My Feet!! Oh Bad Feet!

[allamericangirl]

i have terrible feet. my feet are so bad that my hubby says when i die he is going to donate them to medical science. they are so bad that he calls me "ugly toes"! i have broken arches, broken metatarsus, hammerhead toes, in-grown toe nails, a soft corn on my slightly deforned little toe, and wear a size woman's shoe size 10 1/2, which is difficult, if not sometimes impossible to find. athletic shoes have a tendency to really hurt my feet. ouch! ouch! ouch! (limp, hopping, from foot to other foot) i am just starting nursing and know that my feet are going to be the major secrete to my endurance! what is the most comfortable professional shoe that you know of, and where can i find them?

[curleysue]

I have heard the most comfortable nursing shoes are Dansko clogs which is what I wore throughout nursing clinicals. They are so so comfortable but cost around $100. I forgot were I got mine, I think I got them at some speciality shoe shop in Portland, OR.

There is another pair of shoes nurses wear that have a huge spring like thing on the heel. I am sure someone knows what I am talking about. I don't know what they are called but I have heard some nurses say its like walking on air.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

And get custom orthotics made! Expensive, but there is no substitute (I know; I tried the alternatives).

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

I have foot problems too.......too many years of carrying far too many pounds and having sensitive feet in the first place, I had issues even before I started nursing. I've since developed plantar fasciitis, fallen arches, hammertoes AND arthritis. So my advice to you is, you need to see a podiatrist, and SOON! Your feet will only get worse as your nursing career---and your age---progress.......trust me, you want to take good care of those tootsies, and a good podiatrist will assess your needs and figure out not only the right kind of shoes, but the right foot and ankle support. You will probably need custom orthotic shoe inserts, which can be very expensive, but they last a lifetime, and if you have insurance, it may help with some of the cost.

Some of the things you can do in the meantime are investing in a good pair of support hose, getting foot massages on a regular basis, even buying a commercial foot soaker with heat and bubbles......you can also add some salts or special oils to the water, which is very soothing and leaves your feet feeling pampered and refreshed.

Another thing I do once in a while is to slather Bag Balm all over my feet, put on a pair of thick socks right out of the dryer, and sleep in them all night long.........the next morning my feet feel fabulous, and I'm ready to tackle another 8 hours of running!

Best of luck to you. :)

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

First, i'd tell the husband to shut up. The comments he's making won't help the situation.

Secondly, you might want to see a podiatrist and see what they might recommend for shoes (if you haven't asked them before).

Danskos at dansko.com are good arch-wise, but they are not a shoe that has any cusioning, and might hurt the toes. Go to the Dansko website, pick out a style you like, and do a search for that particular Dansko style to find the cheapest price.

I've heard about people swearing by the ones with the giant spring on the heel, BUT i work with a nurse who has those, and she has caught that spring on EVERYTHING. I had thought that would be a problem when i first saw those shoes, but now i get to see someone who trips on them at leat once a day.

[NP2BE]

I would definitely recomend a Podiatrist, I have feet problems too and feet problems can affect the whole rest of your body including your back. I had orthotics made (via podiatrist) for a few hundred bucks, and if they were 5000, I would have paid it because they have been that helpful.

[purplemania, BSN, RN]

a podiatrist helped me narrow down the options that benefited me the most. You could spend a lot of time and money doing the wrong things otherwise.