Trail runners for human feet? Bonus: Crudely drawn MS-paint foot illustration.

I'm lacking a great shoe store to go try things on in and the time off to get to one. I'm going to try the Treksta Edict GTX shoes, they were the cheapest and should be here in a few days. If those don't work I may consider going to the Podiatrist for help. A woman at a shoe store was very adamant that my minimalist shoes are the cause of all of my foot woes. Has anyone had any experience with this?

I think I just have strange feet. I think all of you with tapered pointy feet are strange too. I wish we just had hooves.

"A woman at a shoe store was very adamant that my minimalist shoes are the cause of all of my foot woes."

I would agree that moving To Fast into minimalist shoes can create problems, but the shoes mentioned above are far from "minimalist". But minimalist or not, they first have to fit.

You just need to find a shoe that better matches the shape of your foot, and fits in terms of length and width. The Altras may not win any Gucci style points, but they are paying attention to foot shape. New Balance is another that doesn't assume all feet are the same. Trekstr's FitNest addresses the issues.

As for seeing a podiatrist, from personal experience I can say that there area a lot of poor ones, and only a few good ones. Most deal with nearly sedentary folks. So unless you find someone who is Sports oriented, some who knows what backpacking, or running, or riding really means, it will be a crap shoot. Even then you still have to pay attention to what they say to see if it really makes sense to you and what you have experienced.

Feet aren't really supposed to taper. The big toe shouldn't point inward at all. Tribes who have never worn shoes have feet like those on the left of this picture:

Note how there is a straight line from the center of the heel to the tip of big toe. That's what a human foot is naturally like.

I have similar issues too many on this thread, my big toe pretty much stands on its own. I've wondered if it is from going barefoot as a kid a lot and/or spending a lot of time rock climbing in soft shoes.

Patagonia shoes work for me sized up a bit for swelling. A the moment I have the tsali 2.0 and the minimalist evermore which has a distinctly asymmetrical shape. On both the laces seam to hold my heel in place even when I have room to wiggle my toes.

I had some sportiva C-Lites that we're okay for a while but then my foot grew or they shrank on a hot summer trip and I've gotten toe rub ever since…the stiff fabric also got holes in it from flexing way too quickly. I've been more impressed the vertical-k which is a really light shoe but is nicely asymmetrical and have held up well despite the much lighter fabric. They have no rock plate though and you can definitely feel the trail or lack there of.

I'll probably try some trailrocks next time I can snag some on sale.

I have your foot shape! And Altras and Trekstas have been the answer for me.

Me too, apparently.

Yeah, sorry Greg, but your foot is the one that looks misshapen to me! Mine is shaped like the OP's– the big toe doesn't angle toward the other toes at all. I barefooted a LOT as a kid, and have favored sandals/minimal type shoes for many years.

I have had pretty good luck with the New Balance MT10 type shoes and the best luck with Merrell (Pace Glove, Road glove, Lithe Glove). I do use them for backpacking and my feet stay pretty happy.

"A woman at a shoe store was very adamant that my minimalist shoes are the cause of all of my foot woes. Has anyone had any experience with this?"

My experience has taught me not listen to what people in shoe stores tell me. Most of them repeat conventional wisdom as if it were truth, and most of the time they are completely mistaken. I started doing my own research and learned that the vast majority of shoes aren't shaped like a natural foot. Some people's feet eventually mold themselves to their shoes, and some don't.

It sounds like your foot woes consist mainly of not being able to find shoes that actually fit. If that's the case, and you aren't suffering pain when you don't wear those ill-fitting shoes, then it's not your feet that need fixing.

I see minimalist shoes as something for the young. If you have any foot issues, I think they are a recipe for disaster for rough trails and long distance walking with loads. I prefer a hiking shoe with good support and rock protection. I'm seeing a lot of minimalist shoes returned at REI and in the thrift stores.

My first thought to those with feet and particularly toes that are outside the bell curve is to consider some good quality sandals like Chacos or Keens, at least for summer stuff. Let your "funny" toes run free!

I forget the name of the fellow that does shoe fitting clinics. His core concept is that off the shelf shoes are just the beginning of the shoe fitting process and he makes full use of improved insoles, heel pads, tongue pads and the like to get a custom fit.

Must be fate; Left Lane Sports was advertising Treksta Edicts this morning. $45 for the women's version. No returns, unfortunately. Hopefully we've drummed up enough interest that I can sell whichever of the two I ordered that doesn't fit.

I have the hardest time finding shoes myself.

I am using the Inov-8 295's at the moment, they are working. The Altra Lone Peaks almost fit me, except my heel is narrow and forefoot is very wide.

I have a problem with my little toe always getting crushed by shoes as my Last, direction seems to go more outside if that makes sense. So I wear bigger shoes and 4E when possible.

I have really given up on finding the perfect shoe and just find one that works and is close enough.

"I am using the Inov-8 295's at the moment, they are working. The Altra Lone Peaks almost fit me, except my heel is narrow and forefoot is very wide."

First or second gen?

Got to try on a pair of Olympuses the other day. I wear 10s in first gen 295s, shoefitr recommended 9.5 for Olympuses and that was the only size a local running store had. The Olympus was tighter in the forefoot area but had more room in the toe box. Thinking I need to go with a size 10 instead of 9.5.

I recently picked up a pair of Scarpa Epic Pro GTX (women's) on clearance at my local REI. I've had a terrible time finding shoes that are wide enough in the toe box (have tried close to 40 models from a number of manufacturers) & the Scarpas are very generous in that regard. They seem well constructed too, although I haven't put serious miles on them yet because trails have been dry.

I haven't tried any other Scarpa models but plan to in the future if they have others that fit similarly.

The other two (non-Gortex) shoes shoes I hike & trail run in are:

– Salomon Sense Mantras (wish they were a tad wider in the toe box, but I've put serious miles on them & they've worked well with minimal blisters; I do despise the speed lacing system, which doesn't allow for creative lacing or subtle adjustments).

– La Sportiva Helios, which have a nice wide toe box. I did have to swap out the insole on the La Sportivas to get more arch support. The Helios have somewhat better grip & a bit more "cush" than the Salomon Sense Mantras.

My husband just got a pair of Keen Marshalls for hiking & says the toe box is nice & wide.

Got my Treksta Edicts. Sadly these will not work for me, as they are too long and too narrow. Per Greg's suggestion, including a photo with my foot outline. Hopefully this will be of help to someone.

The Edicts came and they fit! They fit better than any other shoe I have tried on in ages, even my beloved Road Gloves. I going for a quick overnighter tomorrow night and I'll report back after a dozen miles. Couldn't have done it without your help and insights, my feet and I thank you.

I'll try to post some pics when I get a chance
*edited for redundancy after reading my last post

Got my Treksta Edicts. Sadly these will not work for me, as they are too long and too narrow. Per Greg's suggestion, including a photo with my foot outline. Hopefully this will be of help to someone.

Sharon,
Maybe you need to try men's sizes. I've been buying men's or boys' shoes for years because women's are always too narrow.