A) I want some protective footwear - to stop toes getting hurt by angle
grinders, nails-in-bits-of-wood and dropped bricks.

B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a
very high instep.

I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Not looking for any special style - maybe a trainer-style would be most
comfortable? But I don't seem to be able to find any.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width is
*NOT* an option. :-) )

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

"Rod" wrote in message
...

B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a very
high instep.

I have the same problem. Buying commercially made shoes is impossible.

I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Same with Simpleway.


Any suggestions for suppliers?

I have used steel-capped wellingtons, a couple of sizes too big. They can be
cut down.

Or of course you could always get some hand made to your spec. I tried that
once for ordinary shoes, they were VERY expensive. Spouse makes most of mine
but they don't offer any protection, being made from soft vegetable tanned
leather.



(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width is
*NOT* an option. :-) )

I have looked at the little toe side of my feet and wondered if I could do
without it ... I also considered branch loppers for my hammer toes but
eventually had them strightened (not 100% successfully) by the NHS.

Nobody realises what a problem it is. Size EEEE is useless!

Mary

Mary Fisher wrote:
"Rod" wrote in message
...
B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a very
high instep.

I have the same problem. Buying commercially made shoes is impossible.
I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Same with Simpleway.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

I have used steel-capped wellingtons, a couple of sizes too big. They can be
cut down.

Or of course you could always get some hand made to your spec. I tried that
once for ordinary shoes, they were VERY expensive. Spouse makes most of mine
but they don't offer any protection, being made from soft vegetable tanned
leather.


(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width is
*NOT* an option. :-) )

I have looked at the little toe side of my feet and wondered if I could do
without it ... I also considered branch loppers for my hammer toes but
eventually had them strightened (not 100% successfully) by the NHS.

Nobody realises what a problem it is. Size EEEE is useless!


I have pes cavus (high arch), extreme width (across the toes/forefoot),
relatively narrow heel, and toes that are almost prehensile! Tendency to
slightly drop feet and to both stand and walk with feet at approx. 90
degrees to each other. Recent research suggests to me that there could
be a minor (probbaly congenital) neurological problem - not quite
Charcot-Marie-Tooth but close. In truth, I could possibly get shoes to
accommodate one fo these problems - but nothing I have found manages all
of them.

I too have had shoes made - but unsuccessfully. Somehow they just did
not feel right. So I usually stick with Cosyfeet and various inserts.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Rod wrote:
Mary Fisher wrote:
"Rod" wrote in message
...
B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have
a very high instep.

I have the same problem. Buying commercially made shoes is
impossible.
I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Same with Simpleway.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

I have used steel-capped wellingtons, a couple of sizes too big.
They can be cut down.

Or of course you could always get some hand made to your spec. I
tried that once for ordinary shoes, they were VERY expensive. Spouse
makes most of mine but they don't offer any protection, being made
from soft vegetable tanned leather.


(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width
is *NOT* an option. :-) )

I have looked at the little toe side of my feet and wondered if I
could do without it ... I also considered branch loppers for my
hammer toes but eventually had them strightened (not 100%
successfully) by the NHS. Nobody realises what a problem it is. Size EEEE
is useless!


I have pes cavus (high arch), extreme width (across the
toes/forefoot), relatively narrow heel, and toes that are almost
prehensile! Tendency to slightly drop feet and to both stand and walk
with feet at approx. 90 degrees to each other.

Are you sure you aren't a duck?


:-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:


Are you sure you aren't a duck?


:-)


Definitely not - I am crap at swimming as well. :-)

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

The message
from "The Medway Handyman" contains
these words:



Are you sure you aren't a duck?

I hope you're not suggesting he's quackers :-)

Appin wrote:
The message
from "The Medway Handyman" contains
these words:



Are you sure you aren't a duck?

I hope you're not suggesting he's quackers :-)

That goes well with OCD and autism. :-)

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

In article ,
Rod wrote:

I too have had shoes made - but unsuccessfully. Somehow they just did
not feel right. So I usually stick with Cosyfeet and various inserts.

They don't feel right because you've never had a pair correctly made to
measure...

I have rectangular feet, or paddles as my wife calls them. Probably
something to do with viking ancestry or something... NEver had shoes
that fitted until a few years ago and a trip to the Conker Show company
in Totnes (I live relatively nearby). I now have a pair of shoes and a
pair of boots (not steel tow capped though) that fit perfectly and I
won't be without them now.

Bloody expensive though - nearly £200 a pair, however, I've had the boots
re-soled once - they're now nearly 4 years old and the shoes which are
2 years old might get re-soled for the start of next year and I'm hoping
to get quite a few more years out of them yet.

As for safety boots - I bought some cheapies out of the local country
stores, (Tuckers, Ashburton), which fit mostly OK if I wear 2 pairs of
thick wooly socks.

Gordon

"Gordon Henderson" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Rod wrote:

I too have had shoes made - but unsuccessfully. Somehow they just did
not feel right. So I usually stick with Cosyfeet and various inserts.

They don't feel right because you've never had a pair correctly made to
measure...

