# How are your feet?



## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Do you look after them or leave them to it? Is the looking after cosmetic or do you work on your foot muscles and mobility?

I've had foot problems for nearly 15 years, mostly plantar fasciitis related. It can make you feel really miserable and anxious about the future. The good news is that through research and reading I've managed to sort mine out although it is still a work in progress but at least I've got shot of the horrible orthotics I've been wearing for 14 years.

Feet now fascinate me and I've found out all sorts of things about them such as:-

25% of the muscles of our bodies are below the ankle.

25% of the joints of our bodies are below the ankle too, we have as many joints in our feet as we do in our spines.

There is no such structure in the foot as the arch.

Our toes have the same systems of pulleys and muscles as our fingers do and we should be able to do very similar things with them such as use our toes independently of each other Try lifting your big toes up without your other toes lifting too. Then try lifting your other toes without moving your big toe and if you can manage that try lifting them one at a time. 

The intrinsic muscles of our feet (those that start and finish in the foot rather than starting elsewhere in the leg) need to be moved and exercised just like our other muscles. We can do that by walking barefoot as much as possible (where safe to obviously) and over varying surfaces such as sand, grass, gravel, pebbles, rocks/uneven ground, preferably wearing minimal shoes.

Shoes with a heel put your whole body out of alignment, to stop yourself tipping forward you have to make adjustments right up your legs/hips putting pressure on your hips and knees and even your back.

Shoes with a small toe box cause all sorts of problems. You should be able to spread your toes. Having toes scrunched up means the muscles and pulley systems don't get a good blood supply which can cause atrophy. Having your toes pushed across towards the little toe can contribute to the development of bunions. Try drawing round your foot on a piece of paper (no shoes or socks on) then place your shoes over it and see how different they are.

Heat is more effective at reducing foot pain than ice. 

I've picked up most of this information from some great books by Katy Bowman a biomechanist and movement specialist.


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

I have problems with toes dislocating and subluxing and they need popping back into place probably about a dozen times a day or more! :Shifty My arch collapses a lot too and my ankle rolls over (although I'm flexible enough that it doesn't hurt unless i'm wearing heels), I have probably 2 pairs of shoes that I find really comfy. 

I've never really thought about actually trying to work on building muscles or anything in my feet to support my joints, what type of exercises are there? (i'm gonna have to have a google) I tend to focus on my bigger joints but my feet are so achy constantly so I definitely need to look up exercises that might help. 

I mainly just do cosmetic care with them, keeping my nails nice and painted and my skin soft but nothing else.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

Mine use to be like that.

But now I have a weird nail on my right big toe that hurts sometimes and at the moment I have a corn on the end of my left middle toe and it hurts so much I can hardly walk on it, I've put a corn plaster on it but so far it's doing to help nothing. :Inpain


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

Ingrown toenails bilaterally.

Otherwise mine are good. I'm lucky enough that I don't currently have any limb problems at all, although some evenings my legs both ache terribly distal to the knee due to standing for hours and hours on end.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

Lets just say my feet are so bad, they are in a medical journal. :Meh


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## Jamesgoeswalkies (May 8, 2014)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Shoes with a heel put your whole body out of alignment, to stop yourself tipping forward you have to make adjustments right up your legs/hips putting pressure on your hips and knees and even your back.


I do know that my wife (who loves heels and has quite a collection) has a lot more trouble with her feet than i do. And she puts it down to the fact that she loved to wear (totter) about on heels when she was younger.

Luckily my feet are pretty much ok but like most guys I wear trainers/boots/and generally shoes for comfort rather than fashion. However they are quite useless in the muscle control front - I can wiggle my toes but not really individually - although i can pick things up from the floor with my feet 

J


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## lullabydream (Jun 25, 2013)

I can move all my toes independently except one due to a congenital deformity! So I have a weird little toe on my right side!

I have probably a bad habit of moving my toes a lot and soft shoes end up with holes in them! Totally subconsciously when doing nothing!

I have loads of pairs of heels..that I have never worn. I like the idea of wearing heals but who am I kidding I can't wear them and much to my OH's annoyance I have purchased some over the years and tried to walk in them..I have missed myself I can till I step outside then put flat shoes on instead. Am very much like my friend who is a shoe hoarder but ways buys shoes because they are sooo comfy!
Due to my dodgy toe I have to have comfy foot wear!

I would happily do exercises though to help with my feet!


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Have a bunion on the left foot which is throwing the toe sideways up against the second toe which then pushes against the third toe, toenail of the second toe has become somewhat deformed. The little toenail on that side is a bit odd looking too. Tend to get rubbing with the second and third toe when doing longer walks. Right foot has a hammer toe on the big toe which doesn’t cause a lot of trouble. Feet are big, I take a size eight and a half to nine and ibecoming wider, it’s difficult to find comfy shoes. Don’t wear high heels at all, although the chiropractor told me a small heel is good for back pain and I do notice it helps when I wear shoes that have a slight heel


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Mine are good most of the time. I've had issues with arch pain recently, I think from having to wear Crocs all day at work. I've switched to surgical trainers instead of Crocs and these are SO much better. I've also ditched the Crocs at home (unless in the garden) because I wore them in the house too - now use slippers when it's cold, and FitFlop flip flops in the summer which are BRILLIANT. I used to be completely anti flip flop and find them so uncomfortable but these are amazing and supportive. I'm sticking to my Aigle wellies on walks cos I'm nervous about buying walking shoes, spending a pretty penny, and finding they are uncomfortable.....no ideal for summer walking though, but as I don't tend to do more than hour or so walking in them I put up with it.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

labradrk said:


> Mine are good most of the time. I've had issues with arch pain recently, I think from having to wear Crocs all day at work. I've switched to surgical trainers instead of Crocs and these are SO much better. I've also ditched the Crocs at home (unless in the garden) because I wore them in the house too - now use slippers when it's cold, and FitFlop flip flops in the summer which are BRILLIANT. I used to be completely anti flip flop and find them so uncomfortable but these are amazing and supportive. I'm sticking to my Aigle wellies on walks cos I'm nervous about buying walking shoes, spending a pretty penny, and finding they are uncomfortable.....no ideal for summer walking though, but as I don't tend to do more than hour or so walking in them I put up with it.


I love my fitflop slippers. I bought them years ago and they are gradually falling apart and they don't do the same ones anymore, wish I had got two pairs now. They are so comfy and somehow majpke me walk better


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## Bertie'sMum (Mar 27, 2017)

I have diabetes so I do have to look after my feet with regular visits to the chiropodist to get nails cut and any hard skin removed - but overall they are in great shape (my chiropodist says they are a pleasure to work on !). I did wear heels when I was younger but these days my favourite footwear is Sketchers - sooooooooooooo comfy with heels saved for 'special' occasions only


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## foxiesummer (Feb 4, 2009)

As a diabetic I have to take extra care of my feet. I visit a podiatrist every six weeks. She also does my annual check up which would normally be done at the doctors. I pay for all this myself. ATM I have pompholyx dermatitis on both feet and hands.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

PawsOnMe said:


> I have problems with toes dislocating and subluxing and they need popping back into place probably about a dozen times a day or more! :Shifty My arch collapses a lot too and my ankle rolls over (although I'm flexible enough that it doesn't hurt unless i'm wearing heels), I have probably 2 pairs of shoes that I find really comfy.
> 
> I've never really thought about actually trying to work on building muscles or anything in my feet to support my joints, what type of exercises are there? (i'm gonna have to have a google) I tend to focus on my bigger joints but my feet are so achy constantly so I definitely need to look up exercises that might help.
> 
> I mainly just do cosmetic care with them, keeping my nails nice and painted and my skin soft but nothing else.


I got quite a few from this channel - have a look through their playlist and at their website which has some interesting articles











https://www.correcttoes.com/foot-he...351792477&mc_cid=0cac357dff&mc_eid=eb0faec34d

I spend quite a lot of time doing calf stretches (from a half foam roller) and one which I'm not sure if its in the videos but you basically curl your toes under (one leg at a time) so that you are standing on the knuckle part of the foot (start gently not putting too much weight on it) and hold for 20 secs if you can and build up the time. It can make your foot cramp when you first do it, I can manage about a minute now.



Happy Paws said:


> Mine use to be like that.
> 
> But now I have a weird nail on my right big toe that hurts sometimes and at the moment I have a corn on the end of my left middle toe and it hurts so much I can hardly walk on it, I've put a corn plaster on it but so far it's doing to help nothing. :Inpain


She talks about corns and calluses quite a lot in the book and says there are usually a result of poorly fitting shoes or your gait putting pressure on the wrong part of the foot so rubbing on your shoes.



Animallover26 said:


> Lets just say my feet are so bad, they are in a medical journal. :Meh


Interesting. Do you feel comfortable sharing any more? Don't worry if you don't. 



