Hi I have just bought some comfy shoes from evans, as they are a wide fit, I'm still working full time at present and have been in my velcro sandles !! nice since diagnosis, so its a relief to feel feminine again.
so its worth a look if you have an occasion to dress for.
Claire

Hi Kath


Another place to try is hotter shoes (www.hottershoes.com). They are not cheap but they are good quality & will last.

They have brought out a lot of different styles recently.

I was introduced to them about 3 years by my MIL and I never wear anything else now as my ankles tend to swell up with the heat.




Caroline

Not a bad selection in Clarks, was in there today and brought a really comfy pair of pumps feel like wearing slippers, wore them to work today, was feeding a child (I work in a special needs school) and a child dropped custard all over them.

Anne

I was desperate to clean them but as the children need one to one care I had to wait until lunchtime was over, kept looking at them for two hours, cleaned up well. Anne.

I've made an appointment at my hospial about my feet. I had some insoles made last year and just couldn't get on with them. After a reply in a post I made a few weeks ago from Lyn I have made an appointment to go back. I spoke to the person who I will see and I have been advised to buy some sensible shoes. I asked about sandles and was told they had to have backs in them to support my feet.

About the Crocs. Not far away from where I live is Sports Direct's head office. My daughter took me there a few weeks ago. They have a large sales floor selling things at reasonable prices and upstairs is the bargain place. I got a Barbie (pink of course) brand new baseball cap for Paris, still had the label on for 10p (yes 10p), a Marvel Heros one for Daniel for 10p. I got many more bargains but they were selling genuine Crocs for £5 per pair. I didn't buy any but got two pairs of simular ones (Komodo Venus Sandle) for 50p per pair. The orginal price being £34.99. I just need these for walking on the beach when I go to see Julie. I do like a bargain.

Paula x x

Hi!

I'm sure I am becoming an absolute bore on the 'feet' issue however .... Yes, here I go again! Please be extra careful with footwear especially these newly engineered items that are supposed to work miracles for your feet!

If you have RA in your feet or any possibility that you may be developing RA in your feet you MUST wear 'sensible' shoes. Foot damage may take years to actually show but by the time it does it is likely to be too far gone for you to be able to do much about it. Yes, boring I know!! As Paula has said shoes with backs are important because they provide sufficient grip to hold the foot in place (unlike flipflops where you have to grip with your toes otherwise the blighters fall off!). Also essential is the foot arch which helps retain the skeletal structure of the foot in the correct position.

No I am not a podiatrist, I have RA which started in my feet possibly many years before I was actually diagnosed. I have had two lots of surgery to my feet to have metatarsal heads removed. These are the knobbly lumps behind the toes on the base of each foot. In RA these small joints quickly become damaged with the resulting "walking on pebbles" dilemma. Perhaps in the future it may be possible to replace these joints but for now the only option is removal. This shortens the length of the foot and leaves the toes floppy. I have a whacking great scar across the top of each foot and cannot now move my toes which at times become extremely painful.

Those ops were 10 years ago. Since then the metatarsals (the long bones in the foot) themselves have dropped, I suppose without the head the supporting structure was missing. No-one seems to have an answer to this. I now wear expensive trainers which provide great support. Not fashionable but immensely sensible!

You only get one pair of feet and they are delicate structures when you consider the work they do. Many podiatrists don't seem to be fully aware of RA problems and the implications for our feet. Mine are not a pretty sight I assure you!

Look after them!

Lyn x

PS It's obviously got to me as I now realise I am repeating myself from the previous page! Oh well I can't say it too many times ... Look after your feet guys!!!!

Have a look at Hotter on line, Mel. I've got about 10 pairs and they are so wonderfully comfortable to wear. You really need to measure your feet properly to get the correct width.

Melly I like the hotter shoes but i have wasted a lot of money buying the slip on shoes. I have one foot a lot wider than the other with RA.

Tried insoles in the smaller foot but it still slips of.So now i just buy them with a strap or velcro and they are fine.
I have had some from Easy Fit aswell they are good. They are deeper fitting than Hotter. Kathleen Mc.

Hi All

I have just brought a second pair of Pumps from Clarks they are the most comfortable things I have ever put on my feet, they are called Idyllic Pumps, I have suffered over the years with my feet, ever since I was young and squeezing my feet into unsuitable ill fitting shoes. However, they do not give additional arch support, I found another pair in clarks that are comfortable (did not have my size) but do have additional arch support they are called Iroko Bar pumps and don't look to bad anyone tried them and what do you think ?

Anne x

Hi Lorna

I'm really getting a bee in my bonnet about this but I think we're at cross purposes here

I don't mean the sandals are flat! What is important is the support of the instep on the upper surface of the footwear. Does the surface you actually put your foot on have an arch support where the instep of the foot sits? I have been to the flitflops website and had another look and they don't look to have any support at all! The part you rest your foot on looks virtually flat although I agree the sole itself is raised and shaped. It's the instep of the foot that needs to be correctly supported. Without adequate support the instep/midfoot drops and the metatarsals (the long foot bones) become flattened. Incorrect pressure is then put on the five metatarsal heads and can lead to subluxation of the toes. Nice!

Had a look online at the Clarks Iroko Bar pumps. They look interesting and I'd be interested to know what you find Jean.

Lyn x