10 Best Shoes For Ball of Foot Pain

Getting pain in the ball of the foot is always annoying, especially if it leaves you unable to walk long distances properly or handle certain types of terrain. If you are struggling with ball of foot pain, then good pain relief measures are essential to a swift recovery – but what exactly do you need? Here are a few of the best shoes for ball of foot pain, as well as an explanation of why they make a difference.

View the Best Shoes For Ball of Foot Pain, Below.

• ASICS Men’s Gel-Venture 7
• HOKA ONE ONE Womens Bondi 6
• Propét Women’s TravelActiv Mary Jane Flat
• Brooks Ghost 12
• OOFOS – Ooriginal Thong Sandal
• Brooks Addiction Walker 2
• Nike Men’s Revolution 5
• New Balance 990 V5 Sneaker
• BIRKENSTOCK Arizona Leather Sandal
• New Balance Men’s 608 V5

1. ASICS Men’s Gel-Venture 7

These running shoes have a versatile design that is perfect for dealing with a range of outdoor surfaces and locations, making full use of GEL technology-based cushioning to offer more shock absorption and protection while you are on the move. To avoid causing extra pain to your feet, the design also promotes more efficient movement through a heel counter, giving you much better balance overall.

For added comfort, the flexible exterior hides an impact-reducing Ortholite sockliner that acts as a second layer of cushioning underfoot, and the neutral support means that it can work for almost any foot without issues.

Pain on ball of foot areas can make it horrible to walk around, but these shoes manage to offer protection and comfort to the rear of your foot without sacrificing mobility or flexibility.

2. HOKA ONE ONE Womens Bondi 6

These fully-synthetic lace-up sneakers use a flat heel design and neutral cushioning to ensure that you stay comfortable without reducing your overall performance. Full-length compression-molded EVA is used in the midsole section, adding far more shock absorption while walking or running over long distances, and the design has been tweaked to offer slightly more smoothness in your steps.

The outsole uses a beveled heel to help with softer transitions between the heel and the forefoot, and the entire outer design is meant to be both lightweight and protective. Not only that, but the open-engineered mesh improves breathability without leaving you too exposed to the elements.

This is another simple and protective pair of shoes that can reduce ball of foot pain without being too extreme to use as everyday footwear, either for running or casual walks.

3. Propét Women’s TravelActiv Mary Jane Flat

The perforated fabrics used in these walking shoes allow for better ventilation and a lower overall weight, making them perfect for hot conditions. A stretchy Mary Jane strap allows for a more adjustable fit, making use of a hook-and-loop closure to make adjusting them extremely easy. Thanks to the flexible overall design, natural movement is incredibly easy.

The upper section is carefully designed to fit well and offer excellent performance regardless of the terrain you are walking on. This, combined with a removable insole and flexible outsole, offers excellent comfort and relief from ball of foot pain.

These shoes take a simple shoe design and bulk it up with added cushioning, keeping the ball of your foot safe from walking pains and high-impact slips.

4. Brooks Ghost 12

These simple running shoes are made with a mixture of synthetic materials that offer improved support and softness, leading to better metatarsal pain relief and greater comfort while walking on solid ground. An integrated shock absorption layer means that each shoe can protect you from sudden impacts through a segmented Crash Pad, as well as making it easier to transition from your heel to your toe comfortably.

The upper of each shoe is made with 3D-printed materials and mesh, making it easier to stay flexible and move naturally. Even better, the reliable rubber sole offers excellent grip compared to many other walking shoes, so your feet can stay rooted to the ground on difficult surfaces.

This is another set of running shoes that provides excellent comfort and protection without getting in your way, making them perfect for enthusiastic walkers and runners with metatarsal pain issues.

5. OOFOS – Ooriginal Thong Sandal

These specially-designed sandals provide better relief from foot pain, ball of foot included, through a series of synthetic and shock-absorbing materials. The unique shape makes walking much easier even if you are dealing with general foot pain, and the relatively open shape provides plenty of room to flex and stretch your feet naturally as you move. A conforming toe post also prevents chafing and rubbing.

