In the last couple of months my foot has been hurting a lot, eventually the pain started shooting up my leg all the way to my hip. Only on my right foot.
Went to chiropractor, who after much bone-cracking sent me to a runner’s shop where they analyze your walking, blah blah. The bottom line’s that I’m overpronating and the faulty walking is causing the pain. Overpronating = flat foot or the degeneration of the arch.
Growing up I never had any arch problems, it wasn’t until after I worked at the nursing home that the arch in my right foot started getting screwy.
I’m now the owner of a pair of shoes that are supposed to ease the pain of overpronating. I’m still getting used to them.
I’m moving to Okinawa in September and am looking for a good pair of sandals to wear in that hotter climate that won’t make my overpronation worse.
Any other overpronators here? Do you have any sandal brands that you can recommend?
Former comfort shoe store employee here! What type of sandal do you need?
Have you tried Naot sandals? They have cork footbeds in them that support your foot and correct your gait. There are MANY styles so you may want to try a lot of different ones on to get the best fit for you. They are a little more expensive, but the footbeds are replaceable so they last forever. The removable footbed is great for if you ever get orthotics because they will slip right in. They also have shoes!
A couple of other brands to look for are Ecco, Merrell, Keen, Mephisto and even Birkenstock.
Do you have any comfort shoe stores in your area? They should be able to find a bunch of different styles to suit your needs.
Don’t hesitate to ask any other questions too- I am happy to share any info I can and also debunk any shoe store myths if need be.
I would second the NOAT’s - they are pretty cool with the removeable cork insole so that you can put in custom foot orthotics. Prior to them my favs were Dansko (still a personal favorite) and Birkenstock for the molded arch. For sneakers New Balance is a good option for many pronators. Another option is to get a nice pair of arch supports made that can be put into just about any pair of shoes you wear.
Until things calm down I would also limit the amount of time you spend barefoot.
Best of Luck
Naot and Ecco are good unless you (like I) have narrow feet. Keen makes sandals with a good supportive footbed and protective covered toes – great if your toes or pedicure aren’t perfect.
I wear a miserably hard to find size and pronate like crazy, but I’ve been finding great comfortable shoes at zappos.com. You can order shoes in different sizes, try them on at home, send back what doesn’t fit and they pay the postage both ways. They also ship instantly – I’ve received shoes the day after I ordered them.
New Balance is a little tricky. They have several lasts, some of which are very good for pronators, others of which are not. Go to their Web site: http://www.nbwebexpress.com/ and click on “resources.” They have a guide to which shoes are right for various foot conditions, and a live adviser whom I found very helpful.
i have very flat feet and problems with my knees and ankles (all over pronated).
I would recomend seeing a physiotherapist, as there are excercises you can get which strengthen specific muscle groups in your feet and legs to give your foot more support.
Shoes wise, i need to wear specially shaped insoles in my shoes, but when it is hot i find that Crocs, Birkenstocks and Dr Martins sandels, all have very well shaped inner soles which give support and are sturdy enough to deal with my feet. I try to alternate sandel days with shoe days to give my feet and knees enough support, or to only wear sandels during the day and shoes in the evening.
as an altenative, try things like mary janes or open toes shoes, which you can put insoles in but still let your feet breathe.
At the moment I’m looking to finding two pairs of sandals: one with a backstrap and one that just slides on.
There’s two stores that I know of in the area where the brands mentioned can be found. The Runner’s Shop and Scheel’s. The only brand I’ve heard off on and off are Birkenstocks. I’ll have to check the other ones out.
The place I got my feet and walk looked at was the Runner’s Shop. I bought a pair of running shoes there and so far they’ve worked out fine. My legs are slowly trying to recover from the strain I put them on.
Funny how I spent 23 years in tropical Mexico running around barefoot and never had a single problem.
I really think that the Naots might work for you. Here is their website. Sometimes people LOVE the way they look and sometimes it takes some getting used to, but they really are the best sandals that I know of. Let us know how it all works out!
