20 Best Shoes For Foot Drop (2023 Updated)

I thought this 623V3 would be the same as the previous model. Its not. I’ve tried three different pairs. In all cases, they lasted less than 6 weeks and all I did was daily walks (about a mile on level road ) and daily chores around the house, no running, no jumping, no Gym workouts, no latter climbing, no mountain climbing,.

The problem, the heel collapses and for me, it happened mostly on the right side. When the heel collapses, you’ll eventually experience pain in the heel area. I spent a lot of money on these shoes only to find that their worthless for my use.

All went to the garbage. never again. I switched to another brand. It appears a lot of manufactures are cutting corners on quality. Beware.

Well cushioned and very supportive. Deep enough for my fairly chunky orthotics. Nice quality leather – I always choose leather over fabric because my big toe wears through fabric. New Balance are the only brand wide enough for my wide feet and small bunions.

I have been wearing the 624 D width for years, these seem like a more supportive option. 1 star deducted because the shoe slightly irritated my bunion on one side. I found that version 3 of this same shoe didn’t have the same issue so I changed to the newer version.

I wanted a pair of comfortable black leather shoes to wear with jeans or casual slacks. Something in an athletic shoe style. I particularly didn’t want the “Just do it” brand, and I have loved every pair of New Balance I’ve owned, so the choice was simple.

I like the ways these look, I can polish them, and they’re comfortable. I quit being a fashion icon long ago. Now I’m just me, and I like these shoes. I can’t comment on durability yet, but they seem well-made.

Recently purchased Oct 2022 UA Charged Pursuit 3 (4E) wide and could not be more disappointed in the quality. No arch support, material allows foot to move around, sole is of low grade and hard, cushioning insole is not even & support of foot is low.

Very disappointed. Even my old pair of UA Charged Pursuit that I have had for many years & done thousands of kms in is still better quality and comfort now compared the new pair of UA Charged Pursuit 3 (4e) wide.

UA what have you done? Lowered your quality substantially in my view.

My default go to was another brand of running shoes and have owned like 6 Pairs. The HOVR is my first one veering off that tested path as I try to change from my heel strike to a forefoot strike. I am impressed by the shoe and the tech it carries.

If you are that stage where you understand CADENCE I would highly recommend this shoe. Even if you are a beginner or just after a good looking shoe this won’t disappoint you. But if you are a runner looking to improve your technique then look no further than the Machina.

I have had foot problems for decades and searched for shoes that help them not to hurt. It’s a combination of arthritis, gout, and a bad knee. My podiatrist recommended New Balance, but the only ones that worked for me were almost $200 pair.

I didn’t mind paying that every couple of years, but the shoes began wearing out and hurting every three months or so and the fit seemed to be always changing so the shoe didn’t work as well. I’d finally stumbled on another brand of Orthotic Shoes which I liked and were about half the cost of New Balance and worked.

I ended up buying four pair in various styles. The main problem with them is that the heals wore down very quickly and through my gait off, caused an imbalance, which began leading to back issues. I’d about given up hope, then discovered this shoe.

They seem to be very well made, light, with more padding than any of the other shoes I’ve tried. The heals are a little higher, so my stride and balance is more forward than backward, resulting is far less pain and discomfort, along with better balance.

I have a wide toe box and narrow heals with high arch and instep. My only problem with the shoe so far is that it is a little wide in the heal, but the fit elsewhere is perfect as is the support and with the laces adjusted doesn’t slide or rub where it’s a bit wide.

And, the price is right. I imagine that I’ll be purchasing several more pair over the next year in different styles.

My husband has had issues with his feet for years. He has Plantar Faciitis, gets calf and thigh cramps constantly and has back problems. He comes home from work every day and talks about how bad his feet hurt.

The very first day he wore these shoes to work, he was texting me telling me how good his feet felt. He wore them for several days in a row and then wore one of his other pairs of shoes for a day, and his feet and back were killing him and he was waking up in the night with cramps, so back to these shoes he went.

He won’t wear anything else now. He can’t stop talking about how good his feet feel and how his back hasn’t been bothering him. He sent me a text the second week of wearing them and told me he has to get more of these shoes because he has never been so comfortable.

