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If you suffer from lymphedema, you already know what a struggle it can be to find comfortable lymphedema shoes. Living with lymphedema is different than struggling with edema and your shoe choice should reflect that.
With edema, you can expect your feet and ankles to swell over the course of the day. This is caused by excess fluid in your system that has not yet been absorbed back into the circulatory system. That means edema patients have swelling that comes and goes depending on many factors. But if you suffer from edema, you can expect your feet to be larger in the evening and smaller again in the morning. You may find that adjustable shoes are the best fit for edema so that you can size them up and down accordingly.
For lymphedema footwear, however, you don’t have to just worry about your feet and ankles swelling over time, but also the difference between your right leg and your left. Lymphedema is caused by damage to your lymphatic system and can be the result of cancer and its accompanying treatment, other injuries or just genetics.
Lymphedema causes localized swelling in the area where the damage to the lymph node occurred and isn’t just excess fluid. Lymphedema is swelling caused by the protein-rich lymph fluid being trapped inside body tissue. Swelling caused by lymphedema can take much longer to resolve and doesn’t ebb and flow overnight the way typical edema might. Additionally, it is very possible that lymphedema may affect one leg or foot and not the other. You might find your right ankle swelling, but not your left. Or your entire left leg, including your foot, is extremely swollen, but your right is barely affected.
The unique symptoms that come with lymphedema make it especially challenging to find comfortable footwear that can accommodate both feet. Finding stylish shoes for lymphedema is even more challenging. So as you are shopping for the best shoes for lymphedema, keep these tips in mind.
Shop for your largest size
If you suffer from lymphedema or perhaps lymphedema and also edema, you know that your feet don’t have a single size. They can swell substantially. When buying clothing, you are told to fit the largest part of your body and have the rest of the clothing item tailored to fit well. The same is essentially true when shopping for lymphedema shoes, but the tailoring must be done through adjustment options on the shoe itself.
Fully adjustable shoes make it easy to tighten your shoes when your swelling goes down and then loosen them up again in different areas as you need to in order to address swelling. The more points of adjustment you have on your shoes, the more flexibility you have for finding the perfect fit.
But a truly customized and comfortable level of fit is only possible with your lymphedema shoes if you first fit the widest or most swollen part of your feet. Fitting a shoe, even an adjustable one, to most of your feet can leave you with shoes that are too tight in the toe box or across the heel. Most adjustable shoes do offer some flexibility in the middle or the arch of the foot, but that may not be the area of your foot that needs the most room.
If you suffer from swollen feet and ankles, for example, you may need to first accommodate the ankles or opening of the shoe. This is especially true if you are shopping for shoes that have a higher top like winter boots or work books. If you find your toes tend to swell most dramatically, don’t cram them into narrow or pointed shoe knowing you will be miserable by the end of the day.
In order to find the best lymphedema shoes, you need to plan for what you know is inevitable. Your feet will swell. You know your feet best, so plan for that swelling by sizing and buying shoes that are comfortable and will continue to be comfortable no matter how your feet and ankles are feeling on a particular day.
Look for shoes without seams
You probably know where every seam is inside your shoes and socks. You have felt that seam rubbing across the top of your swollen toes or see the mark the seams leave at the end of the day when you pull your shoes off your swollen feet. Having seams inside of shoes isn’t a big deal for most people. The typical shoe consumer buys shoes that have a bit of wiggle room and their feet don’t wind up smashed into those seams if a bit of swelling occurs.
But for those looking for the best options for lymphedema shoes know just how painful a poorly placed seam can be. Even small seams can feel tremendous when your feet start swelling and any extra room you might have had in your shoes quickly disappears.
When you are searching for lymphedema shoes, you need to find ones without seams. Granted, every shoe must be stitched together, so look for those that have been stitched on the outside with as much smooth fabric on the inside as possible.
Every seam, edge or lace is a potential weapon inside a shoe when your foot starts swelling. You want soft fabrics, smooth edges and absolutely nothing that sticks out inside your shoes. This will create a soft environment for your feet that should stay smooth and comfortable when you’re suffering from lymphedema and when you’re not.
And don’t forget to continue protecting your feet when you select socks as well! Cheap socks often have a pronounced seam across the toes. Wearing socks with seams or tight edges is just as uncomfortable as buying shoes with the same seaming. Why invest in high quality, seam-free lymphedema shoes if you aren’t also going to invest in finding smooth, comfortable socks as well?
