Good Walking Shoes

[Jnaquin4]

+1 for Hokas!

 

[DL1WDW2]

The lady at the grocery store said Skechers always made her trip and she will never wear them again
Has anybody else had this problem?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Thank you for all the great ideas. I will be checking into them.

In the meantime, I had forgotten I bought a pair of running shoes from Amazon. Made for wide feet. For the last few days, I have been wearing them in the house. My feet feel good. The brand is Easy~Spirit. They are bit bulky but they fit well. Anxious for our snow to disappear so I can try walking with them outside.

Will be looking into other shoes as I walk a lot.

Thanks!

Yes I was going to suggest Easy Spirit.
The Romy walking shoe to be specific.
They are a little bulky but pretty lightweight.
I always used to wear them until I found the Skechers Go Walk with "yoga maxx" insoles.
I have saved a couple of pairs of the Skechers that I wear exclusively on Disney trips now so that they will last me a while because with each new generation they changed them just enough that I don't find them as comfy anymore but still worth checking out.
BUT in the past 6 months I've gotten back into wearing the Easy Spirit for my daily walks and they are definitely more supportive and clean up nicely.

 

[tguz]

Hoka Bondi

 

[morrik5]

I live in Canada so I don't think we have Road Runner Sports or if Hokas are sold here. I will be checking stores here. To add to it all, I have very wide feet. So, not easy buying shoes or boots. Just looking for suggestions. Thanks!

I live in Ontario, Canada and am just finishing up my PT for plantar fasciitis. My chiropodist recommends for sandals, not to wear Birkenstocks as the sole is hard and does not conform to your foot. He recommends amazingly, something cushiony like Crocs but says to shop for shoes at Soft Moc or Sketchers. I see Vionic Shoes are sold at Soft Moc and they are 100% Canadian owned and do sandals and walking shoes (Performance and Recovery Shoes). I know how much you walk at Disney especially so will need something supporting for our aging issues.

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[morrik5]

I live in Ontario, Canada and am just finishing up my PT for plantar fasciitis. My chiropodist recommends for sandals, not to wear Birkenstocks as the sole is hard and does not conform to your foot. He recommends amazingly, something cushiony like Crocs but says to shop for shoes at Soft Moc or Sketchers. I see Vionic Shoes are sold at Soft Moc and they are 100% Canadian owned and do sandals and walking shoes (Performance and Recovery Shoes). I know how much you walk at Disney especially so will need something supporting for our aging issues.

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Soft Moc sells Hoka: https://www.softmoc.com/ca/v/hoka

 

[Simba's Mom]

The lady at the grocery store said Skechers always made her trip and she will never wear them again
Has anybody else had this problem?

Not sure of the problem, but I was disappointed I couldn't wear Skechers step-ins. I have a very high instep, and every pair I tried wouldn't go over my instep. Has anyone else had this problem?
I'm among the Easy Spirit fans. Love them!

 

[snacks]

I have a very high instep, and every pair I tried wouldn't go over my instep. Has anyone else had this problem?
I'm among the Easy Spirit fans. Love them!

I also have a very high instep. Which Easy Spirit shoe fits you well? I have been interested in the Romy since seeing it mentioned in this thread but so far no one has mentioned the instep.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I also have a very high instep. Which Easy Spirit shoe fits you well? I have been interested in the Romy since seeing it mentioned in this thread but so far no one has mentioned the instep.

The Romy is exactly the shoe I wear. Additionally, I lace my shoes as shown on the youtube Zappos for high insteps. Making the change in lacing my shoes made a huge difference.

 

[EACarlson]

I'm a diabetic with Plantar Fasciitis, wide feet and I have a second job that sees me doing 30k steps a day some weekends. I am currently living in HOKA Bondi 8 and Bondi SR for any serious walking and Skecher Go-Run slip ins for around the house. I've tried them all and the HOKAs have been the best for me. New Balance start out well but break down much quicker. On Clouds don't feel right to me, they don't feel like they have enough conditioning and I've seen how quickly they break down with anyone over 200lbs. Most Skechers don't have nearly enough cushioning or support for serious use. My wife swears by Brooks, she also has wide feet and PF. And Vionic for sandals.