I cannot say enough good things about them, from his perspective. Also, he ordered his regular size and they fit great, so I would recommend choosing your typical shoe size.

These are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned! I have had trouble ever since my ankle fusion on my left foot, and now I have plantar fasciitis on my right foot! I thought I was doomed to foot discomfort for the rest of my life! My feet are extremely wide.

I have tried and sent back so many pairs of shoes it’s ridiculous! I decided to try one more time, and I’m SO glad I did! These shoes are Perfect! I have never known such comfort, and I am delighted with my purchase!.

So I bought these for my husband who had a bout of gout. Most of the orthopedic shoes look like orthopedic shoes I mean, really, who wants to wear ugly shoes. However, these do not look like orthopedic shoes which he appreciated.

He said they were very comfortable and really happy to have them. Most of all, they truly helped to reduce the pain when he walked. Now, he wears them often, even when he doesn’t have foot pain. So, am so happy that we spent the money as it was well worth the cost.

Good quality shoes at a good price. They went up a little since I purchased the last ones but then so has everything else!!!!!!

I’ve had the Bondi X for a few weeks and generally run between 6-15km per run 3 times a week. I consider myself a casual runner (for the past 12 years), generally fit and in my mid 40’s. In addition, I have previously used the Bondi Clifton (500km plus) so I can now compare the two.

I found the Clifton extremely spongy and soft and after running beyond 15km’s, I get pains on the outer side of my knee area in which I couldn’t figure out why until a friend suggested that perhaps my shoes did not give enough stability.

I didn’t have this problem with the Bondi X and the only reason I can put it on is that the carbon plate is likely stabilizing my ground contact and hence my knees are not suffering. On short fast running days, I feel the shoe becoming responsive (not as responsive as the Clifton) as I change my running style but I feel the Bondi X at best for long distance (12km plus).

The biggest negative about this shoe is that terrible tongue – its very short and I have to often stop and pull them back up. On long runs, it the tongue goes under the laces and its very annoying. Other than that it’s a good neutral shoe that offers a bit of stability.

I wanted to wait to write this review so I can give an honest one. It’s been about 2 months of wearing these and I am obsessed!! I run about 35-50 miles a week and these have helped my knees and my ankles.

The cushion is next level and the flow of my runs are great. They do alleviate some of the pounding from the sidewalk. Running on Asphalt is even better with these HOWEVER, here comes the con. these do get Little Rock’s stuck in the bottom of the shoe where the X is.

You can feel the rocks every time you step. So that’s a bit annoying but definitely not a deal breaker. My other con is the tongue of the shoe. depending on my socks, the tongue bothers the top of my foot- I find myself having to bed down and move the tongue around.

This doesn’t happen often though, only with short socks. but be aware of that. I also changed out the laces to bungee laces and this changed the game. I want to add that I was nervous about the shoe being too bulky because of the wing on the back.

They do look bulky when holding the shoe but you don’t feel the bulkness of them while running. Overall, I will say these have been one of the best running shoes I have owned and I will likely keep buying these for years to come.

I’ve had Lone Peaks in the past and wanted to try the Superiors to see how they compared, so I ordered the current Lone Peak 6 and the Superior 5. In general, both shoes were comfortable on my feet. The Lone Peaks have more support and firm structure and, when I ran in them I felt that sense of reinforcement around my foot.

The Superiors, on the other hand, felt much less structured and more like a glove than a shoe. If you are wanting to try the barefoot approach, but don’t want to sacrifice the skin off your feet, then this might be the shoe for you.

Overall I have enjoyed running in this shoe. I do experience a bit of sliding and movement within the shoe which I first attributed to the roomy toe box, but actually, I think that it may be because of the choice of fabric for the upper.

One review that I read said that the fabric on the upper is too stretchy and I am inclined to agree. I questioned also whether the fabric would hold up on the trail, but after having the shoes for a month running on rocky, sandy, and sometimes wet ground, it seems the fabric is holding up well.

When I first noticed a bit of sliding in the shoe, I wondered whether the width was too wide, but decided it was the freedom of movement in a wider toe box and the give of the fabric that was allowing a bit too much movement at times.

like when you jump from one rock to another and are planting your foot at an angle. One of the first things that I noticed to be different about the Superiors was that they have a stiffer heel support than the Lone Peaks.

