Another footwear question

Posted by ajh5285 @ajh5285, Aug 14, 2023

Not sure the best place to post this question, but since my problem started after chemotherapy (gemcitabine-abraxane) for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas) I'll start with this group.

Since the end of my Chemo treatments I have variable swelling of my feet and shins, and have spent a lot of time, effort, and money trying to find footwear that I can count on.

The current issue is that I have a couple of pairs of shoes (flats) that are just right EXCEPT that the heels slip. I have tried a variety of solutions none of which seems to be right.
I think that if I could find a pair of socks that would stay put around my heel that would solve the problem.
So far nothing has worked out. What looks "on paper" like a heel sock seems to be available only as a compression sock. After multiple tries I have been forced to conclude that anything applying compression to my feet, ankles or shins is simply too painful for me to tolerate now. When I was young and healthy I found support pantyhose quite helpful when needing to stand for hours around a surgical table.

Has anyone found any solutions that keep shoes from slipping when the heels are too loose? So far, I've tried some stick-on pads that go inside the heel of the shoe, and a couple of variations on heel-cup inserts.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Pancreatic Cancer Support Group.

Not sure if it would work, but a lot of running shoes have a loop on the end to help pull the shoe over the heel. Maybe some extra-long shoelaces could be wrapped through that loop and then tied back at the tongue, so it always pulls the heel of the shoe forward...

If there's no way to secure something to the outside back of the shoe, then maybe something sticky inside it. Perhaps the non-slip socks you get at the hospital (if the grippy stuff extends up the heel), or maybe some double-back tape if you can secure it to your skin (or a compression sock) without irritation.

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I use Dr. Scholls mens diabetic socks. (Better deal than womens' 🙂 and the softsfeel shoes available on Amazon for $34.99 seem to work well. I have/had thin heels before the same chemo mix. I am now going tomorrow for my 35th treatment with them and I have been having issues with swollen toes, feet, ankles, and legs. As you described so well the idea of compression socks doesn't work for me either! I have like 4 sections where the compression socks indent my legs. I too used to wear compression hose as a nurse. I also have arm edema & breast edema & probably many other areas that are not so easily found. I too have metastatic adenocarcinoma of my pancreas.

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Oh no, I am so sorry to hear about your different cancers. I also appreciate your confirmation of the difficulty of tolerating wearing what is universally recommended (compression) when the involved tissues are already so damaged

Thank you also for the footwear suggestions. I am so tired of looking, although grateful that I have the $ resources to experiment, as well as a home for the shoes that don't work; I hate to ask my husband to take on yet another task on my behalf (returning them for shipment back to the vendor) since he is already taking on so much.

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Forty years ago (!) I sold shoes for two years, and we avoided pads that attach to the heel -- they push the foot forward.

What works generally (and apologies if this doesn't work for you, given your current challenges) is to insert a half-insole (the front half) under the sock lining of the shoe (that's the thin leather or synthetic lining that your foot rest on when it's shod). Shoe stores used to have these in stock, but you can also cut down an ordinary insole.

This pushes the entire foot back such that your heel should fit snugly at the back of the shoe. Please note, though, that if the shoe has a low toe-box, then the added thickness of the half-insole could cause discomfort (pressure) along the tops of your toes.

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Thanks for the suggestion. I'm generally going for wide &/or roomy toe boxes to accommodate my hammer toes (one on each foot) so it might work!

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