My doc called me out last visit on two blisters that I’ve had on my feet that are taking their sweet 'ol time to heal. I know, I know. Anyway, I try to avoid high heels or anything really painful, but do like girly shoes, especially for work. That said, I wear my Keen flipflops whenever I’m home (they have toe protection) and also my chucks when I go out. I have a few other pairs of Keen shoes and merrels, but during the summer I pretty much only wear flip flops. Or I go barefoot. I know, I know. Bad, bad me.
kansan, if it’s a question of foot care (rather than fashion), then I think the correct answer is:
(1) They need to be TRULY Comfy - no pinch points or sliding. If it didn’t fit at the store, hoping to “break it in” to the correct size and shape is a BAD IDEA.
(2) Even more important: Do NOT wear the same shoes every day! Alternate between different pairs (and even better: different brands, if they can meet requirement #1.)
I personally have extremely hard-to-fit feet, and so does my father. (My father was 4F’d in WW-II, rejected because his weird feet had been ruined by wearing “normal” shoes through his school years.) In general, my heels are tiny, but my toe box needs to be big. I haven’t found a Chinese-made shoe, OR an American made shoe, which is built around a Last which really fits my feet. There are a couple of Italian-made hiking boots which fit me well, but they cost a lot. (Feet are priceless, so I’ve bought them.) Another pair was sold under a high-end Swiss label, but it’s definitely using a nearly identical Last. (It may even be made by the same Italian firm under contract.) I alternate them with various pairs of “fairly good” casual footwear and “tennis” shoes.
But alternate. Every single day.
Hi Rick. You might try the Saucony brand running or walking shoes. Their heel is smaller than most with a roomy toebox.
I have a shoe problem. I love Vibrams, but my feet get too cold if it’s below 60 (and I can’t stand the socks with them). I also wear sperrys, chuck taylors, teva or rainbow flip flops, Brooks Glycerin 8’s, I have 4 pairs of Asics, Nike Frees, then my work shoes… a white pair of Reebok Easy Tones for the hospital and a pair of all black $9 ones from Target for my barista gig. I had a couple pairs of Merrells, but they didn’t get along with my dog… I also have a few pairs of dress shoes and some tall boots, Uggs, hmmm… that’s about it. My husband says I’m not allowed to buy any more shoes.
I agree with TS… 90% of foot problems (pain) are caused by so-called “supportive” shoes which force your feet into somewhat unnatural positions… your feet don’t need that at all, what they need are muscles that are capable of supporting the foot properly, which regular (stiff) shoes can’t provide, and in fact cause foot muscles to weaken. Barefoot is best, but obviously for us D’s that’s not really recommended, which is part of why the VFF’s are so great… you can “feel” the ground under you but your feet are protected.
I have diabetic shoes and I hate them. They include nifty inserts and a brace on my left ankle. So I talked to the doctor and said “Hey!” I gave him a choice. Either I wear them and don’t walk or I get real shoes and I walk. He said as long as I wear New Balance I can go to a walking shoe. WHICH I DID!!! And never happier. I am more mobile, the New Balance are made wider and have a more supportive base than other tenner booties. I have on top of it all, flat feet. I chose a walking shoe vs. a running shoe and its arch doesn’t work against my archless wonders.
Anyway – anything New Balance gets my thumbs up (and my doctor’s, too).
Good Luck!
Redwings for work and by default most days. Vans when I can’t find my boots or just want a change. 14 eyelet Gripfasts for going out. All but the vans being steelies
Hey Jim, do those RedWings offer much in the way of comfort and support? They look super nice, but come with a nice price tag too. Id want some cushion for what their asking. I had a pair of Clarks at about 1/2 the cost but ran through the sole in no time.
I echo barb whiton’s remark – whatever I want to wear. However, I do try to change my shoes often, and I don’t buy stuff that would cause me to break my neck. But I’m lucky in that my feet are in good shape.
Redwings are worth the money mine have held up working on the airport tarmac for 2+ years. I also have a backup pair of the converse work boot cheap and comfy. The only complaint with the converse they are high top sneaker height so no real ankle or calf support. But for 60 bucks they rock
Thanks Jim. Ill have to run by the shop and have a look. Im liking the Heritage collection, but want something diabetic comfy. I hung up my 12 eye Docs for lack of comfort!
