Good Shoe for an Arthritic Foot?

So, I was blessed with arthritis at the ripe old age of 25. I've been dealing with it for the last 6 years. It's in the joint where my big toe meets my right foot. Since it started, it has always been tender. I could still walk 18 holes with no problems. As time went on, I think my swing has really changed around the pain. I find myself putting very little weight on the ball of my right foot. It's something that gradually happened, and it explains a lot of issues I've been having with my game in recent times. Anyhow, I am really trying to manage the pain with NSAIDs and custom made orthotics. I'm trying to get my swing back to how it was a few years ago, but I'm scared that I'm really going to have some foot pain after playing that way. Can anyone recommend a good shoe that offers a soft, light, and stable sole? I wear a pair of Adipure's now and after 18 it feels like I'm walking on concrete. I was looking at some True Llinkswears or possibly the new Footjoy MProject.

"soft, light, and stable sole" describes the Nike TW '13. I'm a big guy and all shoes prior to these left my feet aching after a round (walking or riding). With the TW '13s, I seriously forget about feet related thoughts while playing. I can concentrate on my swing all while maintaining a solid base without any slipping.

What form of arthritis? It sounds a lot like Gout. I have Gout and my shoes are really important to me because if I wear something that is too tight etc my feet kill me for two days if I walk 18 and I can't hardly walk 36. I switched to Trues and I can walk 36 now with ease and little to no pain. Trues are not "soft" etc but rather almost like walking barefoot with a wide toebox so your foot can spread out as you walk. They have been a game changer for me. If you do have Gout you may want to consider Uloric vs the NSAIDs everyday. Uloric will get the uric acid under control and you will be pain free for the most part.

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1359909461' post='6355019']
What form of arthritis? It sounds a lot like Gout. I have Gout and my shoes are really important to me because if I wear something that is too tight etc my feet kill me for two days if I walk 18 and I can't hardly walk 36. I switched to Trues and I can walk 36 now with ease and little to no pain. Trues are not "soft" etc but rather almost like walking barefoot with a wide toebox so your foot can spread out as you walk. They have been a game changer for me. If you do have Gout you may want to consider Uloric vs the NSAIDs everyday. Uloric will get the uric acid under control and you will be pain free for the most part.
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I'm not sure exactly what it's called, but I did get diagnosed by my doc. It's from a martial arts injury. The True's are definitely the front runner right now based on price alone. I can find last years model for a pretty good price.

The new TW looks intriguing. I'm hoping to try them on when I pick up my driver I ordered on Monday. Although I have a light weight running show that I use that doesn't offer a ton of support from the upper portion.

[quote name='radiman' timestamp='1359916028' post='6355581']
[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1359909461' post='6355019']
What form of arthritis? It sounds a lot like Gout. I have Gout and my shoes are really important to me because if I wear something that is too tight etc my feet kill me for two days if I walk 18 and I can't hardly walk 36. I switched to Trues and I can walk 36 now with ease and little to no pain. Trues are not "soft" etc but rather almost like walking barefoot with a wide toebox so your foot can spread out as you walk. They have been a game changer for me. If you do have Gout you may want to consider Uloric vs the NSAIDs everyday. Uloric will get the uric acid under control and you will be pain free for the most part.
[/quote]

I'm not sure exactly what it's called, but I did get diagnosed by my doc. It's from a martial arts injury. The True's are definitely the front runner right now based on price alone. I can find last years model for a pretty good price.

The new TW looks intriguing. I'm hoping to try them on when I pick up my driver I ordered on Monday. Although I have a light weight running show that I use that doesn't offer a ton of support from the upper portion.
[/quote]

If it is just osteoarthritis then the Trues may not be what you are looking for as they have very little cushion in the sole. It sounds like that is what you have and not gout if it is from an old injury, way different types of arthritis.

I would go with the true's. They will give that area around your joint the most room and that sounds like what you need. I would also get a pair of the True Sensai's so you can wear them even when not playing golf(they are not waterproof). If you check RBG golf, they run deals on the 2012 True Tours. You could get them for around $70.00(includes shipping and a coupon code). If they do not work for you, you will not be out a whole lot of $. If they do work for you, its a great $70.00 spent. The True Sensai can be had for around $99.00 almost anywhere.

