Extra cushioning in shoes

[kinnear]

I'm doubting my choice of footwear 10 weeks out from my Camino and welcome advice. Ten years ago, I walked in Asics Trail shoes Duomax two sizes bigger than usual and they were great - no blisters etc. Well...I did discover a stress fracture injury once I was home! I have bought a similar shoe and have been walking in them for 10 km distances. There is amble room for my toes - my feet are small but wide and there is a bit of heel slipping that adjusting the lacing addresses. I also added Green Superfeet innersoles that were uncomfortable at first but I seem to have adjusted to them. The issue is that my feet and especially the soles of my feet just feel generally sore walking. I'm 68, much older than when I walked last time and I wonder if more cushioning is needed now or a different shoe like Hoka One Ones. Any thoughts on the HOOs or suggestions for added comfort? It's pricy buying more shoes but may be worth doing so.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

Per my foot doctor and my experience, adding more cushioning does nothing but get squished. Worn out. Flattened.
Becomes useless.

Glad you have/using Super Feet. Great product. I have walked three Caminos and Super Feet went on all of them.

Yes, they feel "funny" at first. After the break in period you will wonder how you lived without them.

Blue is for hiking boots. And I found the blue ones are best for me in all my shoes/boots.

Get good socks. Stretching is very important. Taking breaks off your feet helps.

Shoes: Hoka... works for some. I ended up hating them

I walked last Camino in Salomon X-ultra models. Light pack. Also have walked in another model of Salomons.
Love them.

Get the weight off your feet...including heavy shoes/boots. Makes huge difference.

But make sure you have the correct support, arch, etc in what ever shoe you wear.

Shoes and foot comfort is a very person thing. Only you can come up with the combo that works for you

For me it was Blue Super Feet, Salomon shoes and stretching.

 

[alaskadiver]

Have you thought about going to a podiatrist and getting their advice? Custom orthotics are made to your particular foot problem.
Trail shoes may be too little support for your feet. That was my problem. Fix the issue now while you still have time.

 

[GPeachy]

If the Super Feet continue to feel funny, it may be worth having a doctor or podiatrist check your arch size. I have a high arch. Although I wear a 6 1/2 shoe, my arch matched a size 8, so I buy the super feet in an 8 and cut them down using the original shoe insole as a template. I used the super feet on the CF with Dolomiti trail shoes and had no problems with my feet.

 

[kinnear]

Per my foot doctor and my experience, adding more cushioning does nothing but get squished. Worn out. Flattened.
Becomes useless.

Glad you have/using Super Feet. Great product. I have walked three Caminos and Super Feet went on all of them.

Yes, they feel "funny" at first. After the break in period you will wonder how you lived without them.

Blue is for hiking boots. And I found the blue ones are best for me in all my shoes/boots.

Get good socks. Stretching is very important. Taking breaks off your feet helps.

Shoes: Hoka... works for some. I ended up hating them

I walked last Camino in Salomon X-ultra models. Light pack. Also have walked in another model of Salomons.
Love them.

Get the weight off your feet...including heavy shoes/boots. Makes huge difference.

But make sure you have the correct support, arch, etc in what ever shoe you wear.

Shoes and foot comfort is a very person thing. Only you can come up with the combo that works for you

For me it was Blue Super Feet, Salomon shoes and stretching.

I have been looking at the Salomon shoes and will try some this week. Do you have an opinion about Gortex or not? I think there was some debate about this.

 

[jerbear]

I had used superfeet for a long time had them made by the original founder Phil. Now the super feet are generic. So I switched to prostep. These are for hi arched feet. Check em out. For no arch feet. Berkinstock blue footbeds. BC and take care of the feet.

 

[Karen2017]

Loved my HOO's boots, couldn't have done my Camino without them. I tried Merrels first during training but needed cushion so had some HOO's shipped in. Absolute magic, so much so I have just brought HOO runners good luck.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I have been looking at the Salomon shoes and will try some this week. Do you have an opinion about Gortex or not? I think there was some debate about this.

Salomons are great, but don't have anything particularly cushionning sole.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hoka One Ones have the extra cushionning, and depending on the model also have the correct structure needed for long distance walking. Apparently Altra also has a few models for hicking with very nice cushionning but I have not found them in shops yets.

