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Help needed to find comfortable walking shoes!

Hoka One One's are awesome shoes. My go-to brand used to be Asics but the last few pair just did not do....it was like the quality was not there any more.....nor the cushioning! Then my husband bought me the Hoka One One's and I was one happy walker!!
 
LorettaB said:
Hoka One One's are awesome shoes. My go-to brand used to be Asics but the last few pair just did not do....it was like the quality was not there any more.....nor the cushioning! Then my husband bought me the Hoka One One's and I was one happy walker!!
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Yes, I totally agree with you on this! The quality is not there anymore with Asics that I have experienced. The last Asics had zero cushioning to the point it was like walking on a hard surface. I am looking forward to receiving the Hoka One One Biondi's
 
kathley said:
Yes, I totally agree with you on this! The quality is not there anymore with Asics that I have experienced. The last Asics had zero cushioning to the point it was like walking on a hard surface. I am looking forward to receiving the Hoka One One Biondi's
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I remember going to Road Runner Sports website and use the “Shoe Dog” to put in information to find/fetch the right shoes. Asics were always the one listed as having extra cushioning for heavier runners or walkers. This was many models ago. I miss how comfortable they used to be. They were a very good shoe for a long time.
 
I also just ordered a pair of Hoka One One Bondi 7. I currently have Plantar Fasciitis which has halted my walking for exercise.
My doctor recommended buying a quality pair of shoes so I’m glad I’ve followed this thread. Thanks!
 
bright ice said:
I also just ordered a pair of Hoka One One Bondi 7. I currently have Plantar Fasciitis which has halted my walking for exercise.
My doctor recommended buying a quality pair of shoes so I’m glad I’ve followed this thread. Thanks!
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Please let us know how you like them after you try them out!
 
bright ice said:
I also just ordered a pair of Hoka One One Bondi 7. I currently have Plantar Fasciitis which has halted my walking for exercise.
My doctor recommended buying a quality pair of shoes so I’m glad I’ve followed this thread. Thanks!
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I am glad this thread is helping others besides me! Please come back and let us know how you like them! I should be getting mine by Saturday.:)
 
bright ice said:
I also just ordered a pair of Hoka One One Bondi 7. I currently have Plantar Fasciitis which has halted my walking for exercise.
My doctor recommended buying a quality pair of shoes so I’m glad I’ve followed this thread. Thanks!
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Oh, and I have been using Aspercreme on the bottom of my feet where my Plantar Fasciitis is trying to fare up again; at night and first thing in the morning. It is giving me a small amount of relief; and I'll take that!
 
kathley said:
Oh, and I have been using Aspercreme on the bottom of my feet where my Plantar Fasciitis is trying to fare up again; at night and first thing in the morning. It is giving me a small amount of relief; and I'll take that!
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I’d also recommend Voltaren which is an anti-inflammatory topical gel for pain morning and night.
 
I just wanted to post my experience with sketchers here
I don't know if maybe we get a lesser kind here in NZ as they are in the big discount shoe store in the malls as well as the big box sports store but i dont think $150 is indicative of a lesser quality shoe
Ive never been able to wear cheap shoes and ive spent my entire working life on my feet and for most of the time also walking to work
My last occupation required steel toes leather work boots and although hot and heavy once they were broken in i never had a problem with them

But these sketches, well they almost bl**dy crippled me
i brought them after reading positive reviews and for the sole purpose of walking to and from work and also for at work
to start with the first two months my poor toes had blisters like you would not beleave from the toe box not being overly accommodating of the typical wide kiwi foot
but then right around the time my step daughter took very sick and had to go to hospice i had the most incredible pain in my legs/ feet i put down to sciatica
They were anout 5 months old at this time

So after some googerling i discovered the memory foam does not last particularly long
remember its only a part time job i have although im walking 35km a week and then standing on concrete while at work about 21 hours a week

In a panic i brought another pair the morning of Mel's funeral
i got the slip on this time so i only got one blister as the toe box is relativly roomier
But ive still been having trouble with a lot of pain, like pain that made me wimper at night and i could bearly stand by the time i got home

I did have sciatica all Christmas and it got so bad ive just dropped a day at work (there goes any bling budget i may have had) because i can't steep with the pain its so bad and i had a nasty resection to vaultarine - which i had been taking cautiously

Anyway then i read sketches are no good for people with high arches and it all clicked

I went to a propper sports shop last week and got a pair of Asics which many moons ago i used to run in

The young lady said sketches are really just lesiure shoes not for serous walking
and OMG i noticed the difference the first night in bed after work
And not a blister in site

Apart from playing gip with my sciatica my poor feet/legs were so jarred from the sketchee

now my sciatica is actually coming right without trying to outdo the pain levels with my feet and im sleeping 5 hours at a time
I think the foot pain was causing bad posture that was adding to my sciatica trouble

So a big warning
if you have a high arch stay off the memory foam

Also when it rained and they got wet they smelt real bad and i have never had stinky feet before

anyway just shearing my experience
 
On-Running shoes are the best I've ever had. I have the Cloud in 2 colors.
 
