Footwear and Foot Pain

[PatMarlin]

OK this is weird.

Few weeks ago I posted about hurting my left knee, and it has been slowly getting better, but I still wattle like a duck and limp.

On the same leg, I have foot heal pain that hurts in the evening and in the morning until I walk around and get stretched out, that's developed this year.

I got to looking at my daily work boots. Cabelas Outfitter Series. They are about 4 years old now I guess, but I noticed how the arch has broken down, even though the tread is still good and the tops are decent. I have wide feet with a real high instep (top) and a real steep arch (underneath). I got to looking at those boots, then my foot and I thought- "That's a miss match if I ever saw one".

Figuring I needed a new pair of boots, I started looking at all they had at Cabelas- I know I could order elsewhere but they've been real good and I know if there's a problem it will get taken care of... but I noticed none of the boots including my current style had much of an arch shaped like my feet.

All except Logger boots.

Logger boots arch have the exact shape of my foot. The reviews on Cabelas Loggers were good, so I ordered a pair- 11EE 400 grams of Thinsulate. They arrived today and I put em' on tonight here and had been walking around the house double checking for any problems before I headed outside.

All felt fine, but they are nothing like I've ever worn and do feel different. Definitely fill the arch under my feet, so I headed out to the shop and to get some firewood in.

What's weird about this and to my amazement, after walking a few hundred yards I realized I was walking normal and not limping. THAT hasn't happened for weeks. Went out again to make sure it wasn't my imagination. I'll be damned, I wasn't expecting it, but my feet feel fine and no knee pain duck wattle.

Most folks up in these parts wear logger boots. I'm about as close as you can get to a logger without actually calling yourself one.

Just amazing. I'm going to the range tomorrow and can't wait to see what happens walking out 100 and 200 to retrieve targets.

I'm wondering if the worn boots contributed to my knee problem as well as my foot?

[felix]

Not weird. I am surprised at your comment because you know in advance from shooting cast, i.e. Boots = chamber; Foot = boolit. ... felix

[PatMarlin]

.....:mrgreen:

[Blammer]

I know it's time for a new pair of shoes when my back starts hurting and my legs ache.

I put on my old shoes today and in about 4 hrs I was feeling tired and pained in my legs. Swapped shoes, problem gone.

yep, shoes will definitely do that for you. I have to get a new set of shoes about once a year. i don't care if they are $200 ones or $20 ones they last the same for me.

[waksupi]

Poor shoes cause problems in the foot, ankle, knees, hips, and back. I've used orthotics for years.

[MT Gianni]

I have had foot problems for years but they really got to hurting this past month. I went to the Doc expecting to hear about Gout and found out I have a pair of bone spurs under the arch. He gave me a cortisone shot and I thought I was going to cry. A needle in the bottom of your foot hurts. It is doing better but time will tell whether the shot helps for a month, 3,6 or a week.
Good boots help but if they don't get things checked out.

[nanuk]

Not weird. I am surprised at your comment because you know in advance from shooting cast, i.e. Boots = chamber; Foot = boolit. ... felix

so, what I hear you saying is, it is all about the "Fit"


:Bright idea:

[Bret4207]

I guess we're all in the same club, My feet ache all the time. I have what are called "chronically unstable ankles" which means I can turn/sprain them with the least effort. My knees are shot from years of abuse and my back isn't much better. Whine, whine! I've been wearing 8-10" boots for decades. Well now theres a new twist. If I put on a pair of high topped boots and lace them up it feels like my right ankle is being pulled apart every step I take. The most comfortable boots I have are plain old Servus $15.00 barn boots. No insole, no support, no arch. Weird. Sneakers (running shoes I guess they're called to day) aren;t much better.

Went to TSC the other day and broke down for new boots. Ended up with light 8" Georgias that I only lace to the first hook. They didn't have 6" or I might have got them. I'd probably be wearing Bean boots if I could afford them. When I retired 2.5 years back I left with 6-7 pair of new boots (they don't take footwear back). I thought I'd never have to buy boots again. They've all fallen apart.

If I had known I was going to live this long I'd a taken a lot better care of myself!

