What’s Your Advice for Shoes for Rheumatoid Arthritis Feet?
Shoes for feet that are old overnight thanks to Rheumatoid Arthritis?
For years, my feet were a big part of my Palindromic Rheumatism or (palindromic Rheumatoid Arthritis). I’d wake up some mornings and it would feel like I’d walked on those feet all day. It was always like I was finishing a marathon that had never started.
The Rheumatoid Arthritis became full-blown feet first. The joints at the base of my toes swelled so that the toes themselves pointed in odd directions. Overnight, there were bunion-looking deformities on all four of the outside toes. The older ladies at church said, “Well, welcome to the club.”
The quest for Rheumatoid Arthritis shoes
As I described in my onset story, the first day it was only one foot, so I limped. When the other foot joined in, I crawled. It didn’t matter if no shoes fit – I could not walk. There was something like rocks inside of my skin at the base of each toe.
Nothing relieved the pain, but the podiatrist made splints to try to straighten the toes and prescribed a certain shoe. Eventually, I drove the hour to the city to pick up the shoes. I went into the store in some worn out running shoes with the laces removed, over top of the splints.
At the shoe store, I gave the boy the doctor’s recommendation. I tried to put on several shoes, but it was too painful to stand. He looked at me as if I had four heads on my shoulders instead of four kids wandering around his store – and a baby in a stroller. I left empty-handed, tearful, practically crawling to the car.
A couple of weeks later, the feet weren’t as swollen, so I bought the shoes the doctor requested – only in a men’s size so that it would be roomier and touch my foot less. I’ve decided that the best shoe for me now that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis feet is whatever shoe is not touching my feet.
What kind of shoes work for Rheumatoid Arthritis feet?
I got lots of shoe advice and questions when I had to buy shoes this fall (pictured) so that I could dress like an adult and get on an airplane. Usually, I work at home in Florida. So, I don’t even have to wear socks. And I have these very stretched out super-cushy Bare Traps for ball games and the rare grocery story trips. But I keep trying to replace those since they’re loose enough now that they cause me to fall.
There is not huge foot swelling nowadays because of the treatments I take for RA. But my feet continue to change and they always hurt. Finding shoes has become the proverbial search for the Holy Grail.
Photos: Stacks of shoe boxes in the closet have shrunk, but I keep many, hoping eventually a treatment that works for me will let me wear them again. Pictured are the shoes I managed to put on for the ACR trip.
My best Rheumatoid Arthritis shoe advice is to alternate shoes each day.
What is your best Rheumatoid Arthritis shoe advice? And your favorite RA shoes?
Recommended reading:
- My Onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Palindromic Rheumatism Is Not a Rare Form of Rheumatoid Arthritis
- What Is the First Symptom of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Just spent a few minutes reading through all of the comments, and it amazes me how different we all are in terms of what we need. So many folks where Crocs, but I find that when I wear a squishy shoe, I have a sharp increase in knee and hip pain. My favorites have been Orthaheel flip flops and Danskos, although I’m newly loving a pair of short cowboy boots on the days when my ankles will let me wear them. I have had an ongoing issue with my toes – they tend to want to smoosh all together and become very painful. My solution to that has been to wear toe socks. I wasn’t sure I would be able to get used to them, but they provided instant relief to the toe-squish issue, which combined with the high toe box on my Danskos has been heavenly.
That’s what stuns me too Karen – how different we are. I can’t imagine wearing most of the shoes on this list – but my needs are very individual too (the joints that do not want to be touched/rubbed by the shoe, the level of padding & the angle of the sole for my very high arch & instep). I need to add a photo of the new almost “sneakers” I finally found – first time I have something like a tennis shoe in 7 years that I can tolerate. I did not look cute at Wal-mart in clogs with sweats. 😉
Toe socks is an ingenious solution.
Flip-flop or any thong would be a horrible sentence to me – could not take one step. Same with any flat that has no arch – my midfoot joints need more support than that.
