Oh my aching feet - help!

[Limitless]

Fellow horse/dog people, help me find some shoes for my aching feet.

Obviously, an appointment to a podiatrist is in order, because my feet are killing me. Are they killing me because of all of my current shoes, or do I have something else going on? Time to find out.

I need shoes that slip on for quick trips across the driveway to my barn, and also for walking my dogs/puttering around outside. Waterproof obviously would be great. I currently have a pair of Storm Chasers from LL Bean - so much pain. I found a pair of weird, plastic Dansko clogs locally, and at first they were great, but I think they are ramping up the foot pain and have made my issues worse. Unfortunately, this seems to be a theme. Try them on, walk around house (so they are returnable!), and at first shoes feel excellent. One week later, no bueno. And now they’ve made trips here there and everywhere and can’t be returned. Any recs from my people?

[Jackie_Cochran]

I do not know if this will apply to you. I used to have worsening pain in the balls of my feet, and dismounting was an exercise in pain. Walking around got worse and worse as far as my feet were concerned.

I did not go the shoe route.

I switched my stirrups from Fillis stirrups to the old fashioned Prussian sided stirrups which have a wider foot bed under the stirrup pads. The pain went away and never returned. Lately I have been riding in the Tech Venice Slope stirrups with no pain (at $400 USD-whew, an expensive successful experiment.)

Under the stirrup pads the foot bed of the Fillis stirrups are almost “knife edged”. The thin branches of the stirrups also added to my foot pain. I gave all my Fillis stirrups away or put them on saddles I sold.

My foot pain was so bad I was seriously thinking about stopping riding horses. After many years of using the Prussian sided stirrups and the Tech Venice stirrups I just do not have the foot pain.

I hope you find something that helps you. Foot pain can suck a lot of joy out of my life.

[Simkie]

Have you tried replacing the insoles in your current shoes with better ones?

My podiatrist recommends PowerStep. You can get them on Amazon!

[luvmyhackney]

Go to a good running store and get fitted for hiking sneakers. You can add an insole if needed.

[Bonnie2]

Blundstones. The only thing that keeps me sound. Water resistant but not waterproof. Wide toe box and firm sole. Soft soles are a big no for me - no sneakers or cushy shoes. I wear neoprene Original Muck Boots if it’s very wet but not for long! Good luck! No foot no human!

[chai]

When I had my farm, I. loved my “Muck” boots. 100% waterproof and so comfortable. I had plantar fascitis years ago and don’t want a repeat so I am careful with my footwear. I swear by my Crocs in the house and for outdoors my Hoka Bondis and Oofos even though they are sneakers and not good for farm work on wet days.

[JanM]

Are you wearing the same size you always have? They could be the wrong size, because over the years feel expand. Also, some shoes simply run differently than they used to due to design or manufacturing changes.

A friend’s mother was complaining her feet hurt, so he took her to the shoe store, and said he would buy a couple of pair, but she had to get her feet measured. She found out that her usual size 6 had turned into a size 8. She was an old fashioned person, who believed women should have small feet, and going into a size 8 was much better for her, but she was upset.

[Bluey]

Broke 3 metatarsals in one foot 40 years ago, Dr put insert and then said do not wear any other than thick rubber soled footwear like hikers, Vasque recommended.
Wore those, even riding and starting colts, careful with not hanging on stirrups and no pain as long as I did so.
Using any other and pain returned.
Now 40 years later, tired of clodhopper hikers tried HOKA thick soled tennis shoes and no go on bad knees.
Tried Brooks and seem to be getting along just fine.
No matter what I wear, I buy a size bigger and add a memory foam insole from Walmart, that adjusts to whatever your foot needs.
Has been working for me for two years now.

You may want to keep trying after a Dr tells you nothing is seriously wrong.
There ought to be something or other out there that could work.
Trying will be money well spent if you can find a good fit.

[alpine1]

What part of your foot is hurting? I have arthritis and deal with a lot of foot pain.

Don’t underestimate Crocs, they can be great for sore feet. If you’re up for something spendy, Kuru shoes can really help with foot problems https://www.kurufootwear.com/products/womens-kivi-chestnutbrown

[PaddockWood]

I say go to a good doc and get xrays and analysis. My xrays showed bone spurs in my mid foot area which explained the pain so wearing shoes w a firm/stiff footbed help ALOT. With the cost of shoes I’d first go get expert analysis.

I wear Redbacks (slip on) and they have a pretty firm footbed. But if I run around the property and on more unven ground Huka makes a running shoe w a carbon plate and that helps with that.

You can also get some THC pain cream and I use that sometimes on my feet when it’s bedtime and they are extra pissed. Gotta sleep.

[Limitless]

Not having stirrup issues (not yet!). Or I’m just too preoccupied so I ignore it.

[Limitless]

I haven’t tried this yet, I think because I figured that it would essentially make all my current shoes too small, but I can try it out with something like my muck boots (Dryshod) and those devilish storm chasers.

[Limitless]

Tied Oofos sandles this summer - Nope! They hit the side of my foot somehow and it hurts. Hadn’t considered crocs for the house yet, but I will.

[Simkie]

I don’t think I have a single pair of shoes where the insoles they came with don’t come out. Pop out the existing (cheap, awful!!) insoles and try some good ones

[Limitless]

My feet are definitely bigger, so I order up now for sure and have said good-bye to ever wearing 8.5s again.

[Limitless]

My heels are very much hurting and also the tops of my feet. My whole foot generally is sore just to rub it.

[Limitless]

All great ideas I will explore. Thank you so much everyone. Working on an appointment with a podiatrist now, and in the meantime I’ll probably hit up Zappos so I can do a bit less running around and have easy returns. My gelding wears a full set of shoes, $250 every 5 weeks. I pick up his poop. I think I’ve earned some personal foot care.

[Bogey2]

Blundstones with orthotic inserts specifically for Plantar Fascitis saved my poor feet!

[Posting_Trot]

The most comfortable shoes I wear are Hoka sneakers (Clifton 9s). They’re not waterproof, but they’re very comfortable.

That said, I also am a big proponent of wearing different shoes on a regular rotation. So the other shoes in my rotation (that I also find comfortable) are Birkenstock’s (sandals), Ecco women’s loafers, and my boots are Ariat paddock boots. I also have a pair of Klog clogs that fit my feet better than Danskos.

Good luck! Foot pain is terrible and you definitely should see a doctor. if the pain is being caused by nerve pain then physical therapy might be helpful.

[Amberley]

Blundstones and Keens are great, I love and use them. But if you don’t flex and strengthen your feet you lose that range of motion. I have genetic bunions and I am a runner so I work pretty hard to keep my feet flexible: I stretch and strengthen my feet and calves, I wear “yoga toes” or similar a few hours a day, I walk barefoot on sand as much as possible and I do dance exercises I got from a ballet teacher to strengthen my feet. Riding is almost as tough on your feet as dance or running or skiing is so take care of them!