What a difference shoes make

I understand. I particularly do not like wearing “tennies” with skirts, but it helps to be able to walk and like you New Balance has the easiest shoes to walk in that I have found. I do not know why, but it is a big difference–probably the sole. Also they are very comfortable. I have solid black walking shoes from NB.

Have you thought about getting pink and white shoe laces? there are also “bobbles” or “blings” for shoes that make them a little less stuffy, but I think double lacing with nice shoe laces would be more cool.
WithHope for a cure of these diseases and still feeling nicely dressed despite the restrictions imposed by them

My daughter who is 20, but 17 when diagnosed, was so into shoes before her illness. But when she had to get the AFOs she thought her life was over. We have found the cutest Nike shoes that work with her AFOs. She is a size 10 normally and we had to go to a size 10 1/2 to fit the braces. 10 1/2 is a really hard size to find at normal stores! We found a store in Cincinnati that is for runners and they were able to fit her in the proper size. Once we found the Nike that she liked and fit well, we can now order them online in a 10 1/2. The other brand that fits her well are Mizunos. She has the cutest pair right now that are silver and fushia. Having cute shoes makes life so much more fun, especially when she gets compliments on them! She has some that are gray and red, blue with hot pink, and a really pretty flamingo pink.

I guess is a guy thing, but given a choice between being “cool” and feeling comfortable when I walk, comfortable wins every time. Of course it could be that being almost 66 is just don’t care what people think about the way I look. I look at this way God made me in His image and in this condition for reasons I can not understand, God doesn’t make junk and if other people can’t accept that it is their problem, not mind. They have deal with it.

I agree with you about New Balance. I get size 15 with the wide toe option SL-2. Hang in there. If you run you life to try and please other people outside you family, you will just run in every decreasing concentric circles until you disappear in a loud resounding clang. Pay attention to your self. 🙂

Who sells New Balance shoes? I am not sure I have heard of them but am thinking they are worth a try. Is there a chain that sells them?

I have found New Balance at Sport Check but they have a small selection there…I think they may also be at walking on a cloud.

I also have to wear running shoes all the time. Even in the house.

I have found Saucony to be the best support.

Be careful when choosing because they are not all made the same!

Some shoes have different arch supports in them that can cause more pain and damage!

I bought a pair of $200 shoes only to have more damage as this shoe was made to tilt the foot inwards!

Go to a high end shoe store and get your feet measured.

sears.ca sells new balance in Canada. The nice thing here is you can order from home, try them and if they don’t work you can return them.

Rhonda

At least you guys can walk, some of us would be happy with any shoe if we could walk.
Larthur

I’m now no longer walking (I have a cool, red and grey wheelchair) and in many ways finding it a blessing. For one thing, I have more energy to do other things because I’m not wasting my energy dragging round my unresponsive legs (it’s amazing how much my legs weigh!). And after years of searching for functional shoes (I gave up on good looks a long time ago, but then again I’m at that age where a woman can wear a red dress with a purple hat and no-one thinks twice), I can wear any shoes and not wear them out.

May God grant me the ability to find the silver lining behind every cloud.

Deb
London

I too have trouble with shoes. I trashed all my high heel shoes years back. I can’t even walk in them and would break my neck doing so! Bedroom slippers in the house too are a problem! My sister bought me some of those house slippers that have a pillowed bottom. Put those suckers on and could not even get my balance in them and saw me breaking my neck. I wear plain slipper socks in my house or flip flops for they seems to be the only ones I can wear in my house and keep my balance. I never had this problem before but my heels get dried and crackly looking and wearing sneakers really give me problems all winter. Last year I bought several kinds of sneakers and nothing worked. Even tried those cushions in the shoe and that did nothing. Two hours with shoes on and I am coming out of them. I’m beginning to wonder if this winter I have to wear socks and open heel shoes! I have very sensitive feet! Ohh in the winter too underneath the covers, my feet are coming out to breathe! Can’t stand anything on my feet!

When my mother was diagnosed with cancer a number of years ago, she mourned the loss of hair that she would get with chemotherapy and even talked about not doing the chemotherapy. I had trouble understanding. Since I work with children with cancer, many of the most beautiful faces I know or have know have been below at least temporarily bald heads. How could anyone choose hair over the chance for life? She did get radiation therapy to her head and chemotherapy and her beautiful hair did not ever really return. About four months after she died, I was told that I too had cancer. In the week I was waiting for other tests, I mourned that I too would lose my hair. I realized then that it was not so much the hair as it was a sign of fitting into life–of looking normal and feeling normal. Fortunately I was told that I did not have cancer on additional testing, but that lesson has remained with me. I think that for Stacey and me and maybe others, the inability to wear “cute” shoes is not so much the issue as it is to no longer feel normal–like a part of young and vibrant life. I know as a single person after this illness hit, I often wonder–who would want me now? Instead of graceful, I walk like someone drunk; I cannot dance, I am quite limited in activities and have to rest so much, etc. This is not to say that I do not appreciate all that I can do and be still, it is just a statement that I miss the potential and the normalacy of life as it was. Excuse me guys, but I also miss feeling pretty and feminine, because almost all the time, I do choose practical and comfortable first. I do not say any of this to complain, just to say that sometimes little things in a person’s life represent more than just “cute shoes”.
WithHope

I was an avid tennis player before I came down with CIDP; used to go through at least one pair of New Balance tennis shoes each season (yes, loved New Balance also.) When I was inpatient at Mayo my husband had to go out & get me a pair of shoes for rehab, so of course he bought me New Balance in a 9 1/2, my regular shoe size. Once I had to start wearing braces, I found that I kept getting toe infections as they were too short. I went to Payless & bought a plain white tennis shoe for $12.99 (size 11) that has now lasted me for 4 years, and that includes doing a lot of walking at our cabin. They come up higher in the back & hold my braces in place very well. I just started on the second pair (identical to the first pair) & that is all I wear for the summer.

I do have one pair of plain black SAS shoes that I wear now until around May, they are also 4 years old. I used to have so many shoes, now I could care less. I am just thankful that I can walk, I can wear pretty clothing to make up for the shoes. I am proud of my braces, don’t try to hide them in the summertime, as no one knows all that I have suffered to get to this point; proud of my paisley cane as well! Others don’t walk in my shoes…
Pam

Hi, Stacey.

Certainly no offense to me! Actually, one nice thing about being in a wheelchair is that for the first time in several years I can actually wear normal shoes without having to worry about whether or not I can walk in them.

Deb
London

What do you all do in the winter time for boots? We have not been able to find any boots that fit the AFOs. I did find my daughter a pair of Nike shoes that are made for runners who run in the rain and snow and they do keep her feet more dry and warm during the winter, but we would really like to find some boots that would work with AFOs. It did not take very long for my daughter to not care what people think about her braces. She wears her shorts, denim skirts and capris and does not let the stares bother her any more.

Everybody is talking about shoes and looks! Your not the only one. I wear comfie now instead of dressing up. Can’t wear panty hose and stumble like I am drunk also. And beginning to wonder if I will be able to wear shoes. Put my shoes on today for two hours and had to rip them off my feet! And I never was this way before years ago. But can’t stand the feeling it gives me on my feet!
I still can walk but not long distances and when I have to walk long distances I have to use a wheelchair! I know the feeling of wishing to be feminine again! Kind of hard to do when you are sick!