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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 8:51am | IP Logged
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I need help ladies. My left foot is in bad shape. I broke it (stress fracture on top) two years ago and despite it being technically healed it still hurts quite often, especially with the wrong shoes. Add to that I badly sprained my ankle (same foot) last May and that too still gives me pain daily. It doesn't seem to be healed right but no one knows why as I have been doing all the "right things". I have heel spurs too although I have no pain from them at this time.
So my shoe dilemma is that I wear crocs or sneakers pretty much constantly but I need something dressier that I can wear for a longer time --like all day. I have some black clogs that I wear for church but for spring I need/want something else.
I have Croc sandals and they are comfortable but they were what I was wearing when I turned and sprained my ankle last May so I need to avoid them. I think they are just too unstable for my foot.
I know I am going to have to spend some money to get a good pair of shoes and I'm OK with that but I don't even know where to start looking. I have heard Dansko shoes are good. What other brands should I look for? My thought is to order online at someplace like Zappos and try several types of shoes.
Suggestions?
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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10 Bright Stars
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 11:50am | IP Logged
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All I can say as a fellow foot sufferer, (planter fasciitis and heel spurs) is that I MUST stay away from all types of clogs, even though they are my favorite types of shoe. I was forever twisting my ankles in them, falling, losing balance. And, they made the top of my foot hurt all the time too. So cute, right? But, not good for people with foot troubles. I too have to wear ugly tennis shoes all the time. (I also had to get "Shoes for Crews" for the kitchen as I was constantly slipping on my tile floor since I always just wore socks in the past around the house, but now that I MUST wear shoes all the time, I found myself slipping on little patches of wet in the kitchen. If this is a problem for you, I highly recommend their shoes. They have cute shoes, but they would only be for indoor wear as the non-skid parts would deteriorate outside.) Anyway, to continue from that side-note I have had a lot of succcess with Saxon Shoes if you must go in to try them on as they are super helpful if you let them know exactly what your foot troubles are. I recommend in particular a brand called "Unstructured Clarks". I got a nice little pair of black shoes that look like a cross between clogs and Mary Janes in that they have a closed heel but they are slip ons. They are SO comfortable and I do not have to use my orthotics with them. (Which frankly seem to make my feet hurt worse.) The Unstructured brand has removable inserts though in case you MUST wear orthotics. They have worn well as they do cost around $70+, but they have been worth the price. I just checked on Amazon, and they have a lot of Unstructured Clarks leather loafers and leather slip ons that are super cute, but they are about $99 and up. I only have 3 pair of shoes. A pair of boots because I just love boots, a pair of tennis shoes with holes in the toes I wear them so often around the house, and then this one pair of clarks. As I am sort of heavy currently yet STILL, the shoes have held up "under" all of that, and I tend to abuse shoes terribly.  Hope this helps! Hang in there! I know first hand, or "first foot" how frustrating it can be to want to walk and just get about and have your feet not cooperate! Strangely, I have noticed that my foot troubles, which have been ongoing for several years now, always seems to flair up more during Lent. I always offer it up for the times in my youth when I "ran head-long into sin" instead of running to God since my feet sort of took me there.  Helps me get through it for some reason. 
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Kim married to Bob (22y)
Mom of 11 blessings:
Bobby 19, David 17, Noah 14,
Mary 12, Gracie 10,
Isabelle and Sophia 8,
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 12:10pm | IP Logged
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I agree with staying away from clogs. I twist my ankles quite frequently in them (I used to wear Dansko clogs), and having the loose shoes caused me other problems with tendonitis and such. I need to have the shoes able to attach to my feet, not float around in them. I still love Dansko, but they need a strap.
I don't have a real answer to suggest a type of shoe....still seeking the right shoes for myself, but I do find lots of ideas from Barking Dog Shoes. Perhaps you can write to her to address your problem.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to  & ds1  '03 & ds2  '07
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 12:21pm | IP Logged
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I have had the same problems with clogs. I have a high instep and unfortunately that bone on top is where I had my stress fracture so there's a permanent bump there which makes my instep issue even more so since it gets pressed on by pretty much any shoe I wear.
By far the most comfortable shoes for me are these Croc like knock offs. I can wear them the longest but uh yeah they aren't so stylish and really don't work for church.
