Putting Comfort First
Finding the perfect outfit for a special event—whether it is a wedding, a milestone anniversary, or a formal evening gala—should be an exciting experience. However, if you live with severe foot and ankle swelling due to arthritis, poor circulation, or post-surgery fluid retention, shopping for formal footwear can feel like an absolute minefield. I have … Read more
Finding and buying a lovely pair of wide-fitting trainers should be a relief, but for many of us, the trouble doesn’t stop at the width of the toe box. An incredibly common, highly frustrating problem is a tight instep—the top slope of your foot between your toes and your ankle. I consider myself lucky because … Read more
Returning home after a total hip replacement is a massive milestone, but it also brings a unique set of daily hurdles. You will have been put through your paces before you left the hospital, but it can feel a bit scary once you get home. It is well worth asking a family member or friend … Read more
Somewhere along the way, I noticed a pattern in my own wardrobe. The brands I’ve found genuinely suitable for my feet — Tamaris, Rieker, Gabor, Ganter, and Waldläufer — are, without exception, German shoe brands. It wasn’t a decision I made deliberately. It just kept happening, pair after pair, year after year, until I looked … Read more
I’ll be upfront — chilblains aren’t something I’ve personally dealt with, unlike a fair few of the other things I write about here. But between years of living with arthritis and paying close attention to circulation and cold-weather comfort, I’ve picked up a genuine understanding of what actually helps. So this one’s built on solid … Read more
However different the occasion, my outfit is nearly always the same: trousers and a top. Not because it’s what I want to wear, but because arthritis and what my feet allow decide for me. I know how this is supposed to sound, at my age, with arthritis being such a normal part of getting older, … Read more
Everyone got verrucas when I was young. It felt like a rite of passage, really — you went to the swimming baths, and sooner or later, a verruca followed you home. It wasn’t unusual or embarrassing the way it might feel now; it was just something that happened to nearly everyone eventually. Affiliate disclosure: This … Read more
Every piece of shoe advice you’ll find says roughly the same thing: buy a pair that’s slightly firm, wear them gradually, give them a few weeks to soften and mould to your feet. It’s sensible advice — for a normal foot. If you have arthritis in your feet, it’s advice that can genuinely do you … Read more
Everyone talks about which shoes to wear during recovery. Almost nobody talks about how you actually get them on in the first place, when bending, reaching and gripping are all things your body suddenly can’t quite manage the way it used to. Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy something through one … Read more
Nobody really prepares you for this bit. You spend weeks, sometimes months, in a medical boot after ankle surgery, and everyone talks about that phase — how heavy it is, how awkward it feels, how strange it is to sleep in it. What nobody really warns you about is the phase that comes after: the … Read more