Veggies! Yes they are a type of shoe, and they are super comfortable even when your feet are swollen and hurting. They are not as hard and stiff as Crocs, though they are similar in design. I recommend veggies for arthritis feet they were the only shoes I could wear for a while. Thanks
LeeAnne
Shoes that work for my RA feet is an ongoing problem. I have several pairs of Earth wide strap with Velcro that I have been wearing for the past decade. They are looking pretty sad these days, but I will continue to wear until they fall apart. The Mephisto sandal, Helen is pretty comfortable. Cork support of Mephisto and Birkenstock is good. This winter I wore purple wide strap Birkenstock sandals with smart wool socks. I have to have cushion to walk. My Orthopaedic Surgeon indicated I would not be wearing fashion shoes… No joke. Grateful I never really was! I cringe when I see women ruining their feet with crazy fashion shoes. I used to love to walk barefoot. Can’t even do that around the house any more. I agree that closed toe shoes are the biggest problem. In the meanwhile, I will keep wearing the oldies. I need all he support I can get!!
I have severe pronation on my left foot and the only shoes I have been able to find that hold my foot up are Drew Mary Janes. Bloom II and Rose,. I just ordered a pair of Baileys and hope they will work. I did try on a pair of SAS “Me Too” shoes and am thinking of going back and buying them to wear at home. They seemed to work okay in the store. These shoes are all so expensive, but if they work I guess they are worth it. I have spent a fortune returning shoes to FootSmart that I thought would work, but they would make me walk on the inside of my foot. I feel like I have made a career of looking for shoes.
have recently discovered the ugliest shoes ever but they help my feet so much they have pimpled inner-soles, so it seems to distribute the weight and i don’t limp half as much so have been living in them, o and by the way they are Crocs, something i thought i would never wear lol x
I can only wear Ugg boots and Crocs, the sandal type. Nothing else. Any shoe with even a slight heel, hurts too much. Goodbye forever, to all my heeled boots and wedge sandals. I also feel like an old lady, but comfort wins the fight every time.
Clarks Unstructured, Merrills, Orthaheel and Crocs RX. One thing I do faithfully is put on shoes as soon as I leave the bed and I change shoes throughout the day. I did wear New Balance very expensive but they are really hurting my feet. Oh, I will add Aravons.
RA in the feet is BIG deal!!
I have had almost 20 foot surgeries including fusions and amputations (little toes) and always my “go to” shoes are Sketchers—the Mary Jane types. I also have Born and Clarks shoes that work. For dressier shoes, I have had luck with Easy Street (not Easy Spirit). They have a low, wider heel that let’s you feel like you are dressing up a bit and yet are stable. My biggest issue is packing for travel since I never know which shoes will work on any one day. You know how that is!
20! I have so much respect for you Marilyn. What a warrior you are. And yes – the suitcase issue – I pack at least one pair per day. I think it’s half of the weight of my suitcase!
Right now GO WALK by Sketchers are my pick. They are very light, comfy and reasonaly priced, They come in quite a few colors also. Along with these I wear New Balance in extra wide, crocs and house slippers. Flip flops are great around the house, but can’t wear them in public because my toes are hideous and I don’t want to scare snyone.
I am in Australia and besides Birkenstocks the absolute best shoes I have found are an American brand called Alegria. Wide shoe box, very comfortable soft inner soles and they also sell the inner soles separately. They are available online and are designed for people who are on their feet all day. They relieve the pain I have around my ankles and the bones on the top of my feet and help my hip pain. Sandals, Mary-Jane , clogs and boots, love them!
When my feet started bothering me last summer, I was devastated. I work in a law office and wear heels quite often, and I knew I had to give them up. The balls of my feet felt like I had been wearing heels all day from the time I got out of bed. Okay, give up heels and wear what? Even my flats were bugging me, probably because there’s no support. The only thing I have found that make my feet feel human again is Sketchers Shape-ups. I have three pair now: black, tan and gray & pink. So now I wear office clothes w/tennis shoes to work. I know it sounds vain, but I miss my heels. 🙁 I know a lot of people can hardly get out of bed every morning and I’m complaining about giving up my heels, but it does make me feel a little sad. That said, I LOVE my Shape-ups! Without them, my feet would be sad.
I recently purchased a pair of sandals made by Skechers. They are a dressy flip-flop style but the padding and support of the bottom are unbelievable. They make my feet feel so good!!
Me too! So excited cuz I can’t wear a toe thong but this is different. Finally! first skechers I could wear.
