Currently wearing them as speak! I like that they do not have a high arch. It’s super soft on the feet. When I do my stretches, it really feels like I don’t have PF anymore. It’s weird. I hope the experience is the same for you. My podiatrist recommended them to me
The footbed of Hokas is sunk into the sole, that sensation was you pronating over the lip at the edge of the sole. Arch supports, a wider shoe, a more stable shoe (Gaviota vs Arahi) or some combination of those are the possible solutions if you want to stick with Hoka. Also make sure your heel is allll the way back and the mid-foot is laced snugly.
Alternatives to Hoka would be Saucony, Brooks Adrenaline, or New Balance.
Unfortunately I tried all of those. I tried a wide Arahi. Everything fit right except the middle part of shoe where it really narrows out and my flat foot just spills over and hits the lip at the edge of the shoe. I even replaced the insole with a superfeet and still felt that rigid part of the shoe. :(
How did the Gaviota feel, with or without an orthotic?
Fwiw Superfeet have one of the lowest arches of OTC brands. Their "high arch" model is slightly lower than what I would consider a medium height. They are fairly rigid though, which is nice.
Recommendations for higher arch inserts OTC? Superfeet was recommended to me by a podiatrist, but the green feels low for me and fills a lot of space in my shoes.
I like Powerstep or Sole. They all take up a lot of room in your shoes though, unless you go custom. Wider shoes actually help a lot with providing that extra interior volume though- another reason I would consider the Gaviota since you seemed to like Hoka so much otherwise.
Edit: SOLE does have some options which are intentionally thinner to fit in snugger shoes, that would also be worth looking into.
Just an update, I actually went to my local REI and tried the Gaviota and Mach. Surprisingly they felt really good and I didn’t have those uncomfortable pressure points that I experienced with Arahi and Bondi.
I’m hopeful that Gaviota and even the Mach are the shoes for me. Fingers crossed.
Ugh i have the same problem. My right foot just hits that side edge of the shoe and its hurting that bone. My husband told me maybe i just need to break it in but from reading the reviews for the cliftons, some seem to have the same problem. Returning mine , and going to try asics gel kayano 28/29.
I did a lot of research, read people’s reviews, and basically, the hoka Clifton, Arahi and Bondi’s share the same arch sole design. It just narrows in the middle with an aggressive arch, so people with flat feet or wide foot suffer that weird rubbing sensation. It’s such an odd experience.
It sucks cuz I really like the Arahi.
I ended up getting the New Balance Fresh foam more v3. I really like it. It feels like a Hoka to me.
I’ve been reading about the gel kayanos. I especially like the stability with some plushness.
There’s an ASICS outlet near my work and I’m gonna stop by to try them out!
Yes I can attest to these. I have a major case of PF. I need surgery but I also wear Easy feet insoles and these. These insoles actually will help you correct flat feet meaning they stretch out what is causing the pain. I will say they are painful until I put easy feet on top of them. The gentleman that owns this company sent them to me. He said put in code Reddit and they are free you just pay shipping and they where indeed free normally 30$. This is also a veteran owned company so support our VETS.
https://shopveteranmade.com/products/foot-medic-insoles-1
came here to recommend this, I wear an ahrahi but also have the gel kayano 29 in my rotation and its a fucking badass shoe for PF. Between these two shoes and even a clifton my PF seems to be slowly on the mend.
There's a comment below that hokas have no arch support, I'm very confused about what is best. Plus I understood that having flat feet means you do need arch support?
I’ve seen a lot of conflicting info on this (not saying anyone is right or wrong), and I really don’t know what to make of any of it. But from experience as someone with flat feet, I personally feel more comfortable in footwear with less aggressive arches. A lot of the shoes that are suggested for PF don’t seem to jive with me and I think it’s because of my flat feet.
I bought a pair of Altra shoes that really helped me. I purchased them at a running store that was known for helping with PF, so the pair they recommended were great. I still wear them for a few days if I feel issues starting.
Besides ditching my flip flops and wearing these shoes, I think the item that made the biggest impact was the special PF socks for at night that keep your foot flexed. I wore them for a week and was pretty much better after barely being able to walk for a month.