 

[kwdw]

Will have to check these stores out. Not sure if we have them in Quebec or if they go under another name. Thanks!

While REI is a nation wide chain in the US, a lot of the other stores mentioned are regional stores in the US. In general, what you want is a shoe store that carries many brands with skilled sales staff. In general, most running specialty stores also sell walking shoes. That said, many folks are citing running shoes for their walking shoes and I’m one of those folks, too. I wear a New Balance running shoe for walking. Things like shoe width, toe-heel drop, stabilization, your arch, whether you over or under protonate or not ..all impact the best shoe for you.

If you can make a trip to a podiatrist, they can be very helpful in understanding your feet and they will tell you what to look for.

Oh, and really, at least get someone to size you as a decent percentage of folks wear shoes too small and even in adults, shoe size changes. And because you are one size in one shoe doesn’t mean the same size in other shoes. I own shoes in three sizes right now, and it’s based on manufacturer and shoe style differences, but they all fit me correctly.

 

[Praise2Him]

Not sure of the problem, but I was disappointed I couldn't wear Skechers step-ins. I have a very high instep, and every pair I tried wouldn't go over my instep. Has anyone else had this problem?
I'm among the Easy Spirit fans. Love them!

Easy Spirit now has step-ins! I just got mine the other day and so far they’re great! (I loved my Sketchers step-ins but they didn’t have enough arch support for lots of walking).

 

[TAPMD]

Hokas, Clarks, Sketchers, Brooks, Olukai. Find a good shoe store that will measure you feet. I would plan to try on different styles of all brands you are interested in. If you can buy the shoes with a return policy if you don't wear them outside. Wear them around the house until you find the best pair(s).

I wore Clarks for 30 years until they stopped making shoes I found comfy. When we were in England year ago, they were on every corner in London. I'm guessing they are no longer the same quality, but worth a look. I wish I had my favorite pair resoled but I threw them away...

DH love Sketchers slip ons. Me, not so much. I don't find enough support for my flat feet. He has high arches.

I've had mixed luck with Brooks.

DH loves Olukai, I know lots of people that find them comfy.

Our son (who is a dpt) bought me my first pair of Hokas in 2022 at DS. They are still my go to shoes, but sadly they don't make the style anymore. I wasted $150 on a pair that looked similar but doesn't feel the same.

Good luck!

I don’t like the sketcher slip ons either because they aren’t supportive enough for my feet.

 

[Cynt]

My go to Disney shoes Crocs, Reebok or Reefs.

 

[R&RsMom]

Google a running/athletic store that sells multiple brands. In the store, a salesperson will be able to watch you walk and ask some questions to find the right shoes for you. If there is foot pain, maybe see a podiatrist. You may need orthotic inserts.

 

[mmm_texas]

The lady at the grocery store said Skechers always made her trip and she will never wear them again
Has anybody else had this problem?

My wife likes Skechers, and has gone through several of them. There are some models (do shoes have "models"...?) she would never wear again just because they have too much "roll" in them, which is what the grocery store lady reminds me of. She also dislikes the "step-ins", the back of the heel is too rigid for her. She loves her current Summits for walking though.

 

[keishashadow]

Things like shoe width, toe-heel drop, stabilization, your arch, whether you over or under protonate or not ..all impact the best shoe for you.

If you can make a trip to a podiatrist, they can be very helpful in understanding your feet and they will tell you what to look for.

This!

For my feet needs, biondi, saucony ride & Keene H20 sandals works well in the parks.

For recovery, Birkenstocks. I take the EVA ones and wear as “dress” shoes when going to DS for dinner lol

 

[provencio]

I will also strongly recommend Hokas!! I power walk and developed plantar faciitis, Tried different sneakers with inserts and did PT but nothing helped. Read an article on Hokas and gave them a try. Foot pain disappeared and has not returned, It's been over two years and I'm on my third pair.

Which style worked for you?