Thanks for the heads up on the Trues. I was in the golf shop today picking up a club and decided to try on a couple pairs of shoes since I had a couple minutes to burn. I tried the TW's and the Adicross. The TWs were a lot different than I thought they'd be. A lot heavier and not as soft as I was expecting. For the price alone I'll pass on those. The adicross was ok, but even in wide they were skinny. The soles felt heavy and hard.

I guess I'm looking for a shoe that feels like a tennis shoe, and isn't heavy like some golf shoes tend to be.

I too have suffered from similar foot/toe issues. I had surgery a few years ago to replace the big toe joint with implants in both feet. My podiatrist recommended stiff soled shoes to help reduce flexing of the toes. I actually purchased a pair of blades from the Indiana Brace Co. To put into my shoes. Last year it continued to worsen, despite the earlier surgery, and after Thanksgiving I had fusion surgery on my left foot. I am still recovering. I expect that the surgeon will recommend a stiffer soled golf shoe again,but will wait another month or so to decide on shoes. My condition, which sounds similar to yours, was like turf toe. My suggestion would be to see a podiatrist. Good luck!

I dealt with some awful plantar fasciitis last season. Need to get new shoes as well and more than one pair and rotate. Same with normal shoes. Need more. Need to let the soles reform.

[quote name='hunterdog' timestamp='1360510948' post='6399449']
I too have suffered from similar foot/toe issues. I had surgery a few years ago to replace the big toe joint with implants in both feet. My podiatrist recommended stiff soled shoes to help reduce flexing of the toes. I actually purchased a pair of blades from the Indiana Brace Co. To put into my shoes. Last year it continued to worsen, despite the earlier surgery, and after Thanksgiving I had fusion surgery on my left foot. I am still recovering. I expect that the surgeon will recommend a stiffer soled golf shoe again,but will wait another month or so to decide on shoes. My condition, which sounds similar to yours, was like turf toe. My suggestion would be to see a podiatrist. Good luck!
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Oh, I've been to a podiatrist. He pretty much told me to hold off on the surgery as long as I can. I tried using a thin hard insert underneath my shoe liner. It worked alright for a few holes, but after that it really started to make things worse so I removed them. I'm not sure of which brand they were, but I'll check out the ones you mentioned. I have custom orthotics to help take some pressure off of the joint. They are pretty wide, so I may look at getting something they can fit into.

I have bunions and flat feet. Horrible pain in the big toe joints. I purchased the true tours before my golf trip last week. Played 117 holes right out of the box (cart path only so i did not walk the whole course). the toe box is amazing!!!!!!! i was able to get my orthotics in the shoe. I did have some calf soreness but i live in Wisconsin so i haven't golfed in a few months. Toes felt good. If i had it all over again i may have waited for the proto that came out last week.. suppose to have more support. All in all i would buy again.

Agree on the Nike TW 12's & 13's, very comfortable. I've had them & tried them against several Adidas top of the liners as well & nothing beats them. I also rock Ecco's but just not as comfortable all around as the TW's.

The TW's definitely did not feel like I expected them to. I thought they'd be lighter than they were. I was at an all-sports store with my daughter the other day. I drug her up to the golf department so I could see what they had for shoes. They had a pair of Ecco's there for $190. For that much they better tie their own laces I didn't get a chance to try them on though. My 5 year old reached her limit for golf shopping and it was time to go.

Have you looked into some of the casual/hybrid type shoes? Sport inspired like asics matchplay 33, nike lunars, puma or some of the older nike air max. For max cushion in the forefoot these would be where I would be looking. Does having spikes make things better or worse? How the spikes are anchored in the sole and where they are placed may make a difference as well.

