Kuru Shoes

Ouch - I know of what you speak. I hope you have seen a physiotherapist to get some excercises and ultrasound treatment to ease the current inflammation. I have had a pair of Columbia Techlite walking shoes for a number of years which seem to work for me. They are heavier than a gym/walking shoe but lighter than a hiking boot and give good ankle support ( good for the uneven pavements you will encounter). Other walkers I like are Merrills but they are lighter and don't give such good support,

Sounds like a wonderful trip; just be sure to follow the physio's instructions and ice as necessary.

My wife and I have a variety of foot problems such as these. Our podiatrist suggested Hoka One One shoes. They're not attractive but they are like walking on clouds. Many of my runner friends who had just about given up running due to foot problems swear by them.

I have found Merrell shoes to work best for me for touring Europe, whatever you buy get them quick and start wearing them to ensure that they are pain free and well broken in for the trip, hope you have fun and enjoy a pain free journey!

See a podiatrist for help first. Then Hokas.

I too have plantar fascitis and also am prone to gout attacks. A few years ago I bought a pair of Kuru sneakers and wore them for a trip to Spain. They were very comfortable. They are built to "cradle" your heel and I had no problems at all. I then bought a pair of leather Kurus for our next trip, which was to Scandinavia. I wore them a lot before our trip in an effort to break them in, but I found the leather to be heavy and stiff and not suitable for a summer trip with a lot of walking, notwithstanding that they did keep my heels comfortable, so I wound up wearing Croc shoes (which are great but can be very slippery as the sole wears down). Overall I like Kuru but if I buy another pair I will opt for their mesh models or their sneakers.

I have had 3 neuroma surgeries and need another. Alergria shoes have been the best walking shoes so far. Wide toe box, narrow heel, cork insole. The laced model fits better than the sandals, better support. They're available through Nordstroms online.
I wanted a dressier shoe, too. Bought ECCOs but am having an awful time breaking them in due to the neuroma on my left foot causing pain.

Thank you all so much. Nothing worse than sore feet/legs especially when a big trip is planned.

Your profile does not say where you live, but I have had great success treating my plantar fasciitis with Airrosti Rehab. Unfortunately they are only located in a few states. I tried a podiatrist and they just wanted to give me cortisone shots and have me wear a boot to sleep, both of which did nothing or caused more pain. The Airrosti is a rehab appointment and they work on the muscles that are causing the injury and then give you exercises and stretches to use at home. You may think the problem is just in your feet but it can also be muscles in your leg that are tight and leading to issues in the foot. Everything is connected! The Airrosti have a chiropractic background so if you don't have them in your state you could also try a chiropractor that focuses on sports injuries and does more than align your spine.

https://www.airrosti.com/locations/

I wear Brooks Pure Flow running shoes and they work well for me because they are very cushioned. Unfortunately finding the perfect shoe for you may be a little bit of trial and error!

You are absolutely correct. I in fact went to a chiropractor this morning and it is not the spur that is giving me the pain as the bottom of my foot is pain free - its a muscle running up the side of my foot which I believe I strained walking in those Sketcher shoes. I thought they were fine as I wasn't experiencing any pain in the bottom and low and behold Sketchers' are too flat for me and I should not be wearing them as it doesn't give support to the ankle. Thank you for your assistance/suggestions though. By the way I live in Newcastle, Ontario - Canada.

B

I have a lot of the same foot problems, and flat feet that need a lot of support, and I still run as well. My doctor recommended picking up some better inserts for my shoes...in the past, I wore Brooks Addictions and even Brooks Ariel (the women's equivalent to their Beast shoe). Now I wear Transcend, which are a very cushioned shoe, and I add a Powerstep Pinnacle Max insert, which adds a stiffness to control the pronation of my foot and reduce some of the movement in the big toe (because that's another problem I have).

For around $25, I think it might be worth getting the inserts and adding to shoes that are almost exactly what you need.

I would add that in my experience, the PF is a symptom of an inflammatory process and not just structural problems. I personally do a lot of yoga to address tightness in spots far, far away from my heels; avoid things that cause inflammation in my body (discovered through trial and error--mostly junk food); and I use an anti-inflammatory supplement that my doc recommended. All together, the pain is well managed and I can easily hit 10-15 miles a day on my feet without trouble.