After my first run in the Superiors I had a bit of a sore spot on one heel, but after taking the stone guard out I haven’t had any more issues with that. I agree that the shoelaces are not the nicest to work with, but after getting used to the attached tongue they don’t bother me so much.

I think the complaints about the tongue may stem from the inconvenience of dealing with something that is so different from the way you have always been used to it being. Tying one’s shoes is such an ingrained skill that the least bit of change makes things awkward.

In any case, after just a week or so I now didn’t mind it anymore. Probably my biggest concern with these shoes, as much as I like them, is with the size of the lugs on the ball of the foot. When jumping from rock to rock, especially after a rain, I have definitely experienced some slipping.

I am not very concerned because I run at a slower pace on an easy to moderate trail, but for anything more aggressive, I would have to reconsider my choice. And this was a difference that I noticed between the Superiors and the Lone Peaks.

The Lone Peaks have visibly thicker lugs for better traction. For now the Superior 5 suits me fine and I’m enjoying them; however, after reading the review of someone loving the Superior 3s so much that she owned 10 pairs, I really would love a chance to try those 3’s.

The balance of support, flexibility, and cushion are perfect. I feel the actual muscles in my feet feeling the surface under the shoe and activating accordingly, but with the right support. I did go up a full size, and probably would have done half a size up except that the toe box height is pretty…tight.

Foot type: a tiny bit wider but not wide sized, slightly low arches (not flat footed). Additionally, I actually got these to wear generally because I have a broken ankle (I’m in the stage of being out of the boot but wearing compression socks) and my mush led fee way more activated in this shoe, even more than the other models of altra (and I know you’re not supposed to use these soles on pavement, but…wearing them out is a small price to pay).

Note that I also hiked/jogged on trails in an earlier iteration of these shoes, and the ankle padding and structure isn’t as supportive as these (therefore why I bought these for the ankle recovery) — and also I was a 7 on those but an 8 in these.

One criticism: dang these colors make me feel like a clown. Even the men’s colors are more subtle. Altra, please make a basic black or white. Some people like jewel tones with high contrast in the same shoe, and some people like pink…but I bet most of your customer base would like a classic, basic, neutrally toned option.

I’m so disappointed in these shoes. I switched from my Lone Peak 6’s to these for better ground feel, but they have virtually no traction in ANY sort of sketchy terrain. Purchased for my (current) 5 week trip through Peru/Guatemala as an everyday shoe on mostly dirt/gravel roads and not manicured trails through volcanoes, heavy elevation, and jungles.

I DO NOT feel safe in these at all. They are absolutely horrible in creek crossings, any type of traction on rocks/boulders whether wet or not, and just slides on loose dirt/scree as if they have no lugs at all.

I’m actually scared to wear these as they did not keep me upright in several situations, and had to slide down on my butt due to lack of trusting these. Even on wet flat ground (such as smooth wet concrete), they don’t have any traction.

If you’re not planning on hiking in these, or just running on flat groomed trails I’m sure these are fine, but I’m personally counting down the days until I’m back in the US and can return these. I never had any of these issues in my Lone Peaks, so not sure what went so wrong with these.

I have been a fan of Altra for years it all started with a peaked interest in the foot shaped toe box and always feeling other shoes were too narrow. I have now owned two different versions of the Superior trail running shoe which i love and use multiple times a week out here in Patapsco State Park in MD, USA.

Owning and training in the Superiors has lead me on a quest to convert most all of my other exercise purposed shoes over to Altra’s. I had been following the re make/re release of the Solstice XT 2 closely and was looking forward to giving them a shot as they sounded like my ultimate gym shoe.

I purchased the White in a size 10. I am 5’9″ tall and 150lbs. My overall feeling about the shoe so far is that I couldn’t be more impressed to be honest they surpassed my expectations. Never trying them on before I was going off of faith, I went to the gym the very next morning after they came in and performed an hour long circuit in them with zero issues.

It was a night and day difference between any other shoe I’ve trained in before. They are very comfortable and you can feel the stability of the zero drop sole with the foot shaped toe box. The re designed cage upper holds your foot firmly in place and does not irritate or rub the foot at all.

