Motion control-type non-sneaker shoes for men

April 17, 2015 11:54 AM

Hi all, I have super flat feet and have had reconstructive foot surgery. The only kind of shoes that are comfortable for me to wear for long periods of time are motion control-type running shoes. Are there any non-sneaker shoes with similar construction and support?

My wife thinks my restricted choice in footwear is the greatest thing holding me back from being a well-dressed man (she's essentially right). The problem is, I can do about 90 minutes in other types of shoes before my feet and calves kill me. I'm not looking for anything too fancy or staid, as I would prefer not to be wearing wingtips/loafers or anything patent-leather-shiny.

Any brands and styles recommended? I once owned a pair of Clarks that were super-comfy but gave me a stress fracture after a few months. :P The other catch: I'm a size 15, occasionally fitting into a 14. Budget isn't really an issue. Just so long as I can look classy and mature. Please say my best hope is not spray-painting a pair of Brooks black.

(For what it's worth, I have found the Brooks Beast and Mizuno Wave Inspire series to be the best for me. Also somewhat doable are Docs, as long as I'm only standing and not really walking.)

posted by laerm to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (7 answers total)

Is going to a podiatrist or foot-and-ankle orthotist person and getting orthotics an option? I've had a host of weird knee problems and when I'm not wearing my weirdo ultra-supportive running shoes, I normally have custom orthotics in my regular shoes. They basically make an otherwise flat-soled shoe conform however you need them to support your feet. (Basically: the shoes with orthotics feel like the speciality running shoes feel by themselves.)

They aren't cheap, but the hard plastic ones will last for a few pairs of shoes. The only big issue is sandals, if you like wearing them, because normally they require having the orthotic glued down to the bottom of the sandal. In regular dress shoes you just put it in place of an insole and it's removable.
posted by Kadin2048 at 12:26 PM on April 17, 2015

Response by poster: Oh, apologies, I forgot to mention: I had orthotics made a few years ago and found that they made my feet feel worse. (And started a bit of a legal battle that I had little recourse on.) I went through three podiatrists before I found one who said "look, surgery is your only real solution," which a fourth confirmed, and the surgery was a great success. I bring that up because those dudes, who I largely trusted, both told me that orthotics mostly benefited the wallet of the doctor who prescribed them.

Thanks for the response, though, and reminding me to bring up the lack of success with orthotics for me.
posted by laerm at 12:32 PM on April 17, 2015

I have had good experience with Drew shoes. I've only worn the women's shoes but they have worked for me better than any other brand--I also need a lot of motion control. My feet do get tired in the dress shoes sooner than the athletic-style but I can make it through an 8-hour day pretty comfortably.
posted by agatha_magatha at 12:51 PM on April 17, 2015 [1 favorite]

I've identified good-shoe contenders myself by perusing through this list of shoes approved by APMA. It's by no means exhaustive, but may be a good start for brands and models to try. Many Chacos shoes are built on footbeds with fantastic support, if you're looking for casual or outdoorsy options.
posted by NikitaNikita at 1:52 PM on April 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

I've had good luck with Dunham shoes which are made by New Balance.
posted by Jahaza at 9:22 PM on April 17, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks for the advice, everyone. I will be trying a number of these on in shopping trips over the next two weeks and will report back. The APMA list is quite substantial: working through that one alone looks like it will take a while...
posted by laerm at 7:38 AM on April 18, 2015

Please say my best hope is not spray-painting a pair of Brooks black

You know that Brooks come in black, right? Both the Addiction walker and the Addiction Runner.

I pronate and have fallen arches, my two pair of custom orthotics also made my feet worse. I am currently wearing Brooks Addiction walker but with an insole from Ideal Feet.
posted by CathyG at 1:37 PM on April 18, 2015