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Claustrophobic Feet

I have claustrophobia of the feet.

What does this mean? I’m not sure exactly. I’m quite sure it’s not a real medical condition or anything, and most people are probably annoyed by it.

For instance, I just bought new shoes and socks, and the shoes aren’t broken in yet, and the socks are sewn poorly at the toes so that they bunch up. Put these two together and you have some very tight, uncomfortable, and unforgiving footwear! I had my old shoes for about 3 years, some shell-toe Adidas low-tops. I had the same problem with them in the beginning, but after three years of “breaking them in”, they were very loose and flexible in all the right places. I also stopped tying them and would instead just tuck the laces under my feet inside the shoe. This made for quick and easy on/off, but there wasn’t much support, and my feet had plenty of room to breathe this way.

But with my new shoes, I have to tie them, and all of the padding is still “fluffy” so they fit my feet very tightly. And since they aren’t broken in yet they don’t give me much flex when I walk or sit in my office. This makes me feel like my feet are set in concrete because I can’t wiggle my toes or shift around in my shoes, and it makes me very uncomfortable.

I don’t freak out or anything, it’s just noticeable to me and distracting. So right now I’m sitting in my office at work with my shoes off, until I wear them enough to break them in and they are comfortable again.

Has anyone else ever experienced this new shoe foot claustrophobia? Or am I just a weidro? I think my wife thinks I’m just a weirdo. :)

nope its not only you! I have the same feeling about new shoes! haha…my girlfriend thinks I’m crazy as well : )

Ummm.. I feel that way when i have to wear socks and shoes in the summer. When my feet gets hot I feel like I am burning up. Example like wearing long pants and long sleeves in the the summer when its about 100. After i kick off the shoes and socks I am all better.

haha derek :) my sister says she has the same problem too!
you guys are weird’s :P

I think the whole secret to new shoe comfort is wearing the right socks.

Too thin and the edges around the opening - especially on new dress shoes - can really hurt as they continually rub around your ankle and heel.

Too thick and you get the claustrophobic effect.

It can be a real science at times matching the correct sock type to the shoe.

It sounds like you’re buying the wrong shoes.

Seriously.

I used to do this all the time, until I found a good men’s shoe store with truly knowledgable staff who taught me better. And I know that sounds like a brainwashing experiment gone horribly wrong, but bear with me for a minute.

First, realize that not all shoes will fit your feet. No matter what size they are. There have been truly lovely, well made, inexpensive shoes that I cannot make myself buy after learning what a well-fitting pair of shoes feels like.

Second, you should know that shoes should almost never need any kind of “break-in” beyond a little flexing if they’ve been compressed in their packaging. If the shoe fits, you’ll know it immediately. If it needs to be significantly stretched to fit, then either it won’t ever fit properly, or you’ll wear it out faster than you should.

My shoe purchases run the gamut from $60 up to $300 or more these days. Then again, I’m currently wearing a pair of $280 loafers from Allen Edmunds (two tone Newcastles if you’re curious) that I bought about five years ago. They’re still in almost perfect condition with no maintenance beyond a new ($8?) pair of heels a year or so ago. They remain as comfortable as they were the day I bought them. And if they ever do wear out, the manufacturer will tear them down and completely remake them for around $75.

So you really do get what you pay for in a lot of respects. But even when buying inexpensive shoes, don’t settle for shoes that don’t fit. They can damage your feet over years and, besides, why would you want to wear something that wasn’t incredibly comfortable? These days, I /never/ feel like I need to take of my shoes. I often do, but its not because they’re uncomfortable.