Hello @thomaslink, welcome to Connect. I also have small fiber PN but only have numbness. Shoes can make a difference if you find the right ones. There is another discussion which will give your post more visibility and you can meet other members with neuropathy who share your symptoms and have issues finding shoes that help them. I'm tagging our moderator @ethanmcconkey to see if we can move your post to the following discussion:

> Groups > Neuropathy > Does anyone find that a brand of shoes helps your foot neuropathy?
-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/does-anyone-find-that-a-brand-of-shoes-helps-your-foot-neuropathy/

I've found that Sketcher's relaxed fit shoes work fairly well for me. I also found some really comfy, stretchy, easy on/off bamboo thread socks that helped with my feet. I also wear soft socks at night specifically because I don't always feel what I step on and have more than once injured my foot without knowing it by stepping on something accidentally during the night if I have to make a bathroom trip.

@thomaslink are you able to share what the biggest problem is that you have with shoes? Is it the tightness? I've also tried several types of Crocs which I sometimes wear around the house because they have a lot of room in the toe area and are fairly wide.

Thanks for your input John. Having shoes on at all ( I usually don't even tie them ) is a problem. Even having socks on is an issue although not as bad. If I wear shoes for just a few hours my feet hurt badly. I have found that the only thing that helps is icing them down. I have a pair of Sketcher's relaxed fit air cooled that are probably the best but putting anything on my feet is a problem. It's mostly the bottom of my feet. They feel raw and sore but look normal. I saw someone suggest their podiatrist had some sample shoes and am going to look at that as I am going to a podiatrist soon. I have only seen my PCP so far.

Thomas, I wish I had happy input about shoes, but I do not. Shoes are intensely bad for me, as well. I can change shoes easily 6 times in the morning, to find a shoe that does not kill. And ones that kill at one time, feels ok the next time. In the house, I found giant men's socks that I wear a lot, because they don't rub on anything. I hate to see you have to quite a job you need. This might sound like a crazy question, but are you able to tell a boss at work about your problem? Could you be barefoot at work, hiding feet under a desk? Could you wear a very loose sock and walk around at work? Do even very loose socks kill you? My feet feel very weird barefoot as well. Bad sensations, but better than the excruciating pain from a shoe. I keep MANY pairs of shoes in my car, because one does not last on my foot for maybe 2 hours at best. I have bought so many pairs of shoes, that it is ludicrous. It is like a quest, but there really is no answer. I should have saved my money. Anyway, I feel for you. I really do. No one understands better than a person with the same problem. Regards, Lori Renee