S/o Birkenstocks....How do you find COMFORTABLE shoes?

[Ottakee]

I have a terrible time.finding comfortable shoes.   I am plus size and I do have custom orthotics as well as a bit wider feet (but don't always need a wide).

That said, I have a terrible time finding comfortable shoes.  I try them on in the store and they feel fine but then I take them home, wear them, and then they hurt my feet.  I am buying quality shoes here...chacos, keens, Merrell, Clark's, etc.

I am willing to pay $100-150/pair if they will really be comfortable for wearing more than an hour a day.

My Crocs are comfortable for around the house but ugly and not really supportive.  I would love a nice durable sandal that could stand up to several miles of walking a day in them.

Right now I wear my Brooks Dyads to work (special education teacher/aide that gets in a lot of steps a day) but they are not cute at all.

Zappos is going to block me as I order, get them, try them on, not comfortable or wring size, and send them back.  

[maize]

Are you comfortable going barefoot? If so you might try a minimalist shoe. I know that can seem counterintuitive if you normally use an orthotic but orthotics never helped me as much as simply not wearing shoes does.

[regentrude]

18 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I have a terrible time.finding comfortable shoes.   I am plus size and I do have custom orthotics as well as a bit wider feet (but don't always need a wide).

I would love a nice durable sandal that could stand up to several miles of walking a day in them.

I have not found any sandal that can be used with my custom orthotics. How would that even work in a sandal?

I wear Keen hiking shoes and now wear them for work as well, since they are the only shoes where my feet don't hurt. I have resigned to the fact that there will be no "cute" for me; I'd rather not be in pain. If anybody thinks it looks odd, their problem.

Edited June 1, 2019 by regentrude

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, maize said:

Are you comfortable going barefoot? If so you might try a minimalist shoe. I know that can seem counterintuitive if you normally use an orthotic but orthotics never helped me as much as simply not wearing shoes does.

I would be in pain after ten minutes. I have to wear shoes even inside the house.

[Bambam]

I"m not sure how to find the first one, but once you do find one, you can find others that fit/have footbed like it, and that makes it easier.
We used to get a catalog for specialty shoes that had a lot of good info about these are a good shoe if you have xyz type info. 

[fairfarmhand]

Have you tried Skechers? What works for me is to simply find a brand that works and stick to that brand. Typically Skechers, adidas, and Clark’s are good for me.

[HS Mom in NC]

Vionic is a brand of shoe I get at Amazon.  Some have orthotics built in.  They call it Orthoheel technology for arch support. I have a bad case of plantar fasciitis in my right foot and I have wide feet, so I need both features. I have wedges, booties, sandals, flats, and even flip flops with these features built in and they work well for me.  I did buy one pair of wedges that didn't have enough of it, but that was the only pair out of 8 that I returned. 

[Rachel]

Do you have any local stores selling quality brands? Spend some time talking to one of the full time employees who has been there awhile. Tell them your dilemma, ask them for advice. 

It sounds like you are wearing good brands but that you possibly just need a different style. 

[gardenmom5]

I have wide feet.  I go to the walking company.  I love abeos (some lines fit, others don't. great arch, and even metatarsal support.). I also wear danskos a lot.

there is an online site I was referred to after I visited a podiatrist.  (I have arthritis in one foot from a car accident. at least glucosamine helps me. If I remember to drink it...)  healthyfeetstore.com, vionicshoes.com (more stylish), orthofeet.com

[elegantlion]

I'm having a hard time with shoes. I find some are good for walking, some good for standing, and some only last a season or two. I like Skechers but they don't offer enough ankle support and mine only last about 1 year before they're worn out. I have a pair of Teva boots that are the most comfortable shoe I've ever owned. I've had them for about 4 years and still could wear them all day. Sadly they don't go with all my summer outfits. I've had hit or miss with other styles of Teva shoes. They're sandals aren't bad, but the newer ones were not as comfortable as the pair I bought in 2009. 

[kbutton]

5 hours ago, maize said:

Are you comfortable going barefoot? If so you might try a minimalist shoe. I know that can seem counterintuitive if you normally use an orthotic but orthotics never helped me as much as simply not wearing shoes does.