[quote name='jdmorris1980' timestamp='1361172364' post='6450287']
Have you looked into some of the casual/hybrid type shoes? Sport inspired like asics matchplay 33, nike lunars, puma or some of the older nike air max. For max cushion in the forefoot these would be where I would be looking. Does having spikes make things better or worse? How the spikes are anchored in the sole and where they are placed may make a difference as well.
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I haven't tried spikeless yet. I was kind of thinking that I would get a pair this year though. I like the idea of the Asics. I just haven't been able to track a pair down locally to try. I tried on some Puma's and they seem really stiff/hard in the sole. I tried the Cell Fusions and the Jigg. I tried the Adicross, they also felt really hard. I just did a quick search on teh Matchplay 33 you suggested. The price is definately right. They are pretty soft you say?

[quote name='radiman' timestamp='1361214231' post='6452587']
[quote name='jdmorris1980' timestamp='1361172364' post='6450287']
Have you looked into some of the casual/hybrid type shoes? Sport inspired like asics matchplay 33, nike lunars, puma or some of the older nike air max. For max cushion in the forefoot these would be where I would be looking. Does having spikes make things better or worse? How the spikes are anchored in the sole and where they are placed may make a difference as well.
[/quote]

I haven't tried spikeless yet. I was kind of thinking that I would get a pair this year though. I like the idea of the Asics. I just haven't been able to track a pair down locally to try. I tried on some Puma's and they seem really stiff/hard in the sole. I tried the Cell Fusions and the Jigg. I tried the Adicross, they also felt really hard. I just did a quick search on teh Matchplay 33 you suggested. The price is definately right. They are pretty soft you say?
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They have a good amount of cushion in the forefoot, I use these when I walk or quick casual rounds and nike lunar control when I ride. Both provide a good amount of support and fairly soft. I got my asics for $40-50 I think and they are well worth that. They are light weight also with plenty of grip.

I myself have form of arthritis called hallax limitus, and hallax rigidious, it basically means a bone where the big toe meets the foot is slightly too long and over time grinds and grinds until there is no cartilage left. My right big toe joint is the worst, it's about twice as big as it should be and it's almost fused togethe. My toe will not bend backward. My left big toe hurts worse since it still has full range of motion. I have special inserts in my everyday shoes which along with an insert there is attached a carbon fiber plate to help my foot "spring" forward when I walk. Problem is I can't fit the inserts in my golf shoes. When I play golf I need to wear very heavy very stiff soled shoes to limit my feet from (big toes) from bending backward. I've worn Adipure and Tour 360's the last few years. I was excited about this years Puremotion and Adizero shoes but can't wear them because the soles are not stiff enough. Another thing I need to watch for is the laces which come down too far and put pressure on the joint of my big toes. It's cool that you can still walk 18, I can but it really hurts my hip since I have to walk on the outside part of my feet. If I walk I'm in real pain for a day or two.

Bumping this up for any updates on newer models. This year I am having some arthritis in my big toe and could use a stiffer-soled shoe.

I'm wondering if some additional cushion under the toes and/or ball of foot would help. Last year I was having some pain where the big toe joins the foot. I tried Silicone Metatarsal Foot Pads (check Amazon) and they worked great, even though the pain wasn't technically metatarsal pain. There are a number of toe/foot pads which could relive pressure on the from of the foot.

Here is an example of what worked for me:

http://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Metatarasal-Discomfort-Issues-Hypoallergenic/dp/B00NL19BYG/ref=sr_1_38?ie=UTF8&qid=1431730804&sr=8-38&keywords=shoe+toe+cushions

Another who is interested in resurrecting this thread. I've had arthritis in both feet for over 10 years and just had my second big toe fusion done. I played at the weekend and my feet were good for 7 or 8 holes before they started to play up and give me some grief. I was wearing my Adidas Gripmore shoes but feel as they I would benefit from a stiffer more cushioned sole on my footwear now.

I was wondering what the thoughts or personal experience of Skechers golf shoes are? Looking at the GoGolf Pro model specifically or any other recommendations.

Cheers in advance and help would be really appreciated to get me back golfing more regularly.

I have two pair of the Go Golf Pros, and they are very comfortable. I had some foot issues, nothing serious, but I was having a hard time finding properly fitting shoes. I had Nike, Adidas, Footjoy, and the Skechers were the most comfortable. That being said, I recently got some FootJoy Versaluxe, and they are the most comfortable shoe I've had in 40 years of playing.