I really could feel all of the differences made by these features through out my exercise. The Solstice XT 2 is 100% made with the purpose of cross training/ gym training. Whether it was running, lifting, or jumping I felt comfortable and strong in all movements.

I currently do a MMA based strength and conditioning program that has me doing a large variety of movements and movements with varying weights. The Solstice XT 2 stood up to all of it no problem. I plan on putting these shoes through the ringer and will leave an updated review.

However as it currently stands these shoes are everything that I hoped they would be and more i would recommend for gym, running, or everyday use. The shoe is excellently crafted and i plan on using for a very long time.

I hope this review helps anyone else out there that was in my previous position as thats the purpose of my review. Thanks for reading – Mick P.

I own the first Solstice XT(TM) iteration and I love it. One of the reasons I like Altra is the “natural”, actual foot-shaped toe box and the zero drop. Not so much for environmentally friendly nor fair-trade characteristics, I must mention.

I also bought lone peaks RSM. With this pair, the whole fact that there’s now a scale from “Original” to “Standard” to “Slim” foot-shape is a teller that there’s either an admin change, new marketing approach or they’re forgetting why they got people’s attention in the first place and moving away from their roots.

If their business strategy is differentiation, it seems they’re losing it. That’s bad for them, for you, as it is for me. I actually cannot believe they would make narrower shoes that are inherently not foot-shaped.

With this pair I was skeptical at first, and that was confirmed very early. They say to buy a size up if it’s too narrow but no, that affects the space/size everywhere, tried them first. That shouldn’t be a thing.

Why is that? (rhetorical:more “normal”=broader target customers). On another note, I dislike the cushioning so much. It’s not like it’s really going to protect against anything, it just makes the shoe a ton less breathable, why? They’re not supposed to be waterproof.

It also uses a ton of glue for those structural additions; unlike the Solstice XT(TM), which would make those more durable and have a lot less breaking points. In this design, it seems durability is a lacking factor, and for the price it’s quite unacceptable, we should be getting a premium product.

Cheap labor and high margins, I guess. The color scheme is also weird in the black, I thought it would grow on me, but alas. Unfortunately I’d use those for work and black means it’s a lot harder to get visibly dirty, the white sole and the grey is just very far from ideal, especially the white sole like.

that’s the thing that gets the dirtiest the quickest. Overall not a buy, pass, perhaps the next iteration, that one’s a miss. Hopefully they don’t continue in that direction and become abother “Merrell”.

I was looking for a cross functional trainer that would actually allow you to cross train effectively, from HIIT runs to functional lifts to plyometrics. Given most cross trainers are not zero drop, I decided to give these a try.

The shoe itself isn’t bad, it’s a simple mesh upper with a stitched on plastic strip as the lacing eyelets with some plastic down the medial/ lateral sides. Nothing fancy but that’s where I believe they went wrong with the design.

Rather than appeal with only aesthetics (because more simple does look cleaner and nice), they should’ve focused on the key aspects of cross training a bit more; better midfoot foot lockdown, lateral stability, and heel lock down.

This shoe really doesn’t do any of that well. I would say the lateral stability is mediocre (for lateral skaters, etc) due to the plastic on the lateral sides but it doesn’t give me much confidence in not rolling my ankle if you are training at near 100% effort.

If you’re getting these shoes for strength training that doesn’t require a lot of movement/ fast motion, then these work fine (as do any shoe for that matter). I love that it’s zero drop, I do like the look, but that’s about it.

This trainer needs a lot more in order to make this my go-to. For now I’m switching back to my other shoe and hoping these can improve in the areas I mentioned above.

I am a fitness class instructor and use these for Circuit and studio classes including group cycling classes. These being the second pair I have bought. An excellent cross training shoe that is very light but gives me the stability that I need.

Also good for short runs. They also attract the attention of my class participants. I use them to cycle to the leisure centres with no problem. A great good looking trainer shoe. The only mild criticism would be that they are only good for lifting light weights such as in Bodypump type classes.

Not so stable for heavy weights. Overall a fantastic cross training shoe for all round workouts.

