I have heard some on here say shoes hurt their feet, and they don’t even want socks on. I sound more like you. I cannot walk comfortably barefoot around the house; for times I don’t wear shoes, I must have good socks with extra padding in the right places to make walking comfortable without shoes (my pick is a Thorlo style, others on here have socks that work for them). These socks also help me when my PN has my feet feeling extra cold; I wear socks to bed because I need them in to go the the bathroom at night. I have a chair close to my shower so my steps without socks are minimal. Many here have found wonderful slippers that work for them. Once I’m dressed in the morning, I tend to keep my shoes on all day. When I go to the pool for exercise, walking on the deck and even on the pool bottom hurt, so I have water shoes to help with that. And yes, it’s also common for me to have to stand a little when I first get up (for at least 5 secs) to make sure I’m good with balance before I start taking steps.
Speaking of shoes, since walking without them doesn’t work well for me, they must be extra cushioned for me with support in the right places, which includes wearing a good sock with them. My shoe of choice is a Skechers relaxed fit (I can’t do shoestrings well, so these slip-ons are great) For me, I can’t have different style shoes, as my brain and legs don’t agree much on changing my step patterns, and I’m comfortable with what I’ve found that allows me to walk without feeling it’s a chore. My goal for this spring is to find a Skechers sandal with the same foot support as my shoe so it might look more fashionable with my summer attire, but that’s the least of my worries 😊. I’m thankful I found shoes that made me able to walk comfortably, and I try to minimize my shoeless walking around the house. You’ve probably tried different shoes and socks, I’m just relating what worked for me. When I happened to buy a pair of Skechers a few years ago, it was like getting a new pair of glasses and realizing you can see again - walking didn’t hurt my feet!! My Neurologist had told me it was all a normal adjustment I had to make with my PN, but I think I would have eventually gone to a podiatrist on my own if my discomfort had continued. Wishing you the best!