I also like my minimalist shoes, but I don't have orthotics. I wear Vibram Minimus by New Balance. I have some Merrell sandals that work, but I can't wear any of their other shoes. I really need to shop for more shoes--if I have a pair give out, I don't have much margin, and I don't have any shoes to dress up really. 

I know lots of people who swear by New Balance for hard to fit feet or orthotics. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I think that this is very individual.

I tend toward PF and usually look for arch support and cushiness.  Rock hard arch support comes in Dansko sandals and Abeo pumps, and I can’t imagine needing orthotics with either of those.  They are basically orthotics with a shoe around them, much more so than the overtouted Vionics.  

For cushiness I like Earthies flats but can’t wear them every day.  

For road runners I like Altra Torino’s—SUCH wide toes that I realized that every single other shoe I have ever worn in my life has compressed my minor toes together.  And very cushy.  For hiking and trail jogs I like either Salomon or Brooks trail runners.  They have rock plates and decent arch support.  When it’s very hot out I hike in Teva water sandals, which have decent arch support if I’m careful.  When not hiking Fit Flops are very cushy and have medium arch support.  Bjorn and Sofft are dress shoes that work when my feet are not too triggered.  They have medium arch support and are pretty cushy, but don’t work when my PF is really bad.  They are much cuter than Abeo or Dansko and fine for medium to no PF. 

The bottom line—there is no shoe that does everything at once for me, so I have a variety and pick based on what I’m doing and how my feet feel.

 

[Pen]

3 hours ago, elegantlion said:

I'm having a hard time with shoes. I find some are good for walking, some good for standing, and some only last a season or two. I like Skechers but they don't offer enough ankle support and mine only last about 1 year before they're worn out. I have a pair of Teva boots that are the most comfortable shoe I've ever owned. I've had them for about 4 years and still could wear them all day. Sadly they don't go with all my summer outfits. I've had hit or miss with other styles of Teva shoes. They're sandals aren't bad, but the newer ones were not as comfortable as the pair I bought in 2009. 

 

I have that same Teva boot, but in suede which are my “dress up” shoes.   I have had 2 pair of that boot both suede in two colors and one higher than the other. One pair is much more comfortable than the other pair.  I had to get them extra long to give me more width.

 I have also had fairly comfortable Teva sandals.

My most comfortable shoes, though not especially pretty, are my Altra shoes, especially Escalante (fairly bland looking in grey) model.  I got them (several different Altra styles including waterproof and high top now ) at a running store with a treadmill so I could try them significantly on the treadmill before they went home. Also it had a one month return policy if not satisfied and sales staff who filmed and analyzed gait and stance... I got men’s Altra in wide and big enough for inserts. They are the most comfortable shoes I have had, and also have helped my knees hips and back.   (My son got a pair from a non running specialist store of a style that isn’t comfortable — turned out to be meant for pronators and he isn’t—and that we need to return - though his are ventilated and cooler which is helpful in its way. This experience led me to want to choose to avoid regular shoe stores where staff don’t understand what the various shoes are good for.)  Both my son and I have found their waterproof model comfortable . 

 

Eta: I find Altra Escalante more comfortable than Brooks and in the grey colors arguably less sneaker looking, but still not at all dressy. You might find Brooks better for your feet and better looking— so I’d recommend a good running store rather than online shopping if possible so as to test at store and get experienced help.  — If a store would have your sizes.

. Altra also has casual and loafer type styles from time to time, but I’ve never tried those. 

Also, Ive not been successful with Vionics but you might be 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Pen

[math teacher]

I love my fitflops -another sped teacher here

[Ottakee]

36 minutes ago, Math teacher said:

I love my fitflops -another sped teacher here

I just can't wear that style to work 🙂  We have to have more foot coverage, esp. with pushing 2 wheelchairs at a time and other equipment.

[Ottakee]

Thanks for all of the ideas and input.

I can walk barefoot in the house for a few minutes at a time but not very long.  I wear my crocs most of the time in the house.

I have had PF but that is better now.  I have Achilles's tendonitis that is a chronic issue.  I also have bone spurs on my heels.   I wore orthopedic shoes as a kid.  

