I’m not a podiatrist nor claim to play one on TV. Here is a list of my top best shoes for walking while living with mild plantar fasciitis or if on a path to prevent severe trauma to your feet because of it.
Let me say first that every person has different feet. I luckily have “pretty feet” according to some female coworkers I had worked with during my time in the Air Force. As a guy I’ll take that any day. My feet has a normal arch. They are not too narrow nor too wide. Maybe I should have been a foot model. The following are shoes I really like based on consistent quality of build, comfort, and style variety. It is a biased list because of the activities I find them best worn for.
1. Best zero drop comfort: Altra Men’s Experience Flow & Experience Wild
2. Best running/walking: Saucony Men’s Ride 17
3. Best Cushion Overall: ON Men’s Cloud Surfer
4. Best trail treads: HOKA Men’s Speedgoat
5. Best casual wear for most days: Heydude Men’s Wally Stretch Canvas and Wally Stretch Sock
Honorable mention: Best everyday wear and run: Brooks Men’s Adrenaline GTS 23 and Glycerin 21
I won’t discount Birkenstock or Chacos. They have a place in footwear and are very comfortable around town on a hot day. But know your feet. What works best for them?
The take away is this. Know what your feet likes and don’t settle for something less in quality even if that means paying a little more. Your feet are important for traveling. Now, at 52 I am blessed I still have my knees and back to be in good shape so that means take care of your feet to be as well. Your feet are the means in which to get you on meditative trails that lead to unimaginable vistas. Conquering flights of stairs just to get, dare I say “a commanding view” of the town. Navigate through hundreds if not thousands of shoppers and sightseers to find that one hidden jewel hole in a wall pub. Aside from all your senses your feet are valuable members of your body in getting you around to be where you want to be so you can experience the all-senses-shattering things that come along with traveling. Take care of them because when they go you’ll wish they were still healthy to get you to the remaining destinations on your bucket list.
Posted by
Land of La
9243 posts
After 30 years of overseeing filming locations I learned the necessity of having durable and comfortable shoes. 16 hour days.
Once I discovered the KEEN brand of shoes plantar fasciitis disappeared, never to return. Own 8 different pairs: sandals, lace ups and slip ons. They aren’t cheap but IMHO well worth the cost for comfort and durability.
Different pairs have been worn in NYC, London, Belfast, Dublin, Kilarney National Park, Gap of Dunloe, Dingle, Paris, Boston, Miami, hiking on the trails to the Griffith Park Observatory in LA, Havana, Streets of San Francisco, Alcatraz, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Yosemite, Vegas, Ashland, Oregon, Morro Bay, Santa Cruz, Pt Lobos, Lake Tahoe, Golden Gate Park, Oracle Park, Manhattan Beach, Venice, Italy and Venice Beach, CA. Well worn and well loved.
Happy feet insure happy travel.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
14767 posts
I suggest adding the CorrectToes toe spacers to your Altras. These will strengthen your feet and help to prevent a recurrence of PF. They probably will not fit in any of your other shoes and after you are used to the Altras + Correct Toes and get your feet back into a natural toe splay some of your shoes will feel too narrow. This style of Altra is narrower than some of the other styles so even they may wind up being too squished in the toes.
I've been wearing Altra Lone Peak for years - low cuts, a pair here and there of the hiking boots, plus pairs of the waterproof style. It does annoy me that they are pretty shot after one season and some years their colors are pretty terrible since I"m not their target audience.
Posted by
Faribault
224 posts
Claudia, I agree with you regarding Keen. I have problem feet, and they seem to work the best for me. You should check out sierra.com. They sell them at a reasonable price. As a matter of fact, I am waiting for a pair to arrive.
Posted by
South Florida
65 posts
For whatever it’s worth, my doctor recommended Brooks running shoes, Power Step insoles, and Power Step sandals. So far, so good.
Posted by
OP
Spokane, Washington
28 posts
@Pam
I’ve had a lone peak before and they were pretty good. Either I needed to wear thicker socks or the toe box were a little roomy. Still awesome shoes for trails. The road shoes are my favorite because they seem to be just right all around.
I did use Superfeet insoles for other shoes like Brooks and Hokas but decided to move away from them as I discovered Altras and started wearing Saucony. Shoe companies seem to switch up their secret ingredients every so often and it can be problematic for avid wearers.
My goal is wearing Altras and Saucony for the next trip to the Black Forest.
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1632 posts
For me the most important thing is a good insert or orthotic.
Posted by
The Heartland USA
8983 posts
what Barkinpark said:
For me the most important thing is a good insert or orthotic.
It's all about arch support, and a good insert can improve any pair of shoes. Everyone focuses on brands, when there is not much consistency on sizing, fit, cushioning, support. etc., even within a brand. Some brands just have better arch support than others. If you dig into Saucony athletic shoes, for example (one I wear often) you'll see some models are designed to emphasize cushioning (for neutral or underpronating feet) and others are made for support (for overpronating feet). You got to know your feet.
Posted by
3 posts
Have you tried a barefoot shoe? I found it stretched our my foot and really helped. I am wearing the Hykes Flex https://hykesbarefoot.com/product/hykes-flex/
Worth trying to see if it help.