Z-Coil Shoes
 

http://www.zcoil.com/

https://shoes.zcoil.com/

https://shoes.zcoil.com/Images/freedomwht2_0.jpg

I feel compelled to share this with the fellow sufferers on this board. I can personally endorse this footwear, it's different from any other shoe/sandal/boot that's ever been invented. Since my neuropathy is in my feet, I have most of the usual symptoms - burning, stinging, crushing sensations, walking on rocks (my favorite), stabbing pain, etc.

I was merely shopping for regular shoes, thinking about putting in an insert in order to pad the shoe. Forget it. All it did was create pressure on the soles of my feet. Then the nice lady recommended Z-Coil. She brings out a pair of tennis shoes with a spring for the heel. I put it on, started walking around, and couldn't believe it. I also have a pair of sandals. Took SO MUCH pressure off my feet, and also helps the back, legs and anything else you can think of. I would recommend them to ANYBODY, let alone a neuropathy sufferer, but particularly to them. Check it out. It costs more, maybe you can see if your insurance will cover them, because they are certainly a medical necessity once you try them. Numerous styles. They repaired my coil when it came loose, they are sympathetic to that. Bruce

I have a pair Gravity Defyer shoes. They help me walk better, mostly I think since the shock to the knees and hips is less. For people with heel spurs these coil in the heel shoes can be very helpful.

http://gravitydefyer.com/?gclid=CJT3...FacWMgoddBcAow

I have seen reviews online that buying them online is iffy....fit is not
really good, and one should really go in person to a store that
carries them. The website has lists of stores you can visit.

I think the quality of the assembly of the shoes is less than
Nike or New Balance, but I like the coils in the heels for these myself. Read reviews however before buying, as they are expensive.

I see this website has new versions. The older ones had a logo of a ---cough cough-- sperm! When I asked the sales person about it she laughed and said it was a tadpole... but I don't like it on my shoes. I see they have dropped the little sperm fellow.

This one is similar to mine...
http://gravitydefyer.com/Ladies-Ball...&category=9594

I don't think the toe box is as roomy as other shoes, and that might be an issue for some PNers.

I know a guy who bought a coil shoe and it was over $300.

Don't know what coil shoe that was, but these are around $200 and below. Check the prices before you start throwing numbers around. The coil shoes are FAR AND AWAY more effective than anything else in relieving stress and pain in the feet. There's just no comparison, you have a full three inches or so of give in each step. The toe box? You can take them in and they will stretch them for you. I had them do it for me. Also, the arch was a little pronounced on the sandals, and it rubbed, so they melted the hard plastic
to my satisfaction. The whole thing is revolutionary, and it's worth every penny - the guy worked on these shoes for years. You should try it, Mrs. D! You'll never go back to the 18% trampoline shoe or whatever sales tactic they're using on you! Come to the Z-Coil. It calls you :)

I've had mine stretched 3 times. The effect seems to be temporary on the nylon fibers for me.

I don't have that much pain in my feet from walking. I also have sesamoid issues, and high arch, so I'd have to walk in them to see if either of those problems are aggravated.

I'll consider it, thank you. I only wear my Gravity Defyer's for short periods because of the toe box problem.

My next pair will be a New Balance. I've had great results from my current pair.

I use a special type of shoe lace that does not confine tightly the instep. They are curly and stretchy so compression on the top of the foot is much less. To find others in different lengths and colors Google
"coil shoe laces".
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=curly...5&tx=99&ty=100

These are available online or at Famous Footwear locally.
They make it easy to put shoes on, as you don't have to tie them once they are laced in.

Also I use the alternative lacing pattern suggested by this site:

http://www.northcoastfootcare.com/pa...echniques.html

For people here with Tinel's sign on the top of the foot, alternative lacing can take pressure off nerves and reduce numbness and other symptoms.

I have several different biomechanical issues with my feet, besides the PN one. That is why I suggest all PNers to have a complete exam by a podiatrist to find any complicating factors.

I had a pair of these and I LOVED them.

They were stolen from my locker, never spent the money to get another pair. :(

Brue throttle back on your aggressive responses to someone who is going out of their way to help you. No one here owes you anything, they are doing you a favor by answering and trying to help you.

These things are the best. There's nothing even close. It would be a bad day if somebody stole mine and I couldn't get them replaced. I can't see myself in regular shoes. Too painful. Best of luck.

Thanks for the tip, but if someone was trying to help me with this, I don't need it. Far as I can tell, Stacy and I are the only two who have actually worn these things, so you should be listening to me. You should try these. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about. Once you try these things, you could never go back to a regular shoe, it's not an option.

While Z-coil shoes may be helpful for reducing IMPACT wear on the feet, and hence the legs/knees/hips/back...there is little mention about them for PN pain.

Here is a link explaining the types of accidents you can have wearing them:
http://reviews.ebay.com/Z-Coil-Shoes...00000007020341

Many people with PN have various forms of nerve damage in the feet. Some of this may affect proprioception and balance. So these shoes may not be recommended for them.

Also the personal fittings may not be available to all, since the numbers of stores are scattered only in populous areas.

I certainly could turn an ankle easily from the looks of them.
The Gravity Defyer did not help my feet much, in fact my feet hurt more with them, but I can walk more easily and my knees and back feel better. I won't be getting another pair, therefore.