I will check out more of the high end shoes stores around here.   I am willing to pay the price as long as I know that I can be comfortable. 

[Pen]

 

7 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

I have had PF but that is better now.  I have Achilles's tendonitis that is a chronic issue.  I also have bone spurs on my heels.   I wore orthopedic shoes as a kid.  

 

I’ve also had A T though it seems better now.

if you try Altra, which has been good long term for my Achilles‘ tendons, read the adjustment info and take it the transition *slowly.* They are “zero drop” natural foot shape shoes.  If you’ve been in an elevated heel shoe like Brooks (my second favorite athletic shoe after Altra btw) you need to adjust slowly to the zero drop position .  A toeless insert can give a little temporary rise to heels making the transition to zero drop more progressive.    

Once used to zero drop, it helped the rest of my body be better aligned structurally.  I was having horrible hip pain which has been hugely alleviated by the Altras (and further with some gelatin).  I went from barely able to walk from door to car to back able to take my dog on short walks.

the model my son got which we have to return has extremely cushy bottoms which might be good with heel spurs    For us (my son wears same size as I do so just uses my Altras now),  the pronation arch support is too much and turns ankle out too much—and for us they are too cushy. I think they are called Olympus or a name like that. 

Altra (like Brooks iirc and New Balance) is an American company and you can talk to people in its offices. You can also order direct from them, with a return policy, but if you have local store that knows what it’s doing, that’s probably better.  Once I knew our size, I did order some items directly that our store didn’t have in stock. 

 

Beyond shoes, I also got a couple of standing mats which I am finding helpful. 

 

[Pen]

PS “zero drop” means that heel and toe/ball of foot are level.  Sort of like a foot would imprint onto soft earth. And “natural foot shape” means the toes have room. 

Our local good store helpers showed my son all sorts of things about how to lace shoes to help problems also. Like, for him, how to snug down the heel, while going loose over an area that was hurting.  (My son ran track.) 

I converted several shoes to having Lock Laces which have some give which I find more comfortable, as well as faster to put on 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Pen

[Laura Corin]

I find ECCO shoes work, but their sandals don't. A lot of ECCO shoes have removable insoles, and many are waterproof, both of which I require. My work shoes are similar to this.https://gb.ecco.com/en-GB/product/5638498943/ECCO-COOL-2-0

[Rachel]

39 minutes ago, Ottakee said:

Thanks for all of the ideas and input.

I can walk barefoot in the house for a few minutes at a time but not very long.  I wear my crocs most of the time in the house.

I have had PF but that is better now.  I have Achilles's tendonitis that is a chronic issue.  I also have bone spurs on my heels.   I wore orthopedic shoes as a kid.  

I will check out more of the high end shoes stores around here.   I am willing to pay the price as long as I know that I can be comfortable. 

When you are in the local stores, ask about their return policies. My local outdoors store will let you return shoes that have been worn outside for up to 6 months. My running store will let you return shoes that have only been worn indoors. I find at least being able to wear shoes around the house is a lot more helpful than 10 minutes in the store. 

[Pawz4me]

10 minutes ago, Pen said:

Our local good store helpers showed my son all sorts of things about how to lace shoes to help problems also. Like, for him, how to snug down the heel, while going loose over an area that was hurting.  (My son ran track.) 

I converted several shoes to having Lock Laces which have some give which I find more comfortable, as well as faster to put on 

Lacing technique can make an absolute world of difference. I have numerous foot issues, most of them due to RA. I went to an athletic store that does 3D imaging/stride analysis and bought the shoes and inserts they recommended, which are fairly wonderful. But I also fiddled around with different lacing techniques to make them even better. I use the lacing technique that works best for whichever part(s) of my feet are bothering me the most on any given day.

[Pen]

11 minutes ago, Rachel said:

When you are in the local stores, ask about their return policies. My local outdoors store will let you return shoes that have been worn outside for up to 6 months. My running store will let you return shoes that have only been worn indoors. I find at least being able to wear shoes around the house is a lot more helpful than 10 minutes in the store. 

 

And spend the time in store you need to. Hours of need be, not 10 minutes.