I'm going to order some different styles from Zappos and see what feels good.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 12:22pm | IP Logged
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Yes, that's it. I have flat feet and a high instep. Go figure. I think we have compared notes before!
Mary Jane styles are still my favorite approach. And for dress up I'll still go for a strap style.
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Jennifer G. Miller
Wife to & ds1 '03 & ds2 '07
Family in Feast and Feria
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 1:15pm | IP Logged
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JennGM wrote:
Yes, that's it. I have flat feet and a high instep. Go figure. I think we have compared notes before!
Mary Jane styles are still my favorite approach. And for dress up I'll still go for a strap style. |
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Yes I have high instep and high arch. I like the look of Mary Janes but haven't found any I can wear for long because I still run into the issue of the strap hitting that bump on my left instep.
I like sandals in spring and summer. I'm thinking of trying these Danskos. They have a strap across the instep but it looks pretty high and as long as it isn't too tight I can do it.
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Michele Quigley
wife to my prince charming and mom of 10 in Lancaster County, PA USA
http://michelequigley.com
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10 Bright Stars
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 1:23pm | IP Logged
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Interesting...I have the high arch/in-step and the boney bump on the top of one of my feet too. (Well, it is more pronounced on the left foot.) Strange that we all seem to have the same "foot" with these problems. Also the reason that I have trouble with the clogs...sometimes they would not fit well into that sort of slip on due to the bump, or it would rub that area and get really sore.
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Kim married to Bob (22y)
Mom of 11 blessings:
Bobby 19, David 17, Noah 14,
Mary 12, Gracie 10,
Isabelle and Sophia 8,
Gabrielle 6,
William Anthony 4, Joseph 3 and Luisa Marie - born in M
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3ringcircus
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 3:23pm | IP Logged
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I just got Clarks for the first time and love them. There were lots of different options. The ballet flats I got don't have a lot of support, but they're still comfy. Other pairs in the store had more support. Reiker is good, too.
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Christine
Mom to my circus of boys: G-1/06, D-1/04, S-4/10
Started HS in Fall'12
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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Here's some older threads that might be a help
comfy shoes/sandals for skirts
Orthotic Friendly Shoes
Anyone want to go shoe shopping with me?
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 4:57pm | IP Logged
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My favorite brands are Ecco and Rieker. They are available here in the U.S. I have been wearing orthopedic inserts for 20 years now and those brands work well with them. They are normally well made, give good support, but are still soft and some are even stylish!
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Eva
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 5:36pm | IP Logged
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What about some of the dressier cuts of Birkenstock? Definitely an all day shoe without much risk of turning your ankle. They are "loose" but so low to the ground, I find them very stable (unlike my Sanita clogs, which are the same company as Dansko).
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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kingvozzo
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Try Orthaheel shoes or Kalso Earth Shoes
I have terrible feet and these are amazingly comfortable. Orthaheel even has flip-flops I can wear!
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Noreen
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MicheleQ
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 6:02pm | IP Logged
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kingvozzo wrote:
Try Orthaheel shoes or Kalso Earth Shoes
I have terrible feet and these are amazingly comfortable. Orthaheel even has flip-flops I can wear!
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Oh I like these sandals!
Negative heel seems to work well for me. I'm going to try them.
I can't wear flip flops because I cannot stand the between the toe strap. Makes me crazy! 
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Michele Quigley
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kingvozzo
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 6:40pm | IP Logged
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These ARE cute!
MicheleQ wrote:
| I can't wear flip flops because I cannot stand the between the toe strap. Makes me crazy! |
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The toe strap drives me bonkers for a few days every year, then I  my flip-flops for the rest of the season!
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Noreen
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martinas6
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| Posted: March 11 2013 at 11:27pm | IP Logged
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My husband swears by his Shoes For Crews. Says they're super comfortable. Personally, I love my Birkenstocks. Sorry you're still having foot problems, I'll say a prayer for you.
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Martina DeRose in IL
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mamaslearning
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| Posted: March 12 2013 at 6:48am | IP Logged
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I didn't read the answers, but my sister has suffered similar foot problems (sprain, fracture same foot for almost a year). She recently went to a chiropractor and it relieved her daily foot pain. Just something to consider.