Wolky Jewel sandals. The most comfortable sandal ever. Foot bed that molds to your foot (removable if you have your own orthopedic insert), velcro fasteners so you can adjust them easily (because you know your feet can be different sizes) and no need to tie laces, front piece covers up your toes (so no bunions show), sole that takes the impact out of the pavement. These sandals saved my life. I wear them for about 7 months of the year, and when it’s too cold for the other 5 months I go in pain.
Finding shoes are hard and discouraging…but I do rotate a few that I have depending on my feet that day…;)…I have a pair of pink crocs, a pair of pink flip-flops and a pair of pink slippers, and three different pair of runners.
I try to explain to ppl I hate heavy whether it’s my shoes, my purse, my blankets, my coat etc…
I have to be able to lift it…;)…big mugs are out!
I’ve found that my Sketcher Go Walk shoes make standing up long enough to cook a decent meal a lot more comfortable. They have room in the toes and support my arches.
Right now my feet aren’t too bad but I know what I want someone to make as an RA shoe. I have a pair of flip-flops that have this amazing thick foam sole which has held up after 2-3 years of wearing them and feel amazing for the joints in my feet but not my ankles, because they’re flip-flops. Someone needs to take those awesome soles and use them in a gym shoe-type shoe, and not as one of those idiotically thin “foam inserts” that they stick in normal gym shoes and call “special”.
Hi All –
I just found this blog. I have RA and have had it for now 17 or 18 years. I was a hard core athlete when it hit and was a state ranked mtn biker and triathlete. Anyway I still compete at different levels — on and off as my RA allows. I have done an Ironman with RA, a 6 day expedition length adventure race in Brazil with RA and have run a 50-miler with RA. I used to run in Saucony Shadows before RA. Great trail shoes. But with my RA they are too firm. I went through all the brands and my tried and true shoe is now the Adidas Super Nova. I don’t run in anything else. Enough cushion but not too much. Good stability for trails and I never, not ever train on hard surface…only dirt for me!
Best of luck to all you warriors out there.
Kyle
I have rheumatoid arthritis in all of my joints, but my feet cause me the most concern. Not only are they sore and swollen, but the bones protrude off the sides of the big toes. To make things better yet, I have a high instep, so pull-on shoes are usually not an option for me.
My concern after reading some of these blogs is that I, too, was wearing Frankenstein-ish Crocs because there is no pressure on the sides and wideness in the front of the shoe. But then I found myself having to run (it was an emergency) and running in Crocs is DANGEROUS. I fell forward, landed on hands and knees…and broke my back, to include compression fractures, among other things.
Please, PLEASE don’t try to run in rubber shoes. The pavement was perfectly dry, but the rubber caught
I am currently looking at other wide shoes that have a decent sole on them. Be careful!
I can sympathize with everyone’s foot pain. The best relief for me has been Orthaheel brand shoes. Also, having custom made orthotic inserts for other shoes has been a big help. I try to buy my shoes a half size larger so they don’t touch my toes. Happy shoe shopping!!
Kelly, I don’t know how I missed this post! I am so so happy to see that you put together this post! I have been on a decade long journey to find comfortable shoes. Some worked in the beginning but stopped feeling comfortable as RA progressed. I moved to the US from India..and after spending nearly two years and thousands of dollars, I have found relief in Earth brand. It has a nice foot bed and support. I feel less pain in my bones when I wear these. Good support and slight platform heels also help with inflammation in my feet, which is a big problem for me if I have to stand still even for a minute.
I still haven’t found perfect winter shoes. But all the recommendations above have given me tons of options to try out 🙂
My shoes of choice are Merrells. Not all of their styles work for me but the ones that do- the Mocs- I have in multiple colors. I have only one pair of black dress shoes with 1 inch heels. They hurt after a short time because the soles are thin. I take a pair of my Merrells to wear as soon as I can change into them.
My house shoes are Crocs. In the winter I add socks. I simply can’t stand to walk barefoot. It is like walking on a beach full of pebbles.