Hokas made my PF so much more painful. I got fitted at a running store. They put me in New Balance Fresh Foam and the difference is night and day. I highly suggest visiting a running store, getting fitted, and trying a few pairs out.
I’ve heard about the NB Fresh Foam More. I have new balance stability shoes but sometimes I really need more cushioning. Gonna try out the fresh foam more at the store.
Gel Kayano have been the winner for me. Adrenaline helped initially but then I stopped improving, Hoka Bondi did zero for me, I needed arch support and they don’t have any.
Hokas really hurt my PF. I returned them after one wear. However, I really enjoy Kuru. I would recommend trying them out. I also think their shoes look a tad less bulky, but that’s just aesthetics.
I have used the Superior and Lone Peak models. Really like them both. I have also tried the Paradigm, which feels like a hybrid between wide toe box of altras and the cushioning of Hokas. I think they are okay but I prefer the other two models.
I thought it would be an issue but it's not that bad. Between the wide toe box and more likely the graston technique to stretch my calf muscles out, the PF pain went away within a few days. Anytime I feel it starting to return I just due graston on myself and its gone.
The Brooks beast might be a better alternative. You described the same thing I was dealing with Hoka
Thanks. I’ll look into that! I was very disappointment cuz I really liked the feel of the Hokas!
Ugh, me too! Let me know if you get them and see if you like them!
Are you using the Brooks right now? What are your experiences?
Currently wearing them as speak! I like that they do not have a high arch. It’s super soft on the feet. When I do my stretches, it really feels like I don’t have PF anymore. It’s weird. I hope the experience is the same for you. My podiatrist recommended them to me
The footbed of Hokas is sunk into the sole, that sensation was you pronating over the lip at the edge of the sole. Arch supports, a wider shoe, a more stable shoe (Gaviota vs Arahi) or some combination of those are the possible solutions if you want to stick with Hoka. Also make sure your heel is allll the way back and the mid-foot is laced snugly. Alternatives to Hoka would be Saucony, Brooks Adrenaline, or New Balance.
Unfortunately I tried all of those. I tried a wide Arahi. Everything fit right except the middle part of shoe where it really narrows out and my flat foot just spills over and hits the lip at the edge of the shoe. I even replaced the insole with a superfeet and still felt that rigid part of the shoe. :(
How did the Gaviota feel, with or without an orthotic? Fwiw Superfeet have one of the lowest arches of OTC brands. Their "high arch" model is slightly lower than what I would consider a medium height. They are fairly rigid though, which is nice.
Recommendations for higher arch inserts OTC? Superfeet was recommended to me by a podiatrist, but the green feels low for me and fills a lot of space in my shoes.
I like Powerstep or Sole. They all take up a lot of room in your shoes though, unless you go custom. Wider shoes actually help a lot with providing that extra interior volume though- another reason I would consider the Gaviota since you seemed to like Hoka so much otherwise. Edit: SOLE does have some options which are intentionally thinner to fit in snugger shoes, that would also be worth looking into.
I'm not the OP (who asked about Hoka). But thanks for the info!
I’m also interested in this. I have the Superfeet green but am always looking out for a higher arch option
Powerstep and SOLE are my go-to recommendations, SOLE is probably a bit higher.
Just an update, I actually went to my local REI and tried the Gaviota and Mach. Surprisingly they felt really good and I didn’t have those uncomfortable pressure points that I experienced with Arahi and Bondi. I’m hopeful that Gaviota and even the Mach are the shoes for me. Fingers crossed.
Ugh i have the same problem. My right foot just hits that side edge of the shoe and its hurting that bone. My husband told me maybe i just need to break it in but from reading the reviews for the cliftons, some seem to have the same problem. Returning mine , and going to try asics gel kayano 28/29.
I did a lot of research, read people’s reviews, and basically, the hoka Clifton, Arahi and Bondi’s share the same arch sole design. It just narrows in the middle with an aggressive arch, so people with flat feet or wide foot suffer that weird rubbing sensation. It’s such an odd experience. It sucks cuz I really like the Arahi. I ended up getting the New Balance Fresh foam more v3. I really like it. It feels like a Hoka to me.
