Post-op shoes do help

[cjsmith]

OK, I'm definitely having LESS pain while walking... as long as I wear my post-op shoes.

The $64,000 question: Why?

• The post-op shoes have absolutely no arch support of any kind -- the inner surface is flat as a board.
• The post-op shoes put a lot more of my weight on my heel because they are tilted.
• The post-op shoes are kind of cushiony inside.
• The post-op shoes are missing a big chunk under the toes.
• The post-op shoes are very rigid, not allowing my toes to bend during my stride.
• Something else I haven't thought of yet.

Obviously the next step is to isolate these things and figure out which one(s) are helping. I hope it's not item two, 'cause that's probably the one I can't sustain (these shoes will cause heel damage if I use them too long).

1 - Walk barefoot on a wood or tile floor. This HURTS! OK, 1 alone is not good.
3 & 5 - My very rigid sandals have two pair of squishy insoles, which *improved* things but sure didn't fix them. OK, 3 and 5 alone are not enough.

1 & 3 - A pair of cushiony flip-flops? Walk barefoot on pile carpet?
1 & 4 - Japanese geta?
1 & 4 & 5 - Japanese geta with an added strap across the instep?
1 & 3 & 4 & 5- Doctor a bunch of cushiony flip-flops? Geta with gel insoles?

edit: After 15 minutes of walking on pile carpet, I ache but not much. Hrm. Pacing around one's living room for 15 minutes gets boring. :-)

Comments

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you remember Earth shoes, shoes with the toes higher than the heel. They might be worth a look.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've heard of this property of Earth shoes, but I've never worn any. A quick google search confirms that they're still available. Interesting! The tilt isn't as strong as those post-op shoes. I should ask my doc whether they'd be harmful to my heels.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh crud, they don't come in wide.

[tsjafo.livejournal.com]

After talking to your doctor and getting the proper sole placement, cushioning, etc., you may want to see if you can find a place that will hand make shoes for you. The military made boots for me for the last ten years I was in the service and I sure miss them now because they fit.

Recently I got a pair of shoes by a company called "Streetcar." I'd never heard of 'em before but their leather slip-ons are the first shoes I've had that don't cut off the circulation when my feet and ankles swell. Perfect shoes for someone like me with big fat fe...er...a "firm foundation."

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I like the idea of custom shoes. Hersey looks like a good bet.

"Firm foundation"! I like that!