Shoes????

[WahWah]

nope...not a waste of money buying shoes, no way.

Infact, you could make an investment of it...go for ONE pair of really nice italian shoes, like you'd put very little if any damage on the soles and if you keep em polished etc. you'd get decades out of em!.

Also making an investment in your clothes will pay off with the ladies, here's how it'd go...

Hot Mandy: "hey you seen the cute guy with the armani shoes down in IT?"
Hot (but judgemental) Suzanne: "oh the cute guy in the wheelchair you mean?"
Hot Mandy: "ok, i did notice that but i wouldnt say anything as vulgar, aside from that, that man has taste in shoes I think I NEED to go on a date with this man".

Rock up in socks or uggies...forget it...your just a dude in a wheelchair.

[crash86]

Out of bed I wear Nike's I actually have 5 pairs that are in the rotation that are in the boxes and still have 8 more pair in boxes in the closet. 2 pair of dress shoes hiking boots and 2 different pairs of Handcycling Shoes!! Matching color of bike and jersey.

I think it looks nice to color coordinate and just because we are disabled and in chairs doesn't mean we cant have style.

Its also a lot more safe to wear shoes!!

[StarLord]

I think that shoes are mandatory, at least for me. I need the protection they provide as well as their ability to be used as a ram when opening doors and moving larger objects that are difficult to hold such as trash cans, etc. They also help in transfers and keep the feet cleaner.

They are also required in the winter anyway. I don't feel temperature and my feet are already freezing and puffy from poor circulation. I can't imagine what my feet would be like in the cold and wet without shoes, or better, boots. I probably wouldn't have them for long.

They also help a little in controlling my spasticity. My toes tend to curl under and shoes help to keep them straighter. I tried the Vibram Fingers shoe with the individual toes thinking that they would help the spasticity. Given that I have a weak grip and the fact that I don?t feel my toes, it took my about fifteen minutes to get one shoe on. It was an epic struggle to get the smaller toes into their individual chambers. The shoes did help a little in controlling my spastic toes but I was too exhausted to care. They do make a fashion statement however.

Finally, to me, not wearing shoe in public suggests laziness and indifference (even contempt) for public norms. It seems inconsistent to go to extraordinary lengths to conceal a leg bag and then display dirty bare feet. There are cleverer ways to declare one's free spirit. Perhaps one could proclaim their whimsical side by exposing some open sore.

I personally think shoes are a better choice.

[Oddity]

I agree, Starlord. I broke, and lost the nail from, my right big toe forgoing shoes one day a couple months back.