Siskin said:


> Have a bunion on the left foot which is throwing the toe sideways up against the second toe which then pushes against the third toe, toenail of the second toe has become somewhat deformed. The little toenail on that side is a bit odd looking too. Tend to get rubbing with the second and third toe when doing longer walks. Right foot has a hammer toe on the big toe which doesn't cause a lot of trouble. Feet are big, I take a size eight and a half to nine and ibecoming wider, it's difficult to find comfy shoes. Don't wear high heels at all, although the chiropractor told me a small heel is good for back pain and I do notice it helps when I wear shoes that have a slight heel


She says in the book that a small heel often makes people feel better because their calf muscles are so tight so working on those makes wearing flatter shoes more comfortable. Here is a short video about hammer toes


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## Zaros (Nov 24, 2009)

I've had three claw toes to both feet since childhood.:Shy

They only really start to bother me after I've been walking for some distance because the tops of the toes rub against my shoes. I bought a beautiful pair of handmade Italian all leather shoes in 2007 for silly bloody money, but I've only worn them once because they cause me the most problems. 
My toes also remind when I need to clip their nails.:Meh


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> She talks about corns and calluses quite a lot in the book and says there are usually a result of poorly fitting shoes or your gait putting pressure on the wrong part of the foot so rubbing on your shoes.


I don't think it's shoes, I only buy good well fitting flat ones, but it could be the way I walk as I had trouble walking with my left leg since I had a stroke and does put pressure on my foot.


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## Eeyore (Aug 28, 2014)

I had problems with my feet only once because I had bought a pair of really cheap pair of trainers and used them to walk the dogs. After a few months I couldn´t walk without pain. Once I realized what caused the pain and bought a pair of a decent pair, the pain stopped in a week. But then I have walking in swamps and all sorts terrains all my life and never learned to wear high heels. I still have a few really pretty shoes that I keep trying to wear, but even before I get out of the door, I change them, as they feel so bad.

Thanks for the information about feet!


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

A colleague (creepily) once told me I have perfect feet. 

They haven't been well looked after as I did gymnastics for a long time, but despite that my toes are all straight (unusual after doing gymnastics) and fairly flexible. My toe nails however are a bit curled from gymnastics so I do have to be careful when cutting my nails otherwise I'm prone to ingrown toenails.


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## Bisbow (Feb 20, 2012)

I hate feet with a passion, every thing about them, seeing a lot of bare feet at the beach or swimming pool makes me feel ill

OH will walk around with bare feet so I make sure I never look at them

I think we should have hooves like horses and have them shod every 4 weeks or so, so much better all round


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

I hate wearing shoes so will walk bare feet as much as I can when it's not socially required. Unfortunately this means I mostly get to wander around inside and out barefoot at home only.

I find wearing shoes with any kind of heel to toe height difference uncomfortable so it's a pain to try and find something appropriate for work in winter months as most shoes have some sort of elevated heel. 

I also have large feet for a girl (size 8). Which is European 42. Unfortunately a couple of years ago the UK decided to change their sizing and size 8s now correspond to a size 41 which is too tight. My only solution is to buy expensive leather uppers and try and stretch them but it's not ideal. I also have wider feet than average so the women's fashion type shoes never fit. Casual shoes are easier as I buy men's shoes if they look unisex. 

Because I walk around barefoot so much I have fairly hard skin on my soles which protects my feet but I do need to use my scholl electronic pedi file every so often to stop them going rock hard and cracking.

My other issue is a have s slight tingly numb patch near my big toe due to persistent piriformis syndrome issues affecting my sciatic nerve which isn't a major problem but is irritating.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

kittih said:


> I hate wearing shoes so will walk bare feet as much as I can when it's not socially required. Unfortunately this means I mostly get to wander around inside and out barefoot at home only.
> 
> I find wearing shoes with any kind of heel to toe height difference uncomfortable so it's a pain to try and find something appropriate for work in winter months as most shoes have some sort of elevated heel.
> 
> ...


You have the same problem as me with shoes as I'm at least an 8 more probably 8.5 in women's which are difficult to find. For years I've had to wear men's shoes until Hotter shoes bucked themselves up and now make more stylish shoes up to size 9 which is a blessing. Have a look at another shoes as they do many of them in wider fittings


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

Never really thought about them ..... but then I've never had any problems with them.

I used to wear high heels when I was younger & never had any issues but now I wear flats all the time. The only problem I have is that they are a 4.5 size which means I usually have to get inner soles for my shoes or wear 2 pairs of thick socks with boots


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Interesting. Do you feel comfortable sharing any more? Don't worry if you don't.


I don't really understand it all very well and I can't remember any of the big words and stuff, but in very simple terms, I was born with a problem were the tendons in my legs don't grow at the same rate as the bone, so they are too short, that means the tendons in my feet are stretched so my foot is shorter then it should be, I have very high arches, plus all my toes are curled up (think its called hammer toes) plus my feet are twisted inward a little too.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

I look after my feet because of my balance so I’ve never been one for heels. I simply can’t wear them. My only irritant is that I have one size 4 and one 4.5. I don’t work in a job that requires me to wear them and spend a lot of time in flats, trainers. I might wear wedges for a party. I put baby oil or coconut oil on them at night if I remember!


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## Boxer123 (Jul 29, 2017)

I feel for you with the planter absolute agony . I'm currently sporting two black two nails from running my feet are gross. I broke a toe a few years back it didn't set properly I never wear high heels they hurt and you can't run in them !


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## Phoenix Rising (Jan 25, 2016)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Do you look after them or leave them to it? Is the looking after cosmetic or do you work on your foot muscles and mobility?
> 
> I've had foot problems for nearly 15 years, mostly plantar fasciitis related. It can make you feel really miserable and anxious about the future. The good news is that through research and reading I've managed to sort mine out although it is still a work in progress but at least I've got shot of the horrible orthotics I've been wearing for 14 years.
> 
> ...


Heat is a problem though if you have varicose or spider veins in your feet. I've started getting some developing and I noticed when its been really hot the veins come up really prominent in my foot, just below my second biggest toe it changes colour like a reddy purple rash, same just under the ankle bone, the tiny veins come up and cover the area around the ankle bone, when I go back inside and lie down and put my foot up or put an ice pack on it the veins go back down. Hot baths bring them up too which is really annoying as I love a long soak but don't want any more prominent veins coming up that I can't get rid of.

I've also noticed I don't have as much padding on my feet they look wider and flat (actually gone up a size) and really ache after been on them on a few hours. They ache quicker when I've been moving barefoot around the house/ I've found Sketchers Memory Foam the comfiest to be able to walk about for longer without it getting painful.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Absolutely no feet issues here, apart from hard skin on the soles, which is removed with regular pedicures.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

I get plantar fascitis sometimes but it really helps if I make sure that I have orthotic insoles in all my shoes (even my slippers).



Animallover26 said:


> I don't really understand it all very well and I can't remember any of the big words and stuff, but in very simple terms, I was born with a problem were the tendons in my legs don't grow at the same rate as the bone, so they are too short, that means the tendons in my feet are stretched so my foot is shorter then it should be, I have very high arches, plus all my toes are curled up (think its called hammer toes) plus my feet are twisted inward a little too.


Sounds kinda like what my father has. Called Marie Charcot Tooth syndrome which can affect your whole body but in my family (uncles and several cousins) it just affects their feet. basically the tendons on the inside of his feet didnt grow properly and so his feet were pulled inwards to the point where he walks with all his weight on the outside of his feet. God knows what they look like as they are really badly deformed and nobody in the family has ever seen them!LOL
I do know though that it has caused alot of the smaller bones to crumble and disintegrate. His consultant said its the second worse case he has ever seen (the first had their feet amputated and he has been offered this) but somehow he still manages to walk about.

This is why I try not to complain about having Plantar Fascitis....its piddly in comparison!:Shy


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Animallover26 said:


> I don't really understand it all very well and I can't remember any of the big words and stuff, but in very simple terms, I was born with a problem were the tendons in my legs don't grow at the same rate as the bone, so they are too short, that means the tendons in my feet are stretched so my foot is shorter then it should be, I have very high arches, plus all my toes are curled up (think its called hammer toes) plus my feet are twisted inward a little too.


That sounds painful. How has it affected your mobility as you were growing up?

Thank you all for sharing your foot issues (or lack of) - I've liked the posts for sharing rather than liking you having problems.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

catz4m8z said:


> I get plantar fascitis sometimes but it really helps if I make sure that I have orthotic insoles in all my shoes (even my slippers).
> 
> Sounds kinda like what my father has. Called Marie Charcot Tooth syndrome which can affect your whole body but in my family (uncles and several cousins) it just affects their feet. basically the tendons on the inside of his feet didnt grow properly and so his feet were pulled inwards to the point where he walks with all his weight on the outside of his feet. God knows what they look like as they are really badly deformed and nobody in the family has ever seen them!LOL
> I do know though that it has caused alot of the smaller bones to crumble and disintegrate. His consultant said its the second worse case he has ever seen (the first had their feet amputated and he has been offered this) but somehow he still manages to walk about.
> ...


The problem with orthotic insoles as I found to my detriment is they don't solve the problem they just jack up the foot and prevent you from using it and the muscles correctly so they become more stiff and inflexible.


