Good for the sole.....

[ClareBeth]

Up until about a month ago I possesed 110 pairs of shoes (post spring clean its about 102!), now this I admit is excessive but my reasoning had always been I don’t smoke or drink (much!) and I buy value range when Im a bit short! There was once an old lady who lived in her shoe, so if the mortgage repayments became a problem this was always an option!

Oddly it was the wearing of some of these shoes that first drew my attention to my RA, I started in May of last year to suffer severe foot pain, to the extent that I bought a pair of flat, wide fitting Schol shoes for work (this was, in my mind the equivalent of a house coat and a blue rinse) I have always, against my mothers advice forced my feet into high heels, wedges, platforms, stilettos and boots, I would suffer the pain in the name of fashion and would always be equipped with a purse full of plasters and always wake up after a night out with filthy feet after walking (stumbling) home barefoot.

My search for suitably stylish but comfortable footwear has become a bit of a lifes mission, and more so now since the RA has kicked in, Im still searching but in the meantime whilst the odd social outing out may cause me a few extra aches and pains the next day, for that night Im not Clare the 34 years old with RA who everyone feels sorry for who has a wrist splint, knee brace and a handbag full of drugs, Im whoever I want to be and I look and feel fabulous, and to me there’s no better medicine….

[Gina_K]

Great Blog Claire, totally empathise - me too, miss my dolly shoes so bad hate the frumpy shoe wear , I have to sport these days. Miss my old walk too!! Then again I'm better now than I was two years ago when first diagnosed, You sound upbeat (is one of those pills in ur bag a happy one?)

[ClareBeth]

Hey Gina, why are those shoes so frumpy? there has to be a way to make them even slightly more attractive! Im pretty upbeat most of the time as I have to keep reminding myself there are people worse off than I am and Im fortunate enough to have great people around me and a supper surportive boss. One of the pills could well be a happy pill, there are so bloody many of them someone could easily slip one in and Id be none the wiser! lol! I guess amusing stories and self depriciating humour is my way of coping, whats yours?

Clare xx

[emandedmum]

I've always struggled to find comfy shoes anyway and have probably tortured my feet unnecessarily in the past... I'm even finding my previously comfy birkenstocks don't offer the level of comfort they used to - can anyone suggest a pair of trendy-ish sandals to try for this summer? I'm hopeful we may get a few days of sunshine this year and want to be prepared

[ClareBeth in reply to emandedmum]

M&S seem to do a quite nice range of comfy ish shoes!

[emandedmum in reply to ClareBeth]

Thanking you!

[Sharon56]

Oh Clare you did make me smile on this wet Sunday. I am a 56 year old with RA but at least once a week I try to turn myself into a bit of a glamourpus when I hit the dance floor. I use a stick quite often since breaking my hip and wrist last Feb. So its not so much pole dancing but stick dancing. Keep smiling.

[ClareBeth]

Hey Sharon, good for you Im pretty sure that a positive outlook and a bit of what you fancy is always good medicine. keep on dancing x

[Hidden]

Clare I too know how you feel, I had to give up and donate all my lovely shoes about twelve months ago, now I feel like crying when I see my friends and sisters totting round in my fav shoes.

I now only own about ten pairs I have school like Hotters shoes which are the ones my foot doctor advised to perfectly fit my orthotics into.

And I hate then my trousers drag on the floor as i buy longer ones for work to try and hide them and these were £69 before if I had paid this much for shoes I would have wanted to really show them off.

I really struggle to find nice shoes and most off my collection now are boots, as these are the only ones i find fit my orthotics. I am dreading summer and finding something nice to wear I would love it if anyone had any nice shoe shops or websites they could advise for nice summer shoes that I can wear without causing pain!

[Hidden]

go girsls go.. judt bought padders and scholl

[Hidden]

paddres and scholl should say.. some trainers. no heels sob sob

[stanton]

I have the same problem, princess and the pea comes to mind. I have as my Rheumatologists calls it "a typicaly deformed rheumatoid foot" charming!!

I bought a pair of Dr Martin Paloma ladies boots (I know boots again) in February and could not believe it, they arrived and I have worn them ever since. I do insert the insoles/arch supports buy hey they are comfy

I also have a pair of Crocs Classic, I know I know, not everyones cup of tea, but for comfort, well who cares. You seen the new styles, worth a look. You also get Croc insoles.

I have spent a small fortune buying footwear (£60 - £80 a time), then finding after wearing outdoors (meaning they can no longer be returned) that they do not support my feet.

Hope information is helpful.

Have a good weekend all, hailstones have just gone of here in Fife, happy days x