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Shoes For The Big Guy

#21
two fingers said:
I won't get into what, but I switched to minimalist shoes for the most part. No arch. Little or no padding...I'm constantly walk around barefoot when I'm able.
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That's what I meant, when saying avoid assistance for pronation. I was born with flat feet, but when I was around 25 I went barefoot for a year and a half. In UK weather, that's not easy, and a misspent youth collecting scrap metal in derelict buildings (because I just got the idea it was a cool way to spend some time alone after the punk scene degenerated into too many nasty drugs), and doing that barefoot too, was a challenge, and it did me a lot of good, it made me less likely to pronate, and nothing else ever worked better. Because I spent most of the time literally up on my toes, some people thought I was a martial artist (I'm not, don't know much about any of that). I wear socks indoors now, mostly, but I like the 1000-mile ones made for the armed forces, I get pretty much the advertised mileage, probably. And they're cheaper than moccasins. :)

...try an experiment to see if perhaps you need to go the other way, rather than thicker and more squishy. For a zillion years we didn't walk around on squish...
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Agreed. Better to have a bit of extra width than extra thickness. After my year-and-a-half I made this concession because I took up running on rough ground and didn't want to take my chances with tetanus. I'd already pushed my luck long and hard enough. Now, I just keep my weight modest for my height, it spares me most of the pain. Spinal injury (from working on a building site) and arthritis cause me enough, no point in tempting fate..
 
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#22
My feet have been giving me lots of grief lately too.
It was worse when I worked for [BIG company named after a big river/forest/woman] and walked 8-12 miles per day.

Finding shoes is a hassle - back in high school, I wore a 12 - but I'm up to a 14 wide now; I think either my arches are collapsing, my tendons are loosening...or both.

What I've found is the need to change it up often - so I generally change my shoes after work and try not to wear the same pair two days in a row.

Unlike @two fingers, I absolutely positively can't go barefoot - I'll have massive pain if I do, my feet will swell up, and I've actually had nerve impingement due to that inflammation.

Problem feet lead to problems in a LOT of other areas, so it's worth your while to seek out a good podiatrist ASAP.
 
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#24
I've had problem feet for 20+ years, with some peripheral neuropathy. When I walk on anything hard the badly functioning nerves in my feet get irritated, and it hurts more the longer I do it. I can't work with a firm insole, as it hurts quickly.

My best solution to date is New Balance trail runners in an extra-wide width, and I insert these soft insoles with support built in, in addition to the insoles in the shoes. The extra width shoes allow enough room to wear the double insoles.

Here are the insoles that work for me. When I play, I also bring a 3x3 foot rubber work mat and stand on it while playing.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0788P1C25/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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#25
waynobass said:
The correct weight measurement for humans is pounds.
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The only countries on the entire planet that don't use the metric systems are Liberia, Myanmar, and the USA. We really have nothing to be proud of. Even the place that invented pounds was smart enough to get way from it.

Of course, the strings we use are in decimal inches for diameter, inches for scale lengths, and are spaced from each other in millimeters. We have a lot of cleaning up to do.
 
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#28
I agree with the workmat/pad idea. Also, at least for me, have found that a shoe with no "arch support" winds up being much better overall.

When I run long distances (half marathon for example), padded soles definitely help, not so much just for feet themselves, but more for knee and hip avoidance of soreness. But then, I'm an old guy. I like Hokas, myself. Ymmv :). They're sometimes useful for standing, though I think overall stability is important there too. So, maybe not narrow soles.
 
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#29
Npunk42 said:
My feet have been killing after standing and bouncing around onstage. Are there any shoes you know about that would help?
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When playing more than four hours, I use compression socks -up to my knees- and Adidas ultraboost with Dr. Scholes inserts for the casual gigs. When is a jazz or more formal gig, I have a pair of oxfords 1/2 size bigger to have room for the insert. 95kg here.
 
#31
Pilgrim said:
Dunham is the boot brand made by New Balance. I really like them, and they also come in a variety of widths. Good for guys with requirements like us!
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I haven't worn shoes in a couple decades that weren't New Balance or Dunhams. I have bought a couple pairs in stores, but the most pairs of shoes I've ever found in a Sports store in my size (it's easy to figure this out, you just look for the New balance shoes, nobody else makes them in EEEE) is.....one. I buy almost all my shoes online.
 
#35
For me it's not so much the shoes themselves that make a difference - it's a good pair of insoles. Your feet are almost certainly shaped differently than mine, so rather than recommending the brand and type that work best for me, I recommend going to a specialty shoe store (not just the shoe department at your local Target, but a store that actually specializes in shoes and insoles) and work with them to find a good set. It really helps a lot.
 
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#39
Yeah definitely going to be a different answer for every person.

For example I've never been in more pain then when I wore red wings.

Chucks and vans are ok for a little bit but only like 2 hours tops

Hey dudes are amazingly comfortable to me but idk how theyd hold up to a gig

As far as sneakers I like new balance 574s

And boots I really like merrel Moab 2

But as is obvious above. Many have already disagreed with these
 
#40
micguy said:
The only countries on the entire planet that don't use the metric systems are Liberia, Myanmar, and the USA
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