I have rectangular feet, or paddles as my wife calls them. Probably
something to do with viking ancestry or something... NEver had shoes
that fitted until a few years ago and a trip to the Conker Show company
in Totnes (I live relatively nearby). I now have a pair of shoes and a
pair of boots (not steel tow capped though) that fit perfectly and I
won't be without them now.

Herring boxes without topses?

Gordon Henderson wrote:
In article ,
Rod wrote:

I too have had shoes made - but unsuccessfully. Somehow they just did
not feel right. So I usually stick with Cosyfeet and various inserts.

They don't feel right because you've never had a pair correctly made to
measure...

I have rectangular feet, or paddles as my wife calls them. Probably
something to do with viking ancestry or something... NEver had shoes
that fitted until a few years ago and a trip to the Conker Show company
in Totnes (I live relatively nearby). I now have a pair of shoes and a
pair of boots (not steel tow capped though) that fit perfectly and I
won't be without them now.

Bloody expensive though - nearly �200 a pair, however, I've had the boots
re-soled once - they're now nearly 4 years old and the shoes which are
2 years old might get re-soled for the start of next year and I'm hoping
to get quite a few more years out of them yet.

As for safety boots - I bought some cheapies out of the local country
stores, (Tuckers, Ashburton), which fit mostly OK if I wear 2 pairs of
thick wooly socks.

Gordon

I am sure you are right. Which made the ones I did get a bit of a waste. :-(

Every time I have investigated, the options have not looked good -
Totnes is a very long eway away, other makers specialise in types/styles
of shoe that do not work for my feet, are too expensive, or something.
But at least for shoes I can live with Cosyfeet's offerings.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On 2 Oct, 12:42, "Mary Fisher" wrote:

I have used steel-capped wellingtons, a couple of sizes too big. They can be
cut down.

Me too. It stops the chaffing of the inner thigh.

wrote:
On 2 Oct, 12:42, "Mary Fisher" wrote:
I have used steel-capped wellingtons, a couple of sizes too big. They can be
cut down.

Me too. It stops the chaffing of the inner thigh.
Gosh. And there was me thinking it was just the elbows..

wrote in message
...
On 2 Oct, 12:42, "Mary Fisher" wrote:

I have used steel-capped wellingtons, a couple of sizes too big. They can
be
cut down.

Me too. It stops the chaffing of the inner thigh.

You're a shorty too!

Mary

Okaaaay - possibly not quite the style you were looking for, but
ebay.com (the US site) has a few hits for very wide boots - though
mostly cowboy boots(!):

http://clothing.search.ebay.com/HH_M...Z1QQsofocusZbs

Remember add +1 to your UK shoe size to get the equivalent US size
(widths are the same I believe).

You might email 1 or 2 of the suppliers to see if they do safety shoes/
boots - I'd be surprised if there isn't a supplier somewhere in the
"the big country".

Another option might be military boots suppliers (e.g http://www.silvermans.co.uk/
in London).

wrote:
Okaaaay - possibly not quite the style you were looking for, but
ebay.com (the US site) has a few hits for very wide boots - though
mostly cowboy boots(!):

http://clothing.search.ebay.com/HH_M...Z1QQsofocusZbs

Remember add +1 to your UK shoe size to get the equivalent US size
(widths are the same I believe).

You might email 1 or 2 of the suppliers to see if they do safety shoes/
boots - I'd be surprised if there isn't a supplier somewhere in the
"the big country".

Another option might be military boots suppliers (e.g http://www.silvermans.co.uk/
in London).

Unfortunately, the steel protected ones there are only EE. I did do
quite a search of US suppliers - and, though i didn't find suitable, I
felt sure that they would be available somewhere. But by the time I take
into account the difficulty/expense of returns, I decided to avoid. I
really need either a shop to visit or an easy return policy.

On the miltary front, I think I might have been one of those rejected
with the opposite of flat feet!

Thanks.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

Check out the work boot here with clog sole:

http://www.clogandshoe.co.uk/clogs_f...orkingclog.jpg

Under Derby boots he

http://www.clogandshoe.co.uk/clogs.html

£264 for made to measure though!

wrote:
Check out the work boot here with clog sole:

http://www.clogandshoe.co.uk/clogs_f...orkingclog.jpg

Under Derby boots he

http://www.clogandshoe.co.uk/clogs.html

£264 for made to measure though!

Funnily enough, I did try some clogs (Swedish style) many years ago.
They seemed to have some promise but, in reality, I couldn't take the
pressure at the top of my arch (on the top of my foot).

And my feet might be valuable, but £264 is more than I can justify for
relatively occaisonal wear.

(Sure you're not Bill Tidy posting under a pseudonym?)

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

"Rod" wrote in message
...
wrote:
Check out the work boot here with clog sole:

http://www.clogandshoe.co.uk/clogs_f...orkingclog.jpg

Under Derby boots he

http://www.clogandshoe.co.uk/clogs.html

£264 for made to measure though!

Funnily enough, I did try some clogs (Swedish style) many years ago. They
seemed to have some promise but, in reality, I couldn't take the pressure
at the top of my arch (on the top of my foot).

That's your instep.