Absolutely love it! Very comfortable, true to size and no break-in required. When I heard they were similar to Rothy’s shoes, I was very skeptical at first to buy them, but after trying these shoes, I got obsessed! It really feels like walking on clouds.

I bought bunch more pairs in different styles from this site and also from Amazon, and plan on buying more lol. These are my favorite so far, but I have yet to try their Aria 5. 0. They are also very light and easy to pack for travel.

I have walked all over Europe in them with no blister or feet hurting.

These shoes look super smart and stylish but feel like a pair of slippers. Currently buying several more pairs – these are going to be my staple shoes now.

I bought this for my sister, and she was so surprised and soooo happy. She even thought of getting another one of her own.

These arrived today and are excellent for my feet. I have Lymphedema in my feet and seriously struggle with getting anything to fit and feel comfortable. These feel wonderful on my feet and as soon as the grey ones are back in stock in 4E i will be ordering.

Add Lymphedema to your list of Foot Conditions!.

This is my second pair of Fitville shoes. I tried them as my feet have swollen & existing shoes would not go on. It was lovely to be able to slide them on- I still used my show horn. But it was easy.

I wear them all day & they are totally comfortable.

I like the shoes and they fit well but I thought I had ordered them in white but it was a black pair you sent. Returning and exchanging is always a hassle with mail order goods so I just kept the black shoes.

May try ordering white in the future!.

First off, I’ll identify myself as someone who has more lululemon stuff than anyone ever ought to. I run 30-45 miles a week in nearly exclusively lululemon stuff. So when I saw a real live pro runner (Nikki Hiltz) with a closet full of blissfeel running shoes I decided to try them out on an easy day.

Now – about my running. I have been running for 35 years. I’m currently in the low 130s pounds weight. I take a neutral shoe, and I almost always get a wide width shoe. My top speed for speed work is in the 6-7 minute/mile range but most of my miles are in the 10-12 minute/mile range.

I’ve done 6 marathons. The blissfeel are comfortable shoes to wear for the most part. There’s a little thing at the forefoot that is a little too tight for my wide feet. Not a dealbreaker, I can wear with thin socks.

But running in them doesn’t cut it. They are really stiff and neither squishy nor flexible nor springy (I really only care if I get one of those in a shoe. ) so I can manage for easy 4 mile runs and that’s probably about it.

I’m not going to return them because they are absurdly cute. If I can get my life together enough to go to the gym I’ll wear them there. Otherwise maybe I’ll wear them to work where I’m on my feet for a big part of the day.

The Blissfeel sneaker running shoes from Lululemon are absolute heaven. I first learned about their first drop through my snapchat account @Luxury_Lindsey where I made a fun AR video app featuring all the amazing colors.

With the second drop I was so excited to shop in store, and experience them in real life. What impressed me the most was Lulu’s commitment to innovating the most comfortable shoe specifically designed for Women’s feet, movement, and lifestyle.

I have high arches and always need extra support in my shoes, and this is the first sneaker outside of orthopedic comfort that really delivers on every aspect of design. My only suggestion for improvement would be to develop a more supportive insole for comfort.

I did a couple test trials on the elliptical before deciding on size and color, and my pinkie toes grew numb because there wasn’t enough toe support. This is easily addressed by replacing the insole with another preferred orthopedic brand, but that is an extra expense that cuts into the cost of relative affordability.

These shoes definitely fit my foot better than a lot of other shoes I’ve tried, especially in the heel. My heel feels very locked in and supported on the sides, with no room to move side to side like I can in many of my other shoes.

I can also really feel a difference with the extra 2mm of foam in the insole – makes my forefoot feel very supported unlike other running shoes with a similar heel drop. Also probably a small detail, but I love the curve at the top of the tongue to give your ankle space to move without having the tongue cut into you.

I personally love the silhouette, they’re a good balance of simple and slightly chunky! Yes they are not the most innovative, but I think lululemon did an amazing job with their first ever shoe launch, making sure they can deliver on the basics of good footwear, and I’m excited to see innovation come out in the coming years.

TLDR: Amazingly comfortable with a noticeably different fit than many other shoes. Basic technology, but completely fair given it’s their first shoe. Looking forward to the future of their footwear!.

