I am a 36-year-old male who was diagnosed in Calgary 11 years ago as having Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome. I was led to believe that CMT only affected arms and legs but upon reading the newsletters I am finding that there are further implications. Maybe these body cramps and shortness of breath and my lifetime of general unfitness are a product of CMT. I yearn to learn more about my personal afflictions.

When I was young, having CMT and not knowing what the heck was the matter, people would often ask me untimely questions about what was wrong with my hands and feet. I built up an armor of lies that might satisfy their curiosity. One was "I am not originally from this planet and where I am from, the gravity is different." Or, I might just tell them the truth, "I was shot stealing chickens!"

I now wear orthopedic supports on my feet. I am quite happy with them as they make me walk just fine, heel first. I have to use very long socks which will wrap over the devices so that my legs don't get chaffed. Just as it feels good to put them on, it feels good to take them off again.

Speaking of feet, I have discovered most wonderful footwear. It is the native tanned, smoked, moose hide, wraparound moccasin. I get mine from the Friendship Centre. They can be worn with or without my braces. You can put felt insoles in them. The material is excellent for letting your feet breathe. They are warm and affordable (bead work is extra). There are also black moccasin rubbers, which are a "must" for moccasin users. Many northern hardware stores have them. NOTE: If you walk in deep snow, there can be a problem of getting snow in the rubbers, and that will get your moccasins wet and be a drag.

The wraparound moccasin is made by the Cree Indians. The aboriginal technicians, mostly women, process moose and other ungulate hides, the way their ancestors have taught them. Native tanned, smoked hides have some interesting qualities that leathers made by modern technology do not have. Your feet don't sweat in moccasins because the material breathes. Moccasins are warm in cold temperatures and cool in hot weather. They don't stretch too badly. However, they can be stretched by getting parts wet and then stretching it out and letting it dry slowly. In that way, adjustments can be made at home. Moccasins will mold and contour comfortably around your feet. They are comfortable to sleep in (without braces) and are very quiet to walk in. The wraparound effect with the laces wrapping around the ankle makes it easy to tie up. I have CMT and if there's one thing I hate it's when you go visiting and it takes so darn long to take boots off in their porch. Putting them back on takes even longer. As I lead an outdoorsy kind of life, I now wear moccasins, especially in the winter.

When I go outside the house, I put on moccasin rubbers. Moccasin rubbers come in only one style and colour, black. The large opening at the top makes them easy to put on and off. They cost $20 Canadian and are sold where Indians are. In my area, moccasin rubbers are mainly used with wraparounds although they also are seen with mukluks. In order to keep moccasins new and fresh when walking anywhere that is dirty, wet, rough or on concrete, the rubbers are a must. They have grips and are excellent on ice and snow. If walked on concrete, these lightweight rubbers will wear out long before the moccasins have lost their newness and aroma.

So unless one is bedridden, to have moccasins means the need for moccasin rubbers.

As moccasins are 100% handcrafted by native craftspersons, there is no mail order facility in which they are sold. One must go directly to the local Indians to get them. The way they measure the foot is to place a piece of paper on the floor and on this paper place the foot and with a pencil draw the outline of the foot. This crude sketch is all a native woman needs to make beautiful moccasins. They cost upward of $50 and for a price can be decorated with beads or other Indian artwork. Moccasins can be found in northern stores where native art and crafts are sold. True native tanned moccasins smell like campfires. Accept no imitations.

In the winter when the cold winds blow and the snow piles high, we active Northerners don large bulky felt-lined boots that come past our calves. Felt linings, although warm, are real collectors of moisture. They have to be dried over a heater every night. Sometimes the feet get wet and cold in them. To avoid this unpleasantness, I take out the felt liners and put my moccasin-clad feet into the arctic moon boots and they are still warm and much less condensation occurs.

I have clawed toes, a high instep and an over-pronounced Achilles heel and I find rubber boots uncomfortable. Moccasins worn inside rubber boots can make the difference. No more socks rubbing down the foot. The way wraparounds tie on, that problem is eliminated. This also saves the foot blisters from rubbing.

Moccasins and their respective rubbers come in sizes ranging from toddlers to big men. People with good feet and people like me with less than good feet find happiness in moccasins.