The last time I wore clogs was during the war and fell down the stone cellar
steps going with a bucket to get coal. Still have the scar.

Mary

The message
from " contains these words:


Remember add +1 to your UK shoe size to get the equivalent US size
(widths are the same I believe).

For shoes add +1. But that's not necessarily true for boots unless
you're in the habit of wearing several pairs of socks simultaneously. I
always found that I took the same size in boots as in the UK, though
shoes always, as you say, one size larger in number in the US.

Rod wrote:
A) I want some protective footwear - to stop toes getting hurt by angle
grinders, nails-in-bits-of-wood and dropped bricks.

B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a
very high instep.

I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Not looking for any special style - maybe a trainer-style would be most
comfortable? But I don't seem to be able to find any.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width is
*NOT* an option. :-) )

I have a higher than normal arch and am currently waering Sterling brand
Safety Trainers (Screwfix 37220). My shoe size is 6.5 to 7 and the size
7 of these seems to have plenty of room inside. They are also available
from TLC. You might be able to go into one of these places and try them on.

Malcolm

Malcolm wrote:
Rod wrote:
A) I want some protective footwear - to stop toes getting hurt by
angle grinders, nails-in-bits-of-wood and dropped bricks.

B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a
very high instep.

I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Not looking for any special style - maybe a trainer-style would be
most comfortable? But I don't seem to be able to find any.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width is
*NOT* an option. :-) )

I have a higher than normal arch and am currently waering Sterling brand
Safety Trainers (Screwfix 37220). My shoe size is 6.5 to 7 and the size
7 of these seems to have plenty of room inside. They are also available
from TLC. You might be able to go into one of these places and try them
on.

Malcolm
make some MDF clogs/galoshes.

In message , Rod
writes
A) I want some protective footwear - to stop toes getting hurt by
angle grinders, nails-in-bits-of-wood and dropped bricks.

B) My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a
very high instep.

I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Not looking for any special style - maybe a trainer-style would be most
comfortable? But I don't seem to be able to find any.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

(Note: Intentionally applying angle grinder to feet to reduce width is
*NOT* an option. :-) )


I'm the UK version of bigfoot.. although "big fat wide foot" is probably
the scientific description - ie, not quite as hairy :-)

Size 14 *before* we start hopelessly praying that someone will give me a
choice of widths.

Anyway, I bought a pair of "Meindl" boots about six years ago to aid in
walking following a serious ankle injury.

The injury is now out of the way, but I now use the boots for DIY. I am
seriously amazed at the crap I put them through and then how nice they
polish up.

Ie, one day I'm ankle high in concrete. A spray with the hose, a bit of
polish and the next day they look like posh smart boots.

They were quite expensive to buy, but probably the cheapest footwear
I've ever owned...

http://www.meindl.de/english/

I think the 'Klassiker' is probably the closest match to the pair I
have.

Hth
Someone

somebody wrote:


I'm the UK version of bigfoot.. although "big fat wide foot" is probably
the scientific description - ie, not quite as hairy :-)

Size 14 *before* we start hopelessly praying that someone will give me a
choice of widths.

Anyway, I bought a pair of "Meindl" boots about six years ago to aid in
walking following a serious ankle injury.

The injury is now out of the way, but I now use the boots for DIY. I am
seriously amazed at the crap I put them through and then how nice they
polish up.

Ie, one day I'm ankle high in concrete. A spray with the hose, a bit of
polish and the next day they look like posh smart boots.

They were quite expensive to buy, but probably the cheapest footwear
I've ever owned...

http://www.meindl.de/english/

I think the 'Klassiker' is probably the closest match to the pair I have.

Hth
Someone

That is interesting. Many years ago I owned some German shoes (Sioux, I
think), beautifully made, fully lined with leather. After a few years of
occasional wear (to stretch them), I wore them nearly continuously until
the soles wore through. Couldn't find a mender willing to take them on. :-(

Even a nearly local stockist!

But too expensive for the DIY world - until well worn.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

After all those helpful posts, what happens? I get next week's Lidl
email and see this:

http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20081009.p.Mens_Safety_Footwear_S3.ar2

(Probably be unsuitable but, being from over there, they might be a bit
wider than usual UK footwear. If I am near, I'll have a try.)

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

On 2 Oct, 12:23, Rod wrote:
A) *I want some protective footwear - to stop toes getting hurt by angle
grinders, nails-in-bits-of-wood and dropped bricks.

B) *My feet are very unusually shaped and I need HH+ width and have a
very high instep.

I get my shoes from Cosyfeet - who do not do protective shoes.

Not looking for any special style - maybe a trainer-style would be most
comfortable? But I don't seem to be able to find any.

Any suggestions for suppliers?

You could try http://www.altberg.co.uk. I've fairly normal feet but am
very pleased with the boots I got from them.

matthelliwell wrote:


You could try http://www.altberg.co.uk. I've fairly normal feet but am
very pleased with the boots I got from them.


I went to their made-to-measure and custom services, and was very
impressed. Bit of a shame when it came to prices! And that on top of
getting there for fittings. (Not criticising - simply how it is.)

Thank you - definitely one to consider in the future.

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org