OK - I am looking for some foot advice. But first some background, 1- I am a heavy guy. 2- I am a diabetic. 3- My main job is a sound engineer and I can work very long gigs and be on my feet for anywhere from 6 to 18 hours in day. The problem. I normally buy a pair of nice New Balance tennis shoes, mostly because I have wide feet and high arches. NB makes a nice shoe for wide feet and they are really made for wide feet and don't just have a W after the size. Normally my feet feel fine for the first month or so and then it seems like all the comfort of the shoe goes away. I figure it is because I am a heavy guy and I just squash the shoes flat. So what I need is advice on a good shoe. That is comfortable and can last a while. Like I said above I can spend up to 18 hours (even more) on my feet on hardwood, concrete or asphalt surfaces. Having sore feet wears me out faster than the days when my feet don't get sore. Right now I am getting desperate. I would not mind spending good money for a shoe that will last and be a comfort to wear. Any Suggestions????
I am no expert on men's shoes, but I work on my feet all day too. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to go a good sporting goods store and buy a pair of replacement insoles for your shoes. They should have all kinds, with varying degrees of arch & heel support.
Billr, I'm not very schooled in this, but I have recently been diagnosed with type2 diabetes, My Dr. gave me a prescription for shoes. I looked at him like he had 3 eyes. I smiled and said that I could get a pair at any medical supply place. If they didn't have the shoes, they could recommend a place that would. He said the script was so I could get an exact fit for my foot, avoiding any chances for causing damage to my feet. I haven't followed up on that because I don't work any more. Maybe you could check with your Dr. and ask about it.
Hands down; SAS. http://sasshoes.com/ http://sasshoes.com/main/view_styles.php?catid=1&prodid=17 Get them here WALK 'N COMFORT 1700 MILE HILL RDPORT ORCHARD WA, 98366 - US(360) 874-6856 Or here HARRISONS FOOTWEARUNIT 15919689 7TH AVE NEPOULSBO WA, 98370 - US(360) 697-6029 They are like wearing clouds on your feet. Police wear them, nurses wear them, teachers wear them. I used to wear them when I weighed close to 300lbs and took ever ounce of pressure off my feet and joints. They are not cheap, but they are worth every penny.
I wear both SAS and Birkenstocks mainly, but you have to be comfortable in your own skin to wear birkenstocks as fashion critics hate them. They are fantastic though for long hours. You might want to consider orthotics like the Good Feet Store, as I wear them in my SAS shoes, which are the Bout Time model. The orthotics are expensive but are guaranteed for life.
Bill, I am also a Type 2 Diabetic around 265 lbs and completely understand your situation and more. SAS are excellent shoes, but from experience, they are not quite up to the task. I know because after my serious leg, ankle and feet surgical operations performed on both sides of my body. I was only able to wear one set of shoes for about 5 years until my legs recovered. These shoes went a long way in helping me in my recovery. These shoes are like SAS on steroids. They are called Z-Coils. They are not cheap, but they are super heavy duty in terms of materials and construction methods. They have a hard plastic last, heavy shock compression springs in the heel to absorb the pounding when you walk. They are not like the small wimpy springs on various running shoes like Gravity Defiers or Shox. These shoes were developed by a long distance runner who developed Plantar fasciitis and looked for a way to ease the pain of long distance running. Once or twice a year you will have to replace the spring set heel, but that is user serviceable. Now the only shoes that I recommend are the ones that have the heel springs completely enclosed due to the fact that you can trip over wiring that can get caught in an exposed heel. Here is the style below with a graphite reinforced toe. The web address is below as well. https://shoes.zcoil.com/StyleDetails.aspx?style=29 My two sets have lasted 6 years which is longer than most do. I have replaced the heels when needed and finally the leather on the sides is beginning to loosen to the point that they are no longer in my normal rotation. I have had more people who work in carrier delivery services and people who are on their feet ask me about these shoes. When I first had my foot and leg issues, I was told to try these and when I stepped into them an felt how much weight was transferred into the heel, I was sold. Drive a truck without shock absorbers or a spring suspension and then add shocks and a spring suspension and that is the type of difference you will feel in your feet. The only drawback is that they are heavy shoes so if you sit at a desk all day, they will wear on your stationary feet due to weight. If you constantly walk and lift, however, then these are for you. Good fortune.