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## HarlequinCat (Nov 29, 2012)

I have some hypermobile joints, so my feet too easily roll over. As a kid I used to badly sprain my ankles walking or running :Facepalm.
Recently got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in one foot after i was in a lot of pain with it. I have insoles now which has helped a lot, but it's a bit awkward with them in sometimes and uncomfortable. And doesn't seem to help with occasionally twisting my ankle over.

Do the foot strengthening exercises help with hypemobility in feet? If so I'm going to do them. I do do the calf stretching exercises


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

HarlequinCat said:


> I have some hypermobile joints, so my feet too easily roll over. As a kid I used to badly sprain my ankles walking or running :Facepalm.
> Recently got diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in one foot after i was in a lot of pain with it. I have insoles now which has helped a lot, but it's a bit awkward with them in sometimes and uncomfortable. And doesn't seem to help with occasionally twisting my ankle over.
> 
> Do the foot strengthening exercises help with hypemobility in feet? If so I'm going to do them. I do do the calf stretching exercises


Oh yes I remember our discussions about your feet last year. I'm no expert and am learning all this new information myself as up until a few months ago I was still spending thousands of pounds on orthotics and podiatrists. I saw 4 different podiatrists in a year, plus had shock wave therapy to my heels and Achilles which was so painful :Arghh my language turned the air blue. My understanding from what I've read is that when you have stiffness and lack of mobility in the foot the structures above (so the ankle) become more mobile to compensate. One of the podiatrists said I had hypermobile ankles which were allowing my feet to pronate but I really haven't and besides your feet need to pronate as part of the walking cycle. I didn't find the standard calf stretching exercises made any difference but the ones I've been doing from the book I mentioned have helped.


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## catz4m8z (Aug 27, 2008)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I saw 4 different podiatrists in a year.


Thats one thing Ive never thought of doing!:Shy I always go for well cushioned shoes and insoles coz as well as the plantar fascitis Im also lopsided! I tend to wear the inside of one heel down on shoes way before the other. If I do alot of walking without supportive shoes I get knee pain, then hip pain and eventually chest pain...all from my feet!


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## CuddleMonster (Mar 9, 2016)

My biggest problem is trying to get shoes that fit. I'm a size 5 but have extremely wide feet, a very high instep and weak ankles (so anything with a heel or a sole that goes 'inward' toward the ground is out). I basically live in Sketchers boots in winter and flip flops in summer and have a few weeks in spring and autumn where I feel like I have to choose between frostbite and heatstroke as the boots are too hot and the flip flops are too cold! And EVERY SINGLE SUMMER I have at least one busybody telling me off for wearing flip flops 'because they are bad for your feet'. My answer is: Not nearly as bad as wearing shoes that make your whole foot go numb from lack of circulation!

I do get a lot of joint pain generally, but it's worse in winter - I find keeping my feet warm helps and also soaking in an Epsom salt bath.

I love walking barefoot whenever possible and do a lot of stretching exercises naturally, so I guess I'm exercising my feet without realising it. I've done the curling your toes under one for years just because it feels good - didn't realise it was an exercise!

I used to sprain my ankle so often when I was a kid that the doctors issued me with these horrible heel supports that had to go in all my shoes. They were really painful and gave me blisters, but didn't do a thing to stop my ankles turning over - in fact they made it worse, because when I did turn over, the supports were more rigid than the shoes and dug into my ankles really badly and left me with bruising. When I was in my early teens, I finally convinced my parents to let me leave the supports out since they weren't making a difference. I used to practice raising and lowering my heels while standing as steady as possible and within months, I was hardly turning over at all. I think a lot of supports just make the problem worse because your muscles stop doing their job - they get 'lazy' because the support is doing the work for them.


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## westie~ma (Mar 16, 2009)

I hate feet. 
Mine are ok. 

I walk a lot so they are either in walking boots, in my normal boots or sandals/flip flops. Not many shoes.


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## ForestWomble (May 2, 2013)

catz4m8z said:


> I get plantar fascitis sometimes but it really helps if I make sure that I have orthotic insoles in all my shoes (even my slippers).
> 
> Sounds kinda like what my father has. Called Marie Charcot Tooth syndrome which can affect your whole body but in my family (uncles and several cousins) it just affects their feet. basically the tendons on the inside of his feet didnt grow properly and so his feet were pulled inwards to the point where he walks with all his weight on the outside of his feet. God knows what they look like as they are really badly deformed and nobody in the family has ever seen them!LOL
> I do know though that it has caused alot of the smaller bones to crumble and disintegrate. His consultant said its the second worse case he has ever seen (the first had their feet amputated and he has been offered this) but somehow he still manages to walk about.
> ...


Ouch! Thankfully, though at the worst I was told if I tried to walk or even try to stand up I'd break my ankle, I've never been that bad. The fact he can still walk is a miracle!



rottiepointerhouse said:


> That sounds painful. *How has it affected your mobility as you were growing up?*
> 
> Thank you all for sharing your foot issues (or lack of) - I've liked the posts for sharing rather than liking you having problems.


Growing up was painful as with each growth spurt my tendons would stretch more than normal. I always walked on tip toe, couldn't run, I do remember having physio sessions to teach me exercises to help lengthen the tendons. My right ankle could 'pop out' of its socket walking on uneven ground (gravel, sand, pebbles etc) and I'd have to click it back into place, sometimes I'd have to walk through the pain because it wouldn't click back. 
Then after an illness at age 16, my legs had curled up, feet had curled up even more and I could no longer walk. 
Been a wheelchair user ever since.

I'm just glad the growth spurts are no longer


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

I have neuropathy in both feet, exacerbated, but not caused, by having the chemo
chemo has also discoloured my two large toe nails and caused them to fall off in bits, they will grow back normally eventually but in the mean time yuk!!
I wear flyflots in the summer and am saving up for some shoes/boots this year, they are cushioned and contour to your own foot profile
theyre not cheap, but I am wearing some at the moment that look brand new, but are 5 years old! Bonus is, because they mould to your foots structure, unlike normal flip flops, I can drive in them
Oh! and theyre also very true to size

https://www.flyflot.co.uk/


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## mollymo (Oct 31, 2009)

I am quite fortunate by the sounds of it that my feet seem good for an over 60s lady.
Only one small issue is my little small toe nail grows thick like a beak and is difficult to cut but if that's all I'm not doing bad.
I always wear boat shoes in the summer and flat ankle boots in winter or wellies.


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## planete (Jan 21, 2012)

I am sorry for anybody who has been dealt a rough deal when it comes to feet. I am lucky that mine were basically ok but suffered from wearing shoes and a gait less than ideal after compensating for various injuries. Rehabbing my sore feet took about two years of walking in socks only or bare at home and using Sockwas or totally flat sandals outdoors. I looked at foot exercises but never did any I am afraid. What I did use for a year were gel toe spacers inside the Sockwas to help spread out my toes. It helped with my feet rolling too much by stabilising them. The daily hour walk in Sockwas on varied terrain (New Forest earth tracks and across country) seemed to be enough. Until my feet and tendons got used to the different balance and terrain I got sore muscles and sometimes soles. My bad walking habits like heel striking first and walking with my legs in bad alignment got sorted out quite simply: if I did not correct myself it hurt, when it hurt I had to walk differently to be able to carry on walking until it became a habit. Have a look at gait analysis, a faulty gait is usually the cause of foot problems. I have also used Merrells minimalist shoes 'for best' and am looking at some Vivobarefoot boots for the Winter. I have not had sore feet for three years now and I am over 70. If you want to try it, it pays to learn about the possible pitfalls too and to start slowly.
Sockwas: http://minimal.uk.com/sockwa-g4.html


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

planete said:


> I am sorry for anybody who has been dealt a rough deal when it comes to feet. I am lucky that mine were basically ok but suffered from wearing shoes and a gait less than ideal after compensating for various injuries. Rehabbing my sore feet took about two years of walking in socks only or bare at home and using Sockwas or totally flat sandals outdoors. I looked at foot exercises but never did any I am afraid. What I did use for a year were gel toe spacers inside the Sockwas to help spread out my toes. It helped with my feet rolling too much by stabilising them. The daily hour walk in Sockwas on varied terrain (New Forest earth tracks and across country) seemed to be enough. Until my feet and tendons got used to the different balance and terrain I got sore muscles and sometimes soles. My bad walking habits like heel striking first and walking with my legs in bad alignment got sorted out quite simply: if I did not correct myself it hurt, when it hurt I had to walk differently to be able to carry on walking until it became a habit. Have a look at gait analysis, a faulty gait is usually the cause of foot problems. I have also used Merrells minimalist shoes 'for best' and am looking at some Vivobarefoot boots for the Winter. I have not had sore feet for three years now and I am over 70. If you want to try it, it pays to learn about the possible pitfalls too and to start slowly.
> Sockwas: http://minimal.uk.com/sockwa-g4.html


I've got some gel spacers too but not the proper "Correct Toes" version just a cheap pair to try out, they do make my feet feel much more comfortable but because I've got webbed 2nd & 3rd toes they get uncomfortable quickly although the actual spread of the toes is better if that makes sense. I haven't seen Sockwas before - the toe box doesn't look very wide in the photos - is there enough space?


