Wondering if anyone can help me poor old Mum. A proper countrywoman in her 70s whose life is walking her local hills and watching the grasses, flowers and wildlife change with the seasons.
In the last few years she has had pretty horrific Rhumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis, poor circulation and is prone to getting chilblains in winter. She can no longer get outside for a big part of the year as we can't find any suitable footwear, which is pretty awful.
The criterea is really difficult as everything needs to be met- It needs to be something warm in all seasons, waterproof, but lightweight. She's size 7 but wide at the toes, and has slight hammer toes from the arthritis so shoes need to be wide fitting at the front, and with plenty of room over the toes. She wears oedema socks to help with circulation to her joints, which are very thin with no cushioning which is painful, but it gets complicated when she tries to add more sock layers for cushioning as pressure then gets moved to other areas. Weight is important as obviously the heavier the footwear the more pressure on the toes.
In warm dry weather sandals are ok if there is a lot of adjustment potential in the straps, but if it's wet her feet still suffer even in summer due to poor circulation. She has tried a waterproof layer over socks (plastic bag, and more professional options) but still struggles.
We've tried most offerings from specialist companies the internet throws up- most of the catalogue from DB wider fit shoes for example, Even the 6V widest fitting are still no good I think due to there not being enough room above the toes so painful rubbing occurs.
She was advised of a company in Birmingham who could possibly make shoes tailored to fit, taking into account the areas where pressure needs to be relieved, but she struggles getting anywhere in her current state and it would be a pretty big effort for her. The health service haven't been able to give any other leads.
Posting this in the hope somebody might have heard of a similar situation and found an answer. Thanks to anyone who reads the lot, any input valued but it's a tricky one as all the criteria need to be met.
In the last few years she has had pretty horrific Rhumatoid Arthritis and osteoarthritis, poor circulation and is prone to getting chilblains in winter. She can no longer get outside for a big part of the year as we can't find any suitable footwear, which is pretty awful.
The criterea is really difficult as everything needs to be met- It needs to be something warm in all seasons, waterproof, but lightweight. She's size 7 but wide at the toes, and has slight hammer toes from the arthritis so shoes need to be wide fitting at the front, and with plenty of room over the toes. She wears oedema socks to help with circulation to her joints, which are very thin with no cushioning which is painful, but it gets complicated when she tries to add more sock layers for cushioning as pressure then gets moved to other areas. Weight is important as obviously the heavier the footwear the more pressure on the toes.
In warm dry weather sandals are ok if there is a lot of adjustment potential in the straps, but if it's wet her feet still suffer even in summer due to poor circulation. She has tried a waterproof layer over socks (plastic bag, and more professional options) but still struggles.
We've tried most offerings from specialist companies the internet throws up- most of the catalogue from DB wider fit shoes for example, Even the 6V widest fitting are still no good I think due to there not being enough room above the toes so painful rubbing occurs.
She was advised of a company in Birmingham who could possibly make shoes tailored to fit, taking into account the areas where pressure needs to be relieved, but she struggles getting anywhere in her current state and it would be a pretty big effort for her. The health service haven't been able to give any other leads.
Posting this in the hope somebody might have heard of a similar situation and found an answer. Thanks to anyone who reads the lot, any input valued but it's a tricky one as all the criteria need to be met.