Be sure adjustable is adjustable enough
Any shoe with laces is technically adjustable. You can adjust the middle of the shoe by tightening or loosening the laces accordingly. But for many, that adjustment isn’t enough to be comfortable. When you’re searching for lymphedema shoes, ladies often need two completely different sizes for their feet. Men have similar struggles.
That is why so many lymphedema shoes are designed to be adjustable in more than just one direction. Consider the difference between a shoe that only has adjustable laces or Velcro across the bridge of the foot, and one that also allows you to loosen the heel, adjust the width of the toe box and also make the shoe a bit wider when you need to.
A fully adjustable shoe, or one that adjusts in more than one direction, can actually grow in size through the various adjustments. This is the perfect solution for those looking for multiple sizes in lymphedema shoes. If you only suffer from lymphedema in one foot or suffer more swelling in one foot than the other, you don’t need to buy two sets of shoes to find the right fit for both feet. You simply need to buy one pair of properly adjustable shoes so that you can loosen one and tighten the other accordingly.
You can find many shoe sellers offering adjustable lymphedema shoes. But too often those shoes simply offer a bit of Velcro across the top of the foot to loosen the shoe as needed in the middle. Those shoes don’t do anything for the toes when they swell or the heels.
A fully adjustable shoe can be tailored to your specific needs. You can adjust how much room you need in the toe. You can adjust the middle of the shoe. You can even adjust the heel and the ankle. There are even boots created that allow you to adjust the fit along the top of the ankle and the lower calves so that your lymphedema shoes are truly fully customizable and perfectly comfortable.
Keep your feet supported
There are many shoes for lymphedema feet that closely resemble slippers or house shoes. These shoes for people with lymphedema are comfortable and can accommodate the changes in foot size, but they aren’t very supportive and can actually harm your feet, joints and even your back over time.
Wearing unsupportive shoes like slippers or house shoes can cause you to shuffle when you walk so that you don’t shuffle out of your slippers or even flip flops. Many of these shoes have a soft sole as well, which again is comfortable, but doesn’t provide much protection for the soles of your feet.
Additionally, you can wind up with long-term injuries or other foot and hip conditions from favoring one foot over the other or walking improperly to try and keep your shoes on your feet. Having a thin, flat sole on your shoe doesn’t give you much support or cushion which can lead to heel and foot pain at the end of the day as well. Heel pain can make you limp, which in turn can cause hip or knee pain. Ill-fitting shoes are a problem for everyone, not just those suffering from lymphedema.
When you are shopping for lymphedema shoes, you need to find shoes that offer you soft materials and plenty of stretch for comfort, but also structure and protection. Support your arches in your feet and give yourself a good foundation for walking around your home, stores, the office or even in the woods.
Suffering from lymphedema shouldn’t mean skipping hikes or long walks just because you don’t have the right kind of footwear. There are lymphedema shoes that can easily provide both support and comfort. Don’t settle for less.
Shop for a company, not just a shoe
You can find basic lymphedema shoes from a few different companies online. These aren’t specialized shoes, however. They are adjustable house shoes for the most part that get the job done when you need something for your feet when they are swelling, but don’t offer much beyond the basics.
For some of these companies, shoes for women with lymphedema look just like the shoes for men. The shoes are functional, but not stylish. And good luck quickly finding winter boots for lymphedema patients!
You don’t want to invest in shoes made by a company that only cranks out one model or design. You don’t want to settle for an ill-fitting shoe that has only one adjustable feature and is considered the “adjustable” design by that otherwise main-stream footwear company. There are far better options out there.
That’s why you should expand your search beyond basic lymphedema shoes into a company that offers a range of options. If you can find a company that you like, that creates lymphedema shoes you can wear comfortably, and you can find the right fit, you are set moving forward.
You can buy a range of shoe options from that company and even subscribe to the company on social media to stay updated on new shoe options and discounts when they offer them. That way you will have an easy go-to option for basic shoes, office shoes, shoes for nice evenings out and even comfortable winter boots!
If you focus just on the shoe in the moment you need it, you will have to start your search over again every time you need a different type of shoe. Choosing a shoe designer or company helps you build a sustainable wardrobe and makes the process of shopping for lymphedema shoes simpler and faster. Finding a shoe company you love can also ease the frustration you might feel when you can’t buy from other designers or grab a quick pair of shoes from a mainstream retailer.
Finding shoes for lymphedema patients is a challenge, but there are options out there. Look for options online and from specialty manufacturers. Finding your best fit for lymphedema shoes might be as simple as finding shoes that offer the best fit to everyone – customizable shoes that adjust to you specific foot and ankle size on any given day.
