@mom2collegekids …love my Haviana’s, I do the ones where you pick your own colors…to match my swimsuits of course. Guess those won’t be getting much use anymore. I also don’t wear flip flops to run around in, especially the rubber ones, because the make me trip too easily. The Vionics are more a real sandal, but with a flip flop top.
I’m currently wearing a pair of Dr. Scholl slide ins around the house. I need more arch support, do will be looking for something comfy and lightweight. I hate wearing footwear at the end of the day.
I actually don’t like walking barefoot - even in the house - perhaps I should investigate a pair of OOFO’s for the house…what is the recommended sizing @BunsenBurner ? Sizing up or down? I normally wear a 9- 9.5 in everyday shoes - order a 9???
Those are the ones, abasket! I wear Euro 40 or US 9, and the salesperson at the expo booth made me try M6/W8 - 39 - they fit like a glove. If the return shipping is free, you can buy both W9 and W8 and see which feels more comfortable, but I have a feeling that W9 is what will work better for you.That is a great price! And a fantastic color, too.
Paging @MomofWildChild to confirm sizing. She was the one who recommended Oofos to me - many thanks.
@conmama you can still wear “bad shoes” for a limited time. I just got some super-cute shoes for a wedding. They’re BAD shoes…lol…but I’ll wear them for looks, and have a spare “good pair” at hand if needed, or for walking around, dancing.
@abasket , I wear 8.5W or 9M in regular shoes and I ordered the Oofos 9B Women’s size. They’re a little bit long but the width is perfect. I think if I had ordered a women’s 8, they would have been too tight. So if you have a wide foot, you might prefer the larger shoe. I guess you’ve already ordered so this advice is late but I only just saw your post.
I ADORE flip-flops and for the last two years, I’ve been wearing them 3 seasons here in Chicagoland. Sometimes people would ask me if I just had a pedicure, because why else would anyone be wearing flip-flops in this cold weather?
THEN, I suddenly developed severe pain in the balls of both feet. Dr. Google suggested metatarsaglia. I tried metatarsal pads stuck to the sole of my flip-flops, with little improvement. It wasn’t until a friend, knowing my devotion to my flip-flops, gently suggested I ditch the flip-flops, 'just as an experiment".
I switched over to my neglected Tevas, and low and behold, within a week, the balls of my feet felt a smidge better. Within 3 weeks, I was reluctantly beginning to acknowledge it could very well be the flip-flops that aggravated my metatarsals. At 5 weeks now? I can’t deny the improvement!
I consulted Dr. Google again, and read that the toe-gripping from wearing flip-flops, even with a cushy sole, can drive the metatarals into the ground, causing inflammation and pain. This can be aggravated by having less fatty padding in the feet as a result of, ahem, aging.
Interestingly, I wear a “barefoot” shoe at work where I’m on my feet a lot. Kigos. No problems with those until I had the ball of foot pain from the flip-flops. So, I know it’s not simply a matter of more support or cushion in the shoes.
I have been at an all day conference two days in a row. This is literally the longest I’ve been on my feet in well over a year because of painful joints and bones (not PF).
I have notice a significant difference between this and my last pair of walking shoes (an expensive, CC-recommended pair that I’m currently blanking on).
@mom2collegekids How do those Vionics run in size? I normally wear an 8.5 no matter style, but I see they just have 8s or 9s at QVC on the lunchtime special.
I have been following this thread. I’ve been fighting PF for almost 2 years straight and am about ready to spring for the custom orthotics as over the counter ones don’t have a high enough arch. I’ve tried taping, stretching, icing, inserts, injections, etc. and I can’t shake it. It’s time to invest in some better shoes as well.
This thread is making me realize that the flip flops I saved during spring closet cleaning need to all be given away. (Cheap, no support.) My worst bout of PF was a few years back but I don’t ever want to go back to hobbling out of bed like Frankenstein again. I saved the “cute” ones- but haven’t worn any of them all summer. I have two pairs of Tiva sandals and wore those. I lucked out with a pair of ordinary gladiator style sandals with a very small wedge that I can walk in for hours.
If I feel like I’m missing my flip flops, I may try some of the good options offered here.
I have lots of Clarks for work. Super comfortable!
My newly ordered flip flops will probably only be used for in-house “slipper” wear since I don’t like to go barefoot. I walk pretty fast when I’m out and about (watch out for me and my cart at the grocery store - I’m MOVIN) so I prefer a back on my shoes/feet when I’m going about my day outside of the house.
I’m another who never goes barefoot. Returned from the sale. The Hokas were pretty cleaned out but found a pair of Stinson 3 for $30. They sure are funny looking.
I wore a pair of Merrill sandals to the sale and my feet are sore. As much as I love Sanuk slip ons I avoided any shoes that were totally flat. Wearing a new pair of Teva sandals that I got for $7.
@IAbooks Vionic also carries half sizes. That lunchtime special had been running since 10am Central Time, so the half-sizes may have been gone for that style by the time you were able to look.
And click on a shoe, you’ll see half-sizes. I also look at the reviews and videos to see if there’s a mention to “size up” or size down with a particular size. Vionic seems to run true to size. I wear a size 8 shoe, and every 8 I’ve ordered has fit.
Our Nordstroms are now carrying Arche shoes in their stores. Super comfy, soft suede and leather. Tight uppers can be as much of a problem uncomfortable soles. As the day progresses, our feet tend to swell. If the uppers do not expand a bit, the entire foot becomes painful. That’s why people like sandals a lot…
I have plantar fasciitis, arthritis, tendonitis and every other -itis you can have in your foot. Thank you, flat feet that fell in love with high impact aerobics back in the day.
I have been very pleased with the Dr. Scholl inserts you get at the kiosks - I’ve seen the kiosks in Wal Mart and most drug stores. It does some hocus pocus and tells you what your foot problem is and what inserts to try. If you go on the DS website there is a $10 mail-in rebate for them, and they will refund your money if you are not happy.
Both my husband and I are currently using them, and they are better than my prescription inserts. Cheaper, too - even at $50 a pop, I can afford to replace them every year. They are half-sole, so they will go in nearly any kind of shoe. I normally take the existing sole out of my shoes in order to use them (you can do that with most sneakers). Not sure how they might work with flip flops.
The key to the 'itis is doing your stretches and never, ever going barefoot. I wear shoes in the house, and I grew up a barefoot baby. I go barefoot for short periods of time, maybe 10 minutes or so, but always slip my shoes back on.