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I've got some gel spacers too but not the proper "Correct Toes" version just a cheap pair to try out, they do make my feet feel much more comfortable but because I've got webbed 2nd & 3rd toes they get uncomfortable quickly although the actual spread of the toes is better if that makes sense. I haven't seen Sockwas before - the toe box doesn't look very wide in the photos - is there enough space?


I need a wide toe box and find a lot of women's shoes in particular arenent wide enough sonwhereas I might find a pair that are big enough in length they are too narrow in the toe. The Sockwas shoes don't seem wide enough in the photo
Ive just ordered a gel thingamy that helps to push the big toe affected by a bunion back to its normal alignment. I'm hoping this will help the next two squished toes from rubbing.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

I have degenerative arthritis in both my feet, and Freiberg's in the left foot. The only time my feet are bare is when I am in the shower. I wear shoes of some kind at all other times, including to bed. One toe stub or other seemingly minor injury (such as a cat stepping on my foot) can cause me to be lame for months.

Since walking and hiking are my recreation, foot injury is always devastating. Sometimes I can go a year or more without injuring the Freiberg foot, but when I do injure it (usually by dropping something on it or banging it into something) it seems to start up a series, and every time the foot starts to get better I re-injure it, and this will go on for months before the "curse" is finally broken.

I wear podiatrist-custom made orthotic insoles, very expensive, and insurance will not pay for them, so I only have one pair and have to change them from shoes to shoes throughout the day.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Siskin said:


> I need a wide toe box and find a lot of women's shoes in particular arenent wide enough sonwhereas I might find a pair that are big enough in length they are too narrow in the toe. The Sockwas shoes don't seem wide enough in the photo
> Ive just ordered a gel thingamy that helps to push the big toe affected by a bunion back to its normal alignment. I'm hoping this will help the next two squished toes from rubbing.


Let me know how you get on, will be interested to know if it makes a difference.



lorilu said:


> I have degenerative arthritis in both my feet, and Freiberg's in the left foot. The only time my feet are bare is when I am in the shower. I wear shoes of some kind at all other times, including to bed. One toe stub or other seemingly minor injury (such as a cat stepping on my foot) can cause me to be lame for months.
> 
> Since walking and hiking are my recreation, foot injury is always devastating. Sometimes I can go a year or more without injuring the Freiberg foot, but when I do injure it (usually by dropping something on it or banging it into something) it seems to start up a series, and every time the foot starts to get better I re-injure it, and this will go on for months before the "curse" is finally broken.
> 
> I wear podiatrist-custom made orthotic insoles, very expensive, and insurance will not pay for them, so I only have one pair and have to change them from shoes to shoes throughout the day.


Sorry to hear you have such problems with your feet. I haven't heard of Freiberg's so will go and look it up.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Sorry to hear you have such problems with your feet. I haven't heard of Freiberg's so will go and look it up.


I have had the Freiberg since I was a kid and have had surgery on it twice, as a teenager and in my late twenties, but it always comes back and I am not willing to have any more surgery.

I have also had terrible bunions on both feet, they were very bad when I was a teenager and in my twenties and the only thing I could wear on my feet were soft moccasins.. I had them removed when I was in my early twenties and they never came back.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

Happy Paws said:


> Mine use to be like that.
> 
> But now I have a weird nail on my right big toe that hurts sometimes and at the moment I have a corn on the end of my left middle toe and it hurts so much I can hardly walk on it, I've put a corn plaster on it but so far it's doing to help nothing. :Inpain


Best thing is go to a chiropodist/podiatrist and have it removed. It doesn't hurt but the core needs to come out otherwise it won't go


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> The problem with orthotic insoles as I found to my detriment is they don't solve the problem they just jack up the foot and prevent you from using it and the muscles correctly so they become more stiff and inflexible.


And they don't fit properly in normal shoes/trainers 

I've had good feet most of my life and didn't abuse them too much, but did develop a slight bunion on my right foot a few years ago which was quite uncomfortable and would ache a lot.

I've worn mostly flat (1" heels) for years now and won't buy any shoe that isn't instant comfort.

I suffered a Bursitis on my right foot a couple of years ago which was sore and ached a lot. It happened whilst kneeling down worshipping Jack! . Felt something go twang under my middle toe. It took weeks to get better aided by physio and orthotic insole. Although they would only fit in an oversize pair of trainers so have been cast aside now.

I think my hard, slightly upturned toe walking boots aggravated the injury and they also gave me a corn on each little toe. I think wearing cheap socks creating friction didn't help. A trip to chiropodist sorted them and the walking boots were relegated to gardening only!

I try to have some softness underfoot to prevent aggravating the old injury again. (I noticed it was tender after a week walking bare foot on my sister's hard ceramic floors.)

I wear good trainers if walking far or doing any sport/fitness.

I'm starting to do some yoga/Pilates at home to improve overall flexibility and that will also help my feet too, which I've noticed seem less flexible now I'm 57, especially my ankles.

If I manage to lose 2 stone plus, as planned, that will help too.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> The problem with orthotic insoles as I found to my detriment is they don't solve the problem they just jack up the foot and prevent you from using it and the muscles correctly so they become more stiff and inflexible.


This has not been my experience. Plaster molds were made of my feet and the orthotics were created from the molds. I would not be able to walk at all, without them. Not without pain and causing more damage to my feet anyway. I have to have them re-covered every few years, and it's always a scary time, going without them. He takes special pre-made orthotics and builds them up for me to wear temporarily, but I am always relieved to have my own back.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

lorilu said:


> This has not been my experience. Plaster molds were made of my feet and the orthotics were created from the molds. I would not be able to walk at all, without them. Not without pain and causing more damage to my feet anyway. I have to have them re-covered every few years, and it's always a scary time, going without them. He takes special pre-made orthotics and builds them up for me to wear temporarily, but I am always relieved to have my own back.


No obviously it isn't the case for someone with severe problems like a few members on here but it is a common problem that people who wear orthotics long term end up with stiff immobile feet. The ones I had were custom made too, some were made by taking plaster casts of my feet (such as the ones below), one by an electronic scanner thing, another by standing in this inflated plastic tray type thing and others by pressing my feet into a foam tray and sending the imprint off to the lab.

These were one of the worst sets I had, gave me all sorts of problems with numbness/ pins & needles and pain under my toes as well as all around the rim of my heels







Several of the books I've been reading say that for most problems orthotics should only be used short term to relieve pressure on the heel for instance but at the same time exercises to improve flexibility/strength/mobility and blood supply should be undertaken. Trouble is there is a lot of money to be made from custom made orthotics, I easily spent £4,000 on them over a few years so not many podiatrists are going to be honest and say frankly you would be better off working on your feet and just have a temporary set of orthotics.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

I imagine it depends on what the orthotics are being used for and if they are made correctly. I have no trouble with my heels. My problems are in the metatarsals and toes. My feet are not stiff or immobile. If I walk too much without the orthotics they soon become extremely painful until I can barely walk at all.

I take careful care of my feet, icing them (which I hate to do) then soaking (which I love), to improve circulation, and I massage them as well. I change my shoes often during the day, moving the insoles from one pair to the next. (I have always, all my life, had a very difficult time finding shoes that fit right) In the house at night I wear sneakers as slippers and when I got to bed I change into a pair of soft Keds sneakers. They don't make this particular style any more so I hope these last a very long time. They are starting to tear a bit I've been sleeping in them for almost 20 years now.


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## Lurcherlad (Jan 5, 2013)

I was watching something the other day where treating flat feet/fallen arches was actually discouraged. The argument was they sort themselves out on their own anyhow.

If they cause other issues though (pain in Achilles, etc.) they were useful.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

I have a high arch as well, which has always been part of my problem with finding comfortable shoes. Once I started with the orthotics that were made from plaster molds of my feet, I no longer have problems with my arches of course, because the molds fit my arches perfectly. : )


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Quite an interesting video - I've got a few articles about the damage orthotics can cause which I will dig out.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I have quite long toes, which means I will be prone to bunions

I’m in my 30s and 2 years ago mentioned to my GP that my bunion on my left foot was getting sore she referred me to the podiatrist. I initially mentioned it 10 years before and was told there is nothing that can be done and to do a few exercises, it got much worse in those 10 years.

The podiatrist was lovely and told me that there was no evidence to suggest exercises helped. To wear the inner soles in all my shoes. I had 3 appointments with her over 6 months. During this time I was doing a lot of yoga and my flexibility in the joint actually improved.

I still wear the inner soles but will be in Orthaheel flip flops for the summer I’ve had these for about 5 years and find they support my feet well.

Both big toes can be uncomfortable, more so on days when I’ve done a lot of gardening or decorating crouching down. I put ibphrofen gel on them at night and this helps through into the next day.

My mum has had a bunion shaved twice, the first time they didn’t do a very good job. She has artherits in that joint. She’s quite vain and I’m not sure how much was to improve the look vs fitting in shoes.

I’ve also read that insoles don’t help, it’s quite confusing! I try and exercise them but it’s not been easy with all the home renovations I’ve been doing too much dust

I spend as much time as I can bare foot and always have done, so I don’t think its been caused by bad fitting shoes just genetics.


