Want shoes: natural/wide toe box, laced up, sturdy sole…and non-ugly!

[Sabee]

Hello,

I have developed pain in the ball of my foot - haven’t been seen by a GP yet, but will be arranging. So far, google has suggested capsulitis if I consider my symptoms (feel like a marble in the ball of my foot, pain when i walk, second toe affected etc).

I think the shoes I have been wearing have been tight on my toes and caused these issues - Googling, suggests i need shoes that have a barefoot aesthetic (wide enough toe box for my toes to spread), a sturdy sole (almost like a walking shoe) and preferably laced I think, so there is good support.

I was resisting, so I went and bought some Ecco shoes today - so comfy and heavenly in the shop! Wore them home, and bam - pain in the feet all evening. I have just spent over £100 on what is considered to be a good brand and it still hurts.

I have some temporary insoles from shuropody which i have been wearing, and I didn’t have them on the new shoes so maybe that didn’t help.

But i think its because the soles are too soft! The rest of my feet felt sore from walking too, and when i had laced them a bit tight they felt weird, a bit pins and needly!

I have in recent weeks, tried merrell (too uncomfortable), Hoka (too springy), Scarpa Mojito (too stiff), Fly boots (too hard and impossible for me to walk in), Meindl (which were the best but I didn’t get them as they were ugly :( ), camper (most comfy so far but was unsure).

I would love any suggestions from anyone who has the same thing as me - am pretty desperate.

I don’t want to go down the ugly orthopaedic shoe route - unless i have to :(

I hate trainers, love boots, love Toast, poetry fashion etc but I guess that’s irrelevant :(

Thank you

I have a similar issue, in that I have foot/ankle problems which mean I need foot-shaped shoes with a wide toebox. Vivo barefoot used to suit me perfectly, but they have changed the footbed, and nowadays I also need a less flexible sole as I have an unstable ankle.

I find sandals are fine because they are open at the front so not constricting, but that only works for about 7 months a year. I've been wearing Teva midsoles as the footbed is comfortable but firm.

Good luck finding something right, I haven't yet managed it. I like some of the FitFlop trainers, good firm footbed but the toebox is marginally too narrow.

I've just ordered some Ecco boots... fingers crossed.

I love my vivobarefoot, I've got some trainers, some trail runners and a couple of pairs of ankle boots. I also have some beautiful Belenka winter boots which are merino lined and amazing. I got those through Happy Little Soles. The Vivo I tend to get through sports pursuit when in the flash sales. Some are wearing out so my next thing is to look at Revivo. You can buy refurbished ones but also send yours away for refurbishing which seems great.

My feet have always been wide but I find Hotter wide or extra wide brilliant. I live in Hotter Mist during the winter. Goretex lined, substantial sole. Look on eBay for good deals.

Another here with problem feet ,just got these

www.birkenstock.com/gb/honnef-high-oiled-nubuck-leather-black/4061416832766.html

Look better on ,nice deep toe box .No constricting seams across my bog toe joints .Supportive inner sole shape for my arches .Comfy sole .
Time will tell of course .

Not what you are asking but you might have a Morton's neuroma. If so you might be given some orthotics to put in your shoes BUT that means you need probably half a size bigger shoes.

Personally I would try and see someone before spending money on shoes. For me no shoes in the world would have stopped the pain and I needed a quick op to get rid of the neuroma. Still need to wear fairly sensible shoes but it is nice not being in pain!

I agree.... and I have 2 off them.
OP get it seen as soon as possible. Also don't walk barefoot at home nor even for a few steps.

The only thing I can wear is flip flops with a thick spongy sole.

There's a massive shoe market for lovely looking shoes,with the right sole, out there.
We just need the designer.

@GatherlyGal
looks like I'm heading for the operation.
I've heard bad things about recovery time.

@catandcoffee recovery was ok but you do need to be off your feet as much as possible for the first week. I managed to grow another neuroma so had a 2nd op. All ok now.

Like a fool I had local anaesthetic first time. NEVER AGAIN.

