@paul14, My experience has been that exercise helps my neuropathy as long as I don't over do it. I recently went to a physical therapist for some help with new exercises to help with my balance and gait. I've also started wearing thin soled zero drop shoes which really have no padding but do protect the feet from objects. I do like that even with my feet being somewhat numb, I can feel the ground better when walking. Then again, none of the exercises I do are high impact where it can cause trauma to the feet. I also have a pair of OrthoFeet boots that have zippers in the back for easy on/off but I don't wear them much as they seem to make my balance worse with the spongy feeling.