Shoes to Look Into

During all of my research on shoes that are more naturally fitting to what the adult foot should be in, whether walking, running, hiking, etc., here is the list I have come across so far.  Some of them I personally wear, or have worn, and I can attest to the fit being wider than normal, with little to no toe constriction, no high heel cushion, or not much toe spring:


*Most of these you'll find to the right of this post in the "Items I Recommend" Amazon widget.  Be careful with the NB and Merrill - some of them are great, but others have too much cushion, heel height, narrow toe boxes and too much toe spring.
  • Altra Zero-Drop Footwear
  • Vivobarefoot
  • Vibram FiveFingers
  • Fila Skele-Toes
  • Some Merrell models
  • Some New Balance Minimus
  • Lems
  • Most $5 flip flops
  • Luna Sandals
  • Xero Shoes

I'll try to add more to the list as I come across them, but these should keep just about anyone busy for fit and style.  Keep in mind, you want your toes to be free to splay while at rest or during activity, avoiding too much compression of the bones against the footwear or bone against bone.





And make sure you know about this article by Dr. William Rossi.  Don't make a costly mistake with your footwear or foot health.





14 comments:

  1. thanks for the great advice...just boght my first altras, keen flip flops are a gret ddition to your list!

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  2. Thanks for the comment, Diane! I think the Altra brand is excellent. I'll have to look into the Keen ff's

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  3. sorry about the typing...on an ipad!!,

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  4. Hi could you recommend which Vibram Fivefinger or VivoBarefoot, my podiatrist seems to think I might have this, I'm a fairly competitive runner and this had brought me more or less to a halt, I did switch to Adidas temporarily and I did find them very tight across the forefoot, I am now back in Kinvara 4's, which before the Adidas I trained in and ran 5 marathons with no issues, I also run in the Saucony Virrata.

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    1. Hi Craig,
      I would recommend locating a local REI store or Sports Chalet store if you have one near you, and then try on the VFF.  Out of all the shoes, I think they offer the most ability for the toes to splay properly.  However, they have the least cushion.  If you prefer cushion, then the Vivobarefoot and Altra brands should be looked at.  Aside from that, I would order the Correct Toes, regardless, so you can make sure your toes are getting reestablished and into the most true position.  So, I'm not sure that answers your question, but part of it is really dependent upon your preferences with cushion in the shoe.  The shoes I posted about, in one way or another, all take way more proactive steps for wide toe boxes, zero or very little drop, and little to no toe spring.

      If I can offer any more help, please let me know.

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  6. Thanks for your reply Shane, I'm over in the UK so don't have access to those stores, but we have similar, I will look into both the VFF & Vivobarefoot, I have also noticed I can get those Correct Toes over here also, I might give those ago also. I am managing to run at the moment with my Kinvaras on which have a fairly wide toe box, again thanks for your reply.

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    1. Craig,
      You might be able to use the store locator links on some of the sites to see if a small shoe shop might carry one of the brand names we discussed. It's worth a shot if you haven't done that yet. I'm only a little familiar with the shoe you're running in, and I have seen it listed as a wider shoe. As with anything, just be careful - MN is a creeper and it takes time to develop. If you have the three issues covered: toe spring, toe box, and zero drop you should be ok. Another thing that can cause a problem is if your toes and ball of your foot are getting bent into a convex positron in the shoe. The shoe needs remain to where the big toe and pinky toe always stay in line with the other toes upon foot impact and lift. If not, you'll be adding a lot of impact into the inter-digital nerves, worsening the MN scar that is forming.

      Keep me posted on how it goes!

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  8. Have you any opinion on Topo Athletic Footwear? Are these similar to the Altras?

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    1. Hi Trevor,
      Never heard of that brand, but of the main pieces are there, they are probably worth trying - zero drop, wide toe box, no toe spring.

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    2. Hi Trevor,
      Never heard of that brand, but of the main pieces are there, they are probably worth trying - zero drop, wide toe box, no toe spring.

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  9. Hi Shane , Would you happen to know of any shoe brand that offers similar type composite toe work shoes , I currently walk 14- 18 miles on concrete during a typical work day? Diagnosed with MN 2 months ago been an issue for 3 months . Also if there is any other info you could share that would benefit someone in this stage of MN would be greatly appreciated, Thanks Josh

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    1. Hi Josh,
      Thanks for checking in. I'm pretty sure both Vivobarefoot and Vibram Fivefingers each have created boot type footwear in the past couple years that might be great for you to check out. B of there are any ads showing for you in my blog for either brand, you can click on it and then just do a search for "Vivobarefoot boot" or "fivefingers boot" and that should yield results. They have also done well with business type shoes. Let me know how it goes!

      Thanks,
      Shane

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