[Bad Water Bill]

This should not surprise any one. If you were going to build a 3 story building would you build it in a swamp. No there is no way to get a proper foundation in the bottomless swamp. Your feet are your foundation.

When many of us were kids we went into a real shoe store. The person there would measure your foot 3 or 4 different ways, go in the back room and come back with a 1/2 dozen boxes of shoes for you to try on for comfort. While you were walking on the nice carpeted floor they were watching how you walked and might make further recommendations. These were foot specialists and we got a proper shoe. But the big box stores did away with them as one of the first cut backs on help.

I have wondered for years what price we would pay for living in gym shoes from the time we take our first step till we retire. Yes there are some of us that will take the time to look at our feet and what is available that will match.

If you expect your feet to keep you going foreward for the next 40-50-60 years take real good care of your PAWS.

[PatMarlin]

This should not surprise any one. If you were going to build a 3 story building would you build it in a swamp. No there is no way to get a proper foundation in the bottomless swamp. Your feet are your foundation.


Now Bill, I know my feet are stinky, but a swamp? ...[smilie=l:

I had forgot all about the days when they would measure your feet. Mom used to buy the shoes too. Maybe I should give her a call ...:mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Surprising to me is I bought good quality boots, just didn't realize they wouldn't hold up to daily hard work for 4 years. Spend over $100 and you think they autta last forever ...:mrgreen:

[mold maker]

The price you pay today, has little to do with quality. It's all about profit. Most stores wont carry anything that has a low profit margin, even if its a real bargin, quality wise.

[mroliver77]

I remember getting a pair of Red Ball sneakers and a pair of dress shoes when school started each year. The shoe store had these stools that were made to help the salesman. He sat on it and you put your foot on the slanted front. He whipped out that cool measuring device and fit you up. I always got a pair of work shoes REd Wing brand as farm work demanded good shoes. If you wanted hunting boots or waders we had to buy them with money we made from trapping.

My Dad was a railroader. He always bought good shoes. We always had a "good" pair and a pair that had been resoled. Dad always had the shoe guy put extra heavy steel supports in the sole because climbing the steel rod ladders on boxcars and the engine put a lot of stress in a small area right under his arch. It would break the stock stamped steel in a short time. Nowadays the uppers are gone on boots before the soles where out.

[PatMarlin]

I did buy an expensive pair of Danner summer boots about 3 years ago, but they still don't have the arch I need. I wouldn't have bought them had I known.

These loggers feel so good I'm wearing them around the house like slippers.

Dang I am one sic puppy ...:mrgreen:

[hiram]

CVS pharmacy by me has a machine, I think Dr. Scholl's, that you stand and move around on. In the end it tells you which insert to get for your shoes.

[waksupi]

Okay, Pat. Pay attention. I ran an orthotics lab for 15 years. Go see a podiatrist, get some properly fit orthotics, it won't mater much what shoes you are wearing then, as long as they are wide enough. Don't depend on those machines, they will NOT give you the proper fit. Without a foot cast, it is impossible to level the foot correctly.

[PatMarlin]

The Waksupi has spoken.

So "orthotics" I imagine go inside your boots? That's what I need for my hunting and other still good boots for sure.

:2 drunk buddies:

[geargnasher]

Pat, don't discount drugstore orthotics, either. Most insoles, even on high-end boots like Wolverine and Redwing, are just lousy little flat foam pads. You'd be amazed how the correct supporing insole with heelcup, stiff arch support, and impact-reducing heelpad can change your life. Once you find something you like, buy a bunch of them, because they wear out quickly! In three or four months of daily use they will start breaking down, and it's important to replace them before you start to hurt again. Most of these are in the $10-15 range and would be a bargain at twice the price.

I stand and walk on flat concrete for ten hours a day, and climb all over vehicles, trucks, RVs, and equipment, and if I don't have comfortable, supporting boots that fit not just standing, but along the lines of what Felix said, fit dynamically through the whole range of my motion and use, my feet, knees, and lower back start to pay the price.