The most notable feature is a bio-mechanically-designed internal footbed, one that supports natural motion and attempts to lessen foot pain while still enabling you to walk properly. Extra arch support from this insole can even help prevent foot pain almost entirely in some cases.

Sandals aren't suited for every situation, but these are some of the best options for people who need good pain relief without the feet confinement of normal shoes.

6. Brooks Addiction Walker 2

These unique running shoes use an Extended Progressive Diagonal Rollbar system to offer extremely good arch support, indirectly helping with ball of the foot pain and physical irritation. The inside of each shoe uses multiple cushioned materials to keep your feet comfortable regardless of your stride and speed, while the outsole provides better traction on slippery surfaces.

The construction, in general, is surprisingly effective, giving you the protection of leather with the flexible feeling and low weight of a standard running shoe for the best of both worlds. The closure system is also very easy to adjust, so you can tighten and loosen the shoes with almost no effort.

These are excellent running shoes for people with more than simple ball of the foot issues, providing enough foot and arch support to keep you comfortable and protected from a variety of possible foot pain problems.

7. Nike Men’s Revolution 5

These high-comfort running shoes use soft foam to provide excellent cushioning while you move, along with a breathable knit upper that offers much better heat regulation and airflow. The reinforced overlays and heel design lead to far greater durability and support compared to most other shoe designs, while the stability of the foam midsole makes it much easier to avoid pain in the first place.

Thanks to the flexible runner outsoles and great tread spacing, these shoes combine a high range of motion with excellent traction, making difficult terrain much easier to handle. Thanks to the plush lining, even your ankle area can stay more comfortable during runs.

Excellent cushioning and great comfort offered by these running shoes make them perfect for any kind of feet pain or soreness, especially on ground that needs more traction to cross safely.

8. New Balance 990 V5 Sneaker

The mixture of breathable mesh and solid synthetic materials in this shoe design means that they can keep your feet protected and cool, making use of a sporty style to provide straightforward support. The subtly-reinforced toe box keeps your toes safe without weighing down your feet as you run, and an ultra-cushioned interior gives precise relief to help combat metatarsal pain.

Apart from the excellent traction from the outsole, the dosing also uses a no-sew construction that eliminates weak points and improves the feel of each shoe, using a more classic design that still retains the benefits and improvements of a modern running shoe.

These shoes take a combination of features from other designs and combine them into a single shoe, giving you excellent protection, breathability, and traction all at once.

9. BIRKENSTOCK Arizona Leather Sandal

These stylish sandals use a buckle-based closure that won't open up easily, keeping your feet strapped in during long walks. Despite the simple style, they are made with high-quality synthetic materials and use an anatomically-correct cork insole sole to protect your feet while you are on the move.

The unique upper uses a leather-like finish and soft fabric lining to provide better comfort and security, all while being open enough to allow for natural foot movement and stretching. There isn't any toe post at the front, giving you plenty of room to let your toes flex out as needed. Thanks to the low platform-style design, they can even keep you out of small puddles in bad weather.

These sandals aren't complex, giving you a simple way to protect your feet and keep the ball of your foot safe without having to rely on a large, bulky, heat-retaining shoe in warm weather.

10. New Balance Men’s 608 V5

The leather upper used in these shoes provides excellent protection while still using a soft internal lining for added comfort. The Crash Pad heel absorbs sudden impacts and protects the rear of your feet, while the excellent insert in each shoe ensures that the ball of the foot is kept safe from harm. Dual-density collar foam prevents ankle irritation and pain during long walks or runs, too.

Thanks to the flexible outsole and excellent shock absorption, these shoes are able to handle a wide range of terrain types without putting you at risk of ball of foot pain. An added panel above the toe box offers some nice frontal protection and support without weighing you down during runs.