I’ve been running exclusively in zero-drop shoes for several years. I cut my zero-drop teeth on a pair of Altra Escalante 1. 5s and was instantly a fan of the responsiveness and cushion level of Altra’s EGO foam.

Between then and now, I’ve also been running in Altra’s Kayentas, which raised the bar for me for what to expect out of a shoe. Sadly, the Kayenta is discontinued (*sigh*), and my current pair is winding down, so I’ve been on the hunt for a replacement, ideally still zero-drop.

I’ve heard good things about the Rivera, so I decided to start with it. Right out of the box, the fit was super familiar when compared to my venerable old Escalante 1. 5s. I know there have been some recent complaints from people used to the ultra-wideness of old-school Altras who felt the Rivera was too narrow and somehow marked the end of an era for Altra, but I didn’t have any trouble with that at all.

The upper material is very breathable and felt great from the midfoot forward, and there was plenty of room for my toes to do their thing. Padding in the upper part of the shoe was a little bulkier than what I prefer, but nothing I couldn’t have worked with.

Unfortunately, there were a couple not-so-great things that stood out to me: 1) Heel lockdown: I don’t know if it’s the slippery material in the heel collar area, or the overly high level of padding that extends halfway down the collar, but no matter how tightly I laced the shoes (even with runner’s knots), I could not get a solid heel lockdown.

My left heel especially kept drifting up and down inside the collar, which is a recipe for chafing/blisters. 2) “Cushion”: What happened to the original EGO foam, the soft but responsive kind used in the Escalante 1.

5? This new generation of “EGO” feels much firmer, almost Escalante Racer-like. My Kayentas have several mm less stack height but are infinitely more cushioned, while significantly lighter and more responsive thanks to the Max LT foam they’re built on.

I had been excited to try a different shoe with EGO foam, but this newer version of it doesn’t do it for me. So who is this shoe good for? Well, if you’re looking for a snappy, zero-drop shoe and don’t typically have trouble getting a good heel lockdown, I’d encourage you to give the Rivera a shot.

It has a lot of the pros I’d typically associate with Altra’s shoes, and I’d still recommend it to others. It’s just not the shoe I was expecting, and I’ll be returning this pair in hopes of finding something that fits my feet and comes a little closer to what I’ve come to love about the Kayenta.

Perhaps it is due to me being a light runner, the Rivera just does not have the cushiony feel others have noted. They feel more like my time trial flats perhaps with a little more rebound. During an initial 8 mi piece I found them to be easy to maintain a steady pace; no clunkiness or side-to-side issues at all.

Light and crisp on toe-off. Landings on the forefoot were the big thing for me. I really expected a softer landing and it just isn’t there. Another thing that was bothersome on run #1 was the tread’s ability to snag very small rocks.

ugg. Hearing the annoying ‘click, click, click’ every stride for about 10 minutes hoping they’d dislodge but nope. Had to stop and remove them before they dug into the sole. QC was surprisingly off too.

I used some clear nail polish to help secure some loose threads and a small fray in the tongue. right out of the box. All in all, a decent shoe that will go fast (at the end of my initial run decided to crank it up and easily hit 5:30 pace) though using these for zone 2 runs as I train for an ultra; not so much.

I loved the Rivera 1 and I rotate it with Torin 5 and some 8mm -10mm drop shoes as well. Rivera 2 is a great improvement! If you have a skinny foot… size up 1/2 size. If you have a tad of a wider foot size up 1 size from measured she size.

This is more of a sport fit from altra so not as wide and clown shaped as the torin. Overall the ride is smooth and I love it for hilly runs fast runs and long runs. it’s a simple shoe and in blue it’s beautiful! I measure a 9 and wear 9.

5 in most all running shoes. I do have a wider forefoot but skinny ankle. I sized up to 10 in these and I’m happy! They came with some red koolaid stains on front top and on lace of left shoe. Shipped from Altra… so a tad discounted they didn’t check before sending, but I couldn’t be bothered with returning so I’m living with it since they’ll get muddy eventually! Overall happy with full price purchase!!! I also think the update feels smoother and a tad better lockdown in heel.

So happy with these and planning for these to be my race day shoes! 26. 2.