Thirteen years ago I left an aerobics class and walked towards my future husband Reg. I took one step and heard the sole of my right foot crack. The next step? My left foot cracked. I felt no pain at the time but knew there was something terribly wrong. The next day my feet swelled and I could not wear shoes for weeks. I went to a chiropodist who told me I had been wearing shoes almost two sizes too small for my feet for god knows how long.
I trained as a dancer growing up. I was used to forcing my feet into painful shoes and dancing anyway. By the time my arches broke, I had completely lost the ability to move my toes and walked on my heels because my feet had essentially been bound for over a decade.
I had to donate all my shoes and begin again. I had just bought these beautiful Italian leather shoes for work that were like a dream. There was no way my feet would ever fit inside them again. Letting go of all those shoes broke my heart. Since then, I have not bought shoes with any joy at all. I have also used the cheap orthodics you see in the photo above for over a decade, held together with duct tape and then packing tape.
I finally got real orthodics but I hate them. I put them in my winter boots and came home with bloody feet. If I use these, I have to get rid of all the shoes I own, again. Also, I walk on my back heels on the outside and this humungous arch only reinforces this bad walking behaviour. When I put them in my hiking boots for the first time at the shoe clinic, the guy had to help me to the front door. I could barely walk. It seemed to make a bad situation much worse and I paid a hell of a lot for these.
The only shoes I have been able to bring myself to buy are ones that are impossible to wear with orthodics. In fact, I am inside my house around eight months of the year and the only thing I wear on my feet other than thermal socks are my MEC Hut Booties. Technically I have already been living orthodic free for quite a while now. Since I broke the arches in my feet I have regained power over my toes and no longer walk on my heels as much as I used to.
I am doing exercises to strengthen my feet rather than choose to wear crutches in my shoes that seem to make a bad situation worse. I think I have finally decided to let go of orthodics and try and get really good shoes that are supportive and fit my feet well instead of these pieces of plastic that I hope I no longer need.
Please let me know if you have worn orthodics, have chosen not to wear them, know of great supportive footware... All my shoes are so old and I need to take the next step to living orthodic free.
7 comments:
Both My Rare One and I have plantar fascitis and wear orthodics. She swears by New Balance running shoes and Dr. Scholl's orthodics from the drug store. I have orthodics for my runners and dress shoes which were made for me by the chiropodist. They sure cured my foot pain. At one time I was hobbling around like a 90-year-old.
Oh thank you! I will look for New Balance running shoes for sure. There is a Dr. Sholl's machine at the Costco here so I got to find a way to get there to see what would work for me. Wow, you can get them for dress shoes? I don't mind paying a bit of money to try them and see but am going to try and live without them too. Thanks Debra! Oh I know, when I hurt my feet I couldn't even put the soles on the floor, they hurt so much. It's terrible!
I also have plantar fascitis and New Balance helped over some of the worst times with it. I now wear orthotics in everything. I've tried expensive well fitting shoes but nothing can replace orthotics. I even wear them with sandals or crocs.
Wow, thanks Amelia, another recommendation for New Balance, excellent! How on earth do you wear orthodics and sandals? I never mastered that art!
Hi Suzie,
I have worn orthodics for years. And years. (at least 20) It's been an on again and off again issue for me. Even with the orthodics, sometimes I would be plauged with foot pain. My arches would ache. So when it got so bad I thought I'd have to go back to the foot doc, I decided to try something else. My chiropractor carried "Barefoot Science" inserts. They are supposed to help strengthen your feet, not just support them. And they are soft. You can not imagine the difference they have made. I no longer have any foot pain. They fit in all of my shoes and are super comfortable. But the best part is the fact I am pain free! And they are not expensive. You should check them out. They have allowed me to go back to wearing Birkenstocks and Dansko. Even their sandals. Life is much better now:)
Holy crap--that sounds incredibly painful! I can't even imagine. Wishing you so much JOY in your shoe shopping--a joy every girl should know. ;)
Much Love,
Molly
Carlene, I am thoroughly intrigued and will have to look into those inserts, thank you!
Thanks Molly, you're the best. I will think of you when I finally feel confident enough and get some kick-ass leather boots I have been dreaming about.
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