Podiatrist Recommended Women's Boots!

Podiatrist Recommended

Women's Fashion Boots

A Blog dedicated to:

How to find good looking shoes

that are good for your feet

and are pathology specific.

Harley-Davidson's Jocelyn Boot

John Fleuvog Hopefuls Luxon

Chuck Taylor All Star Boot

Dr. Martens Jaden Vegan Boot

John Fluevog Piccolomini Boot

Dansko Tami Neutral

Frye Veronica Bootie

John Fluevog Audra

John Fluevog Soft Rock

John Fluevog Anna

Fit Flop Mukluk

Fit Flop Elin

Fit Flop Skandi

These boots are a great option for people looking for all-day comfort and fashion. Remember, no matter what type of boot you choose for yourself, it must meet four criteria to be comfortable: 

First, it must have a thick rigid sole that you cannot bend or flex. A thin, flimsy sole that bends and flexes will cause excess motion through your foot joints, which can lead to an increased chance of injuries such as fractures and sprains, arthritis, bunions, hammertoes, mechanical strain, and PAIN. An excellent shoe is a shoe that limits motion so that you have less pain, less damage, less chance of injury and, an added bonus, prettier feet. As you walk through life, you are either beating up your feet or you are beating up your shoes - if you think what your shoes look like after a couple of years of use - without the protection of a thick rigid sole - that damage is going to be happening to your joints. 

Second, you need arch support. Whether it is built into the shoe, over-the-counter arch support or a custom-molded orthotic - it is important to biomechanically control your arch. When patients say to me that they have great arches and don't need arch support, my answer is that bridges have arches but engineers still put struts under them to decrease mechanical strain. Proper arch support will help decrease knee, hip, and lower back pain as well as stop or slow the progression of bunions, hammertoes and soft tissue injuries such as tendonitis and plantar fascial strain. Talk to your Podiatrist about whether or not your insurance plan pays for you to get custom-molded orthotics. They are often a covered benefit. You only have one set of feet and once they break down - you don't get a new pair. Invest in your body and purchase good shoes and get orthotics. It's the same rationale as a dentist telling you to brush and floss on a regular basis and a dermatologist telling you to wear sunscreen. You need to protect your body because it is just a matter of time until it tries to go south on you. 

Third, you need a wide and preferably soft toebox. This will decrease pressure on the toes, which will help prevent ingrown toenails, hammertoes, bunions, Morton's Neuromas, and painful corns and calluses. 

Forth, you need a shoe with rearfoot control. Backless shoes such as flipflops and mules are not good enough for your feet. If you are not biomechanically controlling the rearfoot with at least a strap, you are forcing your toes to curl down to stay in the shoe, which promotes deformities such as hammertoes and bunions and increases the chance of knee, hip, and lower back pain. Without rearfoot control, you are forcing all of your tendons, ligaments, and joints to work harder to stay in the shoe. This also causes 'tired-leg syndrome' and leg fatigue. 

If you have any severe foot issues or systemic diseases, please check with your Podiatrist to make sure that a particular boot is correct for you. I encourage patients to bring in one bag of shoes so that we can check each shoe together and have a discussion about what will or will not work for their feet. Proper shoegear is absolutely crucial! 

My goal as a Podiatrist is to keep my patients as active as possible for as long as possible with as few problems as possible. And this goal can be achieved with the help of proper shoegear. 

For more information about comfortable shoes, please check out my other articles:

My Feet Hurt! Top 10 Things to do to Alleviate Foot Pain Today.

https://podiatryshoereview.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-feet-hurt-top-ten-things-relieve.html

Shoe Recommendations for Patients Recovering from Lisfranc Injuries. 

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

Have a great day!

Dr. Cathleen McCarthy

:)

Top 20 Comfortable Women's Boots - Podiatrist Recommended...

TOP TWENTY 

COMFORTABLE 

WOMEN'S BOOTS

(Yes, some are not so pretty - but keep going -  there's a little bit for everyone in this list!)

Born Bitsy 

$210

I'm partial to the Born Brand of shoes! This boot has soft, good quality leather and allows for extra room in the calf which is great for women with more muscular calves. They have good arch support and a rigid sole which allows for more protection of the foot. It has a decently wide toebox and the soft leather is good for women with mild to possibly moderate hammertoes and bunions. 

The slightly tapered toebox may not work for women with severe hammertoes and bunions.  