Gear

[geargnasher]

Dang, you guys beat me to it!!!! never mind
:grin:
Gear

[Gee_Wizz01]

The price you pay today, has little to do with quality. It's all about profit. Most stores wont carry anything that has a low profit margin, even if its a real bargin, quality wise.

If they make shoes that last too long, it cuts into their profits. On the other side of the issue, when we were kids in the 50's we got a new pair of shoes every year, usually in August right before school started. It seems like those shoes lasted about 1 year. I can also remember getting those shoes re-heeled and resoled. I went get a pair of my favorite shoes resoled, and they wanted $55. I payed $100 for the shoes new.

I also had the heel pain issue. It got so bad I had to crawl to the bathroom one morning. I went to the Podiatrist he gave me a couple of shots in the heel and some orthotics for my shoes, and also gave me daily stretching excercises. The pain started going away. I am now pain free.

G

[GrayFox]

I, too, have wide feet with a fairly high arch. I went to Dick's Sporting Goods because of their supposedly wide selection of hunting and hiking boots. They don't carry a single pair in any wide width! And of course there wasn't a soul who could even answer why. Ease of inventory, I'm sure.

Part of my problem goes back to the mid-'70s when I was assigned to the 101st Airborne and we ran miles on blacktop in those damn Corcoran parade field boots. We had two lieutenants who had been NCAA track and field runners whose knees were destroyed in less than a year.

Of course, the knuckle sized piece of a Russian 122mm rocket courtesy of the NVA that I took through the low back area didn't help any, either. Fortunately it just missed the saecrum area. I remember that within a day I was horribly black and blue from my neck to my heels. A doctor told me it was because it was "a large slow moving piece of shrapnel." Similar to a big cast boolit I guess.

Sorry for the digression, and I hope everyone's feet get feeling better. GF

[waksupi]

I will tell you why the drug store orthotics are not good. I did thousands of pairs of these over the years. And no two are the same. Some feet tip out, some in, arch heights are different between people, as is what is known as the sulcus length of the orthotic. There is no way a selection of 20, or a hundred off the rack orthotics will be right. You will feel temporarily relived of pain for awhile, just because they shift your weight to a different pressure point. However, after awhile they will let the old problem come back, and very likely new pain showing up in a different area.

[mroliver77]

Ric,
Could you possibly give a ballpark figure of what it would cost to see a podiatrist and a pair of orthotics? Is it a one visit deal? Us po folks don't have the luxury of seeing specialists and the like.

With the price hike on basically everything in the past few years I am falling behind. I try to not drive anymore than I have to and skimp like a depression survivor. Against my Docs orders I have been trying to work some to pick up money to make ends meet. Now my knees hurt so bad that a couple hours on my feet are agonizing. My legs feel like somebody hit them repeatedly with a ball bat.
j

[waksupi]

Ric,
Could you possibly give a ballpark figure of what it would cost to see a podiatrist and a pair of orthotics? Is it a one visit deal? Us po folks don't have the luxury of seeing specialists and the like.

With the price hike on basically everything in the past few years I am falling behind. I try to not drive anymore than I have to and skimp like a depression survivor. Against my Docs orders I have been trying to work some to pick up money to make ends meet. Now my knees hurt so bad that a couple hours on my feet are agonizing. My legs feel like somebody hit them repeatedly with a ball bat.
j

Well, I have been out of the business for probably ten years. Back then, you were looking at around $250. Mine were guaranteed against breakage or unexpected failure. The ones I currently wear were made back then by myself, and are still just fine.
If a doctor won't give you a guarantee, look for another. It should be a one visit deal, to be cast, and then just pick them up. If they want a follow up visit, be sure it is no charge.
Do some shopping, and comparison pricing. Prices can vary a lot in the lab work, more than the doctor's fee. Be aware though, if your feet are seriously turned, it may take a couple pairs, over about a three year period to get your joints back in alignment.
More people should take their kids in for an exam when they are around 4 years old, and they would save them a lot of problems in later life, if they can get walking well at that age. Especially if they will be involved with sports.
Most parents are too cheap though, and never consider having it checked.
One tip, the most common cause of orthotic failure, is if the user does something like climbs ladders on his instep, or stands on his arch on corral rails, or similar abuse. And it is obvious to the guy in the lab when he sees what has been done to the orthotic. Don't bother with trying to say you only go out to fetch the paper in the morning. BS WILL be called. Those things are TOUGH! Do that, and the warranty is usually void, as you can't fix stupid.
The most common and accepted way that they get trashed, is the dog chews them. I always covered that damage.
By the way, try to go the cheap way with the drug store brand, and you WILL cause more damage that will cost lots more in the long run. Gaur-an-tee. Is that cajun?