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

emzybabe said:


> I have quite long toes, which means I will be prone to bunions
> 
> I'm in my 30s and 2 years ago mentioned to my GP that my bunion on my left foot was getting sore she referred me to the podiatrist. I initially mentioned it 10 years before and was told there is nothing that can be done and to do a few exercises, it got much worse in those 10 years.
> 
> ...


That's all very interesting, thank you.
Definitely a hereditary factor for bunions. My mum had a bunion on her left foot, so have I and my daughter also has one. Mum had hers removed and her toe shortened and straightened, mine doesn't trouble me too much just the squishing of toes two and three, daughters is begining to cause her pain. I've recently discovered two half sisters I didn't know I had and amazingly they both have bunions on their left foot. 
I hadn't realised long toes made you prone to bunions, I do have long toes, I can curl them easily and pick up pencils off the floor with them:Smuggrin


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## planete (Jan 21, 2012)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I've got some gel spacers too but not the proper "Correct Toes" version just a cheap pair to try out, they do make my feet feel much more comfortable but because I've got webbed 2nd & 3rd toes they get uncomfortable quickly although the actual spread of the toes is better if that makes sense. I haven't seen Sockwas before - the toe box doesn't look very wide in the photos - is there enough space?


I only wore the separators that go between the big toes and the ones next to them. The sockwas are a bit like a sock with a thin flexible sole, they are soft and extremely stretchable (do not get the beach ones they won't last one minute off a beach). Their downside is they are expensive for what they are and, because I wore them in all weathers getting them and my feet wet, I had to keep sewing the soles back on, but I have not found anything else that gives the same barefoot feeling (complete with ouchies on sharp stones and stubbed toes if you do not look where you are going!). For me they are worth it as they protect the soles from possible cuts and puncture wounds and they enabled me to sort out my feet and the way I walked.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

planete said:


> I only wore the separators that go between the big toes and the ones next to them. The sockwas are a bit like a sock with a thin flexible sole, they are soft and extremely stretchable (do not get the beach ones they won't last one minute off a beach). Their downside is they are expensive for what they are and, because I wore them in all weathers getting them and my feet wet, I had to keep sewing the soles back on, but I have not found anything else that gives the same barefoot feeling (complete with ouchies on sharp stones and stubbed toes if you do not look where you are going!). For me they are worth it as they protect the soles from possible cuts and puncture wounds and they enabled me to sort out my feet and the way I walked.


These are the ones I wear most of the time outside of the house - they are so light and flexible I can really feel my foot moving and powering me onwards. OH has been complaining that I'm walking too fast whereas a few months back I was dragging back often having a few tears hoping he wouldn't notice as my stupid feet hurt so much. At one point wearing those orthotics I've put a photo of it felt like my brain and feet were not communicating and I struggled to lift my foot, felt like I had huge clowns feet that I could only pull up and slap down on the ground.

https://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/womens/off-road/primus-trail-fg-womens?colour=Black/Charcoal


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> These are the ones I wear most of the time outside of the house - they are so light and flexible I can really feel my foot moving and powering me onwards. OH has been complaining that I'm walking too fast whereas a few months back I was dragging back often having a few tears hoping he wouldn't notice as my stupid feet hurt so much. At one point wearing those orthotics I've put a photo of it felt like my brain and feet were not communicating and I struggled to lift my foot, felt like I had huge clowns feet that I could only pull up and slap down on the ground.
> 
> https://www.vivobarefoot.com/uk/womens/off-road/primus-trail-fg-womens?colour=Black/Charcoal


Oh they look nice. Do they have quite a wide toe box ?

And are they true to size ? I sometimes find running shoes size a little small and I notice they only go up to a size 8.5.

Hmm just looked at the sizing guide. It says Euro 42 is 8.5. It used to be that size 8 was Euro 42. I find now that they have changed the UK to Euro size comparison 8.5 is too big and 8 too small in high street shoes so would be interested to know how these fit.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

kittih said:


> Oh they look nice. Do they have quite a wide toe box ?
> 
> And are they true to size ? I sometimes find running shoes size a little small and I notice they only go up to a size 8.5.


Not the widest, they are comfortable for me but I did have to go up a half size. The men's version is exactly the same and will go up to bigger sizes. I've got the soft ground ones too


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Not the widest, they are comfortable for me but I did have to go up a half size. The men's version is exactly the same and will go up to bigger sizes. I've got the soft ground ones too


Thanks. I might look at the mens then. Has the trail version got lots of grip. Most trail shoes advertised seem to be for more hard surface trails (more typical of American trails perhaps?) where as most UK trails especially round my way are a variety of grass, thick mud or dry rutted mud depending on the season.


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## CuddleMonster (Mar 9, 2016)

@rottiepointerhouse I found it interesting that the man in your video kept referring back to the way the foot is naturally designed to be. I think sometimes we forget that people lasted for 1000s of years either with no shoes or with shoes that were just hide or other material shaped around the foot and not 'contoured' in any way. I even came across an article recently that referred to flip flops and high heels as being 'almost as bad' for your feet as going barefoot! Seriously?!!!!

I know there are times when we need to wear shoes for protection, warmth etc and some people need to wear special shoes to help cope with medical conditions. But we seem to have forgotten that feet are designed for walking. If you have a normal, healthy body, I find it difficult to believe that heels or arch supports can be necessary part of footwear. If so, how did people manage to survive pre-footwear?!


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

kittih said:


> Thanks. I might look at the mens then. Has the trail version got lots of grip. Most trail shoes advertised seem to be for more hard surface trails (more typical of American trails perhaps?) where as most UK trails especially round my way are a variety of grass, thick mud or dry rutted mud depending on the season.


I find they have as much grip as my old walking boots had. What I love about them is the lack of tie up laces, I struggle with getting laces right, they are either too tight and cause me foot pain or my foot is slopping about in the shoe. These have a lace but you just pull it and slide the toggle. I actually prefer the fit of the soft ground ones but the hard ground ones are a little bit roomier.








CuddleMonster said:


> @rottiepointerhouse I found it interesting that the man in your video kept referring back to the way the foot is naturally designed to be. I think sometimes we forget that people lasted for 1000s of years either with no shoes or with shoes that were just hide or other material shaped around the foot and not 'contoured' in any way. I even came across an article recently that referred to flip flops and high heels as being 'almost as bad' for your feet as going barefoot! Seriously?!!!!
> 
> I know there are times when we need to wear shoes for protection, warmth etc and some people need to wear special shoes to help cope with medical conditions. But we seem to have forgotten that feet are designed for walking. If you have a normal, healthy body, I find it difficult to believe that heels or arch supports can be necessary part of footwear. If so, how did people manage to survive pre-footwear?!


Exactly. The whole history of wearing shoes thing is very interesting too, in our culture we have tended to associate people going barefoot with poverty and what started out as something to protect the sole of the foot from puncture wounds etc has turned into a rigid inflexible casing that pushes our toes out of alignment and compromises the blood and nerve supply. This silly little video is quite good


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## CuddleMonster (Mar 9, 2016)

I love the idea of their shoes - will have to save up and see if I can find a pair wide enough. I noticed a few people on their reviews saying the shoes were too narrow for wide feet. 

I do love their approach. I've had so many comments over the years about my 'ugly wide feet' but that's only because I won't wear shoes that squish my toes together! And I get loads of criticism for going barefoot, even around the house from both my mum and my landlady. They are from the generation where 'nice girls' didn't go barefoot in public except when paddling at the seaside! It's nice to be able to have some scientific backup for my approach!


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I find they have as much grip as my old walking boots had. What I love about them is the lack of tie up laces, I struggle with getting laces right, they are either too tight and cause me foot pain or my foot is slopping about in the shoe. These have a lace but you just pull it and slide the toggle. I actually prefer the fit of the soft ground ones but the hard ground ones are a little bit roomier.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


When I started running I followed all the advice from running forums and went to a running shoe store to get a gait analysis to know which shoes I needed. The shoes I was sold turned out to be completely inappropriate and hurt my feet badly. I now have some very expensive useless trainers. I started looking into foot bio mechanics and realised that as I normally go around bare foot as much as I can and when I can't prefer flat shoes as my normal day shoes, being given running shoes with a pronounced heel to toe difference and anti pronation measures was the complete opposite of what I was used to days to day.

All the warnings about minimalist running shoes seemed to be aimed at people who where heel strikers and used to wearing shoes with large heel to toe height differences. Nowhere could I find anyone saying if you were starting as a runner and naturally landed midfoot/toe and your day to day footwear was flat then getting running shoes with a large differential and lots of heel padding was going to require equal caution and possible issues.

It took me a fair bit of money to figure out that the shoes that work for me are not the standard running shoe. I have also been criticised about my choice at a running club I joined as a beginner. I didn't stay.

I think shoe design is a mixture of fashion, the shoe companies dictating how shoes should be and the companies solving problems than in some cases should be solved by different running technique eg more padding on the heel to provide protection for heel strikers.

I am just pleased that there has been an increase in choice in minimalist shoes as it give me more options.