Born Christina 

$150

Once again, Born is a wonderful boot! The thick rigid sole allows for better biomechanical control of the foot which allows for comfortable all day wear. The wide toebox is great for women with mild to possibly moderate hammertoes and bunions. The boot is true to size and has good arch support. 

If you have moderate to severe Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint) or any forefoot issues like capsulitis, osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease - this may not be the boot for you because of the heel height. 

 
Also, 
Check out the Born "Sash" boot for $78 on 
6pm.com.
It's not officially on the "Top Twenty" list but it should be! I came across it and I love the Born brand and I couldn't resist the price...

Dansko Aurora 

$185 

Bar none, Dansko are top-notch when it comes to comfort! Dansko shoes and boots have been a staple of my wardrobe for years. If you are on your feet all day, on concrete floors, have a history of foot pain or are looking for a great boot that will be comfortable - Dansko is it!  

The only caution I give with Dansko is that if you have prominent "bumps" on your feet - particularly on the top of your midfoot area - the Dansko might apply too much pressure and it could be uncomfortable. Also, if you are older (geriatric), have muscle weakness or significant nerve damage - Dansko boots may be too heavy for you. You need something supportive but light. 

 Dansko Finley 

$209

Okay, not the prettiest thing on the block but hey, if your feet hurt and you need a dependable solid comfortable boot for all day activities - this is an even better Dansko boot than the one above. It's hardcore Dansko comfort! 

Durango Boot 

$128

In an attempt to have some less expensive boots on the list, I found this Durango Boot at $128. It's hard to find a high quality boot for less than sixty to eighty dollars but they are out there. This boot offers a thick rigid sole for more comfort and protection. The toebox tapers in a bit too much so if you have moderate hammertoes or bunions - this may not be the right boot for you. 

Durango Harness The Dream

$59 on 6pm.com

A better price than the Durango above and a wider toebox. This boot has an awesome thick rigid sole which allows for exceptional comfort for all day wear on concrete surfaces. It has a low heel so that works especially well if you have forefoot problems such as Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint), osteoarthritis,  degenerative joint disease, mild to moderate hammertoes and bunions, and metatarsalgia.  
 Also, 
check out the Durango "Flower in Love" boot for $84 on 6pm.com. 

Fit Flop Hooper 

$159

Fit Flop Hooper - once again, not the cutest boot ever but - ridiculously comfortable! As I tell my patients, having style and looking fabulous is all about your attitude - not what's on your feet. If your feet hurt, if you have chronic pain, if you are on your feet on concrete surfaces all day - don't knock this boot till you try it! 

If you have muscle weakness, significant neurological problems, are elderly or have balance issues, this might not be the boot for you.

Harley Davidson Huston Boot 

$123

I bought this boot for a winter trip to Germany because I knew I was going to do tons of walking. It was very comfortable and it has a great look that was easy to dress up or down. The toebox does taper in and is a bit narrow so if you have any issues with hammertoes, bunions, corns or calluses - proceed with caution!  

John Fluevog Arresto 

$459

I love John Fluevog shoes! The low heel, wide toebox and supportive sole provides lots of comfort. This is a great boot for light office wear but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for hard-core all day, run around on concrete floors kinds of work.

John Fluevog Cece

$299 

 

Excellent John Fluevog Boot! This has the rigid supportive sole as well as the lower heel for more comfort. Great for anyone who can't tolerate heels due to Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint) as well as metatarsalgia, capsulitis, hammertoes, bunions and osteoarthitis. 

John Fluevog Together Hi Nico

$325

 

I own the shoe version of this boot. The construction is basically the same and I absolutely adore it! It's very comfortable and I can wear it all day long for light office work. However, if I was going to be doing increased activities - I would probably bump it up to my Danskos. I like the John Fluevog thick chunky heel, the supportive sole and the wide square toebox. 

 

 MBT Boots 

$199

 MBT is the ultimate classic boot when it comes to comfort! The rocker-bottom sole gives exceptional support, comfort and biomechanical control which is great for people with chronic foot pain and are on their feet all day. 

The MBT boot is not recommended for patients with Achilles Tendonitis issues, balance issues, muscle weakness, and significant nerve damage. Also, just as an aside, don't wear a rocker bottom shoe on a cruise. Nothing worse that wearing a rocker-bottom shoe on a rocking cruise ship!

Merrell Martina Waterproof

$200

I think this is a cute look! And waterproof - what's not to love?  This boot has a thick rigid protective sole, wide toebox and low heel which is great for all day wear. 