[nicholst55]

This should not surprise any one. If you were going to build a 3 story building would you build it in a swamp. No there is no way to get a proper foundation in the bottomless swamp. Your feet are your foundation.

When many of us were kids we went into a real shoe store. The person there would measure your foot 3 or 4 different ways, go in the back room and come back with a 1/2 dozen boxes of shoes for you to try on for comfort. While you were walking on the nice carpeted floor they were watching how you walked and might make further recommendations. These were foot specialists and we got a proper shoe. But the big box stores did away with them as one of the first cut backs on help.

I have wondered for years what price we would pay for living in gym shoes from the time we take our first step till we retire. Yes there are some of us that will take the time to look at our feet and what is available that will match.

If you expect your feet to keep you going foreward for the next 40-50-60 years take real good care of your PAWS.

There are still a few real shoe stores around; I went to one last spring when I was in the States on vacation. The gal watched me walk barefoot across the floor, measured both feet, and got out an assortment of shoes. I tried them all on and walked around in them, and ended up with the most comfortable shoes I've had in a very long time.

I have very long, very narrow feet (14 A), hammertoes, and I'm diabetic, so the right shoes are critical, and often difficult to find.

[Bret4207]

Holy smokes! I had no clue there was so much to shoes/boots. I can remember do as most of you and getting my feet measured as a kid at the big shoe store in the city. I haven't seen a store that did that in 20 years anyway.

Thanks Ric for the info. We have a podiatrist in town. I might just go see him. Are these orthodics like insoles, or are they built into the shoe?

[Bret4207]

Surprising to me is I bought good quality boots, just didn't realize they wouldn't hold up to daily hard work for 4 years. Spend over $100 and you think they autta last forever ...:mrgreen:

Man, ain't that the truth. And do you notice a lot of them are made up of little scraps of leather? Every seam is an invitation to water and tearing. I'd love to swing for a GOOD pair of work boots, 2 or 3 actually, but the prices are obscene.

[PatMarlin]

Well, I have been out of the business for probably ten years. Back then, you were looking at around $250.

The good news mroliver77 is the cost would be half that price.

Just dawned on me Ric's been talking horses... :mrgreen:

[oneokie]

Previous pair of work boots (pull on's) cost me $135 iirc. Got 9 years + wear out of them. General farm work, mud, manure, water, lots of walking and climbing, generally being abused daily.
Wearing same brand, style now, hope they last as long.

[waksupi]

The orthotics just slip inside of your shoes. Change from pair to pair.

Pat, actually proper horseshoeing is very similar. I was taught how to do it properly, and was usually able to add a half length to a race horse's stride.

[mroliver77]

Thanks for the info Ric. I might be able to sell a gun to get set up. It would be worth it.
Jay

[Bret4207]

The orthotics just slip inside of your shoes. Change from pair to pair.

Pat, actually proper horseshoeing is very similar. I was taught how to do it properly, and was usually able to add a half length to a race horse's stride.

I'll look into to it, thanks.

Hope I don't end up with Scotch Bottoms....

[TRX]

On the same leg, I have foot heal pain that hurts in the evening and in the morning until I walk around and get stretched out, that's developed this year.

As an addendum here, I went to the doctor last year because of agonizing pain in the right Achilles tendon. As in, having to scuttle sideways when I walked because couldn't take a normal step without seeing black comets and stars shooting across my field of vision.

