The Best Women’s Shoes for Back Pain – Recommended By Experts

Dealing with back pain can be both a painful and stressful experience. A lifestyle change that can help to along the way is changing your footwear. Using our wealth of experience in footwear, we have put together guide on the best women’s shoes, highlighting key features and benefits for those who suffer from back pain.

It is really important to consult a medical professional for advice on back pain and bear in mind that appropriate footwear can help, but on its own does not represent a solution for back pain.

Best Women’s Shoes for Back Pain: Our Top Picks

Best Overall – Ecco MX Womens Gore, £120

 

These Ecco trainers are bang on trend and supportive too. The adjustable fastening helps to find the most secure fit whilst the removable insole allows additional width or space for your own orthotics. The direct moulded polyurethane sole unit is hard-wearing, durable and shock absorbent.

 

Most Versatile – Ecco Babett Lo Gtx, £115

 

These women’s black boots are waterproof and supportive. The adjustable lace-up fastening and removable felt-covered insole offer a personalised fitting, unique to you. The durable outsole is hard-wearing and shock absorbent, helping to protect your feet and lower back from prolonged fatigue.

 

Best For Wide Fit – Hotter Chase 2 Wide, £80.00

 

Comfort and fashion are beautifully combined together in these women’s trainers which are ideal for those needing a wider fit. This style is wide fitting and has a padded insole and soft leather upper, you’ll love these on your feet. These supportive women’s wide-fit shoes also feature a removable insole which allows you to use your own orthotics.

 

 

 

Best For Comfort – Legero Tanaro5 Zip GTX, £115.00

 

As is evident by the long list of great features that these Legero comfort lacing shoes provide, you can’t beat the quality and comfort in these waterproof trainers. From the leather upper and lining which will be soft against your feet to the supportive yet removable insole. This will offer you a roomier fit or allow you to use your own orthotics if needed. The laces give you an adjustable fit while the side zip offers a little help with getting shoes on and off. The cherry on top would be that these are manufactured using GORE-TEX technology which means your feet are guaranteed to stay dry while still allowing them to breathe no matter what the weather.

 

Best Flatter Option – Gabor Ashlene Claredon, £89.99

 

If you do wish to wear flatter shoes, a pair of Gabor pumps will see you right. These leather pumps have built-in arch support with a cushioned footbed, offering support and comfort underfoot.

 

Best for Work – Jana Portland Wide, £59.99

 

These women’s wide-fit shoes have adjustable laces for a secure fitting. The H width fitting is ideal for those who require wider fitting shoes, whilst the cleated outsole maintains the contemporary look.

 

Best for Summer – Imac Suela, Was £67, Now £47

 

Perfect for exploring during the warmer months, these women’s walking sandals are supportive and hard-wearing. The breathable leather upper and stretchy neoprene lining feels amazing against your feet while the padded footbed is contoured for additional support.

 

Can Good Shoes Help Lower Back Pain?

Footwear is essential to a person’s physiology, and good footwear and shoe fitting should be taken seriously. The average adult can take in excess of 18,000 steps per day and your choice of footwear can make a big difference to your wellbeing. Incorrectly fitting shoes can be as damaging as the shoes themselves, therefore if you are suffering from back pain you need good shoes and well-fitted shoes.

It would be irresponsible to claim that wearing the right shoes can cure lower back pain, however, it is clear that wearing appropriate footwear can make a big difference in mitigation and recovery. We always recommend your first port of call for back pain issues is your doctor or a trusted medical body such as the NHS.

Is Wearing Flat Shoes Bad For Your Back?

Wearing completely flat shoes can have a jarring effect, mainly due to the lack of cushioning and support in shoes of that nature. The optimal shoes to avoid back pain all include support, cushioning and a secure fastening and unfortunately many very flat styles of shoes simply do not have these features.

For example, a very thin sole in a pair of fashion-inspired pumps or ballerinas simply does not have the space to include cushioning and rarely has any kind of fastening to secure the shoe. Often it can be difficult to keep pumps on your feet and gripping with your toes puts immense added strain on your feet and lower legs. The repeated impact of walking with no meaningful support or cushioning, whilst also gripping your toes can cause stress on joints over time – not to mention the immediate discomfort at the time.

Are High Heels Bad For Your Back?

Unfortunately wearing high heels send more shocks and exerts more strain throughout your body, and ultimately to your back.

The reason for this is that wearing your high heels pushes your feet into an unnatural shape. When your big toe is lifted up, you effectively lock out the shock-absorbing capability of your foot and this means shocks come directly up through your legs to your lower back and beyond.

While this is by no means a reason to stop wearing high heels, it does mean that you should be prepared and switch out to something more appropriate at times. For more advice, read our top tips for wearing high heels blog.

Tips For Wearing High Heels

Are wedge trainers good for your feet?

Wedge trainers combine elevation with sporty comfort, but the higher the heel the more a wedge trainer will become challenging for your body and your back over long periods of wear. Very often wedge trainers have a platform, meaning they may not represent a particularly high heel. Unfortunately, a platform on a shoe would usually add to the overall stiffness of the sole (compared to a non-platform trainer) and this will be noticeable when walking. Your feet and your body will need to work harder when wearing stiff, inflexible footwear in general.

Best Shoes For Back Pain: Key Features

Are Cheap Shoes Bad For My Back?

There is no short answer to this question. A well-made shoe has at least 60 different components used in its construction, with some shoes having up to 200 components. These parts give a shoe its structure and will keep the foot in the shape it is designed to be. In footwear design and manufacture, however, there are always shortcuts available and this is how brands keep prices down, or profits up in some cases.

The best way to think about this is that your feet are worth investing a little time and money in. You will need time to find the shoe that genuinely fits – we know from 150 years of running shoe stores that this is not straightforward. Secondly, you should consider buying high-quality footwear, which is cleverly designed to offer both comfort and the design features that you love. Fashion doesn’t have to kill your feet.

Begg Shoes have a number of team members qualified  with The Society of Shoe Fitters, and we have over 150 years’ worth of knowledge and experience in shoe fitting. The advice above is intended to help those who suffer from back pain find the appropriate footwear, rather than to offer medical advice. Please contact your doctor for medical advice and bear in mind that wearing the right footwear can help – but does not represent the whole solution to back pain.

Conclusion

Whilst there are no shoes that will cure back pain, our expert recommendations and advice will help you find more suitable footwear to mitigate back issues.