There are plantar fasciitis orthopedic inserts online at Walmart - I see a variety of them at prices from $9.99 - $40 or so; could be worth experimenting with them.

Just a heads-up about the Kuru shoes: My husband was also battling plantar fascitias, was recommended Kuru shoes and he trained for a 1/2 marathon in them for less than 3 months. They were falling apart by then and the company would not stand behind them.

I suffer from PF on and off through the years. I've tried Kuru's and I'm not that impressed with them. The shoe that worked for me for two weeks in Ireland (just got back) were the Hoka Clifton 3. I swapped their insert for a memory foam one and these shoes are the bomb! No heel pain whatsoever and super light weight. There we're three of us on our Best of Ireland tour that wore these shoes. Check them out on Zappos.

Rebecca,

Which memory foam insert did you get?

Liz, check out Vionic shoes. https://vionicshoes.ca.
I believe some stores near your area carry vionic shoes. I wear them to work daily and for 2 weeks trip to Switzerland this year which help with my planter fascitias and heel spurs. The insoles are orthotic insert and they work very well.

I hope this will help.

Mary - I use the Profoot 2oz Miracle custom molding insoles. They are available on Amazon but I've also seen them at my local drugstores as well.

Kuru shoes are amazing. I bought them for a trip to Italy that I'll be taking next week, and I've worn them to break them in and they so far feel great! Personally I sure do love a good (as good as it gets I guess!) pair of flip flops, but obviously that isn't a realistic option for footwear during a 10 day European trip walking everywhere.

One thing to note - I found a very small travel size massage ball in the workout section at TJ Maxx. I've seen them on Amazon and bought one - it is a little larger than a golf ball. I've been using that to roll between my feet and the floor, and I'm VERY impressed with how much it relaxes insanely tight muscles on the bottom and sides of my feet. I have plantar fascitias as well, and I think using this massage ball on my feet nightly will be helpful during my trip as well. It also feels amazing on my neck and shoulders - I usually get tension headaches daily and have tried it and it helps to relieve the tight muscles.

Hope that is helpful to someone. :)

Apex shoes have thick soles and a wide toe box. They are also a deeper shoe, securing your foot better and allowing for less pressure on the top of your foot. I would also recommend Feetures socks, which are great to help control swelling from your issues (which I also suffer from). Additionally, if you have a shoe you like, you may want to wear a Feetures sleeve for your feet. This slides over your foot, helping to support your arch, helping to relieve the pain from PF and help control swelling. You wear a regular pair of socks over these. They can be found online from a number of sources. Other brands are now available, too, but I continue to be a fan of the Feetures brand. Their socks are worth the price. Finally, I like New Balance 411 walkers for their good heel support and decent toe box. However, for me, they don't have a thick enough sole support under the forefoot for me to wear when traveling as a tourist. Propet is another brand worth checking out for your conditions. Again, deeper shoe, wider toe box and thicker soles. Good luck and have fun!

Unfortunately, I cannot wear Kuru shoes. They are too wide for my feet. I thought the Chicane style was cute, but my normal size 6.5 was too short and too wide; the size 7 was too wide. So back they go. Still looking for a stylish, light weight walker that does NOT look like a trainer (running shoe), is not brightly neonly multicolored, and looks narrow not broad as well as feeling good on my feet! Zappos knows me well, but I still have not found a shoe that works for me. (Sadly, New Balance, although they come in "narrows" are still too wide and too ugly on my feet. Even Nikes regular width are more narrow than NB.) Does anyone have experience with Ahnu Montara II?

Hi. I've been wearing Kuru women's mesh for about 3 months in the summer heat of Los Angeles love them. I got them for my plantar fascitias and neuroma. I also have a pair of Abeo (the Walking Company's brand) which work, but are heavy and my feet get so tired wearing them for a lot of walking and they're all leather, so get hot in the warm weather. The Kuru mesh is great because it's super light weight, and the mesh is soft on my bunions. I'm going to be traveling in Montreal and Quebec City and wondered if anyone has worn them on wet cobblestone? The soles of the Quantam mesh are kind of flat without a lot of ridges, so I'm worried they might be a little slippery if it rains. We're going Sept. 23-30. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Denise