When shopping for shoes for someone with arthritis (including yourself), start by checking out the cushion and arch support. “Cushion and arch support are the two most important features of a shoe if the person has foot arthritis; this will soften the impact forces and create stability in the foot,” Emily Splichal, DPM, a podiatrist based in New York City, tells Verywell Health.
We researched dozens of shoes for arthritis and evaluated them for material, price, versatility, and fit. We also consulted with experts, including Dr. Pinker and Dr. Splichal. Each of the shoes for arthritis chosen in this article was determined to be the best of these factors.
Here are the best shoes for arthritis on the market today.
A fabric lining makes the shoes breathable, so your feet will stay cool and comfortable even after wearing them for hours. Even though they feel like athletic shoes, the style can be worn with everything from athleisure to business casual.
Price at time of publication: $65
Price at time of publication: $219
Price at time of publication: $259 for size 8 in black
Price at time of publication: $150
Price at time of publication: $200
Price at time of publication: $259
4.5 to 4.7 stars: These shoes for arthritis are excellent—they might have minor flaws, but we still recommend them.
4.0 to 4.5 stars: We think these are great shoes for arthritis, but others are better.
3.5 to 3.9 stars: These shoes for arthritis are just average.
3.4 and below: We don’t recommend shoes for arthritis with this rating; you won’t find any on our list.
Weight
Walking is hard enough for people with arthritis, so do yourself a favor and check the weight of the shoe before buying it. If you’re shopping in person, you can simply pick it up and/or try it on. If you’re shopping online, check the product’s specifications. Even if a shoe is comfortable otherwise, if they’re too heavy, they can make walking harder instead of easier.
Arch Support
Generally speaking, there are three types of arch support: high arch, normal arch, and low arch. Some brands get more specific than that, but the point is that it’s not enough to simply look for shoes with arch support—you’re going to also want to figure out if they offer the specific type of support you need.
Style
Once you start shopping for shoes to help cope with arthritis, your expectations for finding anything remotely stylish probably go out the window. Of course, this is about comfort over fashion, but if you drop a lot of money on an expensive pair of shoes that you think are so ugly that you never actually wear them, that’s not helping anyone. And the good news is that we’ve moved far beyond the thick orthopedic shoes your grandmother might have worn, and actually have some decent options.
So again, comfort, fit, and pain relief should be your top priorities when buying shoes, but it’s worth taking the extra time to find an option you’re more likely to wear (but still offers the same support).
Online Return Policy
In a perfect world, we’d always be able to try on shoes before buying them. But for a variety of reasons, in-person shoe shopping isn’t an option for everyone, leaving us guessing about the fit and size of the shoes we buy online. For this reason, be sure to check the shoe company’s return policy.
Why Trust Verywell Health?
As a seasoned health writer and editor—and someone with rheumatoid arthritis—Elizabeth Yuko understands how much of a difference having the right pair of shoes can make. Coming from a long line of women with arthritis, she also helped family members shop for shoes of their own, and realizes that two people with the same condition aren’t necessarily going to have the same needs from a pair of shoes. Finally, as a New Yorker who relies on public transit and her own two feet to get around, she has firsthand experience with what it’s like to be on your feet all day in the wrong pair of shoes (ouch).
And if you’re unable to find shoes with the arch support you need, your next best bet is using orthotics—either prefabricated or custom-made. “Orthotics or insoles are the only devices that place the foot in ‘neutral’ by providing the correct tilt in the heel as well as arch support,” Dr. Lobkova explains. While potentially helpful, buying over-the-counter orthotics can be tricky, because you might not know which kind would work best for you, and as they are made of flexible material, they provide limited support.
“Custom orthotics, if made correctly, can provide adequate support to decompress the great toe joint (increase the joint space), minimize excessive motion in the midfoot, realign the subtalar and ankle joints, and alleviate pain,” Dr. Lobkova says. To determine how much arch support and tilt your feet require, your podiatrist will use X-ray imaging and gait analysis.