Shoes are not just about today; they’re about five, ten, twenty-five years from now. That’s why I only wear flat walking shoes with my orthotics in them. I have orthotics that were made to plaster casts of my feet. They need to have a straight last (flat on the bottom) so my feet don’t pronate with each step – that’s how I got stress fractures in my legs thirty years ago: working out in bare feet with arches that pronate with each and every step. I need a high toe box (I tend to scrunch my toes when I walk and can’t stand to feel too confined. On the other hand, I cannot wear “open” shoes like sandals and flip-flops as this results in dry, cracking heels. Not good!!!
I have never understood, will never understand high heels. I couldn’t wear them when I was 14 or 18 or 21 – I’m sure as heck not going to try and wear them now!!!
I had to choose years ago between “cute” feet and healthy feet. I chose healthy.
Gripfast beat DMs for comfort and wear and kill them in price. Mine are 12 years old and still kicking
Your a wealth of good information there, Jim! Here i am still trying to strap on 12 eye steel toes and boy do those things suck as you get older. LOL. Which would you say are more comfortable, the Gripfast or the Redwings?
A pair of B.A. Mason (mail order) work shoes. Very heavy, well padded, long wearing sole. I do my daily walk on coarse gravel and these work out good for that. I work in front of a computer so they’re overkill for the rest of the day. Since I worked blue collar, on your feet all day type jobs most of my life they are what I’m used to.
I had a vibram fitter go “wow, I think you’re the first person I’ve seen that I think would be made worse by these…” it’s not so much my feet that are the issue - but the fact that I’m hyper mobile, my tendons/ligaments are too long so when I stand with my knees locked 'straight" my knee cap is in line with the back of my heel, yep, my knees bend backwards… you can possibly imagine what that makes my feet and ankles do when I walk or run. This has become worth with age, things stretch and dont bounce back as they used to. The worst I’ve had was trying to get away with just wearing my doc’s for work… and being stubborn so I pretty much tried to tear some tendon/muscle off my shin as it tried to compensate for my ligaments being useless!
I’ve never been too picky about shoes. Mainly I wear a couple of different pairs of Sketchers at work, NewBalance tennis shoes, crocks and sandals if not at work and depending on temperature. Today it is supposed to be 80F so it is crocks I guess. Around the house some comfy old faux-deer skin slippers or barefoot.
Yeah, I know all the scare tactics but I have had my feet sliced to ribbons as a teen when swimming in the river and have never had any issues.
I wear good athletic shoes, great arches and good footing. I’d love to wear something else, but these are my daily shoes. If I hae to get dressed up for something, it’s a lower heel, but I put in my orthotics, and make sure that I don’t stay in them all day.
I’m the same, I just wear comfortable shoes that fit well, sandals in summer, boots in winter, heels when I dress up. My understanding of the whole “foot” thing is that the danger is developing neuropathy and then not feeling it when you get an injury which then gets infected, etc. Well if you don’t have neuropathy, what’s the worry? And if you check your feet regularly you can watch for both signs of neuropathy and injury. I think it’s important to wear comfortable shoes that fit well, but not everyone can afford special shoes, and if you are not an athlete, probably don’t need to.
I’m not sure that the “athlete” analogy is off? I find that when I take some time @ the (running) shoe store, try on a bunch of shoes and run on the treadmill, often with a heap of shoes, one on each foot, comparing to both different new shoes and my old favorites, I can get a comfier shoe to run in? Sometimes the one that feels good sitting/ standing / walking may not feel quite the same after a few miles. I would recommend at least trying it out. It also probably helped me get “engaged” with the whole walking (at first…)/ running/ exercising thing, because I’d invested the time, repeated my story (“I need to walk regularly to try to get in shape”, this was like in 2006!) and got some “buy-in” that I didn’t get elsewhere? A slightly higher price at the running store where they have treadmills, runners and a more proactive attitude than I find at the more mall type of stores can make a difference?