[Ottakee]

17 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

And spend the time in store you need to. Hours of need be, not 10 minutes.

This made me laugh as my children will NOT NOT NOT ever never never go shoe shopping with me again...after we spent 2 hours buying running shoes at the running store a few years ago.

[math teacher]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

I just can't wear that style to work 🙂  We have to have more foot coverage, esp. with pushing 2 wheelchairs at a time and other equipment.

They have closed toe versions.

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

This made me laugh as my children will NOT NOT NOT ever never never go shoe shopping with me again...after we spent 2 hours buying running shoes at the running store a few years ago.

Oh my. Do you have a running store in a bigger city that will do custom fittings? We have two chains near us that do that, and one does better than the other simply because they sell more brands. They have you walk on a treadmill, video you, wave feathers over you, I don't know, and when they bring out shoes usually the FIRST PAIR fits perfectly. And for me, I went from a size 9 previously to a 10 1/2, which was probably why shoes never felt good to me! LOL And they put me in a kind of shoe I NEVER would have pursued on my own, a zero drop by Altra. Now I have zero pain. And of course they do custom inserts. 

https://stores.roadrunnersports.com  Bummer, they don't have a location in MI! Well maybe you'll find something similar near you. At least you can see from the pics what they do. Or come down here and visit us and get fitted. :D 

[Pen]

1 hour ago, Ottakee said:

This made me laugh as my children will NOT NOT NOT ever never never go shoe shopping with me again...after we spent 2 hours buying running shoes at the running store a few years ago.

 

This leads me to add that if you’re an Amazon Prime customer and if a shoe(s)  you are interested in is available on Amazon Prime Wardrobe, that can be a way to try several sizes and styles for a week (but just a week! Go over that and you have to pay for them) in comfort of own home—IF you can get them back to them properly on time. They don’t get upset by the returns because that’s the concept of Prime Wardrobe.  For my Ds who lacks shoe store patience,  I did this for dress shoes.  

[Pen]

3 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Oh my. Do you have a running store in a bigger city that will do custom fittings? We have two chains near us that do that, and one does better than the other simply because they sell more brands. They have you walk on a treadmill, video you, wave feathers over you, I don't know, and when they bring out shoes usually the FIRST PAIR fits perfectly. And for me, I went from a size 9 previously to a 10 1/2, which was probably why shoes never felt good to me! LOL And they put me in a kind of shoe I NEVER would have pursued on my own, a zero drop by Altra. Now I have zero pain. And of course they do custom inserts. 

https://stores.roadrunnersports.com  Bummer, they don't have a location in MI! Well maybe you'll find something similar near you. At least you can see from the pics what they do. Or come down here and visit us and get fitted. 😄

 

We have similar store with treadmill videos etc.

and we still spent over an hour with Ds trying on various shoes, running on tread mill, learning to lace them differently etc.  but we did end up with happy feet from there     

 

then without him, I went myself and spent another two hours (Some was sitting and standing while other customers came and went and were using the treadmill)... and one pair shoes I got with him in mind knowing he’d be likely to adopt them

[PeterPan]

11 minutes ago, Pen said:

we still spent over an hour with Ds trying on various shoes,

Yup, with ds it took a bit more effort. He and dd have these really high tops of the feet, not sure why, and they're just hard to fit. They get it done, but it takes a few more tries. 

But really, the smaller chain has like I don't know 10 brands, and the bigger one (Roadrunner that I linked) has TONS more brands. And they have all the widths. So you go in and they're just like boom, nailing it. With ds this past year they put him into a wide women's because he was very in-between. Ironically, it's the same brand dd wears, so maybe Brooks cuts for their kind of feet?

I think once you really know your size, you can go on Zappos or do whatever. For my dd, I took her to an old time shoe store, the kind with a human who sits you down and looks at your feet, and they told her what size she was. They didn't have anything to suit her, because she was 16, lol. But they fitted her and taught her what to look for, so now she buys all her shoes on amazon on the cheap, amazing deals. And she's really tricky, like some kind of double wide women's or something, I don't know. She just has big bones, lol.

