Maximum cushion hiking shoes—-ON Cloud?

I don't have a perfect answer for you. I developed a neuroma after foot surgery in 2020. The problem is that when I try new shoes, I don't notice a problem until I've walked for at least 15-30 minutes. It makes trying on shoes in a store difficult. I know people love On shoes; for me, in the store, they were great - very comfortable. However, after wearing them for extended periods, they are a problem for me - not at all unstable - just aggravated my neuroma. I have ASICS that I love; however, I have tried other ASICS styles that haven't been as great. Long story short, I don't think there is one brand or style that works for everyone. For extra cushion, consider different inserts, cushioned socks, and a wide-toe box. My daughter, without a neuroma, swears by Oboz hiking shoes/boots. REI has several to try on if you have a store near you.

Best of luck on your shoe journey!

I have Morton’s neuroma on my feet, so I know how excruciating it can be to walk when it flairs up. I am always looking for the most cushioned shoe. As strange as it may be, I love the Skechers at Costco. I find them so comfy, I bought two pairs in different colors. I walked all over Germany and Switzerland for three weeks with no pain. I also bought Hoka’s because the clerk at REI told me they were the number one shoe recommended by orthopedic doctors. So I spent $150 on a pair and hated them because they were so stiff they inflamed my neuroma. I kept wearing them and when they got broke in (I was told you don’t need to break them in, but I sure did) they became comfortable and I wear them when I do a lot of walking. I have never found them to be wobbly. But I still prefer the inexpensive Skechers from Costco.

I do not have a neuroma, but love my Adidas Terrex Free Hikers. Very cushy, supportive, grippy. I have the style with the "sock" like ankle, but there are other styles. https://www.adidas.com/us/terrex-free-hiker-2.0-hiking-shoes/IE5115.html

Thank you for your comments. This issue is new to me, as it just came up in early July when we were hiking at Lake Tahoe with family. We had the trip to Yosemite planned and taken)and another one to italy for hiking coming up in mid-September, so I need to get it figured out. I do not have an official diagnosis yet but my husband is a doctor who lived and hiked with a neuroma for several years before getting it treated with surgery. He does not recommend that which is why I am seeking the shoe options.

I have been reading on R
Ie about things like heel drop and stack height, which seems to apply to trail runners, but hiking shoes do not rate these things, only the trail runners. REI includes one of these as highly rated among hiking shoes:

https://www.rei.com/product/228317/altra-lone-peak-8-trail-running-shoes-womens

I will go to the store and try on various options, but right now I am seeking advice from those who have dealt with this problem, and/or have hiked in super cushiony shoes like the On or similar. I should note that we are experienced and strong hikers, usually happy with 8-10 miles in rocky terrain with lots of elevation gain and loss. On the next trip we will be hiking a bit in the Swiss Alps (around Bettmeralp) but mainly in Italy, around Lago di Garda and Lago Maggiore. At our age, we must be careful about falling, so the soles of the hiking shoes need to be grippy rubber.

Lola - ON and Hoka are my two favorite shoe brands. I have about 7 (yes, 7) pairs of each. Hokas really vary. I use the Mach 5. It's an extremely cushiony shoe. I've tried on about 5 other Hoka styles and none were quite as cushiony.

I had my doubts about using a shoe with a sole that thick but I have had no problems with them. My feet are never tired in my Mach 5s. I always bring a pair on trips now.

I also like the On Cloud. But they really vary by pair. Three of my 7 pairs squeak with each step and so they get limited use from me. Two of the pairs run narrower than the others.

I have one pair of the 7 On Clouds which are a big hit with me. But that seems like a pretty bad ratio.

My Hokas are 100% comfortable out of the box and each pair is excellent.