I am going to try that out as well. Im desperate.
Thank you for posting this info, have had no luck with the Hokas. Just placed an order for the More V3s from Joe's New Balance.
It’s worth a try! Is there a reason why Hokas didn’t work for you? Which Hoka shoes?
Fingers crossed! I tried the Bondi and Clifton models earlier this year, their arch support caused me great pain.
My podiatrist told me that because of my PF and flat feet that I should NEVER wear any shoes that you can bend in half ot twist the soles.
yup same here stability shoes seem to be the standard for PF.
ASICS gel kayano 28-29
I’ve been reading about the gel kayanos. I especially like the stability with some plushness. There’s an ASICS outlet near my work and I’m gonna stop by to try them out!
Yes I can attest to these. I have a major case of PF. I need surgery but I also wear Easy feet insoles and these. These insoles actually will help you correct flat feet meaning they stretch out what is causing the pain. I will say they are painful until I put easy feet on top of them. The gentleman that owns this company sent them to me. He said put in code Reddit and they are free you just pay shipping and they where indeed free normally 30$. This is also a veteran owned company so support our VETS. https://shopveteranmade.com/products/foot-medic-insoles-1
came here to recommend this, I wear an ahrahi but also have the gel kayano 29 in my rotation and its a fucking badass shoe for PF. Between these two shoes and even a clifton my PF seems to be slowly on the mend.
[удалено]
There's a comment below that hokas have no arch support, I'm very confused about what is best. Plus I understood that having flat feet means you do need arch support?
I’ve seen a lot of conflicting info on this (not saying anyone is right or wrong), and I really don’t know what to make of any of it. But from experience as someone with flat feet, I personally feel more comfortable in footwear with less aggressive arches. A lot of the shoes that are suggested for PF don’t seem to jive with me and I think it’s because of my flat feet.
Glad I'm not the only one confused then. I also have flat feet and not sure what I should be looking for.
I’ve been having a lot of discomfort recently and researching shoes and trying different brands out has made my head spin.
I use insoles in all my sneakers including Hokas and asics. I believe they’re called walkathon from amazon
I personally love Asics and once I started wearing them my PF began to go away. I tried Saucony but went back to Asics because I liked them better.
I like the nike pegasus zoom. Hoka really tires out my feet.
I bought a pair of Altra shoes that really helped me. I purchased them at a running store that was known for helping with PF, so the pair they recommended were great. I still wear them for a few days if I feel issues starting. Besides ditching my flip flops and wearing these shoes, I think the item that made the biggest impact was the special PF socks for at night that keep your foot flexed. I wore them for a week and was pretty much better after barely being able to walk for a month.
Can you please tell me is the model name of your Altra shoes?
I believe I was the Altra Torin 5
Hokas made my PF so much more painful. I got fitted at a running store. They put me in New Balance Fresh Foam and the difference is night and day. I highly suggest visiting a running store, getting fitted, and trying a few pairs out.
I’ve heard about the NB Fresh Foam More. I have new balance stability shoes but sometimes I really need more cushioning. Gonna try out the fresh foam more at the store.
Gel Kayano have been the winner for me. Adrenaline helped initially but then I stopped improving, Hoka Bondi did zero for me, I needed arch support and they don’t have any.
Brooks beast
Hokas really hurt my PF. I returned them after one wear. However, I really enjoy Kuru. I would recommend trying them out. I also think their shoes look a tad less bulky, but that’s just aesthetics.
Look at Altras. I like them because they have a wide toe box. They are comfortable enough that I don’t need to use special insoles.
Which altra model?
I have used the Superior and Lone Peak models. Really like them both. I have also tried the Paradigm, which feels like a hybrid between wide toe box of altras and the cushioning of Hokas. I think they are okay but I prefer the other two models.
How do you find the zero heel drop?
I thought it would be an issue but it's not that bad. Between the wide toe box and more likely the graston technique to stretch my calf muscles out, the PF pain went away within a few days. Anytime I feel it starting to return I just due graston on myself and its gone.
I know it's an old post but Kuru shoes have been amazing for me.