[HeyJoe]

Daniella mentioned in another thread that her shoe size has gone up. Mine has gone from an 11 1/2 E to a 12EEEE. I was wondering how common this is amongst PN sufferers.

[paty91356]

Hey Joe...you're lucky!

My shoe sizes have increased about the same (a bit smaller in women's sizes) as yours....one of my ideas has been to wear the box, and throw away the shoes!

The "shoes" I do wear could hardly be called "shoes"...may I never meet anyone important at an event and have them look down at my shoes...as a gal, it used to be sexy sandals and high heel pumps....now it's Crocks Rx in several different colors, and (during the summer) sandals with velcro closures...can you even imagine anything sexier?

Cheers to all of us whose who sizes have gone up at least 2 sizes...maybe we should have a contest who has the largest/widest shoe size? (Gawd, I hate my feet!)
Paty:
holysheep:

[LizaJane]

I've discovered that I have to replace several pairs of favorite shoes/boots because I'm no longer a 7 1/2, 8, or 8 1/2. Yup, I'm a 9. Granted, if women's shoes were made in widths, I might be an 8 EE, but since all shoes are B, I have to get a 9 to be wide enough.

[Wing42]

From 10 1/2 D to 11 EEEE (and those are often too narrow). That happens with aging in general, but I think it affects people with PN more because of loss of muscle tone which allows spreading.

[shiney sue]

I always remember being a lovely really very pretty size 7,but my Mother
a tall woman the one with 300 shoes,wore a size 10...Well now my feet
can on there own decide to be a size 9 or sometimes 10.

I'm glad,very glad and thank you Hey Joe...When any of you sit in a chair
and ahhh put your feet up,do your ankles fall over to the outside or to
the right. Where it is almost impossibe to straighten them up...Do your ankles even do that when you lay on your back in bed. Does it hurt, is
it hard to get your feet in shoes ect. Thanks for any response.
And once again thanks Joe....Hugs to you all....Sue

[Silverlady]

I was one of those people with 50+ pairs of shoes and always looking for more. I'm wearing a 10 1/2 or 11 instead of the 9, 9 1/2, 10 I used to wear. One thing that is annoying too is that I've always had extremely narrow feet. Well the neuropathy, edema and arthritic changes have taken care of that. I'm lucky if I can get my shoes on any more. I've started buying a shoe that has velcro straps (sandal) and I can't depend on buying but one brand of shoe. I buy Naot. The podiatrist says it's a good shoe and the intersole can be replaced with an orthodic if you need to. They have a really good footbed with good arch support but it's still not the shoes I want. I'm learning tho.

Billye

[Brian]

Me too, i was blaming all the imports we get as being the cause, thinking they had the sizes mucked up, but i don't know so much now after reading Joe's post.

Brian

[HeyJoe]

Sue my ankles dont turn in bed like yours do but they do turn much more easily than they used to when im walking, even on a small crack.

Paty we may not have the most stylish shoes on but at least we can still walk in them. Though im sure its much more painful for women to have to give up the stylish shoes than men, since we usually only have one or two pairs we wear year round normally anyway. ...ha

[fanfaire]

I have to keep two sizes of shoes in the closet because of my edema. When there's not much swelling, I can squeeze into a 9, otherwise it's a 10. And even the size 10s are adjustable in some way, with laces, stretchy material or velcro closures for those times when the swelling is bad.

People are very surprised to see I wear such a large shoe since I am only 5ft6 with a small frame (I have a size four and half ring finger). Fortunately, I don't have to look for wide widths as I went from an A width to the standard width. It hurts to wear any kind of shoe now, so I've given up all but the most practical ones.

fanfaire

[dahlek]

Shoe Boxes? I know that my own foot size has gone up about at least one full size and the width? Was a ladies C/D to a D/EE. And still not enuf toe room? It does get discouraging. And THEN one has to learn we lose the 'fat' that protects our foot bones+muscle fats, etc due to neuropathies? It is insult to injuries! Plus the 'edema' from either the meds or less activity or whatever else that could be blamed on it all.
I used to have an all leather wardrobe due to hyper-hydrosis, plantar...meaning I had to wear leather because I had super sweaty feet. That all changed dramatically with my PN onset. The opposite problems started to occur - had to treat my feet as if I had diabetes with checking, and heaps of lotions and potions! Now I can only wear washable slippers at home, sandals and crocs...It is a good thing no grand neices/nephews are due for weddings for a LOONG time? Crocs at a wedding? Nope.
Keep those ankles strong? Exercise with either a pair of therabands and balance discs and you WILL get a strengthening workout. Site is:
http://www.fairview.org/healthlibrar.../sma_index.htm
Look under ankle....The discs you have to stand on..probably best to have a door jamb or counter to hold onto at first. The theraband exercises...many you can do sitting down. Hope this helps. - j