Aibu to see a doctor because my shoes keep breaking?

[Aubrianna]

I seem to have a very strangely turned ankle. When I wear any kind of shoe I seem to walk on an angle on one foot so that my weight actually rests off the side and wears a hole in the side of the shoe. With cheap shoes they can be useless after one wear, if I choose supportive shoes with good quality material they last more like a month but that's still having to buy an expensive pair of shoes every month!.

Flat shoes go quickly as the side rubs of the ground heels last a few weeks but because of the pressure Even chunky heels weaken quickly and break. 2 weeks ago I managed to totally split the heel of a very chunky heeled pair of boots they were just in half .

I have tried so many styles of shoes , I have tried supposedly supportive insoles but they left me in agony around my whole ankle.

I feel really stupid seeing a doctor about it because I suppose it is a fashion thinh but it is actually getting worse as I get older . My dh has said that I visibly walk on one side now!.

Aibu to ask a doctor about this or is it just a cosmetic problem?

Could you change the way you walk?' My friend did when she realised she was walking on the insides of her feet.

You need to see a podiatrist so that they can make sure that there's nothing wrong with your feet and ankles Your GP can refer you to a NHS one, insoles to raise your arch (it can often fall if there's ankle problems) may help, they can sort these too. Have you tried boots?

Doesn't sound cosmetic to me, it must be painful for you too. Do you get back problems?

Asking a doctor won't hurt & likely there is a medical reason for it. Hope you get sorted.

I have tried to not do it but it is impossible It just how my feet turn - when I try to not walk like that it ends up really hurting my ankle!

An orthotist would probably be a better call than a podiatrist, though one can refer on to the other, and a GP to either.

You could ask the doc for a referral to a podiatrist? I saw an independent pod who told me to do exactly that as I overpronate and it was causing pain in my ankles. They might not do much if it isn't causing pain though. The nhs pod I saw said most people don't have a neutral gait and 'walk funny' but they don't do anything for it if it isn't bothering you. Might be worthwhile getting it seen to though incase it does cause you problems years down the line. No harm in asking.

I have a teenager with foot problems. His shoes usually cave in at the sides because his ankles bend. It's a structural problem, not cosmetic. Get ye to your GP and ask for a podiatry referral (or a physio).

It's not cosmetic. You should see your doctor and ask to be referred to a physio or podiatrist. You might be able to get a special insole to correct your foot, and that will save you money in shoes as well as longer term issues from referred pain elsewhere to your knees, hips and back - which is not just possible but is very likely to happen, as they will have to adjust their function to compensate for your feet. The sooner the better really.

I did! GP referred me to a podiatrist who took one look and told me I needed insoles. I had painful feet and hips too, though.

Lady Sybil I don't have any back problems or other problems apart from pain in my jaw which I can't imagine would be related!

It doesn't hurt at all until I try to correct it for example with the insoles or just trying to walk straight

When I was a teenager I hurt my OTHER ankle quite seriously but never had treatment for it (long depressing story) I think It was broken. But the ankle that turns as far as I am aware has never had any injury or anything.

As pp said- go and see a podiatrist.

I would go to the gp. Be prepared though, as corrective insoles are uncomfortable at first.

It's a balance, LetTherBeCupcakes. If one bit's out it affects other bits too. One flat foot can cause tight tendons, which affect the ankles and muscles in the leg, going right up into the pelvis. Also, the other side compensates so you end up with pain on both sides

Maybe your feet have got use to being that way, Aubrianna. The side that's worst could be compensating for the other one (think of it like scales, if you add a weight to one side, the other rises). Worth getting it looked at. You may not feel symptoms yet because they are compensating, it doesn't mean you won't ever get symptoms though.

As someone said upthread, a physio may help you learn to walk differently.

I always wear down one side of my shoes. My GP suspected that the problem was coming from my hip, and this was confirmed by an x-ray. I didn't have any particular other symptoms so I said I didn't want an ortho referral. I'm still hard on shoes.

Ok, off topic here but while there are people around who understand podiatry (sorry OP). DS keeps coming home complaining (particularly after sport) that his heels hurt. Is this a "see a podiatrist" thing or something else altogether? DH subscribes to the "growing pains, he needs to man up" school of thought and thinks I mollycoddle DS so I need to be sure-ish to stand my ground.

It could be a posture issue, Stealth, has he had a fall where he's landed on his feet though, like jumping off a cabin bed? Can you take a look at how he's standing? Check his feet, is there an arch underneath? Look at his feet as he walks, does he apply a lot of pressure on his heels when he puts his feet down? He may benefit from squishy insoles, these absorb some of the force when he puts his foot down.

I wonder it could be a twisted pelvis which could be sorted by a good osteopath. I would still go to the GP though for a referral as some special orthotic inner soles may be required.

You could do worse than try Pilates or yoga to see if that evens your stance and posture out at all. See an osteopath for an assessment of what's wonky.

Thanks, Sybil - all good food for thought. No falls that he has admitted to, but then he wouldn't. Although he moans, if I try to get him to stand so that I can see his feet properly he will go all teenage "it's OK" on me. I will think about insoles though, and force him into new trainers (his feet haven't grown even though the rest of him has, but I am sure all structure and support is long gone from his trainers). Would a podiatrist be the right person to give a third party opinion so that it's not just me "fussing"?

Yes, a podiatrist would be a good idea. I hope all is well I used to work in a hospital and my heels would hurt after a while. Scholl or someone similar make some gel inserts which were pretty cheap, £5 or something, I picked these up at a sports shop. Must be a common problem.

My ds has been complaining of sore feet. It is over the bridge of his feet. Doc said it was shoes causing it however i am not sure coz my ds doesnt wear the same pair of shoes or type every day. Some days he struggles to walk without pain. Should i get a second opinion? I hate wasting the docs time.

Stealth when my dd was around 10 she started with heel pain and we had to get her really padded trainers. The GP didn't really take it seriously, but years later she was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (of which hypermobility can be a type of) , of which heel pain in childhood can be an indication. Does DS have any of the following:

Very flexible joints - can he bend his thumb nearly/onto the inside of his wrist. Can he bend any of his fingers upwards from the middle or top joints. Can he put his hands on the floor with knees straight. Does he complain of neck ache/cricked neck. Is his skin velvety soft and/or very elastic (ie can he pinch a bit of loose skin on his arm and pull it up a fair way!? Does he get tired after exercise or seem unusually tired after a normal day at school. Does he easily sprain or strain muscles or joints?

A variation of the above symptoms - but particularly very bendy joints and soft, stretchy skin, are a possible sign of this condition and physio and learning how to strengthen and protect joints can be useful.

What you need to do is look at your child's feet when they are standing. Can you see an arch underneath? Do the ankles look straight? Tight shoes can cause pain across the top, as can fallen arches (flat feet). Is there a pain pattern? I'd get a second opinion, especially for pain. My son's almost 16 and he can't walk without pain. His bones spray out slightly when he stands and his feet are very flat. His ankles are not straight and look as though they squash down too and I can see the bottom of his fibula stick out slightly. These are not 'normal' feet.