Orthofeet Review – Can Orthofeet Save Our Soles?

I can’t fault Orthofeet’s noble intentions of creating shoes that ease pain and make life a heck of a lot easier. According to them, a pair of their shoes can help reduce the effects of 17 different debilitating conditions, whether the problem area is your toe, your knee, or your back.

What’s not to love, right?

Well, the trouble is that we consumers have heard it all before. There are tons of shoe brands around claiming that their products and their technologies are the answer to our footwear woes.

So, is Orthofeet really saving the world one pair of shoes at a time, or is it just another cash-grab with a savior complex? That’s what I endeavored to find out!

Orthofeet – Pros and Cons

Pros

• Adjustable Orthotic Insoles – Fine-tune the support to your needs.
• Wide Range of Designs – Formal, casual, and athletic footwear.
• Ease Numerous Ailments – Website even has a “Select Shoes by Condition” menu.
• Mostly True to Size – No need to order multiple pairs to see what fits.

Cons

• Price – They’re not cheap.
• Durability – Some claim they’re not too sturdy.

Orthofeet – A Tragic History

Technically speaking, Orthofeet was founded in 1984, but the true genesis of the brand was the Yom Kippur war of 1973 in which Ron Bar lost his leg when a missile hit his tank.

Through his injury, he discovered that the molding and casting techniques used to develop footwear for the injured were inefficient and highly inaccurate.

He then went on to earn a doctorate in biomedical engineering. Meanwhile, his brother, Michael Bar, was studying for a Masters in mechanical engineering — smart family, huh? 

Having wrapped up their studies, they eventually combined their expertise to form what we now know as Orthofeet.

So, this dynamic duo certainly has the credentials, but do their shoes live up to our lofty expectations? Let’s get down to some reviews.

Women’s Orthofeet Shoes – Reviews

Let’s kick things by taking a closer look at a few of their most popular women’s shoes. Straight off the bat, I noticed that they offer a ton of styles, eight to be precise, spanning in-house slippers to heels, ensuring that they can help women from all walks of life, well…walk!

Orthofeet Malibu

The Malibu is a classic sandal, the likes of which you’d wear whilst roaming the sun-soaked beaches of your favorite holiday destination. 

Orthofeet’s proprietary, pain-relieving technology arrives in the form of a premium orthotic midsole with advanced arch support and layered cushioning to reduce impact transmission to the knees and lower back.

The arches can be adjusted with specialized inserts, so you can tailor the support to your foot shape, which is a neat touch.

You’re also treated to some sweet, sweet gel cushioning and a super-wide toebox to give your little piggies some much-appreciated wiggle room.

The outsole is ever so gently curved at the heel and toe to encourage smooth transitions, without being so extreme that it modifies the natural biomechanics of your movement, and all the straps are foam padded and expandable for a perfect fit throughout the day as your feet swell.

By all accounts, they do reduce pain caused by a number of ailments such as plantar fasciitis, peripheral neuropathy, and bunions, but their durability is questionable.

Orthofeet Coral

The fashionable silhouette of the Coral sneaker proves that you don’t have to sacrifice style in order to soothe your soles.

The super-breathable, stretch-knit upper eases out the way for protruding ailments such as hammertoe and bunions, and the constant airflow combats excess sweating, and thus reduces rubbing, keeping you blister-free.

Featuring the same adjustable arch support as the Malibu, they can be fine-tuned to suit your biomechanics, providing an insanely comfortable fit.

Shaped for seamless heel-toe transitions, the outsole reduces awkward impacts and smooths out your gate, which is a godsend for arthritic toes.

Orthofeet Emma

Orthