Shoe Guide for Women and Children
Tips from a Female Podiatrist’s Shoe Closet!
Dr. Lucy Meier has had painful flat feet for years. In spite of her foot woes, she loves shoes and loves to wear the latest trends. She has tried many different shoes and understands how difficult it can be to find comfortable shoes with style. She is more than happy to recommend the following brands and help you find a great pair of shoes. Happy shopping!
When shoe shopping, look for:
- A well cushioned heel
- Padding at the ball of your foot
- A stiff sole that only bends near the toes
- A wide toe box
Avoid
- Flexible shoes that can roll up into a ball
- Thin soles
- Heels above 2 inches
- Minimalist (barefoot) shoes
Dr. Lucy’s favorite brands:
Run/Walking
- New Balance
- Asics
- Saucony
- Mizuno
- Brooks
- Hoka
Casual
- Rockport
- Born
- Ecco
- Clarks
- Alegria
Dress
- Taos
- Cobb Hill
- Naot
- Spring Step
- Joan Oloff
Sandals
- Vionic
- Birkenstock
- OTZ
- Superfeet
- Chacos
Slippers
- Vionic
- Haflinger
- Spenco
Hiking
- Keen
- Merrell
- Ahnu
Boots
- Pikolinos
- Kork Ease
- Fitflop
When to use orthotics?
Always! I wear orthotics every day!
The trick is to pair the right orthotic with the right shoe. There are orthotics that are designed to fit better in dress shoes versus athletic shoes, but some orthotics can be designed to be more versatile. Custom orthotics allow for a better fit since they are customized to your foot and problem.
Many of the above brands work well with orthotics! Always look for a removable insole. Most insoles are useless and can be removed and replaced with the orthotic. Always bring your orthotics with you when shopping.
Kid’s Shoe List
Tips when buying kid shoes
- Always measure both feet, and always fit to the larger foot.
- Check size often. They grow fast and may need to go up a size as quickly as every 2 months!
- Don’t trust the manufacture size (every shoe fits differently).
- The shoe should measure 1-1.2 cm longer than the longest toe.
- The most expensive is not always the best.
- Be careful of hand-me-downs. (Warts!)
Age-Specific Suggestions
Infants
- Skip shoes altogether. Socks are best!
- Shoes should be flexible!
- Robeez
- Pediped*
- Bobux
- Momobaby*
Walkers/Toddlers
- Still relatively flexible
- Avoid thick heels
- Stride Rite*
- Kai
- Momobaby*
- Pediped*
Grade-Schooler
- Plae
- Tsukihoshi
- Asics
- Merrell
- Keen
- Ecco
Activity-Specific Suggestions
Basketball
- Adidas Electrify
- Nike LeBron
Soccer
- Adidas Conquisto FG
- Nike Kids Mercurial Vapor and Vortex
- Adidas Messi 16.3 FG
Baseball
- 3NT Pyro Metal
- Mizuno 9 Spike Classic
- New Balance 40-40 Metal Low
Running
- Model will vary by foot type and form
- Asics
- New Balance
- Saucony
- Newton