Oh, so sorry- it's beyond frustrating as we whose active lifestyle is so central is also so important for general physical and mental health- not being able to even undertake a modified hike is something to which I can relate. Ugh.
Back to feet and shoes. I have been using these ON lightweight hikers for several years:
https://www.on.com/en-us/products/cloudrock-2-waterproof-63/womens/glacier-eclipse-shoes-63.98608
I was able to get a pair on sale from their "prior season" even though it's not my favorite color. I don't find the sole too poufy at all, the traction is good and I like the added ankle support. I don't have your issue but do have a giant bunion at each big toe. The wider toe box is almost Keen-like and the fabric in that area is very flexible.
I do also have the super bouncy ON running shoe and love it for walking and running on paths or sidewalks. But I don't think it would work well for hiking.
(BTW in Switzerland it seemed everyone was wearing some version of the ON shoes.)
I could hardly walk in Hokas- proof that everyone's feet are so different.
Healthy wishes and hope you find a good solution.
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I highly recommend the On Cloud shoes. I bought a waterproof pair on recommendation from REI as I needed a waterproof shoe to wear for my 5 weeks in France and the UK in April and May this year. I usually wear Hoka and TEVA or ABEO sandals but because I needed waterproof I bought the waterproof OC. I was absolutely amazed at how comfortable they were with good traction, and despite downpours everyday my feet stayed nice and dry. I usually try to change out my shoes every other day but because of the very wet rainy weather I wore just the On Clouds every day for all five weeks walking up to 10 miles a day and climbing thousands of steps. This is my first trip where i wore the same shoes everyday; not a single blister or any pressure points. I wore a thin pair of smart wool low ankle socks in them. In past I have usually worn TEVA or ABDO sandals and will keep those when traveling in the heat, but I am now planning to buy another pair of the OC non-waterproof tennis shoes too for the hotter weather. I was warned the waterproof OC might be a bit stiff and not breathable but I found them to be extremely comfortable. Hope that helps and happy travels.

I have these On Cloud Trailrunners.

https://www.on.com/en-us/products/cloudventure-32/womens/black-cobble-shoes-32.99257

I just ordered my third pair. They are great for city walking on cobblestones and light hiking. I haven’t tried their hiking shoes. Mine don’t have a really thick sole like some of the Hokas. This sole is more like that of a hiking boot but with more cushioning. They seem very stable to me.

Have you worn them on uneven rocky terrain, more slanted and bumpy than cobblestones? It is the sideways tilt of such terrain that bothered my husband’s ankles.

Lola, the particular model that I have doesn’t feel that different from my Vasque hiking boots in terms of thickness of the sole and general stability. The trail runners are a bit more flexible than my boots.

Do you have any specialist footwear stores near you? I have arthritis in one foot that impacts my toe joint. I was just in a store that specializes in running footwear today. They had some kind of specialized software that did a 3D measurement of your foot (e.g., size, arches, etc) and also analyzed how you applied pressure when you walk. They brought out a number of different shoes for me to try. I wanted to try Hokas because they were recommended by the podiatrist. It turned out that the Hokas were very uncomfortable for me. I ended up with Altras. The Altras have a zero drop and a slightly wider toe box so they put less pressure on the joint. However, I was very surprised by how different various styles of running shoes felt. The person at the store had me try on about 7 or 8 different styles across 4 different brands (Hoka, On, Altra, and Brooks). I think with your foot neuroma you will need to find the brand and style that puts the least pressure on that particular spot.

Thanks, Laura. Yes’ I believe it is all about the amount of pressure on that spot. I can walk normally and without pain in my Clark’s Cloudsteppers and Keen Elle blackstrap sandals, both nice and cushy. I even exercise on my elliptical trainer in the Clark’s, which are zoris. But of course I cannot wear sandals for hiking! The pad I added to the forefoot area under the insole is made for neuromas or callouses, and has a cutout in the center to take off any pressure. But that is kind of a Jerry-rigged solution.

My feet are otherwise pretty normal and do not have special requirements. I am thinking shoes with zero drop are probably best for putting less pressure on the forefoot, along with the extra cushion. Trail running shoes are rated for things like cushioning, drop, and stack height, but hiking shoes are not. They are, however, usually rated for grippy soles, and that is also important—-I don’t want something that slips on smooth rock like the Dolomites.

Mainly I need to be able to walk with a normal gait or I will start having other problems.

I will go to REI and try the Onclouds and a few others there, and if they aren’t suitable I can go to the Walking Store or other specialty store.

While you are at REI, look at Altra hiking boots too. Evidently they are shaped more like your natural foot. Good Luck; foot pain is so frustrating.

I have oncloud shoes and love them! I have suffered from plantar fasciitis off and on. My daughter has oncloud hiking boots and loves them. We live in the mountains in Colorado and she hiked every day in them while visiting this summer some of which was off trail and she has never mentioned feeling unsteady. I have hike in my shoes and felt very stable.

I appreciate the input. I have ordered a couple of likely prospects from REI to try, and when I take the rejects back to the nearest store I will look at others.

I see there is an Altra trail running shoe among the REI hiking shoes so I will try that one:

https://www.rei.com/product/228317/altra-lone-peak-8-trail-running-shoes-womens

It says it has a “moderate” cushioning so that might work. I will probably end up taking several pairs of shoes on the next hiking trip, rather than relying on one. Fortunately I have small feet and they don’t take up mich room!