Footwear ideas for gardeners with knee problems

Discussion in 'Gardening For People With Disabilities' started by Robert Bowen, Nov 17, 2024 at 10:40 AM.

  1. Robert Bowen

    Robert Bowen Gardener

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    Bottom line : I am looking for footwear suggestions from gardeners with knee problems or similar , i am looking for positive suggestions that would be worth considering.

    i am a keen and busy gardener especially over the past 15 years and in the past 6 months both knees have ‘pinged’ doing everyday movements and its clear from my consultant that i will need to manage this for the future and i am also sure that there are many gardeners in a similar situation.

    i feel i need to adapt my gardening routine - i am totally out of action on crutches at the moment- and have trawled the internet looking for supportive footwear for gardening. Result = Clogs and wellies ! Neither seem to fit the bill. I could go on but i am looking for suggestions to consider for me and others in a similar situation.

    So , are there ideas out there that you have tried and that have helped ? If so please share.

    Thanks for reading this.
     
  2. NigelJ

    NigelJ Total Gardener

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    For gardening I use a pair of old walking boots with sorbothane insoles, far more comfortable than wellingtons and more waterproof than old running shoes.
    Do they help the dodgy knees not really. I do use a knee brace when the knee is playing up badly, but try not to.
     
  3. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    I recently bought a new pair of hi tech walking boots, not real special ones but they are so much lighter than the old ones I had.
    They are really comfortable and I have foot problems and two new knees and the back is not too good either.
     
  4. floralies

    floralies Gardener

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    @Obelix-Vendée has had two knee replacements so I am sure she will be able to offer you some suggestions as to how she coped before her ops.
     
  5. Plantminded

    Plantminded Head Gardener

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  6. Obelix-Vendée

    Obelix-Vendée Head Gardener

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    I didn't find supportive footwear made any difference to my arthritic knee problems.

    I tend to garden in wellies of different sizes depending on how many socks I need to keep my feet warm. Other than that I garden almost barefoot in flipflops or crocs.

    Before I got my new knees I wore knee supports sold in sports stores and took a lot of turmeric supplements. It's important to use the ones with black pepper in them so you absorb the active ingredient. Glucosamine sulphate with condrotin, meadowsweet and nettles are all good supplements for arthritic joints but you need to take them every day and not expect results overnight.

    Before the new knees I gardened sitting down or bending down. My new titanium knees are great but not comfy on the inside for kneeling without a big cushion so I have adapted to gardening bent from the hips or sitting and even lying down depending on what I'm doing.
     
  7. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    I find kneeling almost impossible, and usually end up laying down on one elbow, which means you only have one free hand, then I cant get up,:roflol: but at least they don't hurt anymore.
     
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