'Beauty IS as beauty DOES'! IF, unless, you are in a 'coctail dress' situation? Wear comfy whatever works for YOU!. Tell folks you have a rare foot condition, and just leave it at that. Sort of like someone wearing a 'soft-cast' at any event. Only? Yours is going to be longer term.
In all honesty? Many are going to be sort of 'envious' that you can wear comfy footwear when they can't!
When I wear sandals, that don't put pressure on my fussy toes? I try and wear socks that are also comfy, and blend in with the footwear. Less noticable that.
As for finding perfect footwear? It's a BIG hit or miss for many of us! When you try them on in a store? That doesn't really tell you IF you can LIVE WITH THEM! I've donated lot's of lost leaders to the charities over the last few years.
Good luck and keep searching! !'s - j

Very very true. Thanks for that much needed reminder!

I do have to find a solution for winter, because, as I said, -25 degree weather will not work with holes in my shoes, even with socks on. But at this point, I can't even get a regular shoe on--and there are no stores around here that have extra extra wide shoes--so I have no idea what I will do. Guess I'll have to keep searching.

The athletic shoe I can wear is the Brooks Addiction. I got a double wide and there is lots of room for feet. Plus I need the motion control and support. I wear orthotics with mine. Its a hard job to find the right shoes.

Karli

I wear my sandals! I get VERY Grumpy in toe covered things. VERY GRUMPY!
IF feet get wet? They dry. If feet get not too cold? They warm up. I am not going to expose myself to pain in the toes if I don't need it. Ergo. It's all in the timing? Except for last year - THAT was an exception to everything.
Soo, ya either lie or obfuscate about your 'choice' of footwear! WHO really should care? Only time it'd be an issue if'n you were a top of the line MODEL! IF that's the case? I'll betcha, there are a hundred ladies here looking for 'socially accepable shoes' and will likely find you some!
Otherwise? Frumpy is OK by me! Yer feet hurt? So, you are in comfy shoes! Ergo, you aren't distracted, thus smarter because your feet don't hurt! IF I were in business? I'd do business w/ you any time! Because I know your feet at least are happy... the rest is 'other business'.
Happier feet and soon! 's!!! - j

I have seen Crocs with a lining on their web site. I do remember -25 couldn't do it now! I wear Birkenstocks year round, they have roomy toes, arch suppot, variety of styles. I think they have a web site?

That's what I've heard (about the crocs), but the back (heel) is still uncovered, and we get 3-4 feet of snow frequently (and often we get even more than that), so I can't have anything that is opened... my socks would get wet and cause issues. I can't wear anything with an arch.. I have flat feet and have read that with PN, avoid the arch if you don't have one. I went to the hospital today for a bone scan, and the ladies were talking about boots that look like/are made from sweater material.. I don't know if I would be able to use those or not, but I'm going to check it out.

I don't know what kind of hiking you do but I highly recommend you hike. I has been a real life saver for me and I have pretty bad PN too.

These are the best selling highest rated boots out there. Really comfortable right out of the box. Believe me I have tried tons and always come back to these. I snowshoe in them as well and they hold up pretty well for how comfortable they are. Not the toughest out there but we don't have the feet for them anyway.
http://www.sportsauthority.com/famil...goryId=2962984

As for shoe I wear NB 927's. I buy them in a 6E and one size to big. I pretty much use them as a slip on because I can not wear shoes for more then 5 minutes unless I'm keeping my mind plenty busy. I put orthodics in them as well.
http://www.shoebuy.com/new-balance-ww927/307095/656362

Shoe's remain one of my biggest frustrations!!!!!!!!! I'm sitting here at work right now with no shoes on, when I get up to go the copier etc. I slip into my huge, way over sized NB's.

I don't know if anyone else has experience this but once my feet get us to one shoe I can switch. It's like my PN has memory. I can get more out of the day only by switching shoes if they are the same kind. I have 4 sets of NB 927's. I'm at present trying to get my feet to except Crocks. I've been working on it for 2 years and it's getting much better. I can walk around the house for a few minutes now.

I wear NB's & Dr Scholl's, similar styles-Velcro Walkers. They look almost identical. But I bought a pair of Dr Scholl's that look like moccasin type Timberland boat/sailing shoes. When I sailed (before PN). I used to wear nothing but those Timberland moccasin type boat shoes when off work.
I'm finding that I am slowly getting used to these 'boat' shoes (and ' breaking them in', as well) and feel really good about the old 'look' again. I can now wear these shoes as casuals with slacks & crew socks out for dinner, or going to the mall wearing cargo shorts. sometimes with 'shorty socks' (the type for tennis or athletic shoes) but I'm working on wearing them with no socks. I can go for about 1-2 hours in them, now.

I usually wear crocs, I have a pair with the liner, very comfortable, but they only sell them in the fall/winter in that style around here. I have a regular pair without the liner, but I find I have to wear thick wool socks with them or they make my feet sore.

I also use New Balance 882 - Nice and wide with a big toe box so nothing is rubbing my feet.

K-Mart has come out with tennis shoe, also in mary jane style that is called the Rocker. I bought the MJ's to wear this winter, still can't wear a lace up tenny! Anyway, sent my daughter down there to get a pair for her work and she runs into a lady that is there getting her third pair in different colors. Her ortho has said its the best shoe out there in the new rocker style and they only cost 19.99, so she is stocking up, maybe before the word gets out. My daughter says no burning legs at work yesterday like she usually has, so it works for her, i figure 20 degrees cooler and I can wear mine all day! Hope its not just another shoe that gets to take up space in my closet....