This training shoe design is ideal for avoiding multiple types of foot pain, especially around the ball of the foot, where sudden impacts can cause unexpected pains and bruises.

Shoes For Ball of Foot Pain Buyer’s Guide

Metatarsalgia pain, plantar fasciitis, and other foot pain types can all be a huge problem in daily life. Even if you don’t go running often, it can still make it difficult to walk properly, so identifying the best shoes for metatarsalgia can help you a lot in the long run.

What should Metatarsalgia Shoes Offer?

The best shoes for metatarsalgia will be ones that can offer good pain relief while also preventing extra pain in the future. For ball of foot pain, for example, you would want metatarsalgia shoes that can support the ball of foot area while preventing extra ball of foot pain if you start walking or running again. This can often require cushioning and proper support and/or comfort features.

Finding the best shoes for metatarsalgia depends on what kind of metatarsalgia you are dealing with. The “Metatarsal” in Metatarsalgia refers to any bones in the foot, including the ball of foot area. Plantar fasciitis is similar but usually occurs on the tissue near the heel bone. Either way, choosing good shoes for metatarsalgia can often give you shoes that will treat these other issues too.

Remember that metatarsalgia shoes won’t cure your problem, only lessen it: metatarsalgia can still cause you pain, and metatarsal problems have to heal naturally. However, you can still walk with metatarsalgia ball of foot pain, so shoes that dampen metatarsal pain will allow you to walk further and with less effort behind it.

Remember that “best” is subjective and depends on the situation. The best shoes for one metatarsal issue won’t be the best shoes for another, and some shoe designs are specifically made to be the best at one purpose over another. Choose the best shoes for your own personal needs whenever you can, since only you know the exact type of pain you are feeling.

Which Shoes Should I Choose?

If you aren’t sure what kind of metatarsalgia shoes to look for, identify the problem you might be dealing with. For example, some HOKA ONE shoes are designed to target the heel, which won’t help as much with ball of foot pain. On the other hand, you might find a certain HOKA ONE shoe that perfectly supports that area. Most brands have all rights reserved on certain techniques or features, but you can often contact them via email address to see what these ‘all rights reserved’ quirks and materials actually provide.

Identifying the problem should always come first, so talk to a doctor or professional if you can’t tell what the metatarsal issue is. If you can’t identify whether or not it is ball of foot pain, it is pointless trying to find the best shoes for ball of foot pain. Only look for the best options once you know what kind of pain you are supposed to be dealing with.

If you know that you have ball of foot pain, or can tell that the pain is coming from a certain point on your foot, then you can start looking up metatarsalgia shoes that might suit it. The best shoes for each metatarsalgia issue will always come down to the question of which areas they support or pad: if you have metatarsalgia issues in the front part of your foot, the best shoes are ones that comfort that area.

Does Metatarsalgia go away?

Metatarsalgia, and metatarsal issues, in general, do go away. However, a metatarsal condition or pain will vanish at different rates depending on how severe the issue is. If you bashed the bottom of your foot on a stone, the pain would subside in a day at most. If you had a hard enough impact to cause a bone to almost shatter, your foot would take longer to heal.

Using the best possible shoe options can make the process faster. The best shoes will provide the best comfort and protection to those areas, meaning that the shoe stops repeat damage and ensures the best recovery time possible. If you are seriously worried about a metatarsal problem, talk to a professional for the best advice.

Beating metatarsal pain is just a matter of waiting and giving yourself the right kind of protection, so don’t be afraid to take your time and get shoes that will help you get around while that bone heals. It is better to be sore but mobile than completely incapable of walking around, especially if you have a lot of personal responsibilities to focus on.

Expert Tip by Alexis DeSalva Kahler

If you’ve tried new shoes but the pain persists or walking is still uncomfortable, consider adding arch supports or inserts. If that doesn’t work, see a doctor.

Did You Know?

You can often cure metatarsal pain simply by resting, changing your shoes, and taking the time to heal naturally.