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Lara
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SallyT
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Oh, I like Ecco! I have a pair of Ecco Mary Janes that I bought in 1999, just after we'd moved to Cambridge, when I had to go with my husband to a fancy college dinner and needed dressy shoes. I was in the store trying on various heels, when I realized that whatever shoes I bought, I'd either be walking across town in them regularly (or not wearing them at all).
I'm sure they don't still carry the model I bought, but they were kind of square-toed Mary Janes with a wide strap -- very funky and cute. I wore them HARD all four years that we lived in England and had no car: walking across town to church, walking everywhere. They were and are unbelievably comfortable and well-fitting, with literally the best support of any shoe I've ever worn.
I should add that my feet aren't awful, but I do have a big bunion on my left foot that makes some shoes automatically painful. And I find that my general tolerance for less than optimally comfortable shoes is inching closer and closer to nil. I've never been comfortable in either clogs or flip flops.
I still have those Ecco shoes, and while they don't look brand-new, they look amazing good for hard-worn 14-year-old shoes. In fact, I should get them out right now and put them on . . . Anyway, the quality is beyond excellent.
So that's my Ecco Shoes testimony! I have some Earth-knockoff shoes, also a Mary Jane style, that I like, but they pale beside those Eccos.
Sally
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pmeilaen
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SallyT wrote:
Oh, I like Ecco! I have a pair of Ecco Mary Janes that I bought in 1999, just after we'd moved to Cambridge, when I had to go with my husband to a fancy college dinner and needed dressy shoes. I was in the store trying on various heels, when I realized that whatever shoes I bought, I'd either be walking across town in them regularly (or not wearing them at all).
I'm sure they don't still carry the model I bought, but they were kind of square-toed Mary Janes with a wide strap -- very funky and cute. I wore them HARD all four years that we lived in England and had no car: walking across town to church, walking everywhere. They were and are unbelievably comfortable and well-fitting, with literally the best support of any shoe I've ever worn.
I should add that my feet aren't awful, but I do have a big bunion on my left foot that makes some shoes automatically painful. And I find that my general tolerance for less than optimally comfortable shoes is inching closer and closer to nil. I've never been comfortable in either clogs or flip flops.
I still have those Ecco shoes, and while they don't look brand-new, they look amazing good for hard-worn 14-year-old shoes. In fact, I should get them out right now and put them on . . . Anyway, the quality is beyond excellent.
So that's my Ecco Shoes testimony! I have some Earth-knockoff shoes, also a Mary Jane style, that I like, but they pale beside those Eccos.
Sally |
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Some of my Ecco shoes are about 20 years old and they still look very good!
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Eva
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CrunchyMom
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pmeilaen wrote:
SallyT wrote:
Oh, I like Ecco! I have a pair of Ecco Mary Janes that I bought in 1999, just after we'd moved to Cambridge, when I had to go with my husband to a fancy college dinner and needed dressy shoes. I was in the store trying on various heels, when I realized that whatever shoes I bought, I'd either be walking across town in them regularly (or not wearing them at all).
I'm sure they don't still carry the model I bought, but they were kind of square-toed Mary Janes with a wide strap -- very funky and cute. I wore them HARD all four years that we lived in England and had no car: walking across town to church, walking everywhere. They were and are unbelievably comfortable and well-fitting, with literally the best support of any shoe I've ever worn.
I should add that my feet aren't awful, but I do have a big bunion on my left foot that makes some shoes automatically painful. And I find that my general tolerance for less than optimally comfortable shoes is inching closer and closer to nil. I've never been comfortable in either clogs or flip flops.
I still have those Ecco shoes, and while they don't look brand-new, they look amazing good for hard-worn 14-year-old shoes. In fact, I should get them out right now and put them on . . . Anyway, the quality is beyond excellent.
So that's my Ecco Shoes testimony! I have some Earth-knockoff shoes, also a Mary Jane style, that I like, but they pale beside those Eccos.
Sally |
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Some of my Ecco shoes are about 20 years old and they still look very good! |
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Any experience with them as men's shoes? (Not personally, of course  ) My husband it brutal on shoes. I think he wore leather soles for a while but was getting them resoled so often, he finally switched to rubber. Anyway, shoes that can potentially stand up so well have me very interested. 
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SallyT
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No, we've never bought the men's. And my husband is murder on shoes, too, so maybe we ought to try them.
Sally
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Castle in the Sea
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Shoes?
