The perfect shoe?

L

letsgorangers

macrumors 6502
Does it exist? What's your favorite?

I have high arches, I walk on my heels (which causes a lot of heel pain), I have bad knees, and just overall small finicky feet. I want something I can walk, run, exercise, do whatever in without foot/knee pain. I want something that is especially good on my heels. It doesn't have to be pretty, but it can't be bulky (because they look funny on my small frame). Lightweight would be good. No pink. Also, must be a brand that goes down to a size 5 or 5.5.

Anyone tried Nike Shox? They look like they'd better ok on my heels, but I don't want to blow my money if they suck.

So what shoe works best for you?

Oh yeah, edited to add: I try on shoes in the store and they are so comfortable and then after a week they make my feet hurt. So unfortunately, I can't just go to a store and see what feels good.
 
Yeah the Puma Romas are amazing. My favorites are however geox shoes. They make really comfortable sneakers and dress shoes. The downside is that they're expensive and I've never encountered them in the states yet.
 
We have the geox shoes here in vancouver.
nice shoes , really comfortable but not made for the rainy climate.

I personally like crocs. yeah they look like crap but are so light and comfortable you don't notice. I am keen to receive my Dansko shoes, they look like a cross between crocs and normal shoes but with the same comfort properties ( http://www.amazon.com/s/104-2430628-8122337?ie=UTF8&search-alias=apparel&field-brandtextbin=Dansko )

I have high arches and I love adidas running shoes. super comfort and not over priced.
 
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I have the opposite - flat feet and I walk on the balls of my feet. I will tell you I've got three pair of Shox, but they're best for aesthetics IMO. I have had excellent luck with my Air Max 180s and 360s, especially if I'm just walking long distances. I was in San Diego a few weeks ago and I walked the whole time I was there in my Air Max 360s with no fatigue.

One good thing about the Shox and Air Max shoes is that they don't use a foam-based midsole which can wear out and flatten quickly, especially if you walk heavy on your heels. They shox are very durable and cushioned, but my AM360s and AM180s have lasted just as well.
 
jng said:
Yeah the Puma Romas are amazing.
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really? :eek: Everyone I've known who has bought Romas absolutely hated the way they felt, if only they didn't look so damn nice. :D

I couldn't wear mine, they were just brutal on my feet.
 
You should look into getting after-market insoles. They make them for all types of feet, so you'll be able to find one with a high arch. They provide way more cushioning than the insoles that come with the shoes, and more of a custom fit. If you have real problems, orthotics would be your best bet. These are doctor prescribed, custom-fitted insoles. Not cheap, but could help out tremendously.

That said, the best pair of shoes I've ever owned were the the Nike Air Pegasus from about 5 years ago. That shoe has a wonderful balance of cushioning, weight, fit, and aesthetics.

Regarding the size 5-5.5, men's shoes really start at a 6.5 (although, you can find an occasional pair smaller), so you'd either be looking at boys' or women's shoes. If you have narrower feet, a women's shoe might work well for you. The difference between men's/boys' sizes and women's is 1-1.5 sizes. A 5.5 in boys would be a 6.5-7 in women's.

And, about the shox...I've found that they are no more or less cushioned than any of Nike's other shoes. You can find an Air cushioned shoe that is softer than a shox cushioned shoe, and vice versa. The shox are "tuned" to all different amounts of cushioning.
 
I think the only way to get the perfect shoe is to have it custom made, a good feeling shoe for some might be horrible for others.
 
jng said:
Yeah the Puma Romas are amazing.
Click to expand...

jaydub said:
really? :eek: Everyone I've known who has bought Romas absolutely hated the way they felt, if only they didn't look so damn nice. :D

I couldn't wear mine, they were just brutal on my feet.
Click to expand...
I love my suede Puma Romas, they've even survived a machine wash (60°C normal wash and 1200rpm spin cycle). Excellent shoes.

But there can be only one perfect shoe when it comes to comfort, I give you Dr. Martens:

2215Z.jpg
 
Leareth said:
I personally like crocs. yeah they look like crap but are so light and comfortable you don't notice.

I have high arches and I love adidas running shoes. super comfort and not over priced.
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my crocs are really the only "shoes" i own that don't hurt my feet/heels. not very practical once the summer months are over though. i will look into adidas running shoes.

oh yea tobefirst, i am female. i guess i didn't make it clear. i couldn't wear a men's shoe if it were the last thing on earth (which is a shame, because 99% of the time i prefer men's styles/colors). i have bought children's shoes before but i always worry that they aren't made with the same issues in mind (foot/heel/knee pain) as the adult varieties are.
 
tobefirst said:
You should look into getting after-market insoles.
Click to expand...
Bingo.

