Hi can anyone recommend some good shoes? Do they all have to be so ugly?I already feel like a pig, nothing fits, at least shoes used to be a nice treat. Does everyone who has RA gain weight? Sorry, guess I'm kinda blue today.
AWWW sorry you're blue Lil Sister but welcome! We'll all try and make you feel better
I loooovvveee shoes. My feet don't give too much trouble but a lot of people here have terrible feet probs. I've heard some good shoes are Crocs, Earth Shoes, Doc Martins, and I can't think of anymore but I'm sure you will get more helpful replies. Good luckShoes, well if you are used to wearing high pretty ones...I don't know...I haven't worn them for ten years due to RA. I wear those plastic clogs with all the holes in them...you probably call them something else over there, because they slip on and in the winter here I can wear socks with them and slip them on so no bending and trying to get them on drama. And these fit when my feet are swollen too. At least they come in all different colours
Hi Lil Sis.... I work in a law firm and the two things I am addicted to are clothes and SHOES. I had like a ton. But sadly the RA has attacked my toes and the balls of my feet
Good luck and hang in there ( I still kept a couple pairs of heels just in case)
Connie
Hi Lil Sis. I feel your pain. I mostly have trouble with the bottoms of my feet so I have to wear shoes that won't bend. I spent too many years wearing flip-flops and walking barefoot. I finally broke down and bought Crocs and now have several pair including the sandals. Crocs are the most comfortable for me but I don't like how they look. I think they are gaining in popularity and in Oregon they actually have Croc stores filled with nothing but Crocs. I've rebelled in the last few weeks and started wearing better looking shoes when I go out, if I'm not going to be doing much walking. But I always come home and put the Crocs back on immediately.Yeah, I think we all feel pretty much the same on this one. I used to love wearing very high heels, and cute, sexy shoes. It just isn't worth the pain now.
I like Crocs a lot. I also like to use gel inserts that are designed for the area under the ball of my foot. They help a bit. I have found I can't wear shoes that are completely flat, because then I get my heel spurs acting up. Low clogs or mules are the most comfy, but they sure don't look great with skirts and dresses.
I have purchased a couple of pairs of dress shoes that have a lot of padding and somewhat of a platform sole. But I can only wear them for short periods of time before my dogs are barking. If we could invent a pair of cute heels that are comfy for bad feet, we could make a fortune!
I like this website: www.endless.com and have found some comfy casual shoes there. I'm cheap, so I always shop the clearance shoes.
Good luck, hope you find shoes that work for you!
I bought crocs and threw them away withion a month. They had no support and hurt, AND literally sucked all moisture out of my feet so they ended up all scaly and peeling.
I got a cheap pair of velcro sneakers at walmart and my feet felt much better.
Still I want something really comfy because the balls of my feet and the very base of my toes hurt terribly.
Look into Merrells and Ecco. They are not heels, but they do have some nice looking shoes that are extrememly comfortable and good for your feet/knees/hips/back.....
Hi Lil Sis
Sorry to hear your feet are bad. I know exactly what you mean about having to wear ugly things on your feet - or if not ugly then much too practical and not enough attractive!
I concur with Moana on the Dr. Marten's shoes. These are casual and look great worn with jeans or trousers/slacks - very cool! I too love shoes and had slim feet (well, one foot is still slim whilst the other is very chubby due to the RA going mad in one ankle and crazy under the other foot!!). I am going to try the CROCs too - the bright plastic ones that Miles2 and Cordelia recommend as they can be either a clog with open back or a sling back, depending where you place the strap. Hot Pink CROCs with black jeans would look trendy to say the least! Of course they do more sober colours. I've even seen ones with fun fur round them like a little ankle bootee!
Back to the Dr. Marten's. I recently searched and tried on all sorts of shoes - mainly casuals and not so attractive things in the hope I could buy anything that I could get on/walk in, as my feet can be so bad as the arthritis fluctuates in swelling and pain. I found a lovely pair of Dr Marten's black buckle and strap shoes in a shop near me called Schuh - the shoes are mainly enclosed but with an open piece on top of the foot so they are not too restricting. They are as comfy as my "Frankenstein's Monster" boots (my orthopedic shoes with custom-insoles!) and actually fit better. The style of Dr Marten's I got were called "Stephanie Mary Jane". They have great heel/underfoot support and what's more they didn't cause a blister or rub from the first time I wore them. Dr Marten's tend to be more casual, so I am not sure if they have any shoes than could be deemed "elegant" but I did see many very nice styles of casual when I recently bought mine. In fact I am going to have a look at the website once I leave here! As you can gather I love my Docs, so to speak! I am going to look at Earth Shoes too, as I see you ladies are recommending them.
I did recommend a mail order company called Cosifeet to Anna in the UK but they are casuals and for wearing with jeans and the emphasis on the orthotics, etc. I don't know if the USA has "Clarks" shoe shop as they have many excellent styles of shoes - just haven't seen anything that was right for me there the past season but have had lots of their shoes (comfy and elegant ones too!). They tend to have good underfoot support.
I think you are in the USA, Lil Sis? .. and as I am in the UK unless the Clarks shoe brand is International it's not going to be of much help, I guess. (Please pardon my ignorance if Clarks is an American company!).
Keep smiling Lil Sis and you will find some shoes.
Take Care
Joolie
I have lots of favorites, they are just more expensive now, lol. For dressy heels, I wear Aerosoles. When I dress up in pants, I wear Dansko clogs (they have about a 2-3" heel, but sooo comfy). When I am just hangin' around the house, I wear crocs, birkenstocks, and doc martens.As for advice from a guy, a pair of doc martins always feels comfortable for me. I also buy very padded sneakers that are one size too big to make room for those swollen days.