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

CuddleMonster said:


> I love the idea of their shoes - will have to save up and see if I can find a pair wide enough. I noticed a few people on their reviews saying the shoes were too narrow for wide feet.
> 
> I do love their approach. I've had so many comments over the years about my 'ugly wide feet' but that's only because I won't wear shoes that squish my toes together! And I get loads of criticism for going barefoot, even around the house from both my mum and my landlady. They are from the generation where 'nice girls' didn't go barefoot in public except when paddling at the seaside! It's nice to be able to have some scientific backup for my approach!


I feel for you re family criticism. My OH rarely goes barefoot anywhere and criticises me going barefoot inside and outside. I told him that it was non negotiable. My grandmother was in a prison of war camp during the war and by necessity had to go barefoot much of the time and did many forced walks with no shoes. When she came home and for the rest of her life she preferred bare feet so I think I have inherited that from her.


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## Valanita (Apr 13, 2010)

Not my feet, rather my toe nails. Several years ago 4 nails, big toes & the ones next to them on both feet, were ingrowing & caused me a lot of pain, finally the chiropodist said best to have them removed, so I did, but all 4 grew back again & now they are like horses hoof & very hard to cut. I hate my toe nails & I hate cutting them. I rarely wear sandals because I hate people looking at them.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

kittih said:


> When I started running I followed all the advice from running forums and went to a running shoe store to get a gait analysis to know which shoes I needed. The shoes I was sold turned out to be completely inappropriate and hurt my feet badly. I now as some very expensive useless trainers. I started looking into foot bio mechanics and realised that as normally go around bare foot as much as I can and when I can't prefer flat away to day shoes being given running shoes with a pronounced heel to toe difference and anti pronation measures was the complete opposite of what I was used to days to day.
> 
> All the warnings about minimalist running shoes seemed to be aimed at people who where heel strikers and used to wearing shoes with large heel to toe height differences. Nowhere could I find anyone saying if you were starting as a runner and naturally landed midfootltoe and your day to day footwear was flat then getting running shoes with a large differential and lots of heel padding was going to require equal caution and possible issues.
> 
> ...


You might like this short video about running technique barefoot


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I've posted this before elsewhere but will pop it here as well - its Dr Chatterjee interviewing the founder of Vivobarefoot. I found it really interesting especially the bit about shoe manufacturers purposefully making children's shoes with narrower toe boxes so that their feet will fit into fashion shoes when they are older 

https://drchatterjee.com/galahadclark/


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## kittih (Jan 19, 2014)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> You might like this short video about running technique barefoot


Good video. That's exactly how I run. I have a short stride with a fast cadence. It just seemed natural to run like that. Probably because I have walked and run barefoot all my life.


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## CuddleMonster (Mar 9, 2016)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I've posted this before elsewhere but will pop it here as well - its Dr Chatterjee interviewing the founder of Vivobarefoot. I found it really interesting especially the bit about shoe manufacturers purposefully making children's shoes with narrower toe boxes* so that their feet will fit into fashion shoes when they are older *
> 
> https://drchatterjee.com/galahadclark/


That is horrific! You think of foot binding as something that happened years ago in less enlightened times, but this is basically exactly the same thing - deforming children's feet to fit the popular idea of what is beautiful.


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I've posted this before elsewhere but will pop it here as well - its Dr Chatterjee interviewing the founder of Vivobarefoot. * I found it really interesting especially the bit about shoe manufacturers purposefully making children's shoes with narrower toe boxes so that their feet will fit into fashion shoes when they are older*


Wow that's barbaric, that's why I have funny shaped toes wearing narrow pointed shoes when I was younger.


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## Disdazz (Jan 11, 2016)

CuddleMonster said:


> My biggest problem is trying to get shoes that fit. I'm a size 5 but have extremely wide feet, a very high instep and weak ankles (so anything with a heel or a sole that goes 'inward' toward the ground is out). I basically live in Sketchers boots in winter and flip flops in summer and have a few weeks in spring and autumn where I feel like I have to choose between frostbite and heatstroke as the boots are too hot and the flip flops are too cold! And EVERY SINGLE SUMMER I have at least one busybody telling me off for wearing flip flops 'because they are bad for your feet'. My answer is: Not nearly as bad as wearing shoes that make your whole foot go numb from lack of circulation!
> 
> I do get a lot of joint pain generally, but it's worse in winter - I find keeping my feet warm helps and also soaking in an Epsom salt bath.
> 
> ...


I have a similar problem to width wise. Have a look at the dbshoes website. They do width fittings from E, 2E/EE up to 8E/EEEEEEEE in all styles from boots to sandals. They also have a excellent foot/width measuring chart. Sketchers only do fittings up to D width for women.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Happy Paws said:


> Wow that's barbaric, that's why I have funny shaped toes wearing narrow pointed shoes when I was younger.


Its disgusting - they mention somewhere about baby shoes - those soft ones - were they called pram shoes or something? Not sure, but those are the correct shape for a foot. From then on you start seeing them change to narrower toe boxes and then they start adding in little heels.

This is quite a sweet little video about children's barefoot shoes - only a couple of minutes






This one about how the narrower toe box leads to ingrown toe nails.


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## cheekyscrip (Feb 8, 2010)

I have my Achilles heel literally and must be careful with my shoes, plus my feet have Venus so called shape, with second toe longer than a big toe, helps with narrow shoes! My other problem - most shoes are too wide, so need a strap or lace up...hate it when they are or too short but ok fo width, or fit for length but to wide...
Same problemy with globus, but do not need them here...


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

Plantar fasciitis here in both feet for the last 2 years. Recently did a course of shockwave therapy (so painful) which seems to have helped a bit though they said it can take months for them to really heal.

Next stop would be steroid injections which I'm really hoping to avoid because of the risk of permanent damage

My feet used to be pretty good it just that I'm very overweight, have high arches and do 12 hour shifts as a carer twice a week. I never had foot problems even with my weight until i started my care job. I cant physically walk barefoot now for more than about a minute so i wear supportive trainers all the time


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Apollo2012 said:


> Plantar fasciitis here in both feet for the last 2 years. Recently did a course of shockwave therapy (so painful) which seems to have helped a bit though they said it can take months for them to really heal.
> 
> Next stop would be steroid injections which I'm really hoping to avoid because of the risk of permanent damage
> 
> My feet used to be pretty good it just that I'm very overweight, have high arches and do 12 hour shifts as a carer twice a week. I never had foot problems even with my weight until i started my care job. I cant physically walk barefoot now for more than about a minute so i wear supportive trainers all the time


Shock wave therapy is barbaric, I had it on my heels and achillies tendons and swore like a trooper. Do have a look at some of the videos I've posted and the exercises as the difference they have made for me is truly remarkable.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

I’ve had Plantar fasciitis in my left foot for the last couple of years and was literally a few weeks away from having the injection through my foot when it just got better all on its own  very relieved ! 

I’m still wearing the support insoles in my dog walking boots/shoes but without for normal walking about. 

I always wore high shoes for years and with walking more I started wearing more flats which resulted in the Plantar fasciitis .... now I cannot wear high shoes at all, not that it’s the end of the world as freed up a lot of cupboard space getting rid of shoes I’ll never be able to wear again. 

Coincidentally I also broke my big toe on the same foot tripping over Oscar  and smashed the plug socket to pieces with my head :Wideyed


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## Apollo2012 (Jun 10, 2013)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Shock wave therapy is barbaric, I had it on my heels and achillies tendons and swore like a trooper. Do have a look at some of the videos I've posted and the exercises as the difference they have made for me is truly remarkable.


I agree it isn't something i want to repeat though it did help for a little while, they don't tell you its painful until your there either, the leaflet they sent me just said it may cause slight discomfort. :Shifty

Thanks I'll have a look at the excersises, though i have a load from the physio that dont seem to do much


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

My damn Plantar fasciitis is back :Arghh

I've had quite a few months of feeling great and on Sunday I woke up in agony .... my own stupid fault, I've been lapse in wearing shoes/support slippers and been walking round in silly sandals and barefoot 

So hobbled into boots today and picked up these.










Have had the FS6 ones before but the Neo G ones have a built gel heel cushioning so thought I'd try those aswell.

At least rolling my foot back and forward on frozen bottles of water is actually quite nice in this weather !


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

Absolutely nothing scientific or doctor advised, just my own personal experience. 
I had PF in my left foot, not terrible, I could usually work it out once I started moving, usually just the initial walking after being still for a while was the problem. 
Anyway, I started doing some foot strengthening exercises which includes basically making a fist with your foot, but also balancing exercises and good yoga stretches. That and getting rid of dairy (that I believe is a big contributor to inflammation and pain) and my PF is 100% completely gone and most beautifully I have spent most of this summer barefoot whenever possible without pain - I LOVE being barefoot, especially outside  
I also run in Altra footwear (they make non-running shoes also) which is characterized by zero heel lift and a "foot shaped" toe box. I love 'em!


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

O2.0 said:


> Absolutely nothing scientific or doctor advised, just my own personal experience.
> I had PF in my left foot, not terrible, I could usually work it out once I started moving, usually just the initial walking after being still for a while was the problem.
> Anyway, I started doing some foot strengthening exercises which includes basically making a fist with your foot, but also balancing exercises and good yoga stretches. That and getting rid of dairy (that I believe is a big contributor to inflammation and pain) and my PF is 100% completely gone and most beautifully I have spent most of this summer barefoot whenever possible without pain - I LOVE being barefoot, especially outside
> I also run in Altra footwear (they make non-running shoes also) which is characterized by zero heel lift and a "foot shaped" toe box. I love 'em!


