Rheumatoid Arthritis Community

I have both RA and fibromyalgia, and both affect my feet. I have most of my pain in the first joint of my toes and the balls of my toes. Fortunately, I don't suffer from planter's faciatis. After trying a pair of Point Blank Skecher's shoes at an outlet store, I knew I had found the right brand of shoes for myself. They were so comfortable, and I now have at least 10 different styles of Skechers, many in multiples of different colors. I do have to put different insoles in some, and wear none in some. They are all from the Skechers "Biker" collection, which all have the same type of sole like a sneaker, which is rubberlike and very "sure-footed", which is great for me, as I have had a few falls, one of which really screwed up my left knee permanently. The tops of the shoes go from casual "feminine" sneakers- the Point Blank sneakers to dressy gladiator sandals to dressy black "ballet" type shoes. You would never know they have a sneaker-type sole and have only a 1/2 heel, if even that. I love the fact that they don't look like orthopedic shoes at all. And I have no problem with them being "flats", since I gave up on heels many years ago. I feel like I've reached a happy medium. The only drawback is that I have to order most of them on-line and tho' I normally wear a size 8, I have every size between a 7 and an 8.5, depending on the shoe. But if you shop around on-line, you can get some great discounts and some companies have free shipping and free returns, which really makes it alot easier and cheaper for me. The average price I pay is around $40, which is very reasonable. I'm not a paid promoter of these shoes, but I should be! I love them, and others are impressed when they see the "sensible" soles on such pretty shoes! I hope this helps, but realize that your feet are going to hurt no matter what when you are on them for awhile. These shoes help make it more bearable for me to walk for longer periods of time.