Your sneaker and dress shoe sizes are totally different, so you have to get fitted at both kinds of places. And really fit the dress shoes, I think they're more consistent, especially once you find brands that work for you. The sneakers vary widely with the brand.

Edited June 1, 2019 by PeterPan

[crazyforlatin]

I wear Birkenstocks at home and it was one of the brands the doctor suggested for flat feet. So it's not like memory foam shoes where you feel like you are walking on marshmallows. I really had to adjust to it.  But I have less pain now. DD has slippers with built in orthotics, and they are very comfortable. 

[Carol in Cal.]

3 hours ago, Ottakee said:

Thanks for all of the ideas and input.

I can walk barefoot in the house for a few minutes at a time but not very long.  I wear my crocs most of the time in the house.

I have had PF but that is better now.  I have Achilles's tendonitis that is a chronic issue.  I also have bone spurs on my heels.   I wore orthopedic shoes as a kid.  

I will check out more of the high end shoes stores around here.   I am willing to pay the price as long as I know that I can be comfortable. 

In this case I suggest trying Earthies flats.  They are pretty cushy for dressy shoes, and when I had an arch spur they did not aggravate it.  I think they would help with your heels.

[kbutton]

On 6/1/2019 at 3:13 PM, Ottakee said:

Thanks for all of the ideas and input.

I can walk barefoot in the house for a few minutes at a time but not very long.  I wear my crocs most of the time in the house.

I have had PF but that is better now.  I have Achilles's tendonitis that is a chronic issue.  I also have bone spurs on my heels.   I wore orthopedic shoes as a kid.  

I will check out more of the high end shoes stores around here.   I am willing to pay the price as long as I know that I can be comfortable. 

My dad had the PF/Achille's tendonitis/bone spur trifecta. It's all related, but no one told him until it was too late for him to find more effective care for his feet. Anyway, at one point he did have a heel spur removed (big help), and he has had various taping routines that helped. Eventually he got a brace when he's walking a lot. 

Hopefully you are not that far down the path, but zero drop shoes (I referred to minimalist shoes, but I think more than just minimalist shoes can be zero drop) keep the Achille's tendon stretched to some extent vs. a shoe with a heel of some kind, including "flats" that aren't really flat. I have a lot less PF with zero drop shoes, and I think that is what started the whole thing. I have a bit of tendon pain from time-to-time, but that started after my PF went away for a long time, and I took a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Nasty stuff. The zero drop shoes keep my foot functional.

[Pen]

4 hours ago, kbutton said:

My dad had the PF/Achille's tendonitis/bone spur trifecta. It's all related, but no one told him until it was too late for him to find more effective care for his feet. Anyway, at one point he did have a heel spur removed (big help), and he has had various taping routines that helped. Eventually he got a brace when he's walking a lot. 

Hopefully you are not that far down the path, but zero drop shoes (I referred to minimalist shoes, but I think more than just minimalist shoes can be zero drop) keep the Achille's tendon stretched to some extent vs. a shoe with a heel of some kind, including "flats" that aren't really flat. I have a lot less PF with zero drop shoes, and I think that is what started the whole thing. I have a bit of tendon pain from time-to-time, but that started after my PF went away for a long time, and I took a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Nasty stuff. The zero drop shoes keep my foot functional.

 

The Altras definitely have zero drop with minimal padding, but also with medium and thick cushioning. And also smoother bottoms or bottoms better for hiking.  I feel best in the zero drop and medium to padding. But with bone spurs the heavy padding might be better.  It might also depend on the ground or flooring.  

[yonkid]

You can sort by footbed at the walking co

https://www.thewalkingcompany.com/c/sandals-womens

 

[Familia]

My foot issues are: prone to plantar fasciitis, wide toe box yet regular width heel area, uber high arch.

I have found three things to be the gem:

1) must feel good in the store without obvious tightness, rubbing, etc

2) these insoles from Amazon.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002675TYM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1  I detested them the first few days because they are hard and just so different than the 'Dr. Scholl's' I have used, but DH made me wait them out.  They are wonderful!  I even use the pop-out arch supports by themselves in shoes that are 'tighter' or whose style make my foot too 'high' when the entire insert is in, like my dress Maryjanes.  These insoles come with an adaptor for sandals...a way to adhere the insole to the sandal bed.  I have not used that feature.

