New shoes, horrible foot itching!

[HardDrive]

I am going nuts. My feet are itching like crazy! Its keeping me up at night. The weird thing is, its not the bottoms of my feet, or between my toes, its the top, and my ankles. There's no drying or cracking like athletes foot. Just bizarre.

I swear its from some new hiking shoes I bought. Is that even possible if I'm wearing socks? What the heck is going on? SO irritating.

[red-beard]

Dr. Tobra. Calling Doctor Howard, Doctor Fienstien, Doctor Tobra...

[vash]

i still think you got a fungus.

you wont believe where i have gotten that damn fungus.. God is a jokester.. my brother got it all over his torso..

careful, fungicides are very rough on your liver..dont overdo it.

[Rikao4]

very possible..
contact dermatitis..
boots..new brand ?
take a pic...

Rika

[John Rogers]

Maybe all that "choking the gopher" you did when younger has caught up?????

[Tobra]

That would be on his palms John.

I think Rika has it sussed. The tipoff is the new shoes. Fungus on the top is very uncommon, contact dermatitis on the top is fairly common. Either from dye, or stuff used to process the leather. Not dry and cracking, is it red and angry looking?

Run the tap water as hot as it will go. Fill the boot up, dump it out, wear a good, thick sock, walk around until shoe is dry.

Try some benadryl. Maybe some cortisone cream, don't use it if the skin is broken. Isn't your wife a doc? Ask her; she can see it and is almost certainly smarter than I.

[Dueller]

Believe it or not there is such a thing as a shoe allergy....read on:


Shoe Allergies

By Wendy Bumgardner, About.com GuideMarch 13, 2010

Margaret writes, "I am allergic to substances used in very, very many shoes -- as are an increasing number of people.

"When it first happened to me, I thought I must be crazy. Bought a new pair of walking shoes, wore them for one hour (with socks) on my treadmill, and afterward the skin on the tops of my toes and feet felt irritated and itchy. I wore those shoes a total of three one-hour stints, resulting in the tops and soles of my feet feeling chemically burned and incredibly itchy.

"For weeks, whenever my feet got hot, the intense burning and itching returned, making my feet feel like I'd been stung by bees. (Since that initial acute reaction, I have developed reactions to many of my other shoes that had not previously bothered me to a noticeable degree.)

"Thinking I must be nuts, I Googled "shoe allergy" and found that I am not crazy and I am not alone. I found a forum of people all discussing shoe allergies and a list of the most common allergens, which include glues, dyes, tanning chemicals, rubber accelerators, etc.

"My dermatologist had a "shoe kit" and tested me for all the most common culprits, but we didn't find what substance(s) I am allergic to. He said he could continue testing with a longer list, but it would be expensive and then there is the problem that shoe manufacturers can't usually tell you or guarantee you what is or is not used in any given shoe, anyway.

"Now, every single pair of shoes I buy, whether athletic shoes, dress shoes, sandals, etc., I have to buy them, wear them around inside for several hours, and try to determine if my feet are going to react. Sadly, most shoes do cause a reaction, and then I have to return them and start over. Margaret."

I myself have had a wide variety of allergies. I found several research studies that confirmed that people have allergies to a wide variety of adhesives, rubber chemicals, and leather treatments used in shoes and insoles. Often, the allergy produces contact dermatitis. As Margaret points out, this can be painful and distressing. Ultimately, you have to learn how to avoid the chemical that is causing it. Because shoes use a wide variety of possible irritants, it can be very hard to find shoes that don't cause a reaction. Even if a certain manufacturer and style is OK today, the next pair may come from a different factory using different components. I can only guess how maddening this is.


AND THEIR VERY OWN FORUM!!!!!!

http://shoeallergies.50webs.com/

[Moses]

I have a crazy allergy to neoprene. It started with a reaction exactly as you describe. Neoprene is sometimes found in boot liners. It's been tough to work around since I'm a fly fisherman and a scuba diver.

[Tobra]

That could get ugly if you put on a wetsuit, please, do NOT post any pics of that.

[Dueller]

Originally Posted by Moses

I have a crazy allergy to neoprene. It started with a reaction exactly as you describe. Neoprene is sometimes found in boot liners. It's been tough to work around since I'm a fly fisherman and a scuba diver.

Don't forget your kinky neoprene fetish

[Moses]

Originally Posted by Tobra

That could get ugly if you put on a wetsuit, please, do NOT post any pics of that.

Yep. I was on high dose steroids for a while. The itching was INSANE. And the thought of neoprene waders gives me nightmares.

[cashflyer]

Formaldehyde allergy.

Many of the resins and glues used in shoe making contain Formaldehyde.

[Rikao4]

don't think so..
too broad..
if so..
he would have a shoe allergy..
those boots have something he seldom gets exposed too..
plastic,rubber,or some waterproofing concoction..

Rika