Love Hoka - but with a dress??

When I traveled this past summer, I frequently wore casual dresses during the day with a pair of Altra Escalante running shoes. They were a cute blue pair (or at least cute for Altra) and no one looked askance at me. It was pretty common to see women in urban areas wearing athletic shoes and dresses - younger women were often wearing bright white athletic shoes, but that was a bridge too far for me. Altra's shoes work well for me, and I've worn Hoka in the past too. The most important thing is that you have a shoe that fits your foot so you don't have pain on your trip.

I had plantar fasciitis but luckily it doesn’t bother me any longer. But, I use an orthopedic insert in all my shoes. It is a hard plastic that I got from an orthopedist years ago. It works great for me and I can use it in almost any kind of shoe. When I purchase new shoes I try them on with the insert. That is one reason it is difficult for me to purchase shoes on line. When I travel I like to wear closed shoes or sneakers on days we do a lotta walking. I do wear Birkenstock sometimes.
PS, I wear sneakers with dresses.

I feel like I'm definitely seeing more and more people wearing big sneakers no matter what clothes they're wearing, and my younger sisters are definitely now going out of their way to get supportive shoes (they're my "cool" gauge). But what matters at the end of the day is whether you're comfortable with the look. If you like it and it can keep you comfortable for a day of travel, that's the most important thing. If you can't get comfortable, I second the recommendation for orthotics. I haven't tried them myself, but Vionic shoes have great reviews for plantar and have some smaller styles

Long time dealing with plantar fasciitis and never stopped walking.
Game changer was custom orthotics from a podorist.
Currently wearing Altra for walking, and vionic Bella thong sandals.
Never felt the slightest concern about wearing my Altra shoes with anything.
Never understood why some have concern about appearance, nothing is more important than maintaining mobility.

I too suffer from Planter Fasciitis and when I travel I use either Aetrix or Vionic brands of shoes, both have the support to help with PF. After searching high and low I am loyal to these two brands, especially Vionic. You can buy them on Zappos, which I love and usually order two different sizes and send the one I don't want back (for free). I can walk 10 miles plus a day in my Vionic booties and sandals, yes I have sore feet, but my PF is never an issue. Plus they are really cute. I agree The Hoka's with a dress would look funky.

I’m with Letizia - Atrex and Vionic have worked well for me. Atrex has a number of inserts that you can interchange with whatever shoe you want, as long as they have removable insoles. Atrex had a pop-up at the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas and I got my husband a pair of insoles there. He loves them.

Thanks! I’m off to try some Astrex and Vionics.

I’ll add Keens for your sandal search. Not cheap but very durable.

Hike in one of my pairs on the Mt Hollywood/Charlie Turner trail above the Griffith Observatory in LA’s Griffith Park.

The other 3 pairs I use with jeans, capris or shorts. Dresses aren’t my style.

Take a gander and see if any of the sandals would work for you.

Safe travels

I also have some vionic shoes, booties, and sandals. They are also sold on QVC.

The Kuru Roam sneakers could look cute with a dress. Lots of people buy this brand for foot issues. I have a pair of the Kuru Atom, and I like the arch support in them.

I haven’t tried Hoka’s yet, but am considering them. Over the years I’ve worn Asics for daily walking, but haven’t found one that is as comfortable as my older pair. My husband loves his Hoka’s. Neither one of us have Planter Fasciitis.

I have seen many women wearing “chunky style sneakers” with casual dresses. I personally like the look on this website!
https://petiteinparis.com/how-to-wear-sneakers-with-a-dress

Caution: this is only the thinking man's reply:

In theory I wound rather see a woman wear something that best facilitates her ability to comfortably walk with me, than to wear shoes that look painfully uncomfortable or difficult to walk in, and certainly not because society says certain shoes are required because they are the "required style".

In general a good walking shoe is flat or very close to flat, has a sole that is at least a little bit flexible, the sole should be thick enough to protect your feet from the ground but not stupidly thick like for example no platform shoes, the shoe should be completely lace up, not slip on, not slip on with decorative laces; the shoes should completely cover your feet and protect them from the environment, so no open-toes shoes or sandles; make sure the shoe fits good in the store before you buy it- make sure it doesn't chaff against your ankle, possibly look for at least a little bit of foam cushioning.

If the style matters that much, maybe try looking in a special store that sells shoes for people with foot-problem or difficult-to-fit feet. Maybe try looking for a dark color like all black.

I own a pair of dress shoes. I rarely have use for them. They are high boot-style with 5 rows of lace holes each, because all the low cut models chuffed against my ankles when I walked in them. Maybe my ankles are narrower than average.

I currently wear sketchers lightweight walking shoes to work, for errands, and for travel.

I have an aunt who said she broke her foot when she was 20, at a wedding, due to wearing high-heeled shoes. High heeled shoes are what I call "fettish shoes". They should not exist.

Mike L- My Podiatrist said to NEVER wear a flat shoe, especially when you have PF and to never go barefoot ( never wore shoes before PF now I must wear my $100 flip flops even just around the house). All my shoes have a slight (1-2") wedge incline or my heel will start to have that PF twitch.
Take a look at the Hoka tennis shoe to see how much wedge a shoe should have for comfort and protection. Those things are thick!!
Janis- you can absolutely wear sneakers with a dress but finding the correct style (chunky white) plus comfort is the challenge.

I suffered from PF and Morton's Neuroma. I now wear Naots and Arcopedico shoes. They help me get rid of pain and look cute.

Letizia: I use Altra brand running shoes for jogging/running. They are "zero drop". This means totally flat. The shoes work marvelously for me. Altra makes models for women too. You can walk in them too. Extra thickness on the sole under the ankle messes up your gait, keeps your toes constantly bent, makes your knees have to be bent constantly, makes your hips have to be rotated to compensate, and so on.

Aimee, Thanks for your Hoka recommendation. Always nice to hear a success story. Nothing better than happy healthy feet!

Try Doc Martens. I love them. I wear Hoka practically 24/7. The Doc Martens offer that stylish vibe. I love the Mary Janes.

Ive never considered Doc Martens … I thought the soles would be really hard? I’ll give that a shot!

I tried Doc Martens a long time ago and I felt that they were rather heavy.

scuseme--I thought they were only combat boots for young people- then I saw a woman with the Mary Jane style at the airport wearing them. I tried them on at the store--sizing was right on, I wear a 6, the 6 was great. The sole is very comfy. They sell leather and spray the help soften them up, so I use that every so often. I'm taking them to Europe. I find them nice and solid and designed to break in and soften up, I think they will look cool with everything I will be wearing,