I started having problems with my feet and had to give up formerly comfortable low heeled and flat dress shoes. I didn’t understand what was going on, but then I was diagnosed with RA. I love SAS sandals, and also ordered some Mary Janes for winter. I think I’m going to try some Crocs for wearing around the house. I wear slippers, and all too soon, the cushioning goes flat, and they start flopping on my feet. I also like Natuaralizers. I look for comfortable shoes wherever I go, but you never know how they are going to feel until you wear them for awhile. I have always been so particular about my shoes being appropriate for my outfit, but I’m learning to be thankful for comfort. On days when I stay on my feet all day, I may not feel pain, but I feel it the next day! I can hardly walk some mornings. I rest those days. I hope to feel better with treatment. Reading about others going through the same thing has been helpful.
I tried a design based on invisibleshoe.com’s sandle and it didn’t cost a penny. I took an old, very thin insole and punched 3 holes in it. One between the first 2 toes (like thongs) and the other 2 on each side of the ankle. It worked great. It took many, many miles of walking/running over concrete to see significant wear. When you have no cushion, you walk better. This is as close to barefoot as possible. I found my feet were fine to about 5-10C (40-50F), and below that I wore socks that were thin and stretchy. If you choose black socks and use black lacing, people won’t notice so easily. Nothing is as good as barefoot of course. For dry snow, leather mukluks are the best but you need some that you can pull tight so your foot isn’t swimming in them. If the temperature is around freezing….I have no idea. In the winter, wear cotton and wool (material that breathes). Nylon, polyester and other synthetics are not your friend. Some people use mink oil on the leather and it seems to work well for slush. You just want to get as far away as possible from a thick, stiff sole. Its completely unnatural. Once you get used to this kind of footwear, and put on normal footwear, it feels like you’re wearing wooden clogs. Expect an adjustment period as your foot muscles largely atrophy in traditional shoes. So it takes a few weeks for the muscles to come back to life. Somebody once asked a barefooter what holds up their arches? His response: My arch. Many people find they actually go down in shoe size when walking barefoot/minimalist for a while. You don’t need orthotics and other crutches. You need a flexible sole that moves with the terrain of the ground, that responds to your movements and transmits the feel of the ground to that wonderful brain of yours. The ground is important. To prove this, think back to your childhood, in the summer. Think of some places you went. I bet you can recall what the ground felt like in many of them. How could you possibly remember that if it wasn’t important? 🙂
I have found that J-41 work well. Great support, lots of room for toes and several styles to choose from. Some are acceptable for my corporate job. Am looking forward to purchasing my next “work” pair.
I am a registered nurse who continues to work 3 12-hour shifts a week in a busy emergency room in spite of persistent joint pain and swelling only moderately controlled by meds. I could not work if I didn’t have my Alegria shoes. They are a Mary Jane style shoe that velcros to accomate swelling over the course of the day. They are light weight with an amazingly supportive foot bed and a nice and wide toe box. I have 5 different pairs and wear them all the time. They also have a replaceable insole so when you start to loose the support from wear, you aren’t out the whole cost of new shoes. I have tried so many different shoes, clogs, sneakers etc and these are the very best! http://Www.alegriashoeshop.com has the best prices around.
I’m a big fan of Birkenstock’s they protect my feet from the floor but barely touch the top of my feet and leave a lot of room for my toes. there are also tons of different colors and variations on the shoe so I have options.
Sketches shape ups were the best shoe for me. My foot doctor agreed. However to many ppl sued the company and they have since been removed. It’s truly a shame bc not ever shoe is best for every person. Keep this in mind everyone has a different foot. Shoes that are best for my foot may not be the best choice for you.
I recently won a pair of Haix boots, and I have to say, they are incredible. I’m always concerned about buying new boots for work (as I am in them all day), I’ve had knee surgery on the left side and foot surgery on the right making fit challenging at best. These were ready to wear day one. Soft leather. (I had to put the right one on a shoe tree-stretcher overnight, one night to adjust for a new nodule on a surgery scar. They were perfect by the next day. I highly recommend them for those of us who are on our feet (or want to be), trail-walkers, or anyone else who can tolerate boot wear. They have high & low tops (these are ankle high). They are also waterproof. I can’t figure out how to post a photo, but I have one if interested…
I recently bought a pair of “keens” barka style they are the best in the world…you can get them at REI…they are adorable and most of all comfortable…try them out
http://www.rei.com/product/856114/keen-barika-lace-shoes-womens
I love Alegria shoes. They are advertised allot for nurses etc…..
