Orthopedic shoes and other issues

   I love shoes. Just about all shoes. Except maybe tennis shoes. Wait, they are now called athletic shoes. Anyway, having no desire to be athletic, I don't really see the appeal in them. So you can imagine my depression as my ability to wear the extensive variety of women's footwear available has gradually decreased over the years. Due to a drop foot that has turned my gait into a rather Frankenstein adventure and an arch that has essentially collapsed leaving me with a right foot that rolls inward like a lopsided submarine, I have found that my shoe selection has been reduced to what fits with orthopedic arch supports and works best with a walk aid neurostimulator.

   I used to wear heels will abandon. I had multiple pairs of sandals. Some of them had heels too! There were some flats and ballet style shoes. There were winter boots and dress boots. There were fancy sparkly heels to go with the long gown for special events. And I did not have to spend a fortune, I could get them at reasonable prices. Thrift stores, discount shoe stores and shoe swaps rendered me an almost endless supply and variety of footwear for every occasion. Sigh.

   Those days are over.

      In my struggle to remain mobile, I have gone to see doctors and orthopedic specialists. My first efforts resulted in a plastic brace. I was thrilled to have much of my ability to walk returned. But the downside was that I had to have shoes that the brace could fit into. Doctors and prosthetic specialists (prosthetic places are generally who make the braces) both suggested I buy shoes a size larger than I usually wore. Seriously? I discovered that I went from tripping over my own foot to tripping over the toes of the shoes. Through trial and error, I found that I could buy wide width shoes that would work, usually. Heels were totally out of the question as the plastic part of the brace that went under the foot did not have a moving joint at the ankle and did not bend. You would not believe how many shoes on the market have heels! Even the supposedly "flat" shoes often have small heels and that wouldn't work! I was pretty much stuck with one pair of casual leather shoes, my beloved hiking shoes and a pair of athletic shoes I purchased. Even winter boots were a problem. If I could get the brace in I usually could not get the foot in. Unless the boots had a zipper that went to the toes, I was out of luck.

   Furthermore, I struggled to go without my brace when I went to more formal or dressy events. Hiking shoes or athletic shoes are just not good pairing with a skirt or cute dress. And my casual leather shoes were a bit clunky for my stylish liking. I could have cared less what folks thought about the brace itself, it was just a part of me, but I wanted cute shoes to go with my outfit. In the summer I wanted to wear sandals to keep my feet nice and cool. These things became a problem. I know, not the end of the world problem. Not people are starving and have no shelter problem. But my own personal problem. I recognize that shoes are not the be all-end all, nor will I die if I have only a pair of hiking boots (going on 20 years old I might add) and a pair of athletic shoes.  It is not even close to any sort of priority in my monthly expenditures. But it is a gripe, and sometimes griping does help when searching for solutions.

   Fast forward my adventure, after a few years I discovered that the brace had difficulties all of it's own. It created bruising on the bottom of my foot that made it painful to walk. Despite doing the ankle exercises, I was losing strength in my right ankle and muscle tone in my lower right leg, which was causing injuries. I would roll over on the ankle at times when I did not wear the brace. Like at night when I padded around the house barefoot. Or on occasional summer days when I played in the yard without shoes. Fearing I might break some other part of my body that was currently working without too many issues, I searched for an alternative to the clunky brace and was introduced to the Walk Aid. This nifty device sent an electrical impulse to my leg to let my foot know when it was supposed to lift. Within two weeks my bruised foot had healed and I could walk almost normal. I was elated! I could also wear a lot more of the shoes on the market. Sandals were a possible again. Heck, I could wear some of the shoes in my own closet that I had been loathe to give up.

I

   Walking in heels with a walk aid can be done. It was meant to allow the wearer to wear just about whatever shoes they liked. But with the missing arch support on my right side, it resembles a clown act from the circus. And yes, I tried flats. With my left foot I am fine, but my right foot just won't see the wisdom in keeping the shoe firmly in place. Add an arch support insert and the entire shoe just flops off, generally when trying to navigate a step, or curb, or sidewalk, or grassy knoll, or any parking lot. There are non-slip heel guards to keep a shoe from slipping off, which are pretty good at sticking to socks, feet, nylons and small children that may pass by, but not so much shoes.

   For a time I wore over the counter inserts in my shoes to make my right foot happy and keep my posture when standing or walking. But eventually my arch seemed to be caving more and more and I found that the over the counter variety less effective and decided to try specially made inserts. I became really determined to try this after visiting a specialist who snorted at my walk aid neurostimulator (believe he said something about new-fangled device and who sold me this load of goods) and suggested I get a metal brace that would attach to an orthopedic shoe to correct my problem. My hair stood on end. Did he say orthopedic shoe? Does he know how much they cost? Oh sure, the brace might be covered by insurance, but the shoes are not! I might be able to afford one shoe, maybe a pair of shoes if I were lucky and they are on sale, but they would be my only pair of shoes. The shoes pictured on this doctor's walls resembled something handed out as standard prison attire.

   So I decided to foot the bill (yep, I really said that) to get the inserts specially made that were not covered by insurance. This seemed to have corrected the stability issues I was experiencing. But I was back to limited shoe wear, mostly that of my "athletic" shoes and hiking shoes. The prosthetics place thought that my "athletic" shoes were great - but obviously they never walked in a pair in the rain or snow, or they would recognize what cold wet feet can do to a person's disposition. They also thought my hiking shoes were great choice-but I wanted to see one of them wear a pair with a dress or dress slacks.  It is funny, I don't mind the stares I sometimes get when people see my walking device, and I make no attempts to hide it, but mentally I have issues wearing clunky shoes with a dress.

   So I started researching orthopedic shoes to see if I could find something within my non-existent budget. I did find some beautiful pairs that did not have the clunky, velcro fastener orthopedic look. But the price tag of the shoes was still pretty much out of my price range. Okay, it was ridiculously out of my price range. Hey family, how about we don't buy groceries this month so mommy can buy a pair of shoes? Somehow I don't think so. And many of these had a heel, which does not generally work well with my gait issues.

   I continued my search, both online and in stores. Mostly what I found was pretty pricey. I had no real budget, I was not willing to give up things like food and gasoline to buy shoes for crying out loud. But then I started to find better options on the internet, with more reasonable prices. Very similar to prices I might pay for a good pair of shoes. But with a catch. I would have to order them on line.  I absolutely hate that option. How does one know how a shoe feels without trying it on and walking about? I certainly did not want the hassle of returns when the shoe didn't fit.

   So for now I struggle, using tips from other shoe hunters on line to modify my old shoes to make them usable. Still searching for a better, comfier shoe fit. And scouring the racks at thrift stores to see if anyone has decided to part with a cute pair of gently used orthopedic shoes.

I still love my hiking shoes. Does that count?