dirty ethel rackham Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 (edited) I need some more shoes. Since my ankle reconstruction last February, the only shoes I can wear are my Brooks Adrenalines and Vionic sandals (Thanks for that suggestion, btw.) I do have a pair of Keens that are OK to take the dog out into the yard, but not for walking any distance more than a couple houses away. I need major arch support and I have a heel spur as a result of the surgery that feels like I have a Lego permanently attached to the bottom of my foot. What other brands might I want to check out? I could use a pair of close-toed casual, but not too casual shoes and a pair of shoes that I can wear for longer periods of time but can get wet. ETA: Another question. Since the arch of my foot did not heal properly, I need an orthotic and have an appointment to get fitted for one this week. The Superfeet Insoles in my Brooks do pretty well. However, the Vionics are for comfort. They do not offer enough support to walk any distance. And ... although I've only had the shoes since May, the velcro is weakening. For those of you who wear orthotics, how exactly do you wear them? I can see putting one in my Brooks, but how would I wear one in a sandal or casual or dress shoe? Edited August 16, 2016 by dirty ethel rackham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennW in SoCal Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 For sandals, nothing has the arch support like Vionics. Wish they weren't so expensive and wish all those velcro straps stayed looking nice for the duration of the summer! I've had some success with Naot and Taos. I had a pair of Naots that were close toed with a strap around the ankle -- you could put your orthotic in there, but you'd have to cut it down to fit. My feet are happiest in the winter when I can put my orthotics in close-toed shoes and boots -- shoes with removable insoles. I got some really cute Dansko boots last winter and the two brands of tennis/athletic shoes I use are Aveo and Merrill. I just take my orthotics into Walking Company or Footwear, etc and try lots and lots of shoes. I heard a story on NPR once about a cobbler who still makes custom shoes, and I often dream about how wonderful that would be -- something cute with all the orthotic support!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyinthegarden Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Klogs are great if you are walking around on a level surface like inside your house or the mall. Klogs are the only shoe that makes my feet feel comfortable all day long. They use to be called Klog USA. A very long time ago I had a pair of Merrells that were wonderful, but they stopped making that particular shoe. I wore them through a pregnancy. You may want to call a customer rep. at Zappos and ask these questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertBlossom Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Go to a good shoe store that makes custom orthotics. There are shoes with removable soles just for that reason. And in a lot of different styles. Expensive though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 I LOVE my vionic slip on sandals, and my Birkenstocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 The most hard core arch support I know of is Dansko, but I don't think it would be all that great with a heel spur. The sole is quite hard. For some arch support with some cush, Fit Flops fit the bill, but their arch support is less firm than Vionic's. For closed shoes, Bjorn or Sofft have awesome arch support and can be worn with orthotics. You can find these at the Nordstrom Rack--otherwise they are kind of pricey. For sneakers, Brooks Cascadia or Salomon trail runners have pretty good arch support and good lateral stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 (edited) have you tried abeo from walking company? eta:I used to be a diehard dansko person. not. any. more. arch support, metatarsul support, Edited August 16, 2016 by gardenmom5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 have you tried abeo from walking company? This is exactly what I was going to post. I have chronic tendonitis and never dress up because I could never find supportive dress shoes. Now I'm wearing sundresses for fun! Abeo has different levels of support so, if you can, try on several until you can find what feels the best. For tennies, I was struggling, too. One day I was inspired (or emboldened) and limped to our local running store. It was full of waif-like runners, and I felt weird, but the salesperson spent a long time and went through lots of shoes to find a pair that fit and gave me the support I need. (They measure things like offset and rise?) These shoes are better than any of the inserts or custom things that have been made for me. Unlike the orthotics people, he never insisted they will get comfortable "with time" or that I'll "get used to" the discomfort. Mine are Saucony, but I'd recommend finding a local place that specializes and find something that is perfect for your foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSweet Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 Tara M from walking company are my new favorites. I don't have heel spurs but I have had several foot surgeries and near constant pain and I can walk for hours in them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 16, 2016 Share Posted August 16, 2016 This is exactly what I was going to post. I have chronic tendonitis and never dress up because I could never find supportive dress shoes. Now I'm wearing sundresses for fun! Abeo has different levels of support so, if you can, try on several until you can find what feels the best. For tennies, I was struggling, too. One day I was inspired (or emboldened) and limped to our local running store. It was full of waif-like runners, and I felt weird, but the salesperson spent a long time and went through lots of shoes to find a pair that fit and gave me the support I need. (They measure things like offset and rise?) These shoes are better than any of the inserts or custom things that have been made for me. Unlike the orthotics people, he never insisted they will get comfortable "with time" or that I'll "get used to" the discomfort. Mine are Saucony, but I'd recommend finding a local place that specializes and find something that is perfect for your foot. yes - for athletic shoes- the best place is where *actual* runners go - and it's not some find one in every mall store that has rows of various kinds of generic "athletic" shoes. (since I'm not a runner, and just wanted walking shoes, I did try some on there . . . . abeo, just abeos all the way. so much more comfortable and supportive.) in seattle - that's super jock and jill. (they opened one in redmond). they are a hoot about how they fit a shoe, but dds x-cntry coach (world class runner) sent all the kids there. (they also only use those shoes for the actual race - to and from was a different set of shoes.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted August 16, 2016 Author Share Posted August 16, 2016 Oh, I agree that a running store is the best place to get a good athletic shoe. The running store is where I found the Brooks Adrenaline model, which seems to work very well. I probably tried on 30 different shoes and tested them on their video treadmills before settling on these. What I need are shoes that I can wear with a dress or nice slacks. Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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