Psoriatic Arthritis Community Recommendations: The Shoe Edition! (Part 2)

Finding the right shoes can make a huge difference when it comes to relieving the pain of psoriatic arthritis in the feet. Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis in the feet may include pain in the arch, heel, and ankle, or pain running along the top of the foot.

Joints in the toes can also swell and become stiff, called dactylitis, or “sausage toes” more commonly.

Shoes for psoriatic arthritis

At the end of last year, we published a list of ten shoes this community had recommended. You said these shoes helped with your foot pain and plantar fasciitis, and significantly reduced the pain of walking.

Even better, you left hundreds of comments pointing out all the shoes that we had missed! There were eight other shoe brands that kept cropping up as your faves. Feel free to use this and the previous article as your ultimate guide to the best shoes for psoriatic arthritis.

Birkenstock

Birkenstock is one of the most well-loved brands. They have a contoured cork footbed, which is their defining feature. When I was younger I assumed Birkenstock only did sandals, but they have a wide selection of shoes, slippers, ankle boots, and clogs.

They even have croc-like, waterproof sandals! I’m loving their wedges and may pick some up for work. Lots of options for both men and women.

SAS shoes

SAS stands for San Antonio Shoemakers, and you love these! SAS, while pricey, have a good selection of loafers and dressy shoes for men and women. Mary Janes, pumps, and ballet flats?! Unlike other brands, SAS also has some really fashionable sandals.

Earth shoes

Earth shoes have a ton of boots and bootie options, and I love that they have a vegan collection. They also have a social enterprise; they plant trees in Sub-Saharan Africa with a portion of their proceeds.

They have a shoe called the Renmen and all profits from this shoe go to reforestation efforts in Haiti. Most of Earth shoe styles are for women, but they do have options for men.

Pedors

If you search Google for Pedors you’ll find the tagline “Pedors Orthopedic Shoes For Swollen Feet.” Be still my heart. And you know how most shoe brands have your search by style? Pedors allows you to search by your type of foot problem. There’s a whole category for arthritis and a whole category for plantar fasciitis. Go wild.

Alegria

I didn’t realize how many nurses we had in our community until you all came out of the woodwork to declare Alegria shoes as your number ones. They have lots of colorful slip-ons for nurses, a good selection of men’s dress and casual shoes, and some really funky women’s wellies. Alegria shoes also have the APMA Seal of Acceptance, which means a team of podiatrists reviewed them and found them to be top-notch.

Worishofer

You can buy Worishofer shoes from Walking on a Cloud, Amazon, Urban Outfitters, and lots of other retailers. All Worishofer shoes are handcrafted in Germany. They have durable insoles, heel cups, and were designed by a Podiatrist. Compared to the other brands, they are very affordable, come in lots of styles and colors, and (apparently) are the brand favored by lots of European grandmothers.

Orthofeet

Like Pedors, Orthofeet allows you to search for shoes by the condition. Shoes in the arthritis category have an ergonomic design, insoles, and “soft uppers,” which I’m sure would be awesome if you experience pain on the top of the foot. Orthofeet also offers you a money-back guarantee if the shoes don’t relieve your foot pain (and for the time being, they offer 10% off your first order).

Clarks

Did we save the best for last? So many of you have recommended Clarks shoes that I lost count. You can find their substantial inventory of styles online, or in retailers like SoftMoc and Walking on a Cloud. Shout out to Clarks wide width cloud steppers!

“Shoe” psoriatic arthritis pain away

That’s the end of our list! I hope it’s a useful reference for you as you navigate the world of footwear while also trying to find something that will help with your psoriatic arthritis.

Did we miss any of your faves? Let us know in the comments below!