OT: most comfortable walking shoe?

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

.... In many cases, a good set of insoles will outweigh the shoes themselves.

+1

To borrow a term from bike fit...it's your "contact point"!

[MikeD]

The barefoot movement may be good for younger people, but if you're older; not! I'm suffering from plantar fachiitis and now painful posterior tibia tendon dysfunction that has me off the bike and wearing a boot for a month. The podiatrist recommends supportive insoles or orthodics and stiffer shoes, stretching and foam rolling the calves. I developed these problems I'm pretty sure from hiking. Strengthening the foot muscles is also a good thing to do.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by MikeD

The barefoot movement may be good for younger people, but if you're older; not! I'm suffering from plantar fachiitis and now painful posterior tibia tendon dysfunction that has me off the bike and wearing a boot for a month. The podiatrist recommends supportive insoles or orthodics and stiffer shoes, stretching and foam rolling the calves. I developed these problems I'm pretty sure from hiking. Strengthening the foot muscles is also a good thing to do.

Here's a resource that's worth exploring - https://sock-doc.com

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by MikeD

The barefoot movement may be good for younger people, but if you're older; not! I'm suffering from plantar fachiitis and now painful posterior tibia tendon dysfunction that has me off the bike and wearing a boot for a month. The podiatrist recommends supportive insoles or orthodics and stiffer shoes, stretching and foam rolling the calves. I developed these problems I'm pretty sure from hiking. Strengthening the foot muscles is also a good thing to do.

This is imperative. Unfortunately, cycling does nothing to help build the feet muscles. It's why I started walking seriously. I needed the resistance training, but couldn't take the impact of running. My posterior chain in pretty good in general (I'm on my feet a lot as a personal trainer) but the post tib really started acting up with all the walking (about five miles a day with lots of hills)

I really made a concerted effort to stretch my calves and it mitigated a lot of the discomfort.

[ColonelJLloyd]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

Ask your mail person!

Seriously I do have a good pal who is a mail delivery person in upstate NY and tells me he walks at least a half marathon a day and sometimes more: I should ask him what his preferred shoe is.

I pay attention to such things. Almost all the ones I see around my neighborhood are in what looks to be a work/hiking boot of some sort. Kinda makes me think they can't just wear whatever they want.

I'll tell you one thing, though. The pith helmet and black hiking boots give a perception of TCB.

[kingpin75s]

Originally Posted by Drmojo

Rated best walking shoes for decades.
Several models, but r pricey-240-300$

+1 on Mephisto shoes. Have a couple pairs and everyone of them has been immediately comfortable.

I have a fairly wide foot so a roomy toe box is important.

Right now my daily is the Scarpa Mojito GTX Basic. Great shoe but tough to find in the US.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

Here's a resource that's worth exploring - https://sock-doc.com

Here's another one https://theflatearthsociety.org/home/

[rccardr]

I wear shoes as little as possible, but for general walking around to the grocery or whatever where bare feet are frowned upon, can still get away with Vans or All Stars. Clearly, no support, but only wear them for a short period.

For real walking, I use ECCOs. Wide toe box (which I need since dropping a shelf full of cast iron fry pans on my right foot a decade ago), lots of support, don't look weird or anything. Really great for overseas travel where having a polishable shoe that looks semi-dressy comes in handy.

Also use Clarks low cut hikers for casual long distance walking or light hiking, but they stay home when we go overseas cuz they really can't be made to look like anything but hiking shoes.

Used to wear Rockports, but they changed all of their designs and are no longer as comportable for me.

[buddybikes]

My go to's when fall/winter come. My local shoe store gave me deal on a set. I found the high equivalent in Germany ebay. Personally found these better than Mephisto, but to each his/her own of course.

https://www.amazon.com/Finn-Comfort-.../dp/B0096TCGR6

live in these summer, again due to the neuropathy, cost doesn't become a factor when dealing with pain day and night...

https://www.amazon.com/Finn-Comfort-...apparel&sr=1-6

[eddief]

tried em on yesterday at REI. Like a glove even with my custom orthotics. Instant comfort, no break in me thinks:

https://www.rei.com/product/635791/m...RoCmaoQAvD_BwE

Also tried on the Moab Mocs but they did not feel as good. And no pull tab in the back to help get them on.

[booglebug]

Not walking but on my feet all day at work, Kuru have worked for me. Takes a while to break these in due to a moldable insole but a comfortable shoe once they are broken in. Due to a fallen arch in my left foot I was having to wear different insoles in each shoe before, not with these.

[scoobydrew]

Good calls on the "barefoot" style shoes. I switched to these types of shoes late last year mostly for the wider toebox.

My first pair is a Lems Boulder Boot. Not too minimal in terms of sole thickness, but it has that natural foot shape. Since then, I've purchased 3 additional pairs, which includes Vivobarefoot Gobi II (chukka style boot), Vivobarefoot Tracker FG (waterproof hiking and winter boot), and Merrell Trail Glove 3 (casual shoe similar to the Lems Primal 2).

I will have to say that it takes time for your feet and possibly leg muscles to get used to. After a few months, I did notice that my walking posture is better and my slouch has reduced.

[cbbr]

I have been wearing barefoot or zero drop shoes for years and unless I am at work, that is what I have on. Mostly NB Minimus. Can't wear them at work, so I wear Vasque boots which are super comfortable. And the opposite end of the spectrum from the Minimus running shoes.

[martl]

weight is obviously a factor on both sides - a lighter shoe is a more comfortable shoe, and vice versa, a light person may be comfortable in shoes that a heavy person will hate (there's a reason why special running shoes come with weight spec)

Insoles can be a life changer. I had some made after getting knee surgery, some of those special medical 3d custom jobs. Its litterally like getting new feet. Expesive, worth every penny.

[benb]

I've tried many times to back off on the insoles and such.

I'm not even sure you can back off on them as a first step, you might have to do something else first.

In my case I had some pretty severe injuries that started it all. My orthotics are the "medical 3d custom jobs" like martl mentioned. Most of the off the shelf ones are worse than going barefoot for me. I'm better off to use nothing if I'm going to skip the custom ones. The problem being half the sneakers out there try to be psuedo-orthotics too!

I do agree cycling is terrible for your feet/calves... proper form locks you into one position on the pedals and you sit there and train your lower legs to not move.

The thing is I will typically start having back/knee pain very fast if I try to not use the insoles. Pretty hard to find the fun in that.

I've been rock climbing a lot this year.. no insole use there and the shoes are pretty much "barefoot shoes" and very different use of the feet & lower legs, it has actually helped me get my feet stronger again. Not necessarily enough that I want to try going cold turkey on barefoot shoes & no orthotics though.

If I cycle without my orthotics I get a lot of weird knee stuff right away. It's way more fun to wear the orthotics.