Old on this thread means nearly 90, not 50+ to offend any over-sensitive baby boomers!
Taking a 90ish person on a month long trip which will involve a great deal of walking, she does walk daily, but a lot for her age, not a lot for you and I.
I want to do a big Zappos order so she can easily try on many shoes. Is there any brand or style or even shoe any one recommends? I am thinking something like Keen sandals with the closed toe and maybe some sort of hiking type of trainer with the low ankle, but the extra foot support of a “hiker”
Do you have a specialty store such as the Walking Company? Where you can consult a salesperson familiar with walking shoes? The folks at REI are also very helpful.
Keens may not have enough support without additional insoles.
I use Superfeet in my Keen boots, but I also just had orthotics made today.
Chaco sandals also have a lot of support.
She is doing great if she is thinking about walking distances at 90 .
I would have off the bat said Keens. My mom is 81 and was wearing some Keen-type knockoffs. We got her the real thing and she fell in love. She’s walks daily and wears them with and without socks depending on the weather.
Keens do have a nice roomy toe box.
I just bought some Keen winter hiking boots from REI that were even on sale!
They are insulated so would be too warm for summer.
I think the mistake many senior folks make is to get those giant white leather “athletic” shoes with giant, thick soles. They catch on things and can be a real trip hazard. I would lean towards something that is still cushioned and comfortable, but with a lower profile. Keens would be a definite option. Sketchers has some good shoes, too.
Just be careful of the soles on Sketchers. Some have very thick soles. My MIL fell wearing two different pairs (don’t ask me why she even got the second pair).
I have some Merrells I like…but I agree that Keens are a good choice!
My gift for my grandma 80th birthday was a pair of Mephistos. She would never have spent so much --which made the gift effective. She won’t wear anything else outdoors since then. Mephistos won’t win any fashion contests but might be the best walking shoes on earth.
I got these for my mom who is 89 and also walks most days. She has bunions, has had a hammer toe surgery a wide foot and also had other issues. She loves these…
We just bought about 20+ pairs for my mom AFTER several excursions to Nordstrom’s where she tried on many, many pairs to find shoes that were comfortable that she could wear for prolonged periods of time comfortably. Mom is 85.
So much depends on the FIT for the foot and what works for my mom with very narrow feet and even narrower heels might not work for anyone else. We did try Hush Puppies, Murnos, and a slew of others. For US, we found that she did best with a lace up shoe that could be tightened to stay securely on the foot and not have the heel rub too much.
We ended up keeping two pairs of sandals and two pairs of black lace up walking shoes. Those were the only four pairs that we all agreed fit her well after trying on well over 3 dozen pairs of shoes and sandals. Comfort and fit were primary and style was way down on the list.
GOOD socks that protect the foot and minimize the risk of blisters is key. We bought her several pairs of Thorlos, which she tried on with the shoes.
I think the idea of ordering several pairs from Zappos is a great one. She can try them on in the comfort of her/your living room and not in a store where it can be distracting and hard to think clear AND where patience can wear thin after a few pairs!
She can walk around the house , climb a few stairs if you have them inside, wear them for a couple of hours inside and get a better feel for what is really right.