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I love All Birds! I have them in several colors. So comfy and my hips don't hurt when I wear them.
For flip-flops, Olukai has a nice arch support!
 
I’m glad this thread was bumped.
I’ve been wearing Brooks Ghost 13s for a couple of years but I think I can do better. My Planter’s Fasciitis still rears up.
@kathley , @Gussie , @bright ice, Given your experience with Hoka and On-Running, how are they for arch support? I have pretty high arches and I need a roomy toe box. I do an almost daily 4 mile fast walk/light jog on road conditions. Any help is much appreciated! What do you like or not like.
Thanks!
 
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Bonfire said:
I’m glad this thread was bumped.
I’ve been wearing Brooks Ghost 13s for a couple of years but I think I can do better. My Planter’s Fasciitis still rears up.
@kathley , @Gussie , @bright ice, Given your experience with Hoka and On-Running, how are they for arch support? I have pretty high arches and I need a roomy toe box. I do an almost daily 4 mile fast walk/light jog on road conditions. Any help is much appreciated! What do you like or not like.
Thanks!
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Hi! I have high arches. At first, I thought they were really comfortable. However, a mile into my brisk walk, my arches ached terribly to the point my DH had to jog home to get our car to take me back. The pain stayed for the rest of the day and I was worried my Plantar's Fasciitis was coming back. I don't have the Hoka(s) anymore after that.
 
kathley said:
Hi! I have high arches. At first, I thought they were really comfortable. However, a mile into my brisk walk, my arches ached terribly to the point my DH had to jog home to get our car to take me back. The pain stayed for the rest of the day and I was worried my Plantar's Fasciitis was coming back. I don't have the Hoka(s) anymore after that.
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Oh no! I hope you got your money back. I thought that happened wearing your Asics gel nimbus. Did it happen with Hokas too? Did you have the Hokas Bondi or the Clifton? Did you find another brand that you are comfortable wearing?
 
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i wear arch support inserts in all my shoes. Orthaheel was the last brand I got.

Socks thats lightly compress the arch/instep area are also great while you're healing.
 
Another vote for going to a proper running store to get fitted. You should get them to look at your stride, how you strike the ground and how you roll through your arch onto your toes. Then get them to recommend a shoe. A good runners speciality store should be able to help you.

Watch how you strike the ground when you walk arround normally, do you hit with your heel, roll through(/absorb the shock with) your arch and push off your big toe? Or do you do something else? If you suspect you haven't got this one right, then definitely see a physio. Don't try to fix it yourself.

Is your pain on one side, or both? If one side see if you can pay attention to how you're moving on that foot.

Are you walking on uneven ground? Or on pavement? Is the pavement completely flat or is it slightly slanted (as in they laid the pavement so that one of the left or right side of the foot path is higher than the other)? Do you walk down hill a lot?

Finally if you find the issue is reoccurring, I'd try seeing a physio and adding some strengthening exercises like a gym class for weights to try to build up some of the bigger muscle groups that should be taking the load when you run/walk.

Trigger balm is also quite good for getting through it temporarily till you can sort the issue out.
 
Bonfire said:
Oh no! I hope you got your money back. I thought that happened wearing your Asics gel nimbus. Did it happen with Hokas too? Did you have the Hokas Bondi or the Clifton? Did you find another brand that you are comfortable wearing?
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Hi. I had the Hokas Bondi and they had a hard feel against my arches which I had difficulty tolerating (unfortunately, I didn't get my money back). I talked to my Dr. and he suggested trying a maximum cushioning Asics gel nimbus 22 D (the wider version for extra roomy toe box). These shoes are more cushioning against my arches and seem to really help. I am extra careful to be sure that the pavement that I walk on is even. I do notice that if I go downhill from a steep incline, that it is not a comfortable feeling on my feet. I haven't had much opportunity to walk long distance lately, but If these shoes don't work, then I am going to have to see a podiatrist for help.
 