The other thing is to go into a dedicated running store-- they should all be trained and able to observe how you walk and give you a proper shoe fitting.

Straight up, I <3 my Asics Gel GT-2100 series running shoes. Yes, a lotta people on these boards hate on the aesthetics of running shoes (ya know who ya are *dogeyes*) but they're soooo comfy!

50155577.jpg


Also find myself enjoying the Simple shoe brand. Especially as they've introduced a ton of environmentally (more) friendly shoes. :) The ones I have are older and called "Sneaky" and look like:


1f5b1f35.jpg







My fave shoes methinks... (at least comfort-wise :p)
 
Those Simples are mad cute! :)

When you say "perfect shoe," are you talking about running, casual wear, for work, etc?

When I buy for running, I buy on fit and running comfort and orthopedic protection. That's about it. Whatever I can run most quickly and safely in.

But then otherwise, I'll wear most any shoe, bought on looks, that doesn't totally kill my feet at the end of the day. :p And I buy some shoes based on looks that will kill my feet at the end of the day anyways. :D
 
devilot said:
The other thing is to go into a dedicated running store-- they should all be trained and able to observe how you walk and give you a proper shoe fitting.
Click to expand...

Good suggestion. I have some similar foot problems and know all too well the thing of buying shoes and them really effing hurting later. :( But my most comfy shoes evar are my running shoes, and they were properly fitted at a running shop and I can tell are really supportive and fit perfectly. Unfortunately I hate the look of them, so I only wear them for running. :eek:

devilot said:
Also find myself enjoying the Simple shoe brand...
My fave shoes methinks... (at least comfort-wise :p)
Click to expand...

I remember you posting these shoes before and I love them. I've never bought any before, but I actually need new shoes and I couldn't find any, and now I am going to go and look at Simples. :D

letsgorangers, what about something like Merrells? They should have more support than fashion shoes, but are a bit more stylish than some performance trainers.
 
letsgorangers said:
I want something I can walk, run, exercise, do whatever in without foot/knee pain... but it can't be bulky (because they look funny on my small frame).
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Ah, I've got a relatively small frame, and long narrow feet-- believe me, most shoes make my feet look like clown feet. But for some reason, I dunno, I dig the way running shoes look. And the way they make me feel. Like I could take on the world-- one step at a time, you know? :eek:

Oh yeah, edited to add: I try on shoes in the store and they are so comfortable and then after a week they make my feet hurt. So unfortunately, I can't just go to a store and see what feels good.
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If you go to a legitimate running store, they'll usually have a 30-day guarantee or somesuch so that you can have a chance to really try the shoes for real. Obviously, you tend to pay a bit more upfront, but if you really wanna take care of your feet, knees, and back? It shouldn't make you blink twice. :)



Plus, you could always do what I did-- I bought a pair from the running store; support the great work they do, and local business (w00t!). But like most will tell ya, you can easily find yourself needing new running sneaks within 6months. In that case, depending on my financial situation, I either got a pair from the same store or found the same model for cheaper elsewhere.
 
Nike Air Force 1 hands down the best everyday shoe ever. Damn comfortable for me as I am flat footed and walk on the balls of my feet.
 
If I had to pick I would totally go with my Converse low tops in black. I wore those shoes everyday but since wearing the canvas sole all the way through I had to put them down. Now, I have a pair of pink converse that I heart just as much.
 
Birkenstocks. Although, I've noticed that my feet start to hurt if I have to stand for 5+ hours but they're still the most comfortable shoes I own
 
I've tried all kinds of tricks over the years to get the "perfect shoe".
From expensive athletic shoes, to Birks, to strange inserts, I've yet to find footwear nirvana.
I think if I had to share the one success story, it would be a pair of Nike Free's with some aftermarket high-support athletic gel running insoles installed.
Nike Free = super light & flexible. Feels like being barefoot (though the footbed is not cushiony at all)
Gel insole = squishy super-comfort with all the arch support the Free's lacked.
It turned out to be an exquisite match.

Though to be fair, I don't wear them very much due to a distaste I've acquired recently about how much gel insoles can cause ankle roll. The shoe seems unstable at times since it's so squishy. (though I'm a rather high-performance guy, so it'd probably be great for average wear around the home or office)
 
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