Donna’s Top 4 Stylish Shoes for Morton’s Neuroma

My name is Donna. I’m 32 years old, living in London and I’ve suffered from Morton’s neuroma since 2016. I had the surgery to remove it in 2019, but it had worsened by the time the surgeons got to it, so I’m still on the long road to recovery.

I wear insoles to avoid further problems in the same foot (and to prevent Morton’s neuroma in the other). As a young woman I have found finding stylish and comfortable shoes for Morton’s neuroma an absolute pain (pun very much intended), particularly as Morton’s is such a complicated condition and adding insoles can make this even tougher. In this article I’m going to give you a quick run down of the different shoes that have helped me on my Morton’s journey, in case they can help you too!

Donna wearing her Allbirds Pipers

Donna’s best shoes for Morton’s Neuroma:

First off, I have to mention my Allbirds. From a New Zealand company focused on sustainability, these trainers have been an absolute lifesaver during my lockdown walks. Made with soft merino wool and other natural fabrics, they’re more flexible than your standard trainer, giving plenty of space for insoles and wider feet. Combine that with their super soft soles, and you’ve got a top-notch trainer brand for those suffering from Morton’s neuroma.

Allbirds Pipers

With the recent addition of the Allbirds Piper that mimics the look of my Sam Smith’s, this shoe has become my go-to trainer for the classic midi-dress with white trainers look. The only slight downside for a devoted white trainer wearer is they get a lot grubbier in the rain (since they’re made of natural materials, not leather). However, they are super easy to machine wash and come up an absolute treat when you do! There are a variety of styles on the website, so there should be something for everyone too!

Whilst I wear my Allbirds for city walking, I needed a good pair of trail shoes for holidaying in the UK this year and that’s where I found my Merrells. I was pretty intimidated by the walking/hiking footwear collection, but managed to find a store and a salesperson who really understood what I was looking for. This is how I ended up with my MQM Flex 2 GORE-TEX shoes which are so comfortable I still can’t believe I can walk so far in them! I tried on so many shoes that day, including shoes that were built more with comfort in mind (i.e. had special memory foam soles etc.) but these were by far the comfiest option. It’s a good reminder to listen to your feet over the marketing and see what works for you, as it might not be the specially designed shoes but instead a normal shoe that just fits right!

Merrell MQM Flex 2 GORE-tex trail/hiking shoes

Moving on from trainers to more ‘work-style’ shoes; I picked up these beauties when I was in Australia a few years ago. From Aussie brand Frankie4, which has recently launched a US website with a Seattle store coming soon, these shoes offer great flexibility whilst not looking at all ‘orthopaedic’, a real godsend to those of us with foot problems prior to our 80s! Whilst my cute rose gold style shoe is no longer available, the Olivia offers a similar look in a colour called wheat as well as black, and would be perfect for the office.

Frankie4s are designed by podiatrists and have their patented Sole Hero footbed which should be helpful for all manners of foot problems. What works really well for me though is the flexibility they offer in terms of the insoles, with a Sole Saver pack with every pair of shoes. This gives you the option to take the footbed out entirely (great if you have larger insoles), wear a half-footbed if you need more space at the forefoot, or layer an additional forefoot cushion in the front of the shoe for added comfort there. I can only hope that they make it over to the UK sometime soon as their shoes are far nicer than any similarly orthopaedic options we have here!

Donna wearing FRANKiE4 shoes

Finally wrapping up with a note on heels, which for a long time thought I would absolutely never be able to wear again due my Morton’s neuroma. But with the improvement since my surgery I’ve seen recently, and with a few weddings coming up, I put my trainers on and set off to Oxford Street and in particular the Clarks store. That’s where I found these beauties (Clarks Maritsa 70 strap sandal) and quickly bought them in two colours. Sadly, these are no longer available in the UK, but they do have some colours and sizes available in the US still, so if you’re out hunting for a good wedding shoe, snap these up (Find a few sizes left in silver from Nordstrom. Find the complete Clark’s Maritsa collection at Amazon).

FRANKiE4 Olivia

I originally went looking in Clarks at their Contoured Comfort and Cushion Plus ranges, but found all those shoes to be too thin in the forefoot to provide any comfort to a Morton’s sufferer. What I like about these Maritsa heels is that their thick, spongy sole provides a lot of protection between my poor foot and the ground, and the platform style gives them a heel like appearance (and me some much needed height!), without actually being a large heel to toe drop putting unnecessary pressure on my forefoot. The only thing worth noting about these shoes is I did find them a little tight initially on one foot on the toes, but I quickly sorted this out by stuffing them with socks overnight, and have now worn them to two weddings and danced the night away at both!

Clarks Maritsa 70 strap

Hopefully some of these recommendations help you to find stylish shoes to work with your neuroma, and might even give you some options outside of trainers! My key takeaway from the last few years of trying and failing to find shoes is that it’s best to always listen to your foot. If my neuroma gives me a twinge now when I’m trying on shoes, no matter how ‘comfy’ they purport to be, I would not buy them, I’ve done that too many times to count! Now we’re going into autumn (fall), I remain on the lookout for good boots having tried and failed to find any I can wear for a day of walking so far, so any recommendations from other sufferers would be most appreciated!

Thank you, Donna! Your reviews are valuable to our achy-footed community. For a few more ideas of footwear that may work with Morton’s neuroma, check out this article.

Donna in her Clarks Maritsa 70 strap sandals