19 replies to this topic

[eleanorigby]

I guess some of the lads could jump on this too, but I know typically shoes don't mean the same to them. I have the hardest time finding shoes! My feet are pretty swollen all the time. Of course they are least swollen in the morn, but even then it's not normal. I wear socks that were made especially to fit me and get the swelling down and they work miracles, but I still get this annoying hump on top of my feet which makes shoe shopping a nightmare. Can anyone relate to this? And does anybody have some name brands they can drop on me that have serviced them well? And when I say shoes, I mean cute shoes, not 80 year old gray haired white nurse shoes. I'm 24 dammit, and I will look chic!

Edited by eleanorigby, 19 May 2008 - 06:36 AM.

[ruth]

eleanorigby, on May 19 2008, 07:35 AM, said:

I guess some of the lads could jump on this too, but I know typically shoes don't mean the same to them. I have the hardest time finding shoes! My feet are pretty swollen all the time. Of course they are least swollen in the morn, but even then it's not normal. I wear socks that were made especially to fit me and get the swelling down and they work miracles, but I still get this annoying hump on top of my feet which makes shoe shopping a nightmare. Can anyone relate to this? And does anybody have some name brands they can drop on me that have serviced them well? And when I say shoes, I mean cute shoes, not 80 year old gray haired white nurse shoes. I'm 24 dammit, and I will look chic!

Dont know where you are based, but if it is in the UK, you could try Evans (the clothes shop for larger ladies). They do wide shoes from a size 4 up to huge (10??) which are prettier than any other wide shoes I have seen - they do the odd granny style, but also some really preety and 'normal' shoes.

[kiwiquad]

Hi Ruth...you're not alone, I think most wheelies feet swell to a certain degree--gravity ect.
Try the 'Diesel or Chuck Taylor brands. The toes are square & if you loosly tie over the bridge they're great...or velcrose. Maybe get a 1/2 sz bigger than your norm? The soles are great for gripping the footplates too.
They're not cheap .. but sooo worth the comfort & looks.
http://www.zappos.co...326/Diesel.html
http://www.converse....amp;fid=2#shoes
Good luck. .Jo'

[ems]

I wear Keen trainers cos they are foot shaped, and the sandals give loads of protection for your toes. But for something more eveningish... I love hush puppies They do some lovely sandals! My toes nails don't seem to grow anymore, the paint from last year is still there ;)

[serendipidy]

Hi

The other place i use is 'Duo of bath' they do nice shoes and boots too and they are very helpful on the phone they even do road show days around the country so if you cant get to bath to be properly measured by them then they should be somewhere in your area during the year.

A website called 'if the boot fits' offers a bespoke service but i dont know the cost.

happy shopping

Trudi

[City Girl]

In terms of running shoes, I bought skateboard runners (one size up) which my 15 year old daughter suggested. They look cool but give you the breadth you need. I bought a pair of Birkenstocks years ago prior to SCI when I was expecting and wore them in rehab. I also managed to get my feet into a pair of Uggs (2 sizes up) but it was winter at the time and they were warm and looked good with leggings or jeans. I paid $240.00 CAD for them, however. Compression socks were very helpful but bloody expensive so I could only afford to pick up two pairs.

[eleanorigby]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I can relate City Girl with the expensive compression socks. I could only afford two pairs myself. But before I bought them, my feet were crazy out of control. I will keep an eye out for the brands you suggested here when I go shoe shopping this memorial day weekend (sales!). I went to that website for converse kiwiquad suggested since I love them and managed to spend about an hour designing my own shoes which I cannot afford, lol. Oh well, someday.

[Trinity]

I want to know why I have about 30 pairs of shoes that I can't wear but cannot bring myself to get rid of! All they are doing is taking up valuable space. The problem is they are all soooo pretty! I have spent a lot of time money and effort building up a sizable collection (I have the knickname Imelda) and I feel cheated!

Oh well, when the time is right someone will get some bargains on ebay. As long as they go to a loving home where they will get treated with the love and respect they deserve
T x

[Lucydog]

Ive always had quite wide feet anyway so this doesnt help at all. I love Converse hi tops but they are a bit narrow and rub my toes quite often. So usually I wear Dr Martens as they offer good toe protection. I also have the habit of curling my toes under my left foot if Im not careful, which has caused problems in the past. I would like to try some Keen shoes as they look really good.
And yes Im slowly selling off quite a few pairs on Ebay. Size 4 anyone!?

[KarenFerguson]

Ah shoes! Glorious shoes! I hate to admit it but I'm a total shoe freak. I have sooo many pairs and they never wear out ... so I just can't part with them.

I have a tight tendon in my left foot and a quite strong muscle that always pulls my left foot down (stupid L4 ... hee hee) ... thus a bit of a bump on the left foot. Recently I've found that ballet flats (or skimmers - the ones with the rubber soles) are great. The toe part ends right where the bump begins and look fabulous on. I also enjoy loafers that are made from nice soft leather - allows them to stretch a bit. And, don't forget about converse shoes - I love my Jack Purcells.

