I started experiencing a lot of pain last year around the ball of my foot and was told by my doctor that I had metatarsalglia. I also have very high arches. So for the past 10 years, since I worked from home, I used to walk barefoot in the house all the time, and was told by my doctor that I could no longer do that. And outside of the house, I mostly wore summer sandals which had no arch support at all - who knew that that was apparently very bad for my foot? In the past year, I switched out my shoes (wore Oofos sandals in the house, bought athletic shoes with more arch support, etc.) and the good news is that the pain has gone away. However, I am starting a new job in a few weeks where I will be working in an office environment so will need to wear business attire. Any recommendations for good orthopedic shoe brands with some dressier styles that aren’t horribly ugly? Some brands of shoes that I can wear that don’t cause my foot pain to flare up: Oofos, Birkenstocks, one of my UGG boots (interestingly enough, only the Sumner boot works, not the other pair that I have). Would appreciate any suggestion of brands to try. Thanks in advance!
My husband has various foot issues and swears by Keen. They do tend to be on the ugly side though. He is not a shoe shopper or buyer, but within six months of trying his first pair he had bought five more. I call him the Emelda Marco of Keen.
I don’t have foot issues, but Dansko and Clark are frequent favorites, good support, wear well, and have some cute styles, cuter than Keen.
Do you have The Walking Company store in your Area? If so, I suggest to stop in there. If not, visit in line. I’ve never bought shoes, but I wear Abeo sandals. I think most of their footwear at the store has arch support. Also, Vionic is a great brand, visit their website also.
I second The Walking Company - they will help fit you with the right type of shoe. I also wear their Abeo sandals and have a pair of Abeo Mary Janes that are comfortable for the office.
My suggestion would be to get a pair of custom orthotics. There is a “dress shoe” style that is thinner and doesn’t go all the way to to the toe. One of my kiddos has some serious foot problems and we have invested in different styles of orothotics so that she can still wear some more stylish shoes. It is harder to find shoes that work with the orthotics, but it is worth it so that she isn’t in pain.
Suggested brands from our experience: Ecco, Clarks, Romika (and I’m sure a few others that I can’t think of off the top of my head.)
Around the house I wear vionics pretty much 24/7. I have all hardwood floors and with my high arches I was getting tremendous foot pain. It’s been eliminated. For flip flops I wear olu kai, they have great arch support as well.
I’ve been experiencing sore feet for several years, started with Dr Scholls inserts and when those stopped working, I began using SuperFeet shoes. I tried Oofos and other shoes with soft memory foam, that did not work, instead the superfeet insoles seem to be helping, I’ve been wearing SuperFeet shoes or using their inserts for about 6 months. Not sure about your work style, but I do like the Fir model as a casual shoe.
I had custom inserts made by my doctor. They worked well for me. The inserts provided good arch support for my feet and stopped my back and shoulder pain. After several years I don’t need inserts anymore. I am not sure this apply to your case. I think you should consult your doctor first.
Go to a good otho doc and get your feet cast. Custom inserts will make all the difference. Cost is around $500 a pair but they last at least 5 years and, if nothing has changed, can be recovered for around $200. Two of my kids started having foot issues in junior high. One was diagnosed with shin splints due to flat feet. The other was diagnosed with high arches. Both have inserts and it made a world of difference. The biggest issue we have is finding shoes that they like with removable inner soles. When trying on shoes they take the innersole out and insert their inserts to see if the shoe fits. Custom inserts do take up some additional room in a shoe. One has a narrow foot but that allows her to wear a medium with.
I agree with checking out The Walking Company store. One would have bought shoes there but no company that they carry makes a 4 1/2. (she inherited the tiny feet issue that several of us have) . Also if there is a Dr. Scholls store, they used to make custom shoes built to your foot. I had a great uncle who did that, almost died from the price but went back a month later and bought another pair. He loved them that much.
I have had custom $500 inserts done twice and honestly - Vionics inserts at $35 work better. I buy good shoes, rip out their insoles and replace them with the Vionics inserts. I love Keens and all the “comfort” brands but they get the same treatment.
Superfeet makes wonderful inserts. You can try them out at Nordstrom and many shoe stores. The 1/2 inserts come in versions meant for flat/low heel and higher heel shoes.
I stumbled upon this website a while back.
https://www.barkingdogshoes.com/
The writer reviews all kinds of “helpful” shoes, and makes recommendations based on various conditions. I work in retail and stand/walk for 8 hours a day and I’ve found several shoes/brands I would have never known about as a result of checking this site.
Good Luck
Thanks so much for all the helpful feedback! I tried on some Vionics sandals and they were super comfortable. They didn’t have the color I wanted in the store, so ordered them online and they will be arriving Tuesday. I will also check out the Walking Company. Thanks for the feedback on inserts too. The custom made ones are too pricey for me so I will explore some of the other recommendations like Superfeet.
I also like SAS shoes. They have good built in arch supports and work for H’s flat feet and my very high arches. They make good walking shoes that I wear nearly everywhere.
The Barking Dog website was interesting and I can get work shoes for my son with very flat feet that will accommodate his orthotics. I was wondering, though, if anyone had any recommendations for men high top boots or sneakers with a roll bar. One of my other sons broke his ankle at age 12 and has a plate and screws in permanently. He is always turning or hurting that same foot. In fact, he is now wearing a brace and using a crutch for support. He is going to Israel on Birthright in a few weeks and I want to get him summer weight boots or sneakers with ankle support for the trip. They are hiking 5 hours a day.
I wear SAS shoes, have done so for years. I wear their “Free Time” shoe primarily but have recently bought “Roamer”. There are dressier styles as well.
Born shoes are generally comfortable for me (with similar issues.) Sofft and Naya make dressier shoes that may fit the bill.
@Lemonlee , I’m glad you liked the Vionics. These shoes and sandals are pricey, but they feel so good. My new favorite kick around sporty sandal is this: I have in black, but I’m getting it in another color. They are slim looking and incredibly comfortable.
https://www.zappos.com/p/teva-verra-black/product/8449009/color/3
I wish they had them in blue. I kid you not, they are now one of my go to sandals.
For dressier shoes, check out Taryn Rose. This is a line created by an orthopaedic surgeon so there is more support and engineering for comfort.
I find Alegria shoes very comfortable, as well as the soft-footbed birkenstocks. Alegrias were originally created for nurses, but now have expanded to all. The footbeds are interchangeable in most of the shoes, and the “wide” is really just a slightly lower footbed than the “regular” width. I usually buy them online and in their clearance section at this website: https://www.alegriashoeshop.com/. I won’t tell you how many pairs of them I have… basically lots!