NurseKris,

There are some great comfy, shoe recommendations here but I don't know if they will work for the stiff sole requirement.

Some ideas that alleviate stress on the first toe joint are Dansko or Birkenstocks (many have adjustable straps).

If this a temporary thing you might even consider a med-surg shoe. I used one by Darco that was black and looked somewhat like a sandal. It had a more ergonomic sole than a regular surgical shoe that rockered slightly. It is fully adjustable, not very expensive and of course stiff soled.

Good luck on your hunt,

That is so funny you mentioned Danskos. I bought a new pair less than a month before my injury and they have been sitting in my closet ever since. We tried a med-surg shoe but the straps across my feet hurt too bad. I can't even wear socks without pain.

Thank you for the suggestions. I will continue my quest!

I'm not sure if the sole is hard enough (it is plastic), but my daughter tolerated UGG like boots pretty well, and she has severe allodynia in her CRPS foot. Additionally, the UGGs were nice when she has cold flashes in her foot. May not be the best for the warmer weather on the way though.

I wear my UGGs in the summer all the time because of air conditioning.

Dansko have such a hard top I think that could be uncomfortable. I mentioned that particular med-surg shoe because like you, I couldn't tolerate the straps on a normal one. The Darco had a fair amount of padding on the dorsal area and behind the strap so they weren't at all binding. I put moleskin with foam as another layer and did fine. I actually had to sleep in mine for months to hold my arch staight and was able to do so. If you Google "Darco Surgical Sandal" it will come up. They run about ten bucks for a single.