The "Holey Grail" of shoes by Arnie Slater

 

     If you have CP you probably know about the struggle. You know the one. The search for THE shoe that will last longer than six months before it becomes “Holey”. Are you a righty or a lefty? I mean which toe or heal goes first? For me, I drag my left toe but my right foot does more work… so, my right shoe gets “Holey” right under my big toe after about six months of wear. I alternate shoes sometimes but not all my shoes are THAT comfortable… so, the ones that ARE comfortable get worn more often and last the least longest.  I probably have enough Holey shoes to fill The Great Pyramids. Ladies and gents my wife will tell you. If I like a pair of shoes I will wear them out until my toes break though… Yes, I have been known to “reinforce” a favorite pair with duct tape, gorilla tape, Shoe Goo and cardboard. Why? Because shoes are ridiculously high priced. I will say that I have found a few brands of shoes that are fairly tough. They may not be cheap, but cheap shoes don’t last at all. So, GOOD shoes are worth the extra cash in the long run. Shoes that last for me are as follows:

New Balance

https://www.newbalance.com/sem-lp/?ecid=ps_Google_new%20balance%20shoes_e_652894760_1161&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAjwtajrBRBVEiwA8w2Q8JZKpIusBXsMH513yYvnGjOuqVdlcP3wnL30e8gfWE1tomrEFxYWnRoC368QAvD_BwE

ASICS

https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/shoes/c/shoes?CAWELAID=120223060000398431&CATRK=SPFID-1&CAAGID=24576049693&CATCI=kwd-19350841&CAPCID=247122385424&CADevice=t&gclid=CjwKCAjwtajrBRBVEiwA8w2Q8OMQXF19yBzy_NHG55atwxDEbB_ImoLEU7nfBPAeXUkMs_UAVzCEjxoCEfoQAvD_BwE

 or

Nike zoom Pegasus (my latest pair)

https://news.nike.com/news/justin-gallegos-flyease-technology

and honestly for just around the house, I love my CROCS. But they wear out too. They are easy on, easy off, and comfortable. (But.. not Cheap)

https://www.crocs.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-crocs_us-Site/default/Default-Start?adid=google_ppc_Footwear-BrandedTerms_Brand-Exact-PET&ef_id=CjwKCAjwtajrBRBVEiwA8w2Q8B2enaQxv1xw76pYHUi37ExfabvMii48J_vSM5tRmE_pQno9HiE1tRoCUQcQAvD_BwE:G:s&gclid=CjwKCAjwtajrBRBVEiwA8w2Q8B2enaQxv1xw76pYHUi37ExfabvMii48J_vSM5tRmE_pQno9HiE1tRoCUQcQAvD_BwE&s_kwcid=AL!4035!3!301742632716!e!!g!!crocs

The Nike’s are the ones Nike designed for Runner Justin Gallegos who has CP. so, naturally I had to try them. We will see how they hold up. I will say they are VERY light and comfortable. I hope that means that I might drag my feet less so the shoes last longer. What have YOU found that works for you? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time,  Don’t Buy Cheap for your Feet. Keep Movin Y’all.

Originally published August 1999