End of tether with endless shoe/foot problems

[Maria53]

I've had foot issues since I was 21, I'm now 29. It became a chronic problem for years and I was in what felt like endless hospital appointments with no sure diagnosis. Getting shoes that fit is next to impossible.

I've mainly been wearing Red or Dead shoes which have been so comfy for my wide feet. They now appear to have discontinued them and I need a new pair!

For hill walking I have Salomon trainers and boots. Again not perfect but close due to wider foot box. But they don't look good with summer dresses and skirts!

Last week I had my feet measured. They told me I over pronate and am quite flat footed - podiatrist told me this before. They also said I'm a size 3 - just no way!! I'm size 5 usually, sometimes 4 1/2.

After looking through some threads here I ordered 2 new pairs of shoes - a pair of rocket dogs and a pair of fit flops. The size 4 fit flops are slightly too small and i had blood on my third toe from where the pinky was rubbing today.

The size 5 rocket dogs are massive on me! So I feel I'm back to square one again. My dreams of finally wearing good looking trainers with summer dresses are fast disappearing

Or these?

www.simplyfeet.co.uk/vionic-abyss-ysenia.html

OP, I only wear Wolky shoes. They are a Dutch brand, you can buy odd sizes and there are shoes (I think I saw trainers?) specifically marked as Wide. They are suitable for own orthotics and they offer free shipment and return through their shop in Brighton. With Brexit, they became quite expensive, but since discovering them, I stopped wearing virtually ALL other brands. There is always something wrong with them - too flat, too narrow, too this, too that.
www.wolkyshop.co.uk

I meant something wrong with other brands

Size 4? Try being a size 8!

I wear Superga - nice AND wide and ASOS wide fit. Scarpa are great for wide boots and shoes. Naturalizer are very comfortable.

@Maria53 I think the problem with buying online unless you know a brand really well is very tricky and multiple sizes in a shoe would need to be ordered. Following this post I had a look at some of the size charts for companies mentioned and took the tape measure to the inside of my fit flop allegro ballet pumps. Mine are a 6 but the inside measures almost 1cm more than the size 6 should be according to the cm size on their online size chart. Shoes must be made to incredibly accurate measurements, I don't understand why it's so difficult to be able to publish accurate measurements of the inside of a shoe.

No advice because I’m in the same predicament. I’m a size 4.5; both size 4 and size 5 give me issues. 4 too tight around toes which causes blisters yet 5 too loose around ankles which cuts my skin. Fun.

[quote HoldontoOneMoreDay]@KM38 That's such a great post. If it's not outing, I don't think anyone would mind you mentioning the name of the shop (understatement of the year, I think you'd come into a queue tomorrow). But obviously if it's a small indie and would be really obvious that you are you, don't feel under any pressure to share! [/quote]
@HoldontoOneMoreDay Aww thank you that’s lovely of you to say!! Definitely outing I’m afraid as it’s a small indie with a little chain of stores so I won’t mention the name - as much as I’d love to have you all queued at the door of my branch 😊 Happy to give any help that I can though if anyone wants advice 🤷🏻‍♀️ I love my job! My girls and I have a “never give up on any customer” policy - wether it takes us 10 minutes and 2 style options tried on or you sit with us all day and try on every pair in the shop, it’s never too much trouble! It’s so satisfying having people leave happy after having problems with finding shoes that actually work for their feet

@istherelifeafter40 Wolky are a fab brand 😍 They always do beautiful winter boots!

I'm excited to report that I ordered a pair of biker boots from long tall sally.

They are Yours branded and vegan and to be honest wasn't holding out much hope.

THEY ARE SO COMFY!!!!!!!

Not RTFT, so apologies if I am making a suggestion already made.

It might be worth you having a consultation with a chiropractor or physiotherapist to see if there is a reason why you are having foot problems.

It won't be cheap but neither are shoes that you end up not wearing.

Nothing wrong with my feet. They're very wide. The problem is manufacturers don't appear to like wide feet very much

Hotter shoes was recommended by my podiatrist. I have wide shoes size 5 and was able to find Nike. I wear it with custom orthotics.

I've never bought from here but I like the fact that my wide feet are their narrowest. Mostly the sort of shoe that older people wear they do have a few more fashionable one, I like some of their boots.
www.widerfitshoes.co.uk/
Incidentally I've just bought some skechers d'lites and I need to wear thick socks with them. Very comfy though.

If you have medically diagnosed foot problems / damage you may want to disregard this advice but if it's to do with weakness or just unsuitable shoes then you might look at 'barefoot' shoes and do some reading.

'Older yet faster' on FB has some knowledgable people and there are several books around the subject (Born to Run is a great read too, even if, like me, you're not really interested in running).

The experience of 'barefooters' seems to be that it's common for foot strength to improve without over-padded/supported shoes, and for feet to widen (a lot) as they get stronger. I've been in barefoot styles for a few years now and find most normal shoes far too to narrow and constrictive as my feet have widened out (I have high, strong arches too). I think I over pronate - I was told I do by a personal trainer once - so I'm working on core strength and excercises to improve it.

Just to emphasise here - I am not a doctor or expert and I've never had any real foot issues to overcome - just a general discomfort with too-narrow shoes.

I forgot to make my main point! It was that 'barefoot' shoe brands are often a lot wider than standard shoes.

I see that Vivobarefoot has been mentioned already but they are not the widest and many barefoot shoe converts seem to transition out of them after a while as their feet grow and spread (I've gone 'up' a size and 'outgrown' several styles of Vivos).

The flip side is that many are made outside the UK - often in Europe - and fiddly to order. I have managed with mainly buying and selling used until I find a perfect fit but it's a bit labour intensive!

Not read the whole thread as I have no real advice, but I just wanted to empathise. I have very small feet - size 1.5-2 depending on brand though I can get away with a 3 in boots or trainers sometimes. I have a very narrow heal but a broadish forefoot and also over pronate. So shoe buying has never been easy.
Then a few years ago I was involved in an accident and my injuries included foot fractures. One of my feet is a very strange shape now and the over pronation is much worse on that side. I live in walking boot type shoes with orthotics in now. I'm actually looking forwards to winter so that Iook a bit more normal!
One thing I would say is that the orthotics make a huge difference to my comfort and if your over pronation is bad its definitely worth seeing a podiatrist and getting some.
But I feel for you. Whenn my surgeon told me that my foot injury would make buying shoes more difficult in the future I cried and I think he thought I was a silly vain woman. But my inability to buy suitable footwear has a huge impact on my life.