You can purchase them on line thry their web site. Also they have sales. Thats when I buy them.
1) They have allot of room in the toes.
2) They have a great insert
3) but if you are like me, I have to wear an orthotic. It LIMITS the shoes I can wear.
Since you can remove their inserts I can use my own orthotic. 🙂
4) I LOVE the clog style
5) and they dont look like orthopedic, “old lady” shoes 🙂
I have found that Doc Martens for boots in the winter are a great solution for my RA feet. I have narrow feet, but toes that usually feel as if they’ve been hit over and over with a sledge hammer when in flare, or after walking for a long period of time. I also have knee, hip, and back issues from RA.
I have only one word that worked for my poor feet: WIDE
I buy WIDE shoes online- very few retailers have WIDE shoes in the stores:-(
Hi Kelly and Fellow RD,s
I use to go to the chiropractors every 2 yrs. I would get the custom insoles for New Balance sneakers. I call them tennise shoes still. Ha so finally I went to the Good Feet store and got their insoles. The other ones where $300.00 every two years! But I had to work. The Good Feet ones are also $300.00 but guaranteed for life. Still is not a cure for my feet but they are good. If you can afford them I know. Hope this helps someone. It has been a rough summer for me. My ankles are bad and I have those knots between my toes also. Thanks Kelly
Hi,
I’ve recently bought a pair of Skechers GoWalk 2 in Gray. The material on top is like t-shirt material, and it is SO comfortable against the toes!! I love them so much, I bought a second pair. They are my all-time favorite shoes. (I’ve had RA for 42 years).
I have RA & OA & buy shoes from Hotter.com Based in the UK but they ship abroad. Light as a feather, very well made, plenty of toe room and different widths. Cushioned insoles which can be removed for orthotics. It’s like walking on air. Some shoes have velcro straps which is great for arthritic fingers. They also do boots and great goretex walking shoes and walking boots.
My long time friend and fellow rheumy-sufferer emailed me recently. She was excited to find a comfortable pair of sneakers and wanted me to know. My on-set was in my hands, but my feet have recently joined the party, so I will be buying a pair shortly. I found a super cute pair on Amazon for a reasonable price.
They are Skechers Women’s Loving Life Memory Foam Fashion Sneakers. $45-60 on Amazon. I want to try a pair on next time I brave a shopping trip so I know the right size. Seems like every brand’s sizing is different and with RD, it’s important to buy them a little big.
A woman with RA has a great website with comfortable shoe ideas http://www.barkingdogshoes.com/
I have only had a solid diagnosis for about a year and a half but I know I’ve had RD for many years. Still trying to find a treatment that works. As for shoes, I bought a pair of Crocs a few years ago and when my fee are bothering me those are pretty much all I can wear. Right now, walking is a challenge at all. I have also purchased Born sandals and shoes and they are very comfortable for a few hours and look nice. So allows me to wear something not so ugly for a while….:-) I will have to try the Birkenstock since so many of you recommend those.
My shoes are:
Around the house and town – Crocs
Dress – SAS Bounce
Backyard – OLD pair of Vasque athletic shoes – for which I keep getting new arch supports and linings.
And no matter what I get, no matter what I wear, my feet HURT!
I also have RA and the pain in my feet and ankles got so bad I resorted to cortisone shots. They helped enormously! My podiatrist gave me a good talking to about shoes which resulted in my throwing most of mine away. Now I have to start over and I’m struggling to find shoes that won’t make my feet worse. The only two pairs of shoes I had that I can still wear are SAS. One is a work shoe (ugly!)and the other, a sandal. I lived for years in ballet flats and those little canvas shoes like Keds but, no more. I need more support and more padding. I also can’t wear a flat shoe anymore. I’m going to check out some of the suggestions here.
Hello everyone!
My family is planning a trip to England this summer, which will include LOTS of walking. PLEASE, can someone recommend a sneaker/shoe that will help reduce the pain!!! This last Feb we went to Disney for a cheer competition and all the walking, on hard surfaces, just KILLED me!