I hope your barefoot summer continues  very jealous!

At the moment it's too sore to even try stretching the muscle lifting my toes up but once the pain goes I'll be back to doing all the excercises as I really do think they helped - I sat at work this morning trying to write letters in the air with my foot to stretch it, but only got to E and I was almost crying


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

O2.0 said:


> Absolutely nothing scientific or doctor advised, just my own personal experience.
> I had PF in my left foot, not terrible, I could usually work it out once I started moving, usually just the initial walking after being still for a while was the problem.
> Anyway, I started doing some foot strengthening exercises which includes basically making a fist with your foot, but also balancing exercises and good yoga stretches. That and getting rid of dairy (that I believe is a big contributor to inflammation and pain) and my PF is 100% completely gone and most beautifully I have spent most of this summer barefoot whenever possible without pain - I LOVE being barefoot, especially outside
> I also run in Altra footwear (they make non-running shoes also) which is characterized by zero heel lift and a "foot shaped" toe box. I love 'em!


Me too, I'm spending as much time barefoot as I can and when not I'm either in Crocs, my barefoot shoes or my Altras - I've got two different pairs but find the Escalante the most comfortable.

https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/altra-...MI-r3msJG43AIVr53tCh2SOQUeEAQYBSABEgLrZfD_BwE

I have had a little blip in my recovery process though - think I might have overdone the stretching exercises or tore something pulling up weeds in the garden  - I've been having some really horrid pains under my toes - my middle two are webbed so perhaps that doesn't help, I had some bruising on the side of my big toe and underneath the middle ones so for weeks now I've had to wear a stupid metatarsal support pad in my shoes :Sour I've laid off the stretching exercises but want to get back doing them asap.

This might be useful for you @Westie Mum - there are some good links in it too - some different exercises I hadn't thought of before for strengthening feet

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jpwc3zd0...351792477&mc_cid=11d219ab41&mc_eid=eb0faec34d


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

Westie Mum said:


> I hope your barefoot summer continues  very jealous!
> 
> At the moment it's too sore to even try stretching the muscle lifting my toes up but once the pain goes I'll be back to doing all the excercises as I really do think they helped - I sat at work this morning trying to write letters in the air with my foot to stretch it, but only got to E and I was almost crying


Oh yuck! I'm sorry you're in pain! But yes, the exercises do help, or they did for me


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

PawsOnMe said:


> I have problems with toes dislocating and subluxing and they need popping back into place probably about a dozen times a day or more! :Shifty My arch collapses a lot too and my ankle rolls over (although I'm flexible enough that it doesn't hurt unless i'm wearing heels), I have probably 2 pairs of shoes that I find really comfy.
> 
> I've never really thought about actually trying to work on building muscles or anything in my feet to support my joints, what type of exercises are there? (i'm gonna have to have a google) I tend to focus on my bigger joints but my feet are so achy constantly so I definitely need to look up exercises that might help.
> 
> I mainly just do cosmetic care with them, keeping my nails nice and painted and my skin soft but nothing else.


You sound like me. If you haven't seen a doctor, I strongly suggest you do, because I'm hyper mobile and what you describe is hyper mobility. It may not hurt now but the damage to your joints will start hurting eventually. Your muscles and ligaments are too elastic and probably not strong enough to hold your ankles straight. If you see a doctor and get referral a physio will teach you what exercises you need to do to protect your joints.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

I am hyper mobile; this has led to early onset osteoarthritis. I’ve been in pain all over my body, not just my feet, for 27 years. My left ankle locks if I do too much. My ankles often give way beneath me as do my knees which jolt back the wrong way. I have arthritis in several joints in my feet. My arches collapse when I stand upright causing severe pain. I also get plantar fasciitis, but find crocs help to alleviate this along with stretching the muscles in my calves.

I’m diabetic, so I’m not supposed to walk barefoot, because any injury to my feet can cause ulceration and could lead to amputation, however, I confess that I do occasionally walk barefoot at home.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> No obviously it isn't the case for someone with severe problems like a few members on here but it is a common problem that people who wear orthotics long term end up with stiff immobile feet. The ones I had were custom made too, some were made by taking plaster casts of my feet (such as the ones below), one by an electronic scanner thing, another by standing in this inflated plastic tray type thing and others by pressing my feet into a foam tray and sending the imprint off to the lab.
> 
> These were one of the worst sets I had, gave me all sorts of problems with numbness/ pins & needles and pain under my toes as well as all around the rim of my heels
> 
> ...


I was given some of these at the hospital; they crippled me. My toes locked. It was agony.


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## Westie Mum (Feb 5, 2015)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> This might be useful for you @Westie Mum - there are some good links in it too - some different exercises I hadn't thought of before for strengthening feet
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/6jpwc3zd0...351792477&mc_cid=11d219ab41&mc_eid=eb0faec34d


Thank you, have just had a flick through but bookmarked for proper reading !



O2.0 said:


> Oh yuck! I'm sorry you're in pain! But yes, the exercises do help, or they did for me


Thanks - nice to see you back btw


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

Sacremist said:


> You sound like me. If you haven't seen a doctor, I strongly suggest you do, because I'm hyper mobile and what you describe is hyper mobility. It may not hurt now but the damage to your joints will start hurting eventually. Your muscles and ligaments are too elastic and probably not strong enough to hold your ankles straight. If you see a doctor and get referral a physio will teach you what exercises you need to do to protect your joints.


I have ehlers danlos syndrome type 3 which is the hypermobilty type. Physio won't deal with me until I go the pain clinic and doctors won't send me the pain clinic until I go physio so I'm in a bit of a catch 22.


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## Sacrechat (Feb 27, 2011)

PawsOnMe said:


> I have ehlers danlos syndrome type 3 which is the hypermobilty type. Physio won't deal with me until I go the pain clinic and doctors won't send me the pain clinic until I go physio so I'm in a bit of a catch 22.


 They sound like idiots. I saw the consultants about arthritis initially and they referred me directly to both the pain clinic and physio.


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## PawsOnMe (Nov 1, 2012)

Sacremist said:


> They sound like idiots. I saw the consultants about arthritis initially and they referred me directly to both the pain clinic and physio.


It really is a stupid situation and I've explained it to my doctor but she's at a loss as to what to do so I'm just dealing with the pain and doing low impact strength exercises on my own. Sucks though not knowing if I might be doing more harm than good.


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## Ceiling Kitty (Mar 7, 2010)

I just want to say:

INGROWING TOENAIL HELL

That is all.


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## tabelmabel (Oct 18, 2013)

My feet are hunky dory now but last year i had plantar fashitis (sp) and it took about a year to resolve.

And now i have pulled a muscle or something in my thigh and I'm not sure if it's getting better or not. Been 2 months hobbling so far.


But (totally off topic) if anything is going to go, it'll be my back. It has been good for a full year now - but sometimes just a slight movement can cause it to 'go' 

And when it does go it really really hurts. So much so that last time it happened i fainted. And then i came round and was sick. Always nice to share


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## Torin. (May 18, 2014)

I was that child who had to go home barefoot through central London several times as a child while my shoes went off to be stretched or whatever to make them fit.

My biggest problem nowadays is disposable society and shoes being designed in ways that make it actually impossible for a cobbler to resole them. And of course said shoe product has been pulled from production in that time so oh look you have to go through a ridiculous palavar to find something else that fits.

I recently bought running trainers. I went through the entire stock of 3 specialist running shops, and 2 generic outdoorsy shops with huge footwear departments before finding one single shoe that fitted me. Only with fancy low heel insoles rather than the high heel ones they came with. My walking boots are custom made. I dread what a faff I'll need to do when my current walking trainers wear out (as they like to do with ridiculous frequency. I refuse to buy more of the same even though they fit, on this basis).


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## Valanita (Apr 13, 2010)

Ceiling Kitty said:


> I just want to say:
> 
> INGROWING TOENAIL HELL
> 
> That is all.


I do know all about those, I've got two.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

I know this is an old thread now. Hope everyone who has foot problems is making progress. This very short film (less than 10 mins) has just been released about shoes and our feet


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> I know this is an old thread now. Hope everyone who has foot problems is making progress. This very short film (less than 10 mins) has just been released about shoes and our feet


I watched this last night very interested.
I was always told that because my feet overpronate that I should wear shoes with arch support. I would go to running stores, get properly fitted for shoes, and this was always the advice.

Knee issues, feet issues, back issues....

Then I went to semi minimalist shoes. Basically shoes that offer some cushioning and protection, but no arch support, no rise in the heel, and plenty of room for my toes to splay and work how they're supposed to. I also started doing foot strengthening exercises.
Turns out I don't have flat feet after all. I just had weak feet. Strengthened them back up, and guess who has arches after all? 

I also remember being told to NEVER go barefoot, that it was the worst thing I could do for my feet - walk with no support. Nope, I'm barefoot as much as I can be. And my feet keep getting better.