kathley said:
Hi. I had the Hokas Bondi and they had a hard feel against my arches which I had difficulty tolerating (unfortunately, I didn't get my money back). I talked to my Dr. and he suggested trying a maximum cushioning Asics gel nimbus 22 D (the wider version for extra roomy toe box). These shoes are more cushioning against my arches and seem to really help. I am extra careful to be sure that the pavement that I walk on is even. I do notice that if I go downhill from a steep incline, that it is not a comfortable feeling on my feet. I haven't had much opportunity to walk long distance lately, but If these shoes don't work, then I am going to have to see a podiatrist for help.
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Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
Very helpful and good luck finding the right shoes that get you back to walking comfortably.
 
kathley said:
Hi! I have high arches. At first, I thought they were really comfortable. However, a mile into my brisk walk, my arches ached terribly to the point my DH had to jog home to get our car to take me back. The pain stayed for the rest of the day and I was worried my Plantar's Fasciitis was coming back. I don't have the Hoka(s) anymore after that.
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I trully feel your pain
im glad he went home to get the car
glad that unlike me you recognised the pain for what it was and stopped wearing the offending shoes immediately
 
kathley said:
Hi. I had the Hokas Bondi and they had a hard feel against my arches which I had difficulty tolerating (unfortunately, I didn't get my money back). I talked to my Dr. and he suggested trying a maximum cushioning Asics gel nimbus 22 D (the wider version for extra roomy toe box). These shoes are more cushioning against my arches and seem to really help. I am extra careful to be sure that the pavement that I walk on is even. I do notice that if I go downhill from a steep incline, that it is not a comfortable feeling on my feet. I haven't had much opportunity to walk long distance lately, but If these shoes don't work, then I am going to have to see a podiatrist for help.
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If you can find a good podiatrist keep hold of him/ her - they are worth their weight in gold
im on the look out for one who makes their own orthotics or at least can modify the premade ones
 
I’m sorry you’re still struggling with this, Kathley. I need a supportive shoe, but I have a hard time finding “heavy-duty” shoes (shoes that I can wear for hours at a time, or for long walks) that both provide enough support and accommodate my wide feet - more so now, thanks to bunions. I’ve found that some “luxury” comfort brands just don’t work for me because the arch supports don’t match my feet - they’re placed too far forward or back for me. (Naot and Ariat, for example - I don’t even bother with them even though I like their styles and they’re supposed to be comfortable.) I recently bought a pair of SAS sneakers. Not cheap (over $150 as I recall) but very comfortable. The toe box is almost too large, even in the regular width.

I’ve also had good luck with Dansko’s non-clog styles. I like Dansko’s clogs, but not for more than 8 hours or so. For some reason I’m also very hard on Dansko clogs; I tend to destroy the decorative piping around the top edge within a few months, so I use Dansko’s for casual wear and only with longer jeans/trousers.

I’ve also had good luck with Taos brand for sandals - I’m on my second pair of Trulies because they’re summer staples for me. Their tennis shoe styles tend not to fit me, though.
 
Hoka bondi are better for over and under pronators because it allows your ankle freedom to rotate.

My husband has weird arches and he needs the Hoka Gaviotas.
 
My favourite and most comfortable shoe is the Asics Gel Kayano
 
I had plantar fasciitis. It was "cured" through acupuncture, which really hurt! (I've had acupuncture all over my freaking body, but the soles of the feet have think skin, so they have to go deeper.) Anyhow, the receptionist said they had seen a lot of patients for it due to the Skechers Shape Ups.

I wear orthotics I got from my podiatrist with shoes that don't have support. They make such a difference! You just never know what will help, since everyone is different. I tend to buy more expensive shoes because of the support, but I do like to wear Skechers from Costco or a cute pair of Toms!
 
PinkAndBlueBling said:
I had plantar fasciitis. It was "cured" through acupuncture, which really hurt! (I've had acupuncture all over my freaking body, but the soles of the feet have think skin, so they have to go deeper.) Anyhow, the receptionist said they had seen a lot of patients for it due to the Skechers Shape Ups.

I wear orthotics I got from my podiatrist with shoes that don't have support. They make such a difference! You just never know what will help, since everyone is different. I tend to buy more expensive shoes because of the support, but I do like to wear Skechers from Costco or a cute pair of Toms!
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I can certainly feel how this would drum up business for the acupuncturist
I just wish i had known this sooner - how bad they are for some feet
 
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