@Sabee almost all my shoes are Fitflops. Shoes, trainers, boots. Love them and they are very comfy.

@GatherlyGal glad it worked for you, thanks for info 😊

Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions!

I have just registered at a new GP practice, so will def be popping in.

I can definitely say that i have been wearing shoes that are too tight :( I had no idea there had to be space in front of your toes, or at least a little bit of rubbing WAS a big deal.

@peridito I did see those on the website, and liked them - will order them.

Thank you again everyone 💝

@Sabee - I usually take a size 6 .I followed the directions on the Birkenstock website on measuring and it came up with a size 5 .
I fully expected them to be too small when they arrived but in fact they are fine .
But this may be one o those times to order 2 sizes .Birkenstock have free returns .

Birkenstock sizing is weird. A 39 (usually UK6) is a 5.5 on their sizing. When buying from their site I toggle the sizing to EU…

This has become quite stressful. I have just sent back two more shoes, and two more are on the way. It’s going to take ages to sort out :(

Have ordered the following to try: Camper

At the moment, am wearing my sons trainers which are a one and a half size bigger - and comfortable 😓

That’s what l was told to do!

Sorry, I forgot to mention - I think it was your post that I read which made me do this! :)

Sorry have read so many posts on talk forums on feet issues, have forgotten where it was I read that!

To be honest I feel like a clown thought lol as I am sure my feet look huge! But trying not to care :)

I felt like a clown in the yellow Nikes l tried. I wouldn’t wear them. Waddling round like Donald Duck!

@Sabee I think you have to remind yourself that you mainly view your feet from above and this gives a very false image .

Well ,if I cared ,which I don't really ,that's what I would tell myself .

@peridito thats a good point actually!

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow I don’t even wear trainers normally (don’t like them)… these will be my first pair since school lol - I am not joking 😑

I hated them too. Never worn them.

But unfortunately now, needs must.☹️

I’ve spent a fortune on shoes in the past few years to try and help with this problem (Morton’s neuroma), luckily most of the shoes I bought were not a good fit so I could send them back! Unfortunately it’s meant I have found very few shoes that are actually wearable and wide fitting enough. I now Birkenstock shoes which are great. I can’t wear anything with even the slightest wedge so some of the ones from hotter and fit flop were no good for this reason. Altra trainers are good as are some New Balance.

OP sounds like mortons neuroma as pps have said.

I had steroid injections for them in my foot recently.

I'm fine as long as I wear trainers. The worse thing I can do is wesr anything arch support as it changed the emphasis of my foot. I'm better with a nice neutral trainer footbed. I'm lucky I can wear trainers for work.

If I have to wear proper shoes with a solid sole it hurts much more.

OP, I've got some terrible foot problems (probably in part due to wearing thoroughly nice but impractical shoes for years). I have had steroid injections etc with limited success. These are the Hotters which work for me: www.hotter.com/gb/en/whisper-boots-whisps-product?selectedColour=Black&selectedFit=Standard%20Fit&selectedSize=6.5&&sv_tax1=google&sv_tax2=shopping&sv_tax3=[tgt:Smart_Shopping-Womens-Boots][ini:BAU][cou:GB][str:PROSP][fun:_Action]&sv_tax4=151941&sv_campaign_id=17566562145&gclid=CjwKCAjw2OiaBhBSEiwAh2ZSP08K2opMrh6i-ClodhWhv2sqEIZEk632SkDcapx9PWh55eHm0ghYGBoC5h4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
They are phenomenally comfortable. As I say, I wear them to walk to work and then change into something more attractive. But these are the one thing I can walk in with a degree of comfort (not completely painless, but by far the best I've tried). Plus they are not trainers - I would find it very hard to countenance trainers!

I wear a full orthopaedic insole. It's huge and ugly and makes shoe shopping VERY difficult.

However, just to drop in for those in the same situation Next shoes usually have a removable insole and will let me get the bugger in, allowing access to some decently fashionable shoes.

I dream of coming into enough money that I can plow it into coming up with "hotter" shoes for people with taste/youth and bad feet.