How we pick shoes, insoles and supports

1. Start from the condition

Every guide starts with what medical sources recommend for a specific problem: for plantar fasciitis, stretching, night splints and supportive shoes; for Morton's neuroma, wider shoes and metatarsal pads; for bunions, a roomy toe box. We don't recommend a product type that the guidance doesn't support.

2. Grade the evidence honestly

Where a clinical practice guideline grades a treatment, we report the grade. The 2023 heel pain guideline, for example, strongly supports night splints for morning pain but recommends against relying on insoles alone. When a device is mostly a comfort item (bunion splints, compression sleeves), we say that.

3. Match specs to the problem

For shoes we look at heel-to-toe drop, cushioning, stability, width options and toe-box shape, using manufacturer specs and independent lab measurements where they differ. For insoles we look at arch height, heel cup depth and posting. We note the APMA Seal of Acceptance where a manufacturer or APMA confirms it, and we say "not confirmed" when we couldn't verify it.

4. Say who should skip it

Every pick includes a "skip it if" line. Zero-drop shoes, for instance, suit bunions but strain a sore Achilles.

5. No star ratings we can't back

We haven't lab-tested these products, so we don't publish scores. Amazon prices change constantly, and Amazon's rules don't let us show them, so each pick links to the current price instead.

6. Commissions don't pick products

Some links earn a commission. That never moves a product up the list, and when the right answer is "see a doctor", that's what the page says.