Shoes for Arthritis in toes

@mitchellynn - My daughter and I just spent a day shoe shopping for the very same reason! She is on her feet all day as a school nurse with 2400 students and 500 staff. I do a lot of volunteer work and travel, where I want footwear other than athletic shoes.

You are in luck! Find a big city with a long time or "comfort" shoe store or stores. Forget the DSW sort and the athletic shops. There are many brands that may suit you and still look professional like Clark, Rieker, Remonte, Rockport, Pikolino, Dansko, Cobb Hill, Naot, Borne, Ecco, Vionic & Taos.

A few things -
NOT inexpensive, but once you find styles and brands that work you can look for them on sale.
GIVE UP the idea of "sleek" toe boxes - your toes need space for comfort and to prevent more deforming damage.
CUSHIONING helps. Either within the shoe, or by getting a longer or wider size and adding a foam insole.
BAREFOOT shoes may work for you, but may be too unstructured.

Attached are pictures of my 3 current favorites, which will be traveling with me this fall.

I live in Alaska in a very small town so I will need to order and ship them to me. I love the image of your second shoe. Can you give me information about the brand? Thanks!

It is called the Rieker Angela 28. I wear a US size 8 and the size 39 is a perfect fit. It is very close to a "barefoot" shoe with a wide toe box. For work I will slip my arch supports under the liner, but at home I wear it as a slipper.

@sueinmn @mitchellynn I developed arthritis in my toes earlier this year. I didn’t know this was possible but then I have osteoarthritis in other joints so why not the toes? If I had to stand for hours every day I would be in agony. The recommendations from @sueinmn are very helpful.

We were just visiting with the rheumatologist yesterday, and he talked about arthritis hitting the feet, like us, as the result of wear. In my case it is both osteoarthritis & inflammatory (even tested for gout) - with my need to keep moving, comfortable shoes are critical.
For long days, I have been known to wear 2-3 different pairs as my feet and knees begin to complain.

Hi. I though I had a bunion for years. Turns out it was Hallux Rigidus. Had surgery 2 years ago to remove the large joint and had the bones fused. I highly recommend Hoka. I love the Hoka Clifton 9 and if you look hard, you may be able to find one in your size (these went on a big sale in the Spring so the choice is limited as the Clifton 10 just came out). Like walking on clouds. I also recommend Alegria (I have clogs and sandals). You might need a stiff rocker sole. And yes you need a wide toe box. Check to see if Zappos ships to Alaska. I had to order multiples in the clogs and sandals until I found some that fit well. But I swear by the Hokas. Both my podiatrist and orthopedic surgeon recommended Hokas. Not the most professional looking for teaching but so what? It's the comfort that counts. But I also love my clogs. These brands are pricier but well made.

@ngk1 @sueinmn I like the idea of more than one pair of shoes when I have a long day. My podiatrist recommended Hoka too and I wear each Clifton series as these have been released. I've bought two pairs at the same time so I have an extra pair on hand when it's time to wear the new shoes. I get a discount at my local athletic shoe store. Hokas are expensive but worth it. I'm going to follow up on the recommendation by @sueinmn for some shoes that more professional.

I always have 2 pairs of Hokas too so each pair will last longer. Check out Alegria. I think there are even boots now too. And you can replace the insoles when those wear down. I've read that teachers and nurses like the brand as well since they are on their feet all day.