Help me find cushioned men's shoes?
August 23, 2016 9:19 AM Subscribe
Can you help me find CUSHIONED men’s casual shoes or sneakers that don’t run narrow, that go with khakis/chinos and jeans, and are ideally, (significantly) less than $100?
I have capsulitis, also called metatarsalgia, in my right foot, which is recurring pain and swelling in the ball of the foot, in my case, at the second metatarsal head. The treatment for capsulitis is pressure relief. After trying DOZENS of insoles, I’ve settled on an insole strategy that works for me.
Shoes however, continue to be a problem. I’m looking for CUSHIONED men’s casual shoes that don’t run narrow or small, that go with khakis/chinos and jeans, and are ideally, (significantly) less than $100.
So far, Saucony Jazz Low Pros work, as do the Adidas Boost line, though Boosts are expensive and a lot of them don’t pair well with chinos. I like the look of Eccos, but they’re more than I’d like to pay, and the pair I bought wasn’t all that well cushioned. I have a pair of Brooks Chariots and they only kind of work, mostly because the midsole underneath the insole is rock hard.
Gum rubber and skate style shoes almost never work. Regular Converse, PF Flyers, Supergas, Vans and even Teva and Cole Haan skate-style shoes just don’t have enough cushioning, even after swapping out the insoles. Running shoes are an obvious answer in terms of cushioning, but few of them are plain enough to wear with chinos. I'd like to avoid all-white dad shoes.
I’m in a warm weather state, so fabric beats leather, but leather is not out of the question. The one thing I can be flexible on is price, and I’m especially interested anything you’ve actually worn. Bonus points for the shoes still having some cushion even without insoles, as I use my own.
I have capsulitis, also called metatarsalgia, in my right foot, which is recurring pain and swelling in the ball of the foot, in my case, at the second metatarsal head. The treatment for capsulitis is pressure relief. After trying DOZENS of insoles, I’ve settled on an insole strategy that works for me.
Shoes however, continue to be a problem. I’m looking for CUSHIONED men’s casual shoes that don’t run narrow or small, that go with khakis/chinos and jeans, and are ideally, (significantly) less than $100.
So far, Saucony Jazz Low Pros work, as do the Adidas Boost line, though Boosts are expensive and a lot of them don’t pair well with chinos. I like the look of Eccos, but they’re more than I’d like to pay, and the pair I bought wasn’t all that well cushioned. I have a pair of Brooks Chariots and they only kind of work, mostly because the midsole underneath the insole is rock hard.
Gum rubber and skate style shoes almost never work. Regular Converse, PF Flyers, Supergas, Vans and even Teva and Cole Haan skate-style shoes just don’t have enough cushioning, even after swapping out the insoles. Running shoes are an obvious answer in terms of cushioning, but few of them are plain enough to wear with chinos. I'd like to avoid all-white dad shoes.
I’m in a warm weather state, so fabric beats leather, but leather is not out of the question. The one thing I can be flexible on is price, and I’m especially interested anything you’ve actually worn. Bonus points for the shoes still having some cushion even without insoles, as I use my own.
Best answer: I have a different ailment (plantar fasciitis and insertional achilles) but same needs in shoes. If you can get anything made with fresh foam from New Balance, they are the cushiest I have been able to find. Mostly these are trail and running shoes so do not quite fit the bill. My close second is a pair of Born wing-tips that I found on sale. They look great and I can wear them all day without dying.
posted by lizb at 9:47 AM on August 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lizb at 9:47 AM on August 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have a pair of these and these from the Cole Haan Factory outlet store. The price at the store at the time was $100 ($99.99). I have different issues, but these are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn and I get compliments on them. (I am so far from being a fashion person that the compliments are quite amusing to me. I am a Khaki or Levi dungarees person.)
They are not hot even though they are leather or suede. I can lace them as loosely as I want.
If you have a Cole Haan outlet store near you, it is worth the trip in my opinion. I think Nike owns Cole Haan or did at one point.
posted by AugustWest at 9:56 AM on August 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
They are not hot even though they are leather or suede. I can lace them as loosely as I want.
If you have a Cole Haan outlet store near you, it is worth the trip in my opinion. I think Nike owns Cole Haan or did at one point.
posted by AugustWest at 9:56 AM on August 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I find a lot of Clark's have plenty of width (for a normal width shoe) and many of their more casual shoes have thicker soles.
posted by Brian Puccio at 11:01 AM on August 23, 2016
posted by Brian Puccio at 11:01 AM on August 23, 2016
Best answer: Have you taken a look at Rockports?
They have a rep as old-man shoes, but they have some surprisingly contemporary designs at this point. I've spent a good chunk of my adult life as a bit of a clothes horse, and really looked down on them for style reasons, but I have a pair -- about $100 -- that I wear for conferences and trade shows that make a HUGE difference in comfort. I don't have any medical issue to compare, but I do know they're comfy. Might be worth a look.
posted by uberchet at 1:39 PM on August 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
They have a rep as old-man shoes, but they have some surprisingly contemporary designs at this point. I've spent a good chunk of my adult life as a bit of a clothes horse, and really looked down on them for style reasons, but I have a pair -- about $100 -- that I wear for conferences and trade shows that make a HUGE difference in comfort. I don't have any medical issue to compare, but I do know they're comfy. Might be worth a look.
posted by uberchet at 1:39 PM on August 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Wondering which ECCO model you tried?
Check out the BIOM line. Very comfortable AND attractive.
Yeah pricey, worth it to me, and you said you are flex on price.
posted by artdrectr at 1:56 PM on August 23, 2016
Check out the BIOM line. Very comfortable AND attractive.
Yeah pricey, worth it to me, and you said you are flex on price.
posted by artdrectr at 1:56 PM on August 23, 2016
Response by poster: All - thanks for the answers so far! Keep them coming! I tried the Ecco Ennio Casual Tie, which I hoped would work based on Ecco's reputation. Definitely willing to try some other models, however.
posted by cnc at 2:06 PM on August 23, 2016
posted by cnc at 2:06 PM on August 23, 2016
Best answer: Nthing rockports, specifically the "rocksports" line which are essentially running shoes disguised as work shoes. I have capsulitis and these combined with my inserts worked wonders. Do be sure to get the right ones though, the regular models aren't as padded.
posted by smoke at 2:21 PM on August 23, 2016
posted by smoke at 2:21 PM on August 23, 2016
Best answer: Seconding the memory foam Skechers. I bought a pair because I work on my feet all day and the gel inserts just weren't cutting it anymore... Those shoes are like walking on magic fluffy marshmallow clouds. I got the "air cooled" mesh topped ones, they've been nice and cool in the summer.
posted by CKmtl at 5:02 PM on August 23, 2016
posted by CKmtl at 5:02 PM on August 23, 2016
Best answer: Nth'ing Clarks. Nice looking formal shoes with cushioning. Just bought a pair of hip blue leather shoes.
posted by jander03 at 9:43 PM on August 23, 2016
posted by jander03 at 9:43 PM on August 23, 2016
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posted by aimedwander at 9:28 AM on August 23, 2016