no pretty shoes if bad feet | Arthritis Information
This is in response to Aleva's reply on Dachie's post where she mentions that she misses wearing pretty shoes. Having bad feet is just awful... I know about that firsthand-or foot.
I always wear my heavy sneakers for support and have orthotics inside. Even so, I use a cane so my feet pain doesn't make me step wrong, causing me to fall. It's mostly a reminder for me to pay attention; I just hold onto walls at home. The other day I fell in the kitchen and my husband yelled out "what happened, are you alright?" I told him I was on the floor but didn't think I broke anything. He yelled out that he couldn't believe my timing, he was on the toilet, could I wait a minute? He came soon, helped me and we ended up laughing and laughing.... (what else could we do?)
Back to the shoes... I do go to church but always wear pants... a nicer outfit like slacks with a classic blazer jacket, nice blouse, earrings. I sure miss dresses and cute shoes. In summer, for weddings, I do have a pair of nearly flat white sandals that I use for the photo session, then my whitest sneakers are back on, no matter how goofy they look. I hate looking like a grandma (of the far-past) with clunky shoes; I'm not even grey-haired yet.
Next week there's a special event I've been invited to attend so besides loading up on painkillers and antidiarrheal meds, I'll put on my sturdy shoes with my nicest pant outfit. I and the other Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners on our county's sexual assault response team (SART) are being honored by the DA's office for Crime Victims' Week. One of my poor patients, a young mother kidnapped with her toddler at a grocery store parking lot and then tied up, raped, stabbed and utterly terrified for her child, will be a speaker. Although she nearly died, she survived the attack and we both survived the awful ordeal of trial testifying (worst part of my job) and now, 2years later, she's a speaker-- she's still brave! Feb '08, she was my very-last patient in my 40year nursing career before I stopped for medical reasons (SSD since Jan). I was reminded every workday that although having medical challenges can be daunting and life-altering, at least another person didn't cause my bodily harm. I may not trust my own body, but I am not terrified of other people.
Here's a suggestion about shoes.... try to have them in different colors that may blend-in a little better. For special occasions, I have a rarely used, very white, New Balance pair and a very black Z-coil pair. Next week, my black shoes won't be too noticeable under my black slacks. Luckily, since it's a luncheon, I'll be sitting at a table, so unless they force me to go up to receive an award, few will notice my clunky shoes. I doubt I'll have my stage-fright challenged on stage as I was just one of the 8 nurses, not a manager of the team.
So, that's all I wanted to say on the sad subject of shoes.
I wear my tennies 99% of the time. Everytime I get dressed up for a social occasion it's like learning how to walk in heels again.
Just for a laugh, check out these photos:
My PT and Rd both highly reccommend Asics for sneakers.
I use to wear Danskos for work, but two broken ankles in the past year of ended that.
Right now I live in Keens. They are expensive, but so incredbily comfortable. They have a very wide toe area. I get tons of inflammation at the big toe joint so I need lots of room there.
No heels...but I'm 5'10" so that's ok...
Sam... wow, those girls are in for a whole world of feet problems and will make podiatrists rich. I kinda liked the ones that are a flower vase.
Rebecca... you're up early, bad night? I got tired of being up and down and just decided to stay up and distract myself. I just organized my file drawer where I keep all receipts for the current year taxes so it's really easy to gather at tax time the next Feb. I've got files for incomes and expenses, all labelled so clearly. Organizing relaxes me and I'm actually feeling like after some warmed cereal, I will be able to get some sleep. I'll still have to get up in time for my mid-morning annual mammogram. I hope you can rest when the kids go to school like I did when I worked night shift as my daughters grew up.
I'm going to look up the shoes you've recommended. Both my feet need help for severe plantar fascitis+bone spurs, big toe joint arthritis, and achilles heel tendonitis+bone spurs. Apparently I require a good snug fit in heel though if too much it kills my ankles, then there's the big toe issue... it's a challenge for sure.
Ok, after my new post I planned on adding and my cereal, I'm going back to bed. Good luck to you with that too, Rebecca!
Rebecca! I'm 5'10 too!
I like the sandals @ Keen.... look like some Sketcher ones I have.....
They are expensive but so worth it.
Danskos are good for bad feet. I just have such awful ankles that I can't handle the slight heel. I ended up giving them to my sister--sad sad...
Oh...the other shoes I live in are my Sperrys. Can't go the cheep route, the real ones feel comfortable. In the winter I wore my Emu boots. They are just like Uggs but have more support.
rocckyd2010-04-13 07:56:33I've had good luck with Europros, if you can find a nice style. Most of them are sandals, but in the fall I found a pair that look like low cut boots, got black and brown pairs, and wore them all winter. I have good luck with most Skechers too. Will have to check out Keen and Dansko next!
