Oboz Luna - Podiatrist's Review of Women's Hiking Shoe.

Oboz Luna

Podiatrist's Review of the Oboz Luna

Women's Hiking Shoe

Since the older 5-10 Camp Four hiking boot was updated and "improved" I have been hard-pressed to find a decent hiking shoe to recommend. The new and improved 5-10 Camp Four is pretty terrible, so I no longer recommend it. When the 5-10 Camp Four shoe company discontinued the older version, I made my husband go online and buy 5 pairs! 

The Oboz Luna for women is a pretty good hiking shoe. It's certainly not perfect, but it is been the best I could find on a recent search of hiking stores. The major fault of the Oboz Luna is that the forefoot has too much flexibility (meaning it has mild flexibility), but, compared to all the other hiking shoes in the store, it was the most rigid sole available. If you are a serious hiker and have a history of forefoot issues, you may have to replace this shoe every six months. What I do like about the Oboz Luna is it does have a wide toebox, good rearfoot control, and good traction. It would be best if you could wear this shoe with a custom-molded orthotic from you local podiatrist or the over-the-counter full-length Powerstep insert, which would replace the insole that comes with the shoe. 

My husband and I spent the weekend visiting friends in Sedona and we visited a local hiking store. The salesperson told us that they sell a lot of shoes to newbie hikers who try to hike in the minimalist shoes and come off the trail limping and looking for a sturdier shoe. If your local hiking store doesn't carry the Oboz Luna then I would suggest you find the hiking shoe that has a thick, rigid, and non-flexible sole with excellent traction on the bottom. Make sure you have the salesperson measure your feet (while wearing socks) so that you get proper sizing and a good fit. If they are not comfortable then do not buy them. You should not have to break-in shoes! 

This shoe is recommended for patients with:

* Mild to moderate Hallux Limitus (limited motion through the 1st toe joint)

*Mild to moderate Bunions 

*Mild to moderate Hammertoes

*Mild to moderate Morton's Neuroma

*Mild Plantar Plate strain

*Mild Capsulitis

*Mild Metatarsalgia

*Plantar Fasciitis (heel pain)

*Over-Pronation

*Ligament Laxity (wear orthotics or Powerstep OTC insert) 

*Mild Ankle Instability (you may need to wear an ankle brace for more support)

*History of a healed Lisfranc's Injury (wear orthotics and maybe even an ankle brace -- talk to your local Podiatrist or Ortho who treated you)

*Well-Controlled Diabetes with no history of previous ulcerations (please get this cleared with your Podiatrist first)

*Peripheral Neuropathy with no history of previous ulcerations (please get this cleared with your Podiatrist first)

*Peripheral Arterial Disease (please get cleared this with your Podiatrist first)

This shoe is not recommended for patients with:

*Hallux Rigidus (no motion through the 1st toe joint -- you will need a more rigid-soled shoe - something that has absolutely no motion through the forefoot area) 

*Severe Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint)

*Severe Functional Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion through the 1st toe joint) 

*Moderate to Severe Metatarsalgia

*Severe Morton's Neuroma

*Severe Hammertoes

*Severe Bunions

*Moderate to Severe Plantar Plate Strain 

*Moderate to Severe Capsulitis 

*Peripheral Neuropathy with a history of previous ulcerations

*Peripheral Arterial Disease with a history of previous ulcerations

*Diabetes with a history of ulcerations and complications

*Ulcerations or open sores 

*Charcot Foot

I hope that this was helpful!

Dr. Cathleen A. McCarthy

:)

For more information, check out my other articles on this blog:

Shoe recommendations for patients recovering from previous Lisfranc's Injuries:

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/04/podiatrist-shoe-recommendations-for.html

Top 15 shoes to help with foot, knee, hip and lower back pain:

http://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2016/07/top-15-shoes-that-will-change-your-life.html