SHOES
I am a daughter of a mother with Ms and I am tired of seeing and knowing she is in pain I love my mother and don't want her to hurt . Her feet hurt a lot. And I was wanting to know shoes help you? My mother has her right foot leans out to where she almost walks on her ankle and her left foot has high arches both have hammer toes. She also has trouble lifting her right foot so also has a little bit of foot drop. What has helped you and what would you advise me to do? Thank you. Ps please let me know your favorite shoe. If this posted twice it is becauae of my stupid phone that messes up on me all the time. (sorry for the anger I am frustrated and sad.)
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Thanks so much for reaching out.
Your Mom is so blessed to have such a kind and compassionate daughter looking out for her.
I hope some of our community members will chime in on what works for them.
In the meantime, I thought I'd share this article from one of our patient leaders on finding the perfect pair of shoes: https://multiplesclerosis.net/living-with-ms/search-perfect-pair-shoes
Please send your mom all our best, Doreen (Team Member)I have similar issues finding shoes that don't drain spoons just putting them on. I found 2 fantastic options: Friendly Shoes adaptive footwear and Nike FlyEase. Both are traditional lace up, but laces are just for looks, it's the zipper that makes them easy on/off. I prefer the Friendly vs. Nike. Friendly's "pillow like" cushioning is amazingly comfortable.
Hope this is helpful and your mom finds some relief.Nike DOES make “Flyease Go.” They are Step-in. Just pop the heel up & no laces nor zippers . Very helpful for advanced MS..Love them, sturdy, comfy great shoes! ..& watch for a Sale.. Mine 50% off. I can’t remember from whom but my husband & I checked everywhere & got the sale price.In all Black.. maybe get another color if find sale again.🌸 
I don't have the same foot issues as your mom, so I'm not sure my recommendation will be a good fit for her, but I almost exclusively wear Birkenstocks. They truly do fit like a glove and I don't feel comfortable in any other brand. Good luck!
thank you! I will look into that brand!!!❤️ That brand is too heavy for me and tend to make me trip easily (front of shoe hits pavement and/or seams). I found I need to wear lightweight Croc-type shoes or top-flap close diabetic shoes/slippers. If the lady has drop foot, I'm not sure she could wear Birkenstocks safely.
you are such a thoughtful and caring daughter. You mom is so lucky to have you loving her the way that you do. That said, I'm sorry to hear that she's in such pain and that's creating a lot of frustration and sadness. While my mom didn't have MS (I am on the one with MS) I was a caregiver for my mom for a period of time, and I know how heavy that can weigh on your heart at times. So my heart is with you.
I hope that the article that Doreen shared is helpful for you in finding good shoes for your mom. I also hope that other community members chime in as well on their favorite shoes.
Another option that may be helpful for you is to consider having her meet with a podiatrist. I'm not sharing this from any personal experience, but I feel like having something evaluate her foot and walk may be able to offer some more personalized recommendations.
Most of all, I'm grateful to have you part of this community and hope that you continue to share and post so we can support you and your mom in the journey with MS.
Best
Alene, moderator, I'm not Alene, but I wanted to chime in here and send all the 'gain weight' vibes to you and your sister! I know gaining weight can be a challenge with CF, but it sounds like you and your sister are used to facing challenges and succeeding.
Best, Erin, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member.thank you! ✝️❤️ I hope you're doing good in your health as well! 😊
Hi Doreen,
You are a amazing daughter! It sounds like reversing caregiving roles with your mom, seems to bring out some fiestiness in her. Fiesty is good. I hope I am not being presumptuous saying this.
I have MS and can walk like looking like i am drunk, and sometimes turned an ankle, until I saw a podiatrist.
WOW! What a difference fitted orthotics have made. They are only the size of the lining of a shoe. One pair can be switched in and out of different shoes.
I hope this suggestion may help your mom, in addition to breaking an old stereotype that Orthotics are big and clunky or have to be brace like.
Take care of yourself too.thank you I will also look into those brands to! Thank you all for your very helpful suggestions. we're happy to support you and your mom however we can! We're all in this together.
- Alene, moderator