3: if lace ups, keep loosely tied.  I mistakenly used to tie where it was 'comfortable' when putting shoes on, not realizing that this was 'gently' putting pressure on my arch from above.  The telltale sign of this is a slow burn sensation on the bottom of my feet.  So, if you have high arches, check to make sure you are not putting pressure on your arch from above.  I think of this as like braces...that slight pressure can have an enormous, and in this case painful, effect.

[Pen]

FYI Altra has a sale currently on some models, end of 2018 stock and styles I think, some sizes. 

On 6/1/2019 at 10:45 AM, Carol in Cal. said:

For road runners I like Altra Torino’s—SUCH wide toes that I realized that every single other shoe I have ever worn in my life has compressed my minor toes togethe

 

Do you mean Torin ?  I think some of them were on sale but going fast. 

Unfortunately, I’d love a cooler Mesh high top Lone Peak for summer, and it isn’t on sale. 

[Carol in Cal.]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

FYI Altra has a sale currently on some models, end of 2018 stock and styles I think, some sizes. 

 

Do you mean Torin ?  I think some of them were on sale but going fast. 

Unfortunately, I’d love a cooler Mesh high top Lone Peak for summer, and it isn’t on sale. 

Yes, Torin. Stupid iPad autocorrect.

[Joker]

So, you guys had me all excited about Altura shoes. I had never heard of them but the only shoes I can comfortably wear all day for miles are my Birkenstock sandals, so I found a few stores that sell the Altura shoes near me. I bought a pair of Torins this morning and I'll be taking them back tomorrow.   Fortunately the place I bought them said I had two weeks to wear them and could still return for a full refund. My feet haven't hurt this bad in a while. I put my Birks back on and no pain. 

I have no idea why I can't find any other shoe that is comfortable and I really thought the Altura's would work. I really need to find something else because I don't live in a place where I can where my sandals year round. I did order a pair of lace up Birkenstock shoes online but they aren't comfortable either. It feel like the arch support in those is in the middle of my foot and I have heel pain after wearing them only a short time. 

[Pen]

19 minutes ago, Joker said:

So, you guys had me all excited about Altura shoes. I had never heard of them but the only shoes I can comfortably wear all day for miles are my Birkenstock sandals, so I found a few stores that sell the Altura shoes near me. I bought a pair of Torins this morning and I'll be taking them back tomorrow.   Fortunately the place I bought them said I had two weeks to wear them and could still return for a full refund. My feet haven't hurt this bad in a while. I put my Birks back on and no pain. 

I have no idea why I can't find any other shoe that is comfortable and I really thought the Altura's would work. I really need to find something else because I don't live in a place where I can where my sandals year round. I did order a pair of lace up Birkenstock shoes online but they aren't comfortable either. It feel like the arch support in those is in the middle of my foot and I have heel pain after wearing them only a short time. 

 

Altra totally may not be right for you, but different models can be quite different.  We have to return a pair that didn’t work for us.

Torins iirc have lots of cushioning , excellent for some people, not for others. 

Lone Peaks, which I’m wearing now (men’s which fit both my son and me), are not as hard bottomed as Birkenstock, but they’re significantly firmer support than Torin or the Paradigms or Olympus ones we have to return.  (And without any pronation support, but I don’t think Torin has pronation support either.)

Also our size in Altra  is about 2 sizes bigger than in, say, New Balance. And even though they have special women’s lasts I feel more comfortable in the wider men’s

 

If we’d started with the ones we have to return we may also have had a negative view of the whole brand. I started with Lone Peak, then added Escalante.  My first Lone Peak took me about a week of working into wearing them to feel comfortable, including softening the ankle of one shoe.  But coming from Birkenstock which I think are also zero drop and natural foot shape you shouldn’t need that. 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Pen

[Pen]

@Joker if u didn’t return them yet try taking out th insole and see if your foot fits on it when your weight is on it, with all toes completely on and arch in right place as they would be on the cork bed of Birkenstock.  

I would guess that with as much pain as you report the ones you got are too small for u, and probably that the sole is wrong cushioneing for you, both. 