The fellow I know had the heel enclosed Z-coil and that one is much more expensive.
His looked like this one, but he didn't tell us the NAME of the maker, and for all I know it was something else entirely.
https://shoes.zcoil.com/StyleDetails.aspx?style=29

Z-coils do not come in widths either, or 1/2 sizes.

So while they are perhaps good for some, they may not be appropriate for those with balance/stability issues, extra wide feet, or other problems with the foot. Best to check with your podiatrist before embarking on them.

Maybe not nearly as good, but will only cost you about $3.00 to try, are some Dr Scholls Extra Thick foam insoles (available at Wal Mart). I removed the factory insoles in one of my pairs of athletic shoes, and replaced them with the Dr Scholls. I found them considerably more comfortable than the factory insoles & I had thought these shoes were pretty good to begin with. Low cost to try & low cost to replace as needed, if you're happy with them. And no, I don't own any stock in Dr Scholls or Wal Mart.

that is a good point. I use Dr. Scholl's inserts too. The heavy duty gel ones. They clean up with alcohol well, since I don't wear socks much anymore. But then my feet don't sweat either with the PN. :o

I did that machine and bought the Orthotic (with a $10.00 rebate) but they didn't work at all for me. In fact made my hips hurt when I walked long distances.

The last Dr. Scholl's insert I bought had a live spider running around in it! I didn't see the critter when I bought it, but I set it down getting ready to open the package and it scurried along the inner edge! I called them and they said DON'T OPEN IT, and return it, which I did. Probably got in during storage, thru that open part in the heel...the testing spot to squeeze. So check your packages carefully when buying insoles! LOL :yikes:

Tried that Dr. Scholl's machine deal. It didn't work at all. I returned them. When you think about it, of course they wouldn't work depending on the person. Your feet are not the same and so a set did not work for me as each foot is different. One may for one foot but the other is different. I think you get my drift.

My husband tried them and they seemed to work for him for awhile and then they did not. If an insert is custom made for each foot, then that should work.

I used Dr. Scholl's gel inserts for quite sometime but then they no longer worked. Now I have AFO's and so it is another story. Just the way things worked - and did not work - for me over the years.

That would be me. My proprioception is greatly reduced and my balance is not good. Looks like a great concept for those it can help with bad backs, knees, hips etc, that dont have numb feet or lower legs. Thanks for the further information.

*Moderator edit*

They are most definitely good for people with neuropathy in the feet, which you don't seem to have, so let me speak from experience when I say that while from a distance it may seem as if they're unstable, that's hardly the case. The coils are extremely wide and stout. They don't 'bounce', they sort of 'give'. It's a lot different dynamic than the way an actual spring would work, the coil, being so strong, only gives in one direction and doesn't propel you forward. It's not that easy to turn an ankle in them. I have completely numb feet, can't feel anything, so I'm not sure how being numb would exclude someone from wearing them. Of course, you can site balance issues, but until you walk in them, how can you tell? And as far as the fact that they're not 'fitted' or have 'half-sizes' -*moderator edit* I mean, you're wearing shoes that hurt your feet. I'm wearing these things, and they do nothing but help me. *moderator edit*

In years of reading this forum, I have never seen this lack of civility in discourse. That many of us who cannot feel our feet, nor know reliably where they are would not choose to invest $275.00, price from their website, on something that might not work for us does not merit a diatribe.

My lack of sensation is so profound that I have not found any shoes that make a difference. I have put shoes on that had socks stuffed in the toes and never noticed it, until I took them off and saw my toes all mashed up. All I ask is stability. The pain I have is not related to my footwear, what I do, or any perceptible cause. It just is, like a lot of nerve pain.

I am 6'2" and female,which means really long legs. Those heels are high. I cannot walk in any type of heel, no matter how broad it is. I also have muscle wastage in ankles and feet. They look like an accident waiting to happen for me. No one disputes that they work for you, but please let this rest.

I would never presume to think that just because something worked great for me, that it is great for everyone.

While I personally did love mine, how much could I have loved them that I did not buy another pair? They were not miracle shoes, lol. Just great, comfy, tennis shoes. Certainly no medical benefit for me but shoes are a very personal choice, it's all about WHAT FEELS GOOD. :)

I bought a cheap pair of slip on tennis shoes from Spirit. Ugly things. Had them 8 years now. Love them. No miracle shoe, but eh, they feel good, I can wear them with no socks, which is important for me cuz my feet burn so much. I can slip them off, get some air if I am out and my feet are burning.

To each their own. Heck, I wouldnt be caught dead in a pair of crocs and those things sell by the millions. haha

I only use crocs for gardening, and as water shoes in the lake.
I find them useful for "dirty or wet" work. Easy clean up and roomy enough for my toes. They are handy upNorth for walking on the paths with all the sticks and stones too. My son likes the pair I got for him for up there for that reason. We don't have sand there, but instead it is all rock...so one needs protection and most water shoes have thin fabric etc.

But I did run into a person not too long ago at the pharmacy who had some foot infection, and had to wear his crocks for a while. They were a neutral brown.

Do you mind me asking if you ( or anyone else here ) have tried their insoles ( I take it they do not have the same spring technology shown in shoes ) ?

For any one interested heres another springloaded insole.

thanks,

m