 

[alipilgrim]

The Altra Olympus is has a lot of cushioning and is good for wider feet. Be warned that it is a zero-drop shoe so you have to gradually get used to wearing them. I found Salomons in general to be too narrow for me.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The Altra Olympus is has a lot of cushioning and is good for wider feet. Be warned that it is a zero-drop shoe so you have to gradually get used to wearing them. I found Salomons in general to be too narrow for me.

Altras do make other shoes feel like ballerina pointes! Strange feeling at first.

 

[jerbear]

Keen shoes run wide in the toe box at least.

 

[Lurch]

I concur with seeing a podiatrist. As we get older, and I have a few years on you, the fat pads on the bottom of our feet tend to go away. Been there, done that. My foot doc is great regarding surgery, if needed, and has 2 typed of support. Generic foam pads which work so-so but are easily replaced and hard plastic/Kevlar ones which last forever. Problem with the latter is that, while they are great for arch support, there in almost no cushioning. If you have low, or no, arches in your feet, I do not recommend surgery to correct. I had it done and all it left me was with a mass of bone on the inside side of my foot and a slightly raised arch. Not worth the recovery time at all.

 

[frida1]

I also learned from my podiatrist about fat pads going away, after I completed my first camino with horribly aching bottoms of the feet. For me, orange superfeet (for high arch) along with hook shoes or boots really work. No more aching on the bottom. I use shoes for less challenging walking, and the Hoka boots for hikes that have more steepness, rockiness and unevenness.

 

[Susan Peacock]

I have worn HOKAs on 3 Caminos and couldn't have been happier. In fact, the have discontinued the Tor Summitt so I have bought every pair I can get my hands on. As you know everyone is different but they are definitely worth a try. On my recent Camino in Italy there were four of us in HOKA boots.....I didn't hear any complaints.

 

[Elisha]

I have worn HOKAs on 3 Caminos and couldn't have been happier. In fact, the have discontinued the Tor Summitt so I have bought every pair I can get my hands on. As you know everyone is different but they are definitely worth a try. On my recent Camino in Italy there were four of us in HOKA boots.....I didn't hear any complaints.View attachment 34709

I'm walking my first Camino next April & have just purchased a pair of Hoka One One Tor Summit's & also a pair of their Tor Ultra HI's. They're so unbelievably comfortable it's hard to decide which pair to choose. Right now though I'm leaning towards the Ultra HI's for that added bit of ankle support. They'll also be easy to spot on the shelf at an albergue!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

They discontinued the Tor Summit?! Imwas hoping it would one day be available here to try. Oh no. Time to write to them and ask they keep making it.

 

[alaskadiver]

I have worn HOKAs on 3 Caminos and couldn't have been happier. In fact, the have discontinued the Tor Summitt so I have bought every pair I can get my hands on. As you know everyone is different but they are definitely worth a try. On my recent Camino in Italy there were four of us in HOKA boots.....I didn't hear any complaints.View attachment 34709

My podiatrist is after me to buy a pair after my plantar fasciitis issues on my Camino. I'm going to go try one on this weekend.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

My podiatrist is after me to buy a pair after my plantar fasciitis issues on my Camino. I'm going to go try on a buy this weekend.

Many of the HOO have a narrow toebox, butnthey have just come up with a whole line of "wides", including the Bondi which fit me well even in regular width. So try on as many models as you need. I buy just about whichever ones I find on sale at MEC: they let them go at about C$35!!! I have two new pairs in the closet for when the current pair gets retired. They are that good. I was not sure about them, so I took them to my podiatrist pre-Camino and she told me that was the best decision I could have made.

 

[alaskadiver]

Many of the HOO have a narrow toebox, butnthey have just come up with a whole line of "wides", including the Bondi which fit me well even in regular width. So try on as many models as you need. I buy just about whichever ones I find on sale at MEC: they let them go at about C$35!!! I have two new pairs in the closet for when the current pair gets retired. They are that good. I was not sure about them, so I took them to my podiatrist pre-Camino and she told me that was the best decision I could have made.

I definitely can't have a narrow toe box. I might even try on the men's version. Thanks for the advice. I will give them all a try and report back.

 

[Elisha]

I definitely can't have a narrow toe box. I might even try on the men's version. Thanks for the advice. I will give them all a try and report back.

I have both the Tor Summit & the Tor Ultra HI's, the Ultra's have a really wide toe box with lots of wriggle room. Definitely recommend checking them out, they're awesome! Lots on sale at the moment at 6pm.com