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

I’d give them a little more time. One thing that helps me is PT. A pretty rigorous workout for balance & strength & what’s really funny is most of the therapists are wearing barefoot shoes.

Hi, John

I'm still shopping for some zero drop or barefoot shoes. Curiosity has got the better of me. I noticed that you wrote way back in Oct. 2023: "I'm about 8 or so months into using zero drop shoes. You can use orthotic inserts in the shoes … " I, too, would like tobe able to use my orthotics, but I'm game to try zero drop even without my inserts. Would it be okay to ask what brand and model? And are you still enthusiasic about these shoes? As you probably can tell, I'm ready to buy. 🙂

Ray

Hi Ray, The first pair of Xero shoes that I bought were their Denver boots and I wore them in the winter when doing snow removal around the yard and driveway. I now put OrthoFeet insoles in them for a little more cushion. The second winter I upgraded and bought a pair of their Alpine boots which are insulated a little better but made of waterproof canvas. I also use insoles in the Alpine boots but I just bought a Dr. Scholls insole which was a little less expensive than the OrthoFeet insoles. I also have their Glenn shoes which look like a standard shoe and I still have the standard insole in them but don't wear them often anymore. What drives me to wear shoes is easy on, easy off so I'm a sucker for hands free shoes which they don't make. My biggest gripe with their shoes is I hate tying shoe laces so I've replace all of the shoe laces with the laces that have a little tab that you hold while you pull the laces tight and then you lock it and put the extra into one of the laces on the shoe.

Denver boots - https://xeroshoes.com/shop/boots/denver-leather/
Alpine boots (on clearance for winter) - https://xeroshoes.com/shop/boots/alpine-men-clearance/
Glenn shoes - https://xeroshoes.com/shop/shoes/glenn/?attribute_pa_style=black

I'm sold on wearing the Xero shoes boots for the winter but the summer I change out shoes depending if I know I have to do some yardwork or if I'm going somewhere and have to do a little walking. In that case I also have a pair of Birchbury Bramfords that the insoles come out and can be replaced. They are a little more dressier and are slip ons - https://birchbury.com/pages/bramford. I always go back to my more cushier Orthofeet shoes if I have to walk any distance like for my Mayo Clinic appointments downtown Rochester.

If you are looking at the Xero shoes I would focus on the ones on the clearance page as they are almost half price - https://xeroshoes.com/clearance-mens/

Thank you, John!!! I'd say more that just "Thank you!!!" for your super detail reply to my question but my partner is tapping her feet: my Time to Eat! alert. 🙂 I'll research these shoes tomorrow and most likely order a pair; then follow-up for the benefit of others with my brand of PN who might be curious about zero drop shoes. Enjoy your Saturday evening, John! –Ray

Hello, fellow Hunters of the Perfect Shoe!

You may have noticed my recent posts regarding zero drop and barefoot shoes. I've never worn either, but I've heard so much about them, here on Connect and elsewhere, that for the longest time I've wanted to try one, or the other, or both. Because any pair I might purchase would be in the nature of an "experiment," I was determined not to pay top-dollar. A few hours ago, I purchased a pair of Sperry Stripers* (*that's Stripers, with one p as in bagpipers, not two pp's as in stripper). I should be receiving my new zero drop shoes by mi-week.

I'm 80. My PN is C.I.A.P., or chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy. It's large-fiber, so, although I have no pain, I do have lots of challenging balance issues. A consideration all of my adult life when it comes to buying shoes are orthotics. A long-distance runner (not recently, mind you 🙂 ) whose feet are as flat can be, I was first fitted for orthotics way, way back in the 1980s; I've worn orthotics ever since, making it essential that any new shoes I buy accommodate orthotics (out with the manufacturer's insoles!). It's highly likely that my new Sperry pair will not take my orthotics. It's a gamble I'm willing to take, that's how eager I am to find out what zero balance shoes are all about.

I tell you all this to say that in the coming days as I go about in my new Sperry shoes I'll post every now and then to let others who, like me, are curious about zero balance and barefoot shoes.

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

@ray666
Can you put hard orthotics in barefoot shoes or would they defeat the purpose of that type of shoe.
Jake

@itsmeagain
My feet are ok while wearing shoes, although with my CIDP I can’t walk very far.
My problem is that when I’m in bed my feet feel as though they are in shoes-very tight ones.
Anyone else?

That’s a good description of how mine feel

Hi, @itsmeagain

That's an excellent way of underscoring how each PN suffers array of symptoms is almost always unique (" … in bed my feet feel as though they are in shoes-very tight ones"). When I'm in bed, my feet feel fine, "normal," you could can. My chief problem when it comes to walking about (and what shoes might be of help) are my knees: too often when I'm walking my knees feel like they have the rigidity of playdough, all wishy-washy, ready to send me tumbling in most any direction at any moment.

Ray (@ray666)

Hi, Jake (@jakedduck1)

Orthotics in barefoot shoes? I've the same question. I've heard yes and no, depends on the shoe. I'm just going to wait and see when my new zero drop shoes arrive if I'm able to insert my orthotics. I'd like toe able to, but if I can't, I'll give the shoes a fair trial anyway. If you're like me, after decades of wear, good orthotics and happy joints go hand in hand. I'll keep you posted!

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)