Btw Altra online has a 30 day return policy for shoes bought direct from them. 

Also, if you’re very comfortable in Birkenstock have you tried Birkenstock insoles in other shoes? 

Edited June 4, 2019 by Pen

[Carol in Cal.]

48 minutes ago, Joker said:

So, you guys had me all excited about Altura shoes. I had never heard of them but the only shoes I can comfortably wear all day for miles are my Birkenstock sandals, so I found a few stores that sell the Altura shoes near me. I bought a pair of Torins this morning and I'll be taking them back tomorrow.   Fortunately the place I bought them said I had two weeks to wear them and could still return for a full refund. My feet haven't hurt this bad in a while. I put my Birks back on and no pain. 

I have no idea why I can't find any other shoe that is comfortable and I really thought the Altura's would work. I really need to find something else because I don't live in a place where I can where my sandals year round. I did order a pair of lace up Birkenstock shoes online but they aren't comfortable either. It feel like the arch support in those is in the middle of my foot and I have heel pain after wearing them only a short time. 

It occurs to me that by the time I tried the Altra Torins, I had already gotten past the PF AND changed my gait to avoid heel striking.  I don't think they would have worked when I was in full on PF agony.  For that I needed much more specific arch support and at least a small heel.  So the Sophia sandals from Dansko were my shoes of choice.  I wore them so much that I figured out what socks I could wear them with in the rain.  

[prairiewindmomma]

On 6/1/2019 at 5:13 AM, Ottakee said:

  I am plus size and I do have custom orthotics as well as a bit wider feet (but don't always need a wide).

 

What kind of orthotics do you have? Are we talking slip-ins or are we talking AFOs? What is the function of your orthotic? Because, honestly, that makes a huge, huge difference.

I am fluffy, have PF, and Achilles Tendonitis, and some bone issues due to my RA. Fun foot times.

For *me*, the three key shoe components are:

*cushy and stable heel

*high arch support

*a shoe design that allow for proper stride/weight bearing.

I can't wear a lot of the shoes listed above off the shelf.  I can wear a few of the with slip-in orthotics. I have to be careful, though, as the shoe can cause some heel slip.

Today I bought two pairs of Vionics---the Tide II and the Kirra backstrap.  I can only wear sandals that come with built in arch support and heel cushion. (Birkenstocks, Sketchers, and BOC are shoe lines that often have models with moderate arch support, but it's not enough, fwiw.)  I don't know that they would work for you, though, depending on the function and for of your orthotic. As far as other shoes go, it all comes down to the shoe bed and how it interacts with the orthotics.

Chime back in re: you're orthotic....I may have some ideas. (My dd wore leaf spring KAFOs, so I do know a bit about how they work in a shoe.)

[klmama]

If the Vionic Tide II flip flop seems too flat, the High Tide has the same arch in the footbed, but with a slight rise toward the heel.

[Joker]

1 hour ago, Carol in Cal. said:

It occurs to me that by the time I tried the Altra Torins, I had already gotten past the PF AND changed my gait to avoid heel striking.  I don't think they would have worked when I was in full on PF agony.  For that I needed much more specific arch support and at least a small heel.  So the Sophia sandals from Dansko were my shoes of choice.  I wore them so much that I figured out what socks I could wear them with in the rain.  

It's actually been quite a while since I've been in pain, though. I stick to my Birkenstock sandals and occasionally wear a pair of Nike's (when weather is bad) and have been ok. The Birks are the only ones I can wear to walk all day or long distances though and they are the Mayari (sp?) ones so I can't wear socks with them. I've even been fine walking barefoot while at home. The Altra shoes just killed my feet today, though. 

I did find a really old shoe store that operates here and it looks like they have many styles of Birkenstocks (even throw a summer Birks party) so I am going to see what types they have. Maybe they will have something I can wear in more weather here. I will at least probably get another pair of Birks but ones that I can wear with socks in colder weather. 

[Joker]

1 hour ago, Pen said:

@Joker if u didn’t return them yet try taking out th insole and see if your foot fits on it when your weight is on it, with all toes completely on and arch in right place as they would be on the cork bed of Birkenstock.  

