[cardfan]

Hi this is my first posting on behalf of my husband who was diagnosed with pn Dec 2006. MRI scans have shown nothing significant but only the cervical vertebrae were scanned.This seems crazy as the pain, numbness & tingling started in his hands & spread to his feet and his hands are now better. He takes Gabapentin for the condition but nothing else has been offered except amatryptaline which he couldn't tolerate. He copes very well most of the time & still manages loads of DIY for our daughter, but sometimes his feet nearly drive him to distraction. He cant stand socks in a ny weather and his shoes are really uncomfortable. Can anyone suggest comfortable footwear, perhaps something with cushion interiors? The summer isnt so bad because he can wear sandals but he says it feels as if hes walking on gravel in his shoes and he has bare feet in the house most of the time. When I read other postings on this condition I think at the moment hes getting away lightly & I only hope it lasts.

[nide44]

Originally Posted by cardfan

..........his shoes are really uncomfortable. Can anyone suggest comfortable footwear, perhaps something with cushion interiors? .........

I wear New Balance Walkers with Velcro closures (NB 574 Velcro Walker)
or Dr Scholl's Macau Walker w/Velcro.
You can get the NB's at www.zappos.com ($65-$70)or LL Bean
or from NB's website (google it).
I get the Dr Scholls from a shoe discount warehouse ($35-$40) nearby.
The Dr Scholls are lighter and not of as heavy duty construction
& the soles wear faster. But both are roomy in the toe and the Velcro
allows for easy changes as my feet change during the day,
or when driving distances.
I wear 1 size larger (both width & size) and replace the insoles
with a full gel insoles (you gellin'? ) as well as a full foam
cushion insole on top of the gel.

[Dakota]

It's kind of trial and error for each person to find the shoes that we can tolerate, but many of us swear by Crocs (those ugly rubber shoes). They are quite popular with folks with pn, and are not too costly to try out. Get them nice and loose.

[LizaJane]

I spend the bulk of my earnings on Mephisto (just kidding, bu they are pricey). I now buy size 9, but had been size 7 1/2 for most of my adult life. I, too, but gel innersoles, in the heels only. I like getting the shoe a bit bigger than I used to--it seems to accommodate the varius changes I deal with, and I can use all kinds of innersoles, or tie them tighter, when need be.

Everyone is different.

Mephisto has two lasts, one of which has a large and high toe box and is very very wide. The heel is normal; not wide. That's the one I use.

New Balance is also known for a wide toebox, and some swear by them.

If you have the finances to do it, I'd say I've learned that you get what you pay for, and the more expensive shoes have much better shock absorption, and last a lot longer. (I keep my mephistos for years and years).

For socks: There are various seamless "diabetic socks" online, and I've bought there. I think the consensus is against cotton. In winter, I like thin smartwool, but I've heard good cases made for acrylic.

there are sock websites.

[MelodyL]

Hi Liza Jane:

I had never heard of Mephistos before so I went online.

http://www.mephistowebstore.com/womensshoes.html

These must be the most comfortable shoes in the whole wide world. I'm surpised that Oprah (who always complains about her feet), well, I'm surprised she's not wearing these every day. She can afford them.

If I owned a house, I would have to mortgage it.

Holy Cow. I never knew a pair of shoes (not the ones worn by Paris Hilton), but a regular pair of shoes, could cost this much.

For this price, they must be like butter. I remember my aunt when she bought a pair of shoes for $25.00. This was 50 years ago. I'll never forget the conversation. She said 'Melody, you don't screw with your feet, you spend whatever you have to and your feet will thank you", then she showed me her new shoes that cost $25.00. She said "These feel like butter".

Imagine remembering word for word a conversation I had 50 years ago. It just came to me.

Now 50 years ago, NOBODY SPENT $25.00 ON ANY PAIR OF SHOES.

She's still alive, she's 83, she shovels her own driveway up in Coxsackie NY, and I bet she would love a pair of these.

I have to tell her about these shoes. She wouldn't mind the price. She takes very good care of herself.

Melody