Shoe Allergy Treatment

[barefootbabe]

Hi.  I have developed a pretty severe allergy to shoes.  I was wondering if there is any treatment to desensitise my feet or failing that a good treatment to help heal and relieve the symptoms.  Any help would be much appreciated.  Thankyou

[doctornee medical]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
If the allergy is to one particular shoe only then it could be due to fungus in the shoe. If you are allergic to shoes in general, then you could be having sweat dermatitis, so if there is sweat in feet then a rash appears. You could also be having fungal infection like tinea pedis that gets exacerbated when you wear shoes due to hot and humid environment in a closed shoe. The other possibility is that you are allergic to some materal in the shoes and develop contact dermatitis when you wear them. Talk to your doctor regarding this. You may need to consult an allergy or a skin specialist.
Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[with1f]

I understand your pain.  I have been suffering from "shoe allergies" for over 26 years now.  I have tried everything from foot powder to placing my foot in a plastic bag then sock, before putting on a shoe.  This all made everything worse.  The only help I have found was researching and purchasing shoes that do not contain any Mercapto products.  I found out through patch and scratch testing via a dermatologist that I am allergic to latex and MercaptoBenzylThiazole or MBT.  This, sadly, is a difficuly process as the chemicals are used in the tanning process of leather and in a lot of adhesives used in the shoe making process.  I have treid vegan shoes and thanks to latex issues, they didn't work for me.
On a good note, I have found a shoe manufacturer that uses vegetable tanned leather and glues that have not caused any issues with me.  I have 4 pairs of shoes from this company.  The shoes are a little expensive (ranging in price from $150 to $450, depending on style) as they are designer shoes, but they work for me and for a first pair, you could check eBay-they always have deals.  Check the site first as they are sold in european sizes and you will need to look at their size chart if not familiar with it, to figure out your true size.  The manufacturer is Cydwoq (Pronounced "sidewalk") and they are located in California.  Each pair is hand made for you, so it is not like they have an overstock sitting around (which also explains the cost.)  I am still trying to locate a company who offers a good Hypo shoe that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and who's styles are not the basic orthopedic design.
You might be able to call Cydwoq directly and request a "sample" of the leather they use for a patch test first to see if you react from it.
Other than keeping away from the chemical, I have found nothing that desensitizes the reacitive process.  The only treatment offered to me was just that.  Creams to use when I would have a break out.  Unfortunately, some of them are patroleum based and this also causes some issue with me.  It is a viscious cycle and I am sorry that you are affected.  Good luck.