I would guess that with as much pain as you report the ones you got are too small for u, and probably that the sole is wrong cushioneing for you, both. 

Btw Altra online has a 30 day return policy for shoes bought direct from them. 

Also, if you’re very comfortable in Birkenstock have you tried Birkenstock insoles in other shoes? 

I honestly didn't know that was a thing until now. Wow! Definitely something I'm going to look into.

[Carol in Cal.]

Just now, Joker said:

It's actually been quite a while since I've been in pain, though. I stick to my Birkenstock sandals and occasionally wear a pair of Nike's (when weather is bad) and have been ok. The Birks are the only ones I can wear to walk all day or long distances though and they are the Mayari (sp?) ones so I can't wear socks with them. I've even been fine walking barefoot while at home. The Altra shoes just killed my feet today, though. 

I did find a really old shoe store that operates here and it looks like they have many styles of Birkenstocks (even throw a summer Birks party) so I am going to see what types they have. Maybe they will have something I can wear in more weather here. I will at least probably get another pair of Birks but ones that I can wear with socks in colder weather. 

Birks have some arch support.  Altras mostly just have cushiness.  Birks with socks are a great choice for you, it sounds like.  And I'd want to be pretty conscious of my heel strike if I were in that much pain with the Altras.  Still, all feet are different, and you have to find what works for you.  Torins work great for me, but the Altra trail runners don't fit me right at all.

[Pen]

@Joker

In Birkenstock I wear size Eu 39. In Altra, I’ll put a pict below which I plan to delete later so don’t copy it, I wear men’s 9 (wide if there’s a wide option)  without socks or added insoles supports or orthotics

Or a size larger if allowing room for orthotics or insoles or, rarely, socks: 

picture one Men’s 9wide eu 42.5 my foot on insole is about equivalent to how it is on a 39 Birkenstock 

picture 2 side view of the arch — these do have some arch support but less than Birkenstock— unless a Birk insole added

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by Pen

[Ottakee]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

What kind of orthotics do you have? Are we talking slip-ins or are we talking AFOs? What is the function of your orthotic? Because, honestly, that makes a huge, huge difference.

I am fluffy, have PF, and Achilles Tendonitis, and some bone issues due to my RA. Fun foot times.

I have the slip in orthotics.   Just made from foot mold $$$ ones.

I have pretty big bone spurs on the back of both heels where the Achilles tendon attaches. I know I need to avoid shoes that are more v shaped in the heel and look for ones that are more rounded.

 

[prairiewindmomma]

When you feel foot fatigue, Ottakee, where are you feeling it? And how often are you getting your orthotics replaced?  Custom orthotics have a range of life, and it sounds like you're getting enough steps in that maybe you're closer to that one year of use rather than the three years of use.  Are your shoes still wearing evenly? Is your pain in your back/ankles or feet?  If the answer to any of that is no, and you've had your orthotics for at least a year, I think I'd look a bit at replacing the orthotic.

As far as shoe comfort itself goes, it sounds like you're looking for a non tennis shoe that still allows you to put in a ton of steps.  If you didn't wear orthotics, I would steer you towards Sketchers--with the goga mat technology but caution you that you'll need to replace them fairly often (like yearly). The problem is that sketchers have a glued in footbed, so it's not easy to slip in a set of orthotics.

Ugh...timer just went off, I'll try to chime in later...

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Ok, back again... have you tried any of the Dansko Mary Jane style shoes, like the Fawna? They have a removable insole, so it’s easy to slip your custom in and still have that cushioning in the sole of the shoe. The shoe body is leather, so it should stretch to you and wear well, and there’s a tiny bit of a heel, but not much. It doesn’t shift my weight much because the front of the shoe is also built up.

[Pen]

@Ottakee did you find shoes yet?

 

I’m thinking of these in place of sandals: 

https://www.altrarunning.com/shop/trail/men-39%3Bs-vanish-xc-alm1912x

 

and there’s a shoe company called hot chocolate that has a style of Mary Janes   that look like bright maps ...   probably *not* comfortable...  but I thought of you when I saw them since the map design looks like it would be cute for a teacher