PLEASE, PLEASE recommend something, I want my memiors of England to be about the people and places and my hurting feet!
Thank you for any help!
Sincerely, Jennifer
My go-to shoes are Haflinger and Stegmann wool clogs. I have several pairs. They’re so comfy and warm, wide enough for my widening feet and sore toes and great to wear with or without socks. I only wish they were “pretty enough” for work. I work in an office with a Business Casual dress code, so my work shoes consist mostly of Born or Naturalizer flats.
Think it is WHY I LOVE Merrill’s flip flops…they have an arch which so helps me and nothing touches my joints …with exception of thong around big toe.. that does NOT HURT!
I agree, sometimes the answer is no shoes.
My problems have been greatly diminished since I began wearing Danskos. However, when I am enduring a flare and my feet are hot, tender, swollen, and painful I cannot wear them although I have not had that issue very often since I began wearing the Dansko clogs seven years ago.
I am interested to know what type of athletic shoes my fellow warriors wear. I like to exercise when I am feeling well enough and I need some quality, comfortable, supportive athletic shoes. I look forward to hearing from you!
Deb in KY
I wear custom molded plastic braces on my feet/ ankles so shoes are a huge issue for me. Any one else wear braces and what shoes work well with them?
I’ve been on this site for about 5 minutes (first time) and this is the first article I’ve read. I just returned from the shoe store trying to find some comfortable shoes to wear with straight leg casual work pants – no luck. Anyway, I went to a local specialty shoe store a few months ago and they actually know how to fit you with shoes properly. Turns out I now wear a whole size larger than I did for most of my life. Of course, narrow, pointed shoes don’t work anymore. I now wear a New Blance tennis shoe that is very comfortable and a Merril hiking shoe. I also love B.O.C. clogs and Clark’s. They all work fairly well, but if I stand or walk around to long the pain gets bad. At home I live in my Sorrel slippers in the winter, and believe it or not, I wear good old fashioned flip flops all summer long. Go figure, but they’re the most comfortable for me, even with no support.
I love Easy Spirit boots. I live in the mountains, over a mile in elevation (snow country), so even in summer, I wear them. Also having Raynaud’s, my feet are almost always freezing, so the boots help with that as well. I also have custom made orthotic inserts, but even the drugstore gel inserts help. The boots provide the ankle support I need and I’ve found that going to WIDE helped greatly. Heels are gone from my life now. And these boots don’t break the piggy bank! On good days I can wear their athletic shoes.
Always looking for something better, but these are the best I have found so far.
After working in corporate America for 35 years, I started a company and now work from home (didn’t realize what a blessing this was at the time).
After a few weeks at home, I thought my feet were hurting from being barefoot mostly. So, I started wearing house shoes. I also quit running for almost a year. After going through several different types of shoes over the past year with different insoles, I have finally found some shoes that work. They are Vionic slip-ons. If you’ve not heard of Vionic before, they were designed by a podiatrist. They are basically shoes that are built on a good insole.
My feet finally feel better after nursing them along for over a year. I found that stretching 5 days a week has helped as well. I do a full-body stretch every day. Focusing on keeping my calves stretched (to help my heels) and feet stretched to help my toes and arch, has helped.
I now am never, ever barefoot. Not even to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I slip these Vionic slip-on sneakers on and do my thing.
I suspect I’ve had RA for well over a year before diagnosis. I’ve only just recently tested positive for RA (pos RF and pos CCP) and I am so not amused.
Funny that you mention feeling fine in good old fashioned flip flops. Two years ago, while in Paris (before RA presented itself), I walked miles and miles and miles in some little leather flip flops that had a 1/2 inch heel and no other support and was amazed that my feet didn’t hurt at all. For some reason, when I wear flip flops, it forces me to walk more on the outside of my feet (I have really high arches) which I think is more correct (I’m no doctor). Otherwise, I think my ankles would have hurt terribly with my ankles falling in due to my high arches. But the bottoms of my feet, mysteriously, didn’t hurt at all.
Sketchers seem to be the most comfortable shoes for me. They come in enough styles that they work for me. There is another shoe I am going to try from a shoe catalog called Hotter. They have a roomier toe box and come in a lot of different styles, boots,, heels, etc. and they have a great return policy.