Here I go chiming in to rock the boat. I'll first say that what's comfortable now can very well lead to even more problems later. The thicker a heel is made for cushioning purposes (whether with a spring, gel, pillows, whatever) the more it will elevate your heel, tighten your Achilles tendon, & cause even more foot problems down the road. Our feet are designed by God to be barefoot, not in shoes. With that in mind we still need to protect our feet & concrete & asphalt weren't our intended surfaces to walk on either. Now I will say if a shoe with a super thick heel is all that gives you relief, then by all means use it. You'll just need to really focus on stretching both muscles in your calf so you don't develop plantar fasciitis & heel spurs to go along with what you're already dealing with. High heeled shoes, both women's & men's, are some of the worst things that we do to ourselves voluntarily. A very inexpensive & effective product for cushion & DYNAMIC support (most orthotics only provide static support) is the Aline insert. This is the first insert that I will reccomemd to all of my patients without reservation. You can find them at www.aline.com. Only $70 + shipping which is cheap for such a quality orthotic. They don't need to be "custom" fit as those only support you in a static standing/sitting position. They don't allow the foot to actually move the way it's designed to like the Alines will. Whatever you decide to go with, please feel free to PM me if you'd like to know what stretches & exercises are important for good foot health. Our feet are our foundation. If they aren't working well then it will put the rest of the body into major compensation mode which leads to many other issues over time. A good chiropractor can also make sure that the bones in you feet & legs are working properly which can also drastically reduce the amount of stress & pressure you feel in your feet.
Yep, I had Plantar's Faciatis and the Birks were the best thing that happened to me. You can go to Walmart and find the knock-off Birks in sandals for $15 to wear when you are not working and they are almost as good for a fraction of the cost. Also, if you are brave enoughput a white foam cup full of water in the freezer; when frozen peale off several inches of the cup top to expose the ice. Then, rub that on your heels for as long as you can stand it to reduce the inflamation. Rolling your bare arch on a golf ball to stretch the tendons will help..............that will be $250 for two office visits, please
The ice cup & golf ball (put this in freezer too) are great tips. Another easy idea is to fill a water bottle (like Dasani) 3/4 full & freeze it. Once frozen put it on the floor & roll your socked foot ontop of the bottle back & forth with as much pressure as is comfortable. Don't do this for more than 10 minutes straight though. After 30 minutes you can do it again.
That's one of the great things about birks, the heel is about as low as you can go without being barefoot.
Yes, I agree with that about the Birks. My patients always expect to get mad at them when they tell me their Birks or flip-flops are their most comfortable shoes. They very surprised when I quite enthusiastically endorse them. In fact my favorite shoes that I wear everyday to work & to church are my Merrell barefoot shoes, the Tough Glove. Super low profile, leather, Vibram sole, extremely flexible, & my feet feel great all day! All that being said you have to carefully transition to a flatter shoe or bring barefoot as your calf won't be used to it. Do too much, too soon and your calves could be very sore!
I spent 45 minutes trying on VFFs but I couldn't find a single style that my toes would fit in. Then I found the Merrell's which fit the bill & I can wear them to work & church without causing a commotion.
Hi Billr.. I'm a big heavy guy and I've also had problems with footwear over the years. Consequently had to learn about shoes and stuff. I needed to retire from the main stream to really solve my footwear issues. There are three main factors in footwear comfort.. high quality leather, a good sturdy sole and of course it's gotta fit right.. The sole is what gives the shoe or boot most of it's support so if it goes so does the support. And a shoe won't be very comfortable if it looses it's support.. and here is where MOST of todays footwear fails! I couldn't get more than two or three months tops out of a pair of what ever's before the thing turned to jelly.. lousy soles= no support. Look for the DOUBLE WELT.. that refers to the stitching around the top part of the sole.. look for that because it makes the shoe fully and easily repairable and will help to mitigate the cost of the shoe or boot over the long term. Here is a link http://www.workboot.com/ to a great Canadian boot maker(no affiliation). Not cheap but they REALLY hold up. I'm sure you can look around your area for shoes or boots that might fit the bill..pun pardon..lol You could also look into Meindle foot ware and local and internet places for HAND MADE shoes and boots. These places can often accommodate the needs of the wide foot crowd more easily the main stream. Anyways best of luck.. Joe...
Oh yes Bill.. forgot to mention that for any shoe decision you make you should probably consult your health professional due to the diabetes. Not sure if a soft leather shoe would be best or not. You could even get printouts of the kinds of things your considering and show them to your health professional. Wherever place you go to check out stuff, make sure they are aware of your particular health issues and your particular needs ie wide toe with minimal foot movement inside etc.. again good luck...
Hi Bill, I also have wide feet and high arches. As you correctly noted, wide is not 'W', it is E, EE, EEE, etc. The very finest, best fitting, most comfortable footwear I have ever had by far is Redwing work boots. They cost, but man oh man are they ever worth it. Their outstanding made in USA quality means they are built to last darned near forever. I went in to the Redwing store, they measured my foot size, brought out the boots and I was on my way. The whole process took maybe 5 minutes. If you don't like the workboot style, they have other boot types and also shoes. The socks used are also important to comfort. When hiking, I found that cotton socks tend to cause blisters but wool socks were much kinder to the feet. Wigwam and Fox River Mills make some very good wool socks IMHO.
Hi again Bill.. shaver x is right about the red wings. I've seen them and was impressed. They also tended to go with a double welt construction and you might possibly be able to get them locally. The price was alright and they seemed to be a good value...
Hi Everybody - thanks very much for all of the responses and the conversation here! My feet can really wear me out when they hurt. As I am miserable when they hurt. I am looking forward to going through all of this advice and finding the solution that "fits the Bill." LOL loved that one! Please don't stop here if there is more keep it coming!
