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

Posted by lorirenee1 @lorirenee1, Mar 25, 2019

I am on a constant quest for shoes that don't kill my feet due to the neuropathy. I find that Spencos and Wolky shoes seem the best. Are there any other suggestions? Shoes can be just crippling for me. Horrid.

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In a sense, I’m the odd man out in this thread. Please believe that I’m not being smug when I say that I have no footwear-related pain. (That’s not to say I won’t ever have pain. I’m realistic about that.) My search in footwear is – and has been for decades – strictly good stability. (Especially now that PN has messed with my balance!) I was fitted for my first pair of orthotics in my mid-40s (I’m 78 now). That was when orthotics was the new kid on the block. I’ve had to get new, better-fitting orthotics a dozen times over the years. My problem – or bunch of problems – is a gang-up of over-pronation, severely flat feet, one arthritic knee (the other is a TKR, which marked the end of my running days), and arthritic hip, and lordy knows what else. But thank god (for the moment, anyway), still no foot pain – at least none related to my PN, as best I can tell. I have ten tons of sympathy for those of us with PN-related foot pain. I wish in my decades-long quest for stability I’d come across some good – and potent! – suggestions for how to get relief from such foot pain. Sadly, I haven’t, but I wish all of us well in our daily and individual searches for relief. –Ray (@ray666)

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Skechers womens Summits Polka Dance. Help a lot with the drop foot, and with balance.

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Birkenstocks work best for me and believe it or not, the very hard sole Danskos also work well.

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I know this will sound weird but sandals help and tight shoes make it worse. Lucky for me I can wear sandals all year. I think letting the feet move around as much as possible helps, the more constrained they are the worse I feel.

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@bryce49

I have a pair of SAS extra wide sneakers. They are expensive but I have several pairs of Skechers that I can wear for a short time. With capsaicin .1% cream applied I can wear the SAS shoes most of a day. Their flipflops are also very comfortable. http://www.sasnola.com

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I too find SAS (San Antonio Shoes) comfortable and supporting my neuropathy. As a former educator on my feet a lot, they were my “go to” But now the pricing is becoming prohibitive!

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I love Sketchers but it’s getting harder to find ones that you tie. The slip/ons don’t work w my neuropathy.

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@ray666

My intent is to get back to regular outdoor walking. My partner and I had made a plan to get out once or twice a week for a good, long* (*moderately "long") outdoor walk. Among my few conditions for outdoor walking was the ground be smooth (no broken sidewalks) so that I don't fall into the habit of keeping my eyes glued to the ground but, with occasional snap-looks down to check for hazards, to enjoy the bigger world through which I'm walking. When my Skechers arrive, my partner and I intend to resume our outdoor walking plan.

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I need to get back to the outdoor walking. Summers are so hot and humid here in Georgia that outdoor anything, other than swimming, is difficult. We sometimes go and walk inside an indoor mall during the summer. But now that fall is arriving it will be more comfortable, and walking in nature is SO much more pleasant. I, too, like Skechers and have several pair, but I did buy wider ones after my neuropathy appeared and that helps to have more room in the toe box. I recently bought some HOKAs, Bondi 8, and those are nice. Then someone told me about Oofos... and I bought a pair of their slides, and I think they are THE most comfortable shoes I have come across. Happy walking! Mike 🙂

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I love my Hoka Bondi tennis shoes - they have wide widths, and the Biondi model puts weight on my heels instead of my toes when I walk or work out. As far as open shoes, I do like Taos - sandals. It has a formed bottom like a Birkenstock. At first, I thought it would be too hard, but your foot or the sole of the shoe conforms to your foot. Unlike the persons' previous comments, I did NOT like OOFAS, they made my feet sweat. I tried the slides and flip-flops.

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I have neuropathy and had plantar fasciitis. Oofos slides absolutely cured my PF. However, now I only wear Oofos closed toe because the toe of the slides folded under and made me fall. I think that is a problem related to my increasingly poor gait as I age. I tend to drag my feet. I am trying to be mindful to correct this. Anyway, the Oofos closed toe are incredibly comfortable, the toes don’t fold under, and I won’t wear anything else. However , they are pricey, though they do have ongoing sales. The best selection and prices is at their online store. It takes about 6 days to get them that way. Amazon seems to price randomly, sometimes charging the same as the store but sometimes charging TWICE as much. So look at both before buying on Amazon for sure!

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For something dressier I use Sketchers Ballet type flats. Otherwise croc type shoes. They don't press down on the top of my feet.

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