To make a long story short, the problem turned out to be that I'd developed a habit of sitting in the office chair with my right leg to the side of the chair, pointed back, with my foot resting on the toes. What the heck, it was comfortable... but the position put continual tension on the tendon, causing what the doc referred to as "tennis ankle."

I'd heard of that before, but I had no idea it could hurt like that...

[PatMarlin]

Would like to have orthotics made someday. The Logger boots are working out well. My heal pain is gone away already in just a few days.

Hopefully, this thread has helped some members. It's why I post these kinds of threads.

[longhorn]

Another vote for podiatrists and orthotics-us pill pushers stand all day, usually on a tile floor. Don't skip on socks, either. I work in Clarks shoes (YMMV), Bridgedale wool outer socks, and thin wicking polypro liner socks-all day, every day.

[mroliver77]

I talked to my sis who wears orthotics. She said it cost over $1000. for the visit and the product! I need to do a little searching. Prolly need to go to the city. Yuck!
J

[PatMarlin]

Well there's a new business for Ric.

We go and get out feet measured up, or do a plaster paris mold send him the data and he make's our orthotics.

This jogged my memory, as about 9 years ago I was having pain in one of my toes, and it was from wearing slip ons to long, jumping in and out of my boat.

I went to the foot Doctor and he did even measure my feet or comment on the boots I was wearing, which were obviously wrong. Made me some instant slip ins, and charged me $80 bucks.

That was a waste.

Then he had the nerve to have his gal keep calling the house for a $40 follow up... :mrgreen:

[PatMarlin]

Another vote for podiatrists and orthotics-us pill pushers stand all day, usually on a tile floor. Don't skip on socks, either. I work in Clarks shoes (YMMV), Bridgedale wool outer socks, and thin wicking polypro liner socks-all day, every day.

Sounds interesting.

I'm still trying to find boot socks I like. My feet get cold easily in winter if I'm not moving a lot. Feet get cold in the winter setting in the house on the computer, but we've got cold non- insulated floors.

Now that I'm on my feet all day, standing in front of machines on concrete, I need to get the right socks.

We have some good thick wool socks that keep my feet warm, but I don't know what brand or who made them. Mother-inlaw buys them over the years for my wife, or they are handme downs from years back, who knows where.

I bought a pair of heavy "Merlino Wool" socks and they're heavy, soft, and fairly warm but they make my feet sweat! Then we have some wool socks that feel like they came off a russian yak last week, and are rougher but they are warm.

I don't think I like Merlino Wool.

[PatMarlin]

These seem more like the kind of rough wool I was talking about:

http://www.socksperts.com/The-Ice-Sock-P62.aspx

[waksupi]

Carpetman recommended Thorlo socks to me some years ago. He is right, they make any shoe more comfortable, and they last forever.

[Bad Water Bill]

I just googled them. They must have a gazillion different types of sox there.

Which type did you get. An OLD man with Very cold feet is curious.

[PatMarlin]

Where is that Carpetman Ray anyway? haven't heard from RDI in a long time.

[ErikO]

Okay, Pat. Pay attention. I ran an orthotics lab for 15 years. Go see a podiatrist, get some properly fit orthotics, it won't mater much what shoes you are wearing then, as long as they are wide enough. Don't depend on those machines, they will NOT give you the proper fit. Without a foot cast, it is impossible to level the foot correctly.

I got a great pair of Orthotic inserts a year or so ago. They're fine but the orthopaedics they are in are breakign down. One of the joys of being a 'bigger fellow'.

These shoes have lasted longer than every other pair I ahve bought for several years, time to go to the foot doc in January and have her cast up my feet again and get new shoes.

She was amazed that I had never had orthotics before. I'm amazed at how little foot, leg and back pain I've had since I got these shoes. Waksupi is 100% right, go get your feet checked, it is definitly worth it.

[longhorn]

Straight wool will make my feet sweat, too-that's why I wear the wicking liner socks underneath. Tiny bit of extra cushion doesn't hurt, either.

[waksupi]

I just googled them. They must have a gazillion different types of sox there.

Which type did you get. An OLD man with Very cold feet is curious.

