A good shoe fitting makes my EDS journey less painful

“We’re just going to take a quick run into town. Want to come?” my aunt and cousin, with whom I was staying while in Chamonix, France, asked.

I knew we’d be walking, as Chamonix is a pretty small and mostly walkable area in the Alps. I was happy to get outside and explore some more. I thought we’d be going to an area of town that was about a 10-minute walk away. Easy-peasy, I thought, even with my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). A few minutes in, however, I realized that we were actually heading into the heart of town, which meant about 2.5 miles of walking each way. Oops.

Before I left my home in the U.S., I had an inkling that my sneakers might not be up to the walking I’d do on the trip, but it’s so hard for me to find and break in new shoes that getting new ones seemed to be an even worse idea. Because of my EDS, I have flat feet, a tendency for blisters, and recently, occasional plantar fasciitis. I typically walk miles a day on my farm, though I have to be careful. Given my choices, sticking with what I had seemed the better of two not-great options.

Well, hop-around-town sneakers definitely aren’t a match for hike-2-miles-into-town paths. By the time we got there, my feet were already sore, and I could feel the pain going into my right hip. I have a badly damaged right ankle from a teenage soccer injury, and when it’s tired and extra-unstable, it often causes hip problems. I managed the whole round trip of the Chamonix walk OK, but I knew my pain definitely wasn’t going to be sustainable. I needed new shoes.

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Supportive shoes, explained

My mom and I decided to head back downtown the next day (we got a ride!) and search for shoes. As small as Chamonix is, it’s still a hub for all sorts of mountain sports, including hiking, rock climbing, and parasailing, so lots of stores cater to hardcore athletes. I found a store that specialized in hiking and went to their shoe department, which is where I met Alexis.

People come from all over the world to explore the region, so it wasn’t too big of a surprise that Alexis spoke fluent English. After explaining my major issues to him — I have flat, narrow feet and unstable ankles — he went over to the wall of shoes and explained why he thought I should try a few brands and styles. He measured my feet, then left to get pairs from the stockroom.

Wow, Alexis really knew what he was doing! First, he explained that support comes from two places in a shoe: its height around the ankle and the width of the foot bed. The ankle part was obvious, but I’d never considered how the foot bed shape would affect the support. Each shoe he had me try fit exactly as he said it might, and I quickly realized that each style of shoe I tried in one particular brand, La Sportiva, felt great.

I was debating between a hardcore hiking boot with high ankle support and a pair with a standard ankle cut, known as an “approach” shoe, made for less intense hiking. They provided a snug fit across the middle of my foot and good arch support, but still had a toe box wide enough for me to move mine around. Considering that I’d be wearing them for moderate hikes and then lots of city walking, I decided on the lower-cut version. After thanking Alexis profusely, I paid and left the store.

We weren’t outside for half a block before my mom noticed I was limping and hadn’t been when trying on the shoes. We stopped for me to trade out my sandals for my new sneakers, and the limping stopped immediately. It was incredible! I’ve never had that type of experience. For the rest of the trip, I was able to walk miles a day with minimal, if any, discomfort. And I didn’t limp!

While I know that proper footwear is important for my EDS, I’ve never had that level of professional fitting, where an expert who knows a range of shoe styles and brands could help me find a pair that provided the support I need. I also found that when the shoes fit me properly, they don’t need endless break-in time; I was able to start wearing them right away. I’ll definitely keep this experience in mind any time I shop for shoes!

Note: Ehlers-Danlos News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Ehlers-Danlos News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Ehlers-Danlos.