What about Clark? Are they all that?
CathyMarie: That made me laugh out loud! "He yelled out that he couldn't believe my timing, he was on the toilet, could I wait a minute? He came soon, helped me and we ended up laughing and laughing.... (what else could we do?) " I had the funniest picture in my head!
I remember posting something on here a long while back asking about what type of shoes everyone wore...lots of good info there if anyones looking for more ideas.
I'm finding for me, the most comfortable shoes I've found (and i've really been looking) are Saucony tennis shoes. They arent the most stylish but very cushioned . When my feet are really really soar/swollen and you have those lumps on your feet ( I get them on the underside of the top of my foot pad area) those work the best. I just bought a pair of sketchers DiLite shoes to try out. 3rd day now...they are comfy,and work ok but not as comfy as my sauconys. They are very, very light though which is really nice, so they arent heavy on your feet, and they are pretty cushioned. They are pretty cute too for tennis shoes. Dress shoes are always hard...I know if I really want to dress up , I have a pair of aerosoles. They are comfy, but you can feel the ground a little more than with tennis shoes, so i know the next day my feet will be more sore from wearing them.
It stinks we cant wear those beautiful high heeled shoes!! The ones Sam1234 found on that website are just hillarious...especially that second picture! Sometimes I look at the heels women wear and just shake my head, wondering what they are thinking! LOL
Roccyd and Babs: I'm 5'9" too and husband is 5'9" so gives me another reason not to have to wear anything with heels or I'll be hovering over him! LOL
Great replies.
Thanks Snow for the congrats. It was a very hard job and I know I did it well so it's nice to be recognized. Highly trained Nurse Examiners have increased the DAs success in getting the bad guys found guilty. We speak to juries in normal language and they always like us nurses, especially since we have the extra education and training and have compassion.
I forgot about my Saucony shoes, yes they are great too. I'll have to look into the others, but sandals don't work due to poor heel support.
About high-heels.... I wish I could wear them again when dressed up; I'm only 5'2"! My younger daughter (Korean)(29) is only 5' and wears everything from high-heels (the reasonable kinds) to flip-flops. Her boyfriend, naturally, is at least 6'. Why does this seem to happen so much?
OK, here's a funny shoe story that happened in church. After Mass, the high schoolers preparing for their Confirmation ceremony were asked to stay for last minute instructions before the next week's big day. I was my niece's sponsor so I was there too. When telling what clothes are considered inappropriate before a bishop, the teacher(my age) told the girls no strapless or even spagetti straps dresses, no midriffs showing, and no thongs. One of the boys behind me whispered to his friend, "how will anybody know that?" I had to hold my breath to not laugh. The woman apparently was out of touch and didn't realize kids don't say thongs for flip-flops anymore, only for those skimpy panties!
Ah yes, a few times I got some strange looks when I said out loud that I wished I had my thongs on. I was just whining to DH yesterday about not having shoes to wear! I have a really big, wide foot and it is next to impossible to find a fashionable, comfortable women's shoe! In casuals, like athletic shoes, I get a men's shoe so I can get it wide enough. I have a pair of Merrell's and a pair of Keen's in a men's that looked fine with jeans or even dark slacks.
Sometimes, I wish I could just go out barefoot, but ewwwww! I don't even look at *cute* shoes anymore!
Cathy, that story about the thong cracked me up!
I have one pair of shoes. They are Drew Bloom II Mary Janes. I have hammer toes, an enlarged big toe, a protrusion on the arch of my left foot and my left foot pronates. I do have orthotics that work very well with these shoes. They are very comfortable and can pass for dress shoes. I only wear pants so they aren't so noticeable. They can be worn with skirts. I also have arthritis in my feet. I bought a pair of Sketchers Mary Janes but they made my foot turn in even more so I was walking on the side of my foot. Because my feet are so ugly I wear socks all the time. I would love to find a closed toe sandal with good support that I could wear sockless for the summer. It sounds like those of us with foot problems have a lot of company.
CathyMarie, my belated congratulations upon your award ... ashamed to admit that I skimmed through reading only the commiserations about painful feet and shoes and missed the best part. It sounds like a fascinating career and you sound like a wonderful person overall, I'm glad that you started this thread. I work in law (paralegal) and the legal/medical/nursing mix sounds like music to my ears. Although I'm sure you saw much heartbreak, too.
I have my birkenstock clogs in many colors. They feel great on my feet. Will have to find a Keen dealer and check them out as I've seen them -- but don't know if they'll fit my long wide foot. They look comfy and neat on the foot. I do love my Birks!
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