I got several types of them. You just need to read through the descrriptions and decide what you need. It that doesn't answer your questions, contact them, they are good to answer and work with you.

[Bullet Caster]

Now it's time for my 2 cents worth. I'm just like Nicholst55 in that I have falling (or fallen) arches and hammer toe that I inherited from my father (bad gene pool). My dad had the surgery for hammer toe but it did not help that much. I always have a pain in both heals when I stand for any length of time. I eventually got a pair of arch supports and it has helped with the heal pain. My wife and I usually rub feet every night to alleviate each others pain. She had a hip replacement and one leg came out longer than the other necessitating a built up shoe. I've had extensive back surgery where they fused L4, L5 and S1. My back is sometimes stiff but it doesn't hurt like it used to. I guess I'll have to try the Logger boot route and get some o' those Thorlo socks to try out. Who makes the best logger boot? Does anyone remember "Buster Brown" or "Polly the Parrot" shoes? That's where my folks always took us kids to get new shoes for school. BC

[PatMarlin]

Yaw- my dad tried to make us wear them buster brown shoes, but mom sided with me and I got out of it.

I really like the Cabela (insulated option) Logger Boots. They have 400grams Thinsulate insulation, and are breaking in nicely. They feel great and my heal is WAY better already. $170. Bout' half of other high priced Loggers. They were real hard getting on until they loosed up with my high instep, but now come off and go on easy. I like them.

[PatMarlin]

Lot of good reviews-

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Insulated-Logger-Boots-150-Brown/721282.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Insulated-Logger-Boots-150-Brown/721282.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dloggers%26x%3D17%26y%3D9%26WTz_l%3DHead er%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=loggers&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products)
%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dlog gers%26x%3D17 (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Insulated-Logger-Boots-150-Brown/721282.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dloggers%26x%3D17%26y%3D9%26WTz_l%3DHead er%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=loggers&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products)
%26y%3D9%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=loggers&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Insulated-Logger-Boots-150-Brown/721282.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3D searchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProduc ts%26Ntt%3Dloggers%26x%3D17%26y%3D9%26WTz_l%3DHead er%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=loggers&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products)

[kelbro]

Good custom-fitted orthotics. Leather-lined will run around $100 and last a loooong time. I have them in my shoes and boots. Spending hours on factory floor and going up and down stairs all day takes it toll on the body. Since I started using orthotics about 10 yrs ago, the only time I get back pain is when I'm out at the bench in flip-flops or barefoot.

[mpmarty]

I suffer from Gout in both feet. Have since 1984. I require footwear that lets me put them on without bending my feet too much. Currently wearing Georgia boot co. 8" high lace ups that open up enough to be easy to put on and get off. No back problems but two bad knees that go "out" every time I limp due to a gout attack.

[tomf52]

For those of us on Medicare I have a friend that is diabetic requiring special shoes. Medicare pays for one pair a year up to $300. I wonder if having any other foot ailment would qualify for free shoes also.

[oldgeezershooter]

I am not diabetic but suffer from neuropathy^sp. Dr. said it was caused by chemo or radiation and messed up my nerves. I have tried everything and everyone and not much they can do.
I have decided that most so-called foot doctors are quacks.
About the only thing I can do is have the nerve cut, but then you have to be very careful and protect your feet at all times. They prescribed gabapentin(Lyrica) but it makes you sleepy and messes with your vision and other ****. I've spent untold $'s on different shoes and boots and it's still 24/7 pain.

[nicholst55]

Straight wool will make my feet sweat, too-that's why I wear the wicking liner socks underneath. Tiny bit of extra cushion doesn't hurt, either.

Have you tried one of the anti-fatigue mats? Some folks who stand all day long find them helpful; I know I did.

[MikeS]

Another thing with Lyrica is that it can change your mood. I'm diabetic, and have neuropathy, and was taking it for a while, but after a while I was ready to kill the world! It (Lyrica) put me in a mood that was worse than a bad mood! When I stopped taking it, the bad mood went away. Of course, nothing else works as well for the neuropathy. Right now I'm having so much trouble with my hands that I can barely do anything requiring fine motor skills. When I wake in the morning it takes almost an hour till I'm able to move my hands enough that I can do anything, and when they finally stop being stiff, I have 3 different fingers that lock closed (called a trigger finger), and of course 2 of them are on my right hand, the one I use to do almost everything! I take 120mg of oxycodone a day, and that doesn't do anything to relieve the pain in my hands!

