is killing my feet.
Any recommendations?

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@debcal2828

I can’t find any shoes that fit me feet
I think I need a wide shoe box
My neuropathy is killing my feet.
Any recommendations?

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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

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@annechan

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

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And FWIW...

... I sometimes find a shoe feels fine one day, terrible the next - hence the need for a long trial period.

...I'm still finding the NB 990s need more break- in and am increasingly turning to the Cliftons and Beasts.

...And I haven't even broached the topic of inserts, best save for another day and commentator!

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I have lymphedema in my legs and found that Hoka shoes so far are the ones that help me the most. There is one style that has a wide toe so your feet have enough room.

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@davect

I also have pain and numbness in my feet and gone through many pairs of shoes in the past couple years. A lot of orthopedic shoes are heavy and the weight made the numbness feel worse. I recently stumbled on Xero shoes (xeroshoes.com) which are very light and flexible and shaped in the form of your foot with a wide toe base. The heel is not elevated so it feels like walking barefoot. I also added an insole for padding but these have been the best for me so far.

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Have foun zero drop shoes very uncomfortable wih no heel Ivey keep saying they are recommended for Nerophathy suffers but any recommendations I’ve read says don’t go barefoot this is what zero drop shoes feel like to me I’m going to to try the orthotics they sent me with the barefoot brand I have tried so many shoes it’s ongoing I also have venous insufficiency that adds. To the discomfort of nerophathy I’m going to try Prp injections and oxygen treatment as well Will let everyone knows how it goes

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I have had neuropathy to a terrible extent. 70 years old and was taking 800 mg of Gabapentin three times a day. Now I take absolutely zero. And my neuropathy has completely disappeared after years of suffering and I understand exactly what you're going through. I eliminated mine completely by diet. I personally believe that today existing primary doctors lack a huge and I mean huge education of diet. And do I blame them for this and the way that they're taught and the way they conduct themselves with the knowledge that they have? Absolutely. I had no intention of going down this medical road but after five cranioplasties, two hip replacements and a 12-in rod in my left leg thanks to a raccoon, I changed my life by learning. The best thing people can do is learn how to read a CBC at the very least and take control of what's happening to your body and understand it. In some ways it amazes me that someone will buy it let's say a drone, spend days reading through 15 pages of instructions which have fonts the size of small picnic ants yet, they won't take the time and put together what your CBC will tell you. At 70 , after all I've been through and what I Now understand, I'm glad and very happy to say that I take zero medication and after everything that I've been through. I do not have a primary. Where do I get my prescriptions for my CBC with differential and CMP and toss in INR so I can see my meld and tossing in the occasion of CRP? From my podiatrist.

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