Are you wondering what type of sandals work best for women with heel pain? Do you already own a pair of supportive sneakers but don’t know what to do when the summer season arrives? Unfortunately, women with heel pain are limited to the type of footwear that they can wear. The good news is that I have put together a selection of the best sandals for women with heel pain that I will share with you shortly.
My Experience Helping Women with Heel Pain Find Shoes
Several women who walk into the shoe store are referred by their medical professional to be fitted for supportive shoes, and depending on the degree of their condition, orthotics as well. Over the years I became familiar with the best sandals for women with heel pain.
It’s important to understand that not sandals are the same. For instance, I have noticed that some women recommend specific shoe brands for heel pain, but among the same shoe brand, there are specific sandal styles that work a lot better than others. Please don’t generalize and assume that a specific shoe brand will work best for your heel pain as each shoe style is a little different.
The reason I say this is because I have heard women with heel pain recommend Keen or Orthofeet sandals. These are both great shoe brands, but not all sandals from these two shoe brands are effective for women with heel pain, just a few styles.
What Makes the Sandals that I Recommend Effective for Heel Pain?
1️⃣ Heel Support: The sandals that I recommend provide targeted cushion and support right below the heels to minimize the impact that your heels take when they come in contact with the ground. Take a look at the image below for better visualization purposes:
Always look for sandals that provide extra cushion and support right below the heel area:
2️⃣ Arch Support/Shock Absorption: This feature helps prevent your feet from collapsing and turning inwards. The shock absorption reduces the impact that your feet take every time they come in contact with the ground, relieving the stress on your feet and legs.
Women who have poor biomechanics can place extra stress on their heels, so shoes with supportive outsoles help improve foot posture and overall walking gait.
Before I show you the best sandals for women with heel pain I want to make sure that you know your exact foot length and shape. Don’t insist on getting your shoes in a specific size simply because that has been the size that they always wore. I usually have to insist to them that they need to at least try the shoes in a different size to see how they feel.
Did you know that a large number of women experience heel pain from wearing shoes in the wrong size? It doesn’t matter how supportive your shoes are, if they don’t fit the shape of your feet correctly, you won’t get any of the benefits that the shoes have to offer.
When Was the Last Time You Checked Your Foot Size?
Your foot shape and size can change over time, and some of the factors that contribute to this change are pregnancy, aging and weight gain or loss. Over time and because of gravity, our feet might get longer and wider.
As we age, the body’s ligaments and tendons lose their strength and ability to spring back. This means that our arches decrease, which flattens and lengthens the foot and toes.
This often results in an increase in shoe size by a half-size or more. You might also experience a change in foot width, meaning that even though you always ordered medium width shoes now you might have to start ordering wider shoes.
How to Retrieve Your Exact Foot Length and Shape?
Buying shoes online can be a challenge. If you are unsure of your current foot shape or foot length, I suggest that you take a look at a different resource I created where I help women determine their exact foot shape from home. This is a free service:
How to Measure Your Foot Shoe Size – The Most Simple and Effective Way!
Below you can find the best sandals for women with heel pain. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
The Best Sandals for Women with Heel Pain – Extra Cushion and Support Below Your Heels!
Finally, here is a selection of the best sandals for women with heel pain. These sandals are available in different widths such as medium (M), wide (W), or extra wide (XW) feet, so make sure that you choose your foot width accordingly.
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- EVA footbed provides an internal support mechanism that is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support and cradle the natural contours of the foot
- Cleansport NXT™ for natural odor control
- Quick-dry lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lightweight ergonomic outsoles with a mild rocker design provide superior cushioning and enhance stability
- Soft straps with extra foam padding eliminate irritation and provide superior comfort and protection for sensitive feet
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in narrow, medium, and wide widths
- Supportive outsole
- Targeted cushion and support right below the heels
- 2 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Handstitched leather upper
- Podiatrist certified arch support
- Mini rocker outsole for improved pressure distribution
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Handstitched leather upper
- Podiatrist certified arch support
- Mini rocker outsole for improved pressure distribution
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Made of acrylic and polyamide felt fibers, this material is a soft fabric with a smooth leather-like finish
- The suede lined, contoured footbed will mold to the shape of your foot creating a custom footbed that supports and cradles you each and every step
- Anatomically correct cork footbed, crafted from cork that is 100% renewable and sustainable, encourages foot health
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Multiple cushioning layers provide pillow-like support that works wonders to enhance comfort and help ease pain on the foot and heel
- Ergonomic soles with a mild rocker design and superior cushioning enhance stability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in narrow, medium, and wide widths
- A broad, contoured footbed features soft Super Suede™ linings that molds to the natural arches and curves of your foot for maximum comfort and shock absorption
- It offers multi-layered Tripad® cushions designed to comfort all three pressure points: the inside ball, outside ball and heel for all-day support
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Ergonomically designed insole with contoured support.
- Thick comfortable EVA foam midsole
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Lightweight EVA-foam midsole adds extra cushioning for maximum comfort
- Rugged Rubber outsole stands up to abuse and supplies great traction
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- 100% leather
- Mini rocker outsole for improved pressure distribution
- Cushioned footbed with podiatrist certified arch support to help absorb impact while standing or walking
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 3 adjustable velcro straps
- Lightweight ergonomic outsoles with a mild rocker design provide superior cushioning and enhance stability
- Quick-dry lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 3 adjustable velcro straps
- Lightweight ergonomic outsoles with a mild rocker design provide superior cushioning and enhance stability
- Arch support
- Comfort cushioned insole
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
All of these sandals provide supportive footbeds, and they work wonders in treating or preventing heel pain. The contoured footbed design with a deep heel cup promotes equal weight distribution and enhances proper gait. This takes unnecessary pressure off your plantar fascia, relieving pain and allowing you to walk around comfortably.
Make sure that you pull the velcro straps or toggle lace comfortably tight, that way you can get the full support and stability that the sandals have to offer.
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
Take a look at the description below the shoes that I recommended to find out what shoe size you should order.
I also suggest that you take a look at the article below if you are looking for a pair of everyday sneakers to help treat your heel pain:
The Best Shoes for Women with Heel Pain – Alleviate your Heel Pain!
Are Women with Foot Conditions More Likely to Develop Heel Pain?
Yes, they are. For example, women with flat feet or rolled ankles have an abnormal walking gait that leads them to put extra pressure on parts of their feet where they are not supposed to. Let’s take a look at an image of a woman with flat feet standing barefoot. Do you notice how the women’s feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same woman wearing a pair of the sandal styles that I recommended above. Do you notice how the women’s feet are a lot straighter? The contoured footbed of the sandal is preventing the woman’s feet from collapsing and turning inwards, which is improving foot posture.
Can You Fit Orthotics or Heel Cups Inside Your Sandals?
No, orthotics don’t work with sandals. You can fit your orthotics inside your sneakers, dress shoes, and boots, but if you fit them inside your sandals they won’t do any good and you might end up destroying them.
Contact us! Have you found a specific pair of sandals that worked well in treating your heel pain? Let us know in the comments section below so other women can benefit from your findings. You can also send us an e-mail if you are having trouble finding a different type of shoes to fit the shape of your feet.
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