Shopping (walking) woes

I'm sure this is a foolish question, and I already have a pretty good idea of the response, but is walking in stores an issue for you?

Thankfully, the local grocery store isn't large, and I make my list out "in order"--according to the store layout. That way I can move through fairly fast, grab what I need, and "get outta Dodge."

But...I sure would like to find a way to walk more comfortably in stores, especially big ones like Wal-Mart.
I've had a few pairs of custom-made orthotics, but because the material is so hard, I can no longer wear them; they make my feet cramp up. Instead, I wear tennis shoes with good ankle support and cushioning, and add my own soft orthotics and liners.

I am working on "toughening" my feet so they hopefully won't be so wimpy, by wearing slide-on orthotics called "Struts" (without shoes) for a time every day. This is a fairly new venture, though, so we'll see how it goes. I'm also working on toe and foot exercises and have been for a while, but not a lot of progress there.

My husband suggested creating my own, unique for my feet, arch supports. I had been thinking the same thing! My arches are so high, so that's the issue.

Sherrine, I have yet to test out the Birkenstocks, and maybe something like that would help with the stretching, too.

Any more how-to-walk-comfortably-in-the store suggestions? I've yet to take the cart route and am kind of stubborn about that, at least right now.

BTW, does anyone have any other specific exercises for feet and/or toes? My toes have always been extremely inflexible due to the neuro condition, so I can't do anything like pick up a washcloth with them.


A good massage with foot cream after soaking them in Epsom salts and warm water feels good.

The answer???? Wear good shoes with support! Period.

In 1994 I pretty much couldn’t walk because of plantar fasciitis and a horrendous back. My husband took me to San Francisco for our 25th anniversary. We had the get a wheelchair for me and he wheeled me through two airports! Talk about embarrassing! He had speaking engagements there so I tried to walk around the city. Yeah, right! 😳. Just standing up to start to walk had me seeing stars. It was like someone was driving a stake into my heels. I tried nevertheless. Thank goodness our hotel was two blocks...two very long blocks...to the trollies. So, i sat on the trollies to go around the city and then did get off at Fisherman’s Wharf, which was a big mistake. I then would limp back to our room, sit in a chair with an ottoman for my feet, and cry. I rarely had an opportunity like this because I was busy raising three children and had no idea if I ever could do something like this again.

My mother watched the kids when we were gone and was excited to find out how the trip was. I told her about my feet and she asked if I had ever thought of wearing Birkenstocks. She said that when she would go to NYC, she would see women dripping in furs and jewels on Broadway and wearing Birkenstock shoes on their feet. I had never seen them, so I thought, but when I pulled them up on the computer, I recognized them. I saw kids at my university wearing them years ago...the hippies! Lordy, they were the ugliest shoes I have ever seen! I wore low heels to my classes in college and also when I was teaching. They usually had cute little bows on the toes of the shoes. Got to be feminine! I now wore flat Keds or ballet pumps after having three children and staying home to care for them.

I was desperate so I bought a pair with suede uppers. Those suckers cost me $96! The heel cup helped with the pain but these shoes still hurt so I put them in the closet. about a month later I pulled them out again because I’m cheap and stubborn. 😂. I refused to spend that kind of money and have them sit in the closet. So I started wearing them about a half hour a day. Then I could graduate to and hour, two hours, etc. A lot of people have this problem with Birkenstocks in the beginning and give up quickly. Big mistake! Birkenstock footbeds are shaped like a foot. If you go to the beach and stand in the sand and then move, the shape left in the sand is what the footbeds look like. They are specially designed to help not only your feet but also you back, legs, etc. They make you walk correctly with good posture! So, when breaking my first pair in, it bothered my feet and back. It took me around six months to get to the point I could walk miles in these babies. All other pairs I have bought since only take about one day to break in because all the footbeds are alike. A friend of mine bought a pair, I told her how to break them in, and she now owns many pairs. She does a lot of walking in her job, too, and is thankful she got these shoes.

Now I LOVE to shop! I shop at three stores on Mondays for groceries...and one is a Super Walmart. I can walk all over that place with no problems. I wear my sandals from the time I get up until I go to bed. They are my shoes as well as my slippers. I never go barefoot or wear flip flops. They are the WORST shoes for your feet!

If you do decide to get a pair, get the suede uppers or they have a new upper made of a synthetic material. They look like leather. Those are cheaper. My uppers are Nubuck. They look like leather but are soft, flexible, and have like felt under the straps that touch my feet. I do have a few leather uppers but my skin is very sensitive and it’s harder to break them in. But, if you live up north and it’s cold, you can put on heavy socks to wear with the shoes in the beginning. The leather eventually breaks down and softens...like all real leather shoes do.

Below is a really cute link. The writer sounds just like me. This is called Ode to the Birkenstock Shoes I Swore I’d Never Wear. 😂. There s a picture of a woman in holey jeans and her sandals are the style I wear the most. I have a couple of really cute styles and also a pair shoes of black patent leather ones for when I get dressed up. Hope you guys enjoy it.


/medium.com/mundane-alley/ode-to-the-birkenstock-a-shoe-i-swore-id-never-wear-731d475c6c01

Sherrine

No, Luvs. My feet don’t hurt now so I don’t need to.

You know I’m sold on Birkenstocks because of my experience with them but there are other good, comfortable shoes out there. Finn Comfort and Clark’s are supposed to be good, too. I’m sure members can tell you what brands help them also.

Sherrine

LOL puppylover I used to have that problem so I know what you mean. She prefered wood though, like coffee tables.

Well, I have a problem although it's a bit different. I can't bend to put my shoes on. I'm just too stiff. My feet are wide so it makes it even harder to find slip ons that I can just shove my feet into. And, to go with that I can't wear the backless kind unless it's more like a flip flop. Those are cool (or rather they are) in the winter.

Any ideas?

Lendi, I have a lousy back. I have Ankylosing Spondylitis which is like rheumatoid arthritis of the spine. My vertebrae can fuse together so I can’t bend! So I keep bending so this won’t happen...hopefully. I can get very stiff but, once I bend and stretch those muscles, I’m far more flexible. I do a lot of bending because of this.

It’s so important to keep moving with fibro! If you stop moving you will get so you can’t move. The old saying that if you don’t use it, you lose it is very true. So, please, keep on keeping on. Keep moving and pace yourself when doing things. I bet you can get so you can put your shoes on again. Puppylover gave you good ideas.

Sherrine