I’ve been meaning to write this article up for a while now. At first I wasn’t sure that I was ready to admit it. But, I guess I am, so here goes…I think I might be a bit vain. Admist all of the pain, all of the things that I’ve lost to living with PsA, one of the things that I miss the most are adorable shoes. Who says that orthopedic shoes have to be ugly? Who says that we can’t have cute orthopedic shoes? NOT ME!
Am I just crazy?
I know, I know. I can hear you now, “Leanne, you are being ridiculous. They are just shoes.” But for some reason, it feels like so much more than that. I even recently wrote and article for Psoriatic-Arthritis.com called, “Goodbye Peep-Toed Pumps.” Honestly, I was pretty surprised to find that I’m not the only one living with PsA that feels this way. I am not alone. It really is about so much more.
It’s about feeling young
Most days I walk around feeling like I should be about 100 years old. Sometimes I forget that I’m not actually 100. (no offense to those who might be reading this who are actually 100). I’m not there yet. Not even close. So then, why do comfortable shoes always make me look like I am? Go ahead, search orthopedic shoes. I dare you. See what you find. Okay fine, I’ll save you the time. Here is what you will find.
Okay, so let’s look at this. Hideous, right?!? There are MAYBE 2 that I would even consider, but at $130-$150 each, they are dismissed immediately. That’s absurd. I accept that I can’t pop down to my local Payless and get my BOGO on with plenty of cute shoes, but there’s also no way I’m going to spend that much on one pair, of simply “okay” shoes. Not. Going. To. Happen.
It’s about being able to help myself feel better
There are so many aspects of living with PsA that are out of my control, if my medicines work, how quickly I get worse, what insurance companies approve or deny…the list goes on and on. But I can control what I put on my aching feet and how that makes me feel. In that way, I can actually help myself a little.
So, after reading through the comments in the PsA Facebook group, the Psoriatic-arthritis.com Facebook page, and the response to my article, I decided to search high and low to find the cutest orthopedic shoes within a budget that I could find. Here are the results of my tireless search.
For the most part, Vionic shoes are the way to go. They have remarkable technology and even have a whole line of shoes specifically for people who suffer from plantar fasciitis. Not only that, they are ridiculously cute and affordable. Trifecta!
Super cute orthopedic shoes
Without further ado, here is are my favorites with the best prices I could find.
Now, if you are willing to go up to the $130 range, there are quite a few very cute, heeled options if that is your thing. If you have a pair of shoes that you absolutely love, that you simply can’t imagine parting with, Vionic also makes shoe inserts at a pretty reasonable price. All in all, if you search hard enough, you will find what you need to look cute, save a buck, and keep your piggies happy.
You can find my complete list of cute shoes here:
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