So yeah, I'm a believer 
It reminds me of how we have changed our understanding of back pain and injury too. It used to be that if you hurt your back you were told to go lay in bed and not move. Now they say that's the worst thing you can do. The more you move, even if it hurts, the better off you are in the long run.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

O2.0 said:


> I watched this last night very interested.
> I was always told that because my feet overpronate that I should wear shoes with arch support. I would go to running stores, get properly fitted for shoes, and this was always the advice.
> 
> Knee issues, feet issues, back issues....
> ...


Me too. I was told for years that I overpronated and that I needed rigid orthotics to keep my feet in the right position. They did help for a few years but gradually I got worse and worse and yes I had knee and back problems too. The orthotics just got more and more severe, I was walking like I had clown shoes/flippers on at one point as the orthotic was so rigid that I had no movement in my feet at all. Wear more supportive shoes I was told - I was nearly living in tightly laced up hiking boots so I then had no movement in my ankles either. Then I'm told my ankles are hypermobile - no they were just weak. One of the 4 "experts" I saw and paid a lot of money to between 2017 - 18 told me to never ever go barefoot or to run. I'm so glad I stumbled across barefoot shoes/foot exercises and all the wonderful resources out there. You may remember a podcast Dr Chatterjee did with The Foot Collective but if not have a listen. They do regular podcasts themselves too as TFC Audio Project where they cover all sorts of issues to do with the foot/knee/hip/back. I just love how empowered we are these days by having access to all this information whereas in the past we just would have accepted the "expert" view.

https://drchatterjee.com/stay-pain-free-foot-collective/


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

Total aside, but on my mind as I was listening to Feel Better Live More this morning. 
It cracks me up how Dr. Chatterjee says his r's. They're w's! And he says 'really' a lot, which sounds like 'willy' :Hilarious But then his name, he pronounces the r's. 
Just an idiosyncrasy that makes him human and makes me laugh


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

ill be having my 4th foot op tomorrow have to be at the hospital for 7 so an early start i realy dont mind this im flat footed so yes problems with both feet been having surgery sinch 2016 so im hopeing this is my last op my left foot is great now but my right foot is bad and plus im having my toe removed tomorrow im fine about this just have to rest and hope all goes well ....


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## rona (Aug 18, 2011)

Kim Watcham said:


> ill be having my 4th foot op tomorrow have to be at the hospital for 7 so an early start i realy dont mind this im flat footed so yes problems with both feet been having surgery sinch 2016 so im hopeing this is my last op my left foot is great now but my right foot is bad and plus im having my toe removed tomorrow im fine about this just have to rest and hope all goes well ....


Hope it all goes well tomorrow...........who's going to walk Archie?


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

rona said:


> Hope it all goes well tomorrow...........who's going to walk Archie?


kevin has 9 days of work so he will do archie walking lol my surgeon said she seems to think i should be able to walk better after my op just have to rest for a bit


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## O2.0 (May 23, 2018)

Kim Watcham said:


> ill be having my 4th foot op tomorrow have to be at the hospital for 7 so an early start i realy dont mind this im flat footed so yes problems with both feet been having surgery sinch 2016 so im hopeing this is my last op my left foot is great now but my right foot is bad and plus im having my toe removed tomorrow im fine about this just have to rest and hope all goes well ....


Yikes! That sounds very involved! Hope you heal up well!

My teenage daughter had to have an injury in her foot repaired, and being off her foot for just that one week was difficult. Her bedroom is up a flight of 13 stairs! Fortunately her brother piggy backed her a lot LOL!


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

O2.0 said:


> Yikes! That sounds very involved! Hope you heal up well!
> 
> My teenage daughter had to have an injury in her foot repaired, and being off her foot for just that one week was difficult. Her bedroom is up a flight of 13 stairs! Fortunately her brother piggy backed her a lot LOL!


thank [email protected]


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Kim Watcham said:


> ill be having my 4th foot op tomorrow have to be at the hospital for 7 so an early start i realy dont mind this im flat footed so yes problems with both feet been having surgery sinch 2016 so im hopeing this is my last op my left foot is great now but my right foot is bad and plus im having my toe removed tomorrow im fine about this just have to rest and hope all goes well ....


Hope all goes well. If I remember rightly didn't you have a fracture to your tibia after they took a bone graft for your foot?


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## Bugsys grandma (Aug 3, 2018)

Kim Watcham said:


> ill be having my 4th foot op tomorrow have to be at the hospital for 7 so an early start i realy dont mind this im flat footed so yes problems with both feet been having surgery sinch 2016 so im hopeing this is my last op my left foot is great now but my right foot is bad and plus im having my toe removed tomorrow im fine about this just have to rest and hope all goes well ....


O my goodness, hope all goes well for you Kim. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Please update us when you can. Good luck.


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

Bugsys grandma said:


> O my goodness, hope all goes well for you Kim. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Please update us when you can. Good luck.


thank you @Bugsys grandma will do


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> Hope all goes well. If I remember rightly didn't you have a fracture to your tibia after they took a bone graft for your foot?


yes your very right i had my last birthday my foot in bandgages and a cast to my thigh ..lol id had my left foot recontracted last year then i was told the foot inside never healed so had to have the foot redone with bone graft taken from my shin all went good for 9 weeks after all this was done then to my shock had very bad pain in the back of my calf to be to my tibia had a fracture due to the bone graft thats all better now ...there onto my right foot tomo ..lol


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

Kim Watcham said:


> yes your very right i had my last birthday my foot in bandgages and a cast to my thigh ..lol id had my left foot recontracted last year then i was told the foot inside never healed so had to have the foot redone with bone graft taken from my shin all went good for 9 weeks after all this was done then to my shock had very bad pain in the back of my calf to be to my tibia had a fracture due to the bone graft thats all better now ...there onto my right foot tomo ..lol


That sounds painful. Hoping all goes well tomorrow and you are soon up and about again.


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

rottiepointerhouse said:


> That sounds painful. Hoping all goes well tomorrow and you are soon up and about again.


many thanks @rottiepointerhouse


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## Bugsys grandma (Aug 3, 2018)

Kim Watcham said:


> yes your very right i had my last birthday my foot in bandgages and a cast to my thigh ..lol id had my left foot recontracted last year then i was told the foot inside never healed so had to have the foot redone with bone graft taken from my shin all went good for 9 weeks after all this was done then to my shock had very bad pain in the back of my calf to be to my tibia had a fracture due to the bone graft thats all better now ...there onto my right foot tomo ..lol


Just want to wish you all the best for today Kim. Hope all goes well and you are back home with dear little Archie and the rest of your family very soon. Good luck.


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## rottiepointerhouse (Feb 9, 2014)

The Foot Collective website which has some short videos of exercises and all the podcasts on things like knee pain, hip dysfunction, plantar fasciitis and orthotics

http://www.thefootcollective.com/


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

hello everyone 
thank you for your kind words ..yes friday went very well i was the first to go down so i was very happy with this as i was there for 7 just me and one other lady on our ward so we got chatting and made friends ..we was both looked after very well on our ward everything just went so well they talked everything over with me very well no problems at all ...when they knew how many hospitals iv been into the last 2 years they called me the secret shopper lol going around keeping an eye on the hospitals so i laughed and said id worked on our little hospital ward for 8 years that made the giggle even more then ...but all is good i go back 1st april for my first check up ....so far FEELING HAPPY ...


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## KittenKong (Oct 30, 2015)

It's more arthritis creeping into my right knee that's the problem as a result of injury when I was 16. 

My feet are aching terribly this morning, but no prizes for guessing why that is! 

Well worth it though.


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

Bugsys grandma said:


> Just want to wish you all the best for today Kim. Hope all goes well and you are back home with dear little Archie and the rest of your family very soon. Good luck.


thank you @Bugsys grandma...doing well today


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## Bugsys grandma (Aug 3, 2018)

Kim Watcham said:


> hello everyone
> thank you for your kind words ..yes friday went very well i was the first to go down so i was very happy with this as i was there for 7 just me and one other lady on our ward so we got chatting and made friends ..we was both looked after very well on our ward everything just went so well they talked everything over with me very well no problems at all ...when they knew how many hospitals iv been into the last 2 years they called me the secret shopper lol going around keeping an eye on the hospitals so i laughed and said id worked on our little hospital ward for 8 years that made the giggle even more then ...but all is good i go back 1st april for my first check up ....so far FEELING HAPPY ...


So glad it all went well. I'm guessing you're back home now, I expect Archie was very pleased to see you.
Hope your recovery goes nice and smoothly.


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## Kim Watcham (Dec 16, 2017)

Bugsys grandma said:


> So glad it all went well. I'm guessing you're back home now, I expect Archie was very pleased to see you.
> Hope your recovery goes nice and smoothly.


yes back home and bed rest for a few days iv been sleeping realy well ....and yes archies happy to see me


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## Ringypie (Aug 15, 2012)

I’m quite lucky with my feet considering I run - and in the last month I have made them do 2 half marathons and a 19 mile tough trail run! I do have a grotty big toenail but that’s the only casualty!


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