<p>I have been dealing with a pars stress fracture in my lower back along with hip issues and bursitis. Have been religiously doing my PT exercises and going to PT. As soon as we get one issue resolved another comes up. I have always had some pelvic rotation.Slso my pants and skirts mave always been obviously uneven to the naked eye. Now the PT is thinking that I have a leg length discrepency, 1 leg measuring 1 inch shorter. We tried a small lift last week and it helped with the bursitis. This week we are trying a bit more of a lift.
I have worn custom orthotics when I exercise for the last 5 yrs. I need new ones. One option is to get the lift built into the orthotic. The other is to keep the lift separate. My concern is that the lift alone will fit in a ballet flat but I don’t find my orthotic fits that type of a shoe.
Also SHOES. It is easy to put the lift into my running shoes or into tennis shoes. Even my hiking shoes. But what about other shoes? I haven’t worn heels for almost 5 yrs since my hip issues started.
What are some somewhat decent looking shoes that can fit a lift or orthotic?</p>
<p>I’m sorry but I don’t have any ideas. I think Sketchers are pretty comfy but that’s not a heel type shoe. I wish you luck. My dad has two different sized feet. When I was growing up he would buy two pairs of each shoes that way he had the correct sizes for the correct feet! Now he just wears one shoe a bit too big because he got tired of buying two pairs of shoes. ;)</p>
<p>Momo60, you’ll prob. have the most luck with higher end (think expensive) shoes. The good thing about them is that they are made well and usually last a long time.
Check out Naot shoes…also some styles of Dansko,Wolky,maybe Aravon. </p>
<p>Do a search for " dress shoes that accomadate orthotics" and you’ll see a few things to try. Are there any specialty shoe stores in your area? I have had some luck with going to the specialty (expensive) store and trying things on, then going home and looking for a better deal online.</p>
<p>The last few yrs I have had good luck with eccos. Early this yr I wore a ankle brace which worked well in them. Several yrs ago I had over the counter orthotics and I think they would have worked in my Eccos. I hadn’t discovered them yet, and wore sketchers. Even the dressy sketchers were not suitable for me for work. The website does not have the cute Ecco flats I have in closet.:(</p>
<p>There is a store in my neck of the woods called Shoes-N-Feet - all of their shoes are orthotic-friendly. I believe it is a chain that has stores in CA.</p>
<p>lamom, I recently had my eye on some very cute Ecco flats on <a href=“http://www.o.com%5B/url%5D”>www.o.com</a> at a good price for Ecco. Also don’t forget to check out <a href=“http://www.sierratradingpost.com%5B/url%5D”>www.sierratradingpost.com</a> for great deals on high quality shoes. This week I ordered a pr. of Saucony running shoes (that I wear for walking) and a pr. of Mephisto sandals both for less than half their regular price.
You do have to sign up for the Deal Flyer email alerts to get the best deals on Sierra Trading Post.</p>
<p>I saw on a website that many of the Naot shoes have removable insoles. Of course the one I like does not. But I think they may have some decent looking sandals.