[azx43]

I'm a bit of a shoe frealk as well. Nice to know that I'm not alone! :-)

I love my Crocs shoes! They are simple, slip-on sandals made of a softer plastic/rubber. I think that the greatest thing about them is their is NO tying involved; they are easy to get on and off, yet there is a back strap that goes over your heel, so they stay on. They are very popular with everybody now, and several different companies make them (Airwalk, Komodo,Payless, etc. . . )They come in about every color of the rainbow, too!

[maggiec]

I also HAD over 30 pairs of shoes (with matching handbags) and it broke my heart to get rid of them when I had my accident 18 months ago.I laid them out on my bedroom flooor and when friends and family visited they helped themselves! what was left were binned or sent to the charity shop. I now wear a pair of trainers, a pair of crocs, a pair of clarks wide fitting shoes and for a smarter occasion I have a pair of pretty black hush puppies (although my feet still swell in the latter) With the help of a very good friend I am also having a major cull of my wardrobe...but that's astory for another day

[Califanna]

maggiec, on May 25 2008, 03:50 AM, said:

I also HAD over 30 pairs of shoes (with matching handbags) and it broke my heart to get rid of them when I had my accident 18 months ago.I laid them out on my bedroom flooor and when friends and family visited they helped themselves! what was left were binned or sent to the charity shop. I now wear a pair of trainers, a pair of crocs, a pair of clarks wide fitting shoes and for a smarter occasion I have a pair of pretty black hush puppies (although my feet still swell in the latter) With the help of a very good friend I am also having a major cull of my wardrobe...but that's astory for another day

I did the same thing after my accident. The "major cull" of my wardrobe happened as well, because my suits didn't look right anymore and my pants were way too short becuase of the sitting. I wish, I wish one of those makeover shows would have some disabled people on, so I we could all be educated on what looks good? I hate shopping anymore because of the problem with fit. I always look frumpy in my chair no matter the outfit. I usually have to cinch in my shirts and jackets so they don't get dirty or caught in my chair. Anyone else out there with problems regarding fit and look?
Califanna

[maggiec]

I work in education so smart suits and stilettos were my chosen style. Last summer I actually wrote to "Trinny and Susannah"who do a makeover show in the UK but guess what....no interest!!! I feel frumpy too(was overweight before my accident and have not lost any since) but don't look in the mirror too often. I am slowly replacing my long jackets (which used to cover my bum) by shorter ones so as they don't get dirty on the wheels. Its easier to put on trousers nowadays but have kept some of my floaty skirts for special outings (although these are less than before the accident) The long, straight and short skirts have long gone. We are going to my god-daughter's wedding on July 4th and am wondering what to wear, hopefully not trousers. used to wear a lot of dresses too but not actually tried getting into one yet. Any advice? maggie

[crash.ca]

Hi, I guess I'm like a lot of you out there...shoes were my thing! I, as well, couldn't bring myself to dispose of all of them...not sure why. I have a problem with swollen feet and with the top of my foot swollen, can't fit into many styles of shoes. However, I did find that some 'Skechers' work really well, ( a fairly trendy brand). I have a pair of their casual shoes and runners. They have a bit more of a square toe and lace further down towards the toe. I have just loved them and although a bit expensive...they kinda last forever. As far as sandals I have 'Naots' and they are extremely expensive but last a long time.

[cate]

Hi All. Shoes were and still are one of my daughters things, love them and has many pairs not in use. She is a walker, but has lymophdemea in legs and feet, so suffers with swelling. in the UK we have firm called flyflot, actual I think they are italian, but they do a good range mainly sandal type and clogs, with velcro fittings, also in their catalogue are Pavers and Paders. Also do a few mens shoes, They are sometimes on tv shopping channels, but also in a catalogue shoe-shop.com can be ordered on line. I also wear them and find them comfy. May be worth a look
Cate

[sjean423]

Like someone else posted, I like sketchers. The run a bit wide, so that I don;t need to actually buy a "wide" size. But they do offer a smaller selection of shoes that are sized "wide" as well.

For compression hose, I find Ames Walker is very affordable.

http://www.ameswalker.com/

[eleanorigby]

sjean423, on May 30 2008, 12:58 PM, said:

Like someone else posted, I like sketchers. The run a bit wide, so that I don;t need to actually buy a "wide" size. But they do offer a smaller selection of shoes that are sized "wide" as well.

For compression hose, I find Ames Walker is very affordable.

http://www.ameswalker.com/

Thanks for the socks tip, but you know, I checked out the site and the sizing chart didn't even go up to my height! I'm 6'1, so it's always super hard to find stuff that fits me correctly, especially since I'm sitting so my pants tend to ride up a little, making them even shorter. Maybe I'll try a pair from the tallest height (5'11) and see how they do.

[mermaidsal]

Shoes really do go deep, I lost both legs in my accident (prosthetics aren't a good option for me, they'd only be cosmetic in any case being a para) but I still have a few pairs of shoes I can't let go of. I still stop outside shoe shops too

[Notwheels]

I always have lots of callouses on my heels so shoes are a big deal for me, especially since I can still "walk" with crutches or a walker.

I use www.zappos.com because they ship the shoes you choose to you overnight and you can return them with free shipping if they don't fit.

I've been wearing Saucony's top of the line running shoe and found it to be very comfortable. I also wear Eccos shoes since I have European ancestry and that means typically wider feet than most Americans.

Carolyn