 Naot Illusion

$300

I love this boot! It's gorgeous and also super comfortable. The Naots tend to run narrow to medium widths so if you have large or muscular calves - this is not the best boot for you. 

It also accommodates a dress orthotic although it doesn't necessary need arch support as it has a thick rigid protective sole with decent arch support already in it. 

Naot Modesto 

$220

 Another great Naot boot! Thick rigid sole, decently wide toebox and it accomodates a dress orthotic although it doesn't necessarily need one. 

It's a great looking boot and works great if you have mild hammertoes and bunions, metatarsalgia, and mild Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toejoint). It does run narrow to medium and does not work well for women with wide feet and calves. 

 

Spring Step Thrive 

$99

Love the price! Not to mention it's a great boot. The thick rigid sole is very protective and comfortable for wonderful biomechanical control of the foot. The wide toebox offers adequate room for mild to moderate hammertoes and bunions. 

Excellent for anyone who has forefoot or midfoot issues such as osteoarthritis, Hallux Limitus (limited range of motion of the 1st toe joint), degenerative joint disease, capsulitis and mild to moderate tendonitis. 

Ugg Ultimate Short 

$200

You can't go wrong with Uggs! 

This Ugg has a sole that is thick, rigid and protective for more comfort as well as a wide soft toebox that is awesome for mild to possibly even severe hammertoes and bunions. 
The Ugg will accommodate custom-molded orthotics as well as over-the-counter inserts for more arch support. Many of my Pediatric patients wear Uggs with their orthotics because it's one of the few shoe choices that is biomechanically sound for their feet (which pleases their Parents and Podiatrist!) and also lets them feel like they are wearing something cool and somewhat fashionable (which pleases them!).

Worth the money!

Dr. Marten's Bellissa 
$150

I love the way this boot looks! 
Dr. Martens have always been a standard of comfort because of its trademark thick, rigid, protective sole. The more traditional "combat boot" style of Dr. Marten's are popular with many of my teenager patients who have "biomechanically challenged" feet and can't comfortably wear the Converse or Van's. When I tell them they can wear Dr. Martens with inserts - their eyes light up. Funny how they were cool when I was a teenager and still are...
Check out the Dr. Martens website - they have lots of cool colors and styles and if you have a kid with foot issues and you need to wean them away from Converse or Van's - try luring them into comfort with Dr. Martens!
The more traditional Dr. Marten's "combat style" boot (not pictured here) is great for kids (or adults) with flat feet, hypermobility, ligament laxity, ankle instability - as long as they are worn with arch support.

 

Dr Martins Triumph 1914

$150
 

What's not to love? These are cool! 
Perhaps it's the remnants of my nineties Goth days (I admit it - just a little Goth - circa 1999!) but I love these. Great for trooping all over the city in all sorts of weather - durable, comfortable and, one again, great for anyone with "biomechanically challenged" feet who want a cool look with comfort. 
The laced boot allows for more give so if you have trouble with boots being too tight in the calf or pressing too much on the top of your foot because of a high arch or a bump (exostosis) on the top of your foot - this would be a good option as you can adjust the tension with the laces. 
For the more daring fashionista - you can go to 6pm.com 
get this boot in some bold colors for $75).



 

Dansko Vail 
$115


 I couldn't resist! I've got a long term love affair with Dansko shoes and this waterproof boot is great for trudging trough all types of gnarly weather. I did my residency in Buffalo and many is the time I had to walk my sweet pitbull Sheba at ungodly hours in sleet, rain, snow and all types of foul weather - this boot would have come in handy...
P.S. If you are in horrible weather and need a hardcore coat - try the "Stadium Parka" from LandsEnd. I'm not sure I would have survived Buffalo without that coat! 
Funny to end a blog on shoes with a recommendation on coats but - c'est la vie! 


P.S. 
Keep scrolling down for my September 17, 2011 blog on a great Donald J. Plimer boot! 

One of my patients said she asks a salesperson at DSW call her when they get in a shipment of Donald J. Plimer shoes in because she gets first pick of the shoe she wants at deeply discounted prices. Make friends with salepeople! They can be great assets in helping you in your search for the perfect shoe! 

I hope this was helpful!

Remember, good boots are an investment...

Hope all is well,

Dr Cathleen A McCarthy

:)

******

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http://www.amazon.com/Gunning-For-Angels-Mack-Lewis-ebook/dp/B00I84NSE0