Eddie

My wife bought, for the first time, walking shoes for Italy. She is beginning to break them in -<BR>but the higher tops are really rubbing around her ankle. <BR>Does anyone have an idea how to either cushion that area or over come the problem? I guess, over time, it would take care of itself -- but are there any other suggestions to help speed the process?<BR>Thanks<BR>Eddie

mole

Mole skin. It would protect her ankle as she's breaking the shoes in. Take some to Italy with you too--just in case.

ouch

What helps sometimes, if the tops of the shoe are just stiff, is to just spend some time twisting the leather with your fingers until it softens up. Most walking shoes start out pretty soft, though, and, unfortunately, I've found that some of the higher-top ones just catch my ankle in the wrong place (I guess I'm short from heel to ankle), and they always rub, no matter what I do (or, at least, I've given up on the shoes before I've managed to get them to the point where they don't hurt any more). The moleskin idea is very good, but she might just have to keep wearing it. (She also might want to consider, if she ever gets another pair of walking shoes, looking for a style without the high collar at the back of the ankle, if that's what's causing the problem - I think that both Rockport and Reebok have at least one style that catches the ankle a little bit lower in the back.)

MaryC

What is moleskin (she asked sheepishly)? And where does one get it??

xxx

Interesting... I've had the problem of buying seemingly comfortable shoes but there was a ring of added leather/polyester etc. along the inner, top edge of the shoe, and that kept digging into my upper ankle. Is that your problem too? The only solution for me was to stop wearing them / get rid of them. <BR><BR>Otherwise, a possible solution for you could be to loosen the shoestrings on the upper part of the shoe, so that the shoe doesn't wrap FIRMLY around the upper ankle. As long as the foot is supported well on the lower part and initial part of the ankle where it goes up, that should be sufficient...no??<BR><BR>Another idea: try seeing what effect the SOCKS have. Wear socks with RIDGES in them, perhaps they will counter the effect of the shoes. Alternatively, if that makes it "worse", try socks with no ridges - maybe it's a 3-D pattern in the socks that's rubbing your wife the wrong way...<BR><BR>If all else fails: buy some shoes once you get to Europe. You may pay a bit more, but over here, shoes increasingly use softer leathers and you can get some excellent brands that need very little if any breaking in.<BR><BR>

Dr. Mole

MaryC, Moleskin is self-stick adhesive cotton padding that's soft and thin. You can get it precut or in a roll. I use Dr. $cholls, but I imagine there are other brands.

Dr. Mole

Oops, meant to add: you can get it at just about any drugstore and I've seen it at grocery stores too; sometimes near the bandaids, sometimes near the odor eaters.

MaryC

Thanks a bunch, Dr. Mole. I was hoping they were Dr. Scholls!!

bettyk

I find that using gel heel inserts will raise your foot just enough to stop the rubbing.

Eddie

Thanks for all the suggestions - my wife tried the heels inserts and she still had a problem. <BR>We'll get some moleskin tomorrow and give that a try.<BR>Eddie