BUnsenBurner- I looked at the Shoes-N-Feet website. Only store in Ca is in San Francisco. Trip to SF, not sure how H would feel about that one.</p>
<p>Check out the Footsmart website for some good information on shoes/conditions and ideas for different foot conditions. Once you find a shoe brand and size that works for you, Zappos is really good for a wide selection of given brands/styles.</p>
<p>mom60, that’s a bummer. I would not fly to S-F just to visit the store. I noticed that they list the brands that they sell on their website, and there are a few that I have not heard about. You can try searching Zappos for these brands and see if there are any shoes that might work for you.</p>
<p>This is an iteresting website dedicated to comfort shoes:</p>
<p>[Comfortable</a> Shoes for Women | BarkingDogShoes | Reviews and Deals: Sandals that Accommodate Orthotics: Four Picks from Naot](<a href=“http://www.barkingdogshoes.com/newshoe/2008/03/sandals-that-ac.html]Comfortable”>Sandals that Accommodate Orthotics: Four Picks from Naot)</p>
<p>There is a store right by my bus stop that sells “Euro Comfort Shoes”. One of the brands they carry is [url=<a href=“Beautifeel.com”>http://www.beautifeel.com/]Beautifeel[/url</a>] The Walking Company also carries this brand.</p>
<p>Mom60, try Nordstrom. They carry Naot and other brands that accommodate orthotics, including Munro. Munro comes in several widths so if the orthotic or lift takes up too much space and crowds your foot you can see whether a wider shoe gives you enough room. Munro insoles are removable. Their tatum shoe is a good basic pants shoe with a bit of a heel and is surprisingly comfortable. Nordstrom’s shoe salespeople are very knowledgeable and helpful. Their return policy is great too. If you buy something that turns out to be uncomfortable you can always return it. I shopped at the local Shoes-n-feet on the recommendation of my podiatrist. Oddly, only a few shoes in the store could accommodate both my orthotics and my problem foot. I had better luck with the Munros at Nordstrom (and also bought a bunch of Naot sandals from Zappos and sent all but one pair back – free shipping both ways).</p>
<p>Oops. I am not familiar with lifts. It just occurred to me that they are probably applied to the shoe’s exterior. Please pardon my dumb reference to their taking up room in the shoe!</p>
<p>Big fan here of Naturalizer, as they have quite a number of styles, and are usually very comfy on my sore feet. Was going to suggest Finn Comfort, which are very expensive, but come in a variety of conservative styles, and are good for stressed feet.</p>
<p>zipyourlips- the lifts do go inside the shoe. So your advice is wonderful. I have a Nordstrom nearby.
I am still in the exploration phase and I have not yet settled on how much of a lift to do. I also am not sure what is the best route to take. Custom orthotic without the lift and a separate lift that would go under the orthotic. Custom orthotic with the lift built in (my concern with this option is that the orthotics are expensive and if I end up not liking the lift I have spent a lot of money on a orthotic that is useless) Or use the custom orthotic with the built in lift for some shoes and have an additional lift that I use in shoes that can’t accommodate the orthotic such as simple flats.
The bummer of this whole thing is that I was hoping through PT to get rid of all my hip issues and be able to wear some attractive heels again. The lift pretty much eliminates all the cute shoes on the “Dressing Young” thread.</p>
<p>mom60, it sounds like you will need more than one pair of orthotics. A local clinic makes orthotics specifically designed for dressier shoes with heels, like pumps (a friend has them).</p>
<p>Can you buy a few non-custom lifts and see if they make any difference/comfortable with your existing orthotics? Like the ones pictured here: [Shoe</a> Lifts & Heel Lift Inserts from TallerHeels](<a href=“http://www.tallerheels.com/]Shoe”>http://www.tallerheels.com/) ?</p>
<p>BunsenBurner- your search skills are amazing. I am bookmarking all the great resource sites.
My PT has made me some lift inserts that I am presently trying out under my old custom orthotics. My orthodics are old and need replacing. Today I am going to try the lift in a pair of Ecco flats without the orthotics. I might be able to wear the lift in a pair of pumps with no orthotic.
With summer coming I want to find some way to wear a lift with open toed shoes. I think I can find a pair of Naot sandals that might work but would love to find something that might work in something more strappy.</p>
<p>The lifts can go inside OR outside the shoe. </p>
<p>When I was young, I had one leg that was shorter than the other. I had to wear a lift for the short leg. I was still growing, so redistributing the weight worked and my short leg caught up. I still have some issues, but no longer wear lifts. </p>
<p>However, I did for about 8 years there. So, you CAN wear one EITHER inside or outside. At the beginning, I wore them outside and blessed the doctor who gave me my first inside lift. (We had to take our shoes off at Brownie meetings and EVERYONE noticed my shoes and started asking a lot of questions. It was humiliating. )</p>
<p>In any event, if you buy a pair of shoes with about a 2 inch full heel–think some loafers , for example- a shoe repair shop can add the lift to one shoe. I think you can find some open toed shoes. It’s the heel that matters. </p>
<p>So, it’s just another option you might want to consider. Maybe thoughts have changed, but back then at least, it didn’t make any difference. </p>
<p>You might want to try the outside lift with your special shoes. I THINK it’s relatively easy for a shoemaker to remove the lift from the shoe if you end up not liking it. </p>
<p>Of course, don’t take your shoes off at a Brownie meeting 
!</p>