Cool, casual men's shoes for feet that pronate?

June 25, 2020 6:31 PM

Please help me find casual shoes, not running shoes, that meet these criteria for motion control and anti-pronation.

TL;DR My podiatrist has advised that my feet are starting to degrade due to poor gait, poor support from my shoes, and I suppose, modern living.
Me: male, 40s, lots of athletic activity but don't run often.

He suggested:

• Custom orthotics, which I'll be buying
• Shoes that meet the Motion Control + Anti-Pronation test (torsional rigidity, heel rigidity, flexion stability)

I like to wear casual, non-running shoes like Adidas Samba, Airwalk, or Chuck Taylors.

What are some alternatives that meet the above criteria, are under $75, and have room for orthotics?

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On a related note, if anyone knows a reliable method for regaining foot mobility and avoiding the above, I'm all ears.

posted by falcon42 to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

I have horrible flat feet. I finally went to a podiatrist, and he said I could get custom orthotics ($600 under my insurance), or try Powerstep Pinnacle Maxx inserts which were $45 from a local store that specializes in weird feet. They've been substantially better than every other insect I've tried.

Most of my shoes are Doc Martens, and they have plenty of room for these insoles. They're not under $75, but they're not much more. I have no idea if they pass that test.

A flat-tooted friend wears Oofos sandals around the house. I bought some about a week ago to wear around the house (I notice my feet being more sore than usual, and I blame not wearing shoes for more than short periods while working from home for the last few months), and they seem to have helped already.
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:51 PM on June 25, 2020 [2 favorites]

I don't have direct experience here, but I am using a product that may be worth a try before you spend on the custom orthotics.

It's an insole that you heat up briefly in the oven, then insert into your shoes so the insole can mold itself to your feet while you stand on them.

Sole Softec Ultra-U Arch Support Inserts
posted by superelastic at 7:13 AM on June 26, 2020

I overpronate pretty severely, and the non-athletic-sneaker brand I've found that's most comfortable and helpful right out of the box is Vionic. I don't need to add orthotics to them; the footbed works on its own. I can only vouch directly for their women's shoes, but honestly I'd give them a shot.

Their general price point is higher than you want, but here's a casual men's shoe that's on sale for $80 in both black and gray that might fit the bill.
posted by current resident at 10:20 AM on June 26, 2020

You definitely want to working on foot strength instead of orthotics for long term success. Check out Katy Bowman's books as a good starting point. If videos are more your jam, check out MoveU, @thereadystate, and @docjenfit/MobilityMethod (mix of youtube and instagram links there, but these folks have content all over the place, so pick whatever form of Social Media you prefer). They are whole body focused but have a lot of foot related content, plus it's all connected!!

I've only recently started following those last three on social media so I'm sure there are a lot more resources out there, it's a deep hole :D
posted by theRussian at 8:15 PM on June 27, 2020

I walk a lot and have had some trouble with my feet. I found the "brooks addiction walker" shoes to be fantastic and they take fit orthotics or other inserts well.

Superfeet inserts work well, but the custom orthotics I got recently were 100% worth the extra cost.
posted by nalyd at 8:23 AM on June 28, 2020