[rintinglen]

Damn, we are a sickly bunch. Premium socks, and proper fitting shoes go a long way towards preventing foot problems, but once you've got them, a good podiatrist becomes your best friend.
Plantar faciaitis is no fun. for me, it felt just like I was being stung by a bee, each time I took a Step. Dr. Millar, sadly now retired, was a god send. Heat therapy, steroids, and throwing out my old shoes and replacing them with properly fitted shoes let me walk again without pain.

[Cariboo]

I have 3 different fingers that lock closed (called a trigger finger), and of course 2 of them are on my right hand, the one I use to do almost everything! !

MikeS it is called Dupuytren's contracture. Or more commonly trigger finger, Viking disease or Celtic hand.
So far It has only effected the little finger on my dominate hand. I just had the operation a month ago to relive it (I understand it cannot be cured). For the first week I was sure the surgeon had put my hand on an anvil and straightened my finger with a hammer as if it was a bent nail. As I do physiotherapy on it I hope to get more use of it, at this point in time it hurts less and is more useable than it has been in a couple of years.

[Pitchnit]

I dont know nothin bout castin yet. This is my first post here but I know about this. I have been wearing the same pair of custome molded orthotics for 20 years. Would be crippled without them. Dont wear flip flops or walk around in just socks or bare feet (at all). Cabelas sells a slide on shoe that i put store bought gel orthotics in (about $20) These are just for in the house or light garage work. I take them off when I climb into bed and slip them on when I get up. for work I use the customs. It only gets worse if you dont do anything. Good luck.

[GaryN]

Hey MikeS, my wife had trigger finger and it hurt real bad. We found a doctor that had a real good reputation for fixing that problem and he did a great job. He did the operation in his office,only took about twenty minutes, it didn't cost very much, it healed in about two weeks and she hasn't had any problems with it since. The only thing I didn't like was he seemed like a liberal. But hey, no body is perfect.

[Jacko.357]

My Heel Spur was bought about through poorly fitting work boots. I have a size 10 1/2 foot but need to wear size 12's as I have an incredibly high Arch and my foot is so wide that if I did not have holes between my Toe's I could walk on water.

Major Advantage to having a Heal Spur - I don't take the Mrs Shopping or walk through the Mall with her as she can't stand to hear me whinging about my sore foot

Disadvantage, have not been Hunting in 7 months and it gives me merry hell through a Casting session but it is improving every day

regards Jacko

[Texantothecore]

I have exactly the same problems that you do: High arch, wide foot. Additionally, I had an ACL replacement in my knee in the 80s. I have always had foot and back problems. I also have the same ankle problem and one year sprained my ankle 5 times in eight weeks.

What I have discovered over the years:

1. Sears Diehard high top boots with absolutely flat soles are the most comfortable shoe I have ever worn. Nothing else comes close. I have worn these since the sixties and each pair has been as good as the last. Like wearing slippers. I spent 10 hours the other day on them while flyfishing and they were perfectly comfortable. I buy 9.5 but measure an eight EEE

2. When my feet start to hurt I change shoes and the pain seems to disappear even when I go back to the original pair. I just had this happen a few weeks ago. It seems to work every time. I think our feet have a lot more stress in certain areas and this seems to relieve it.

3. High heeled cowboy boots are well known for their ability to relieve back and knee pain. They move your hips forward and relieve the back pain in about 20 minutes. Just be sure to keep the heel in good repair.

[jonk]

For any shoes I am going to wear a lot I invest in some podiatrist ordered orthotic supports. I was having too much knee and back trouble. They scan your foot for pressure points and custom order an insole to fit. It isn't cheap.

Dr. Scholl's has some scanners in some stores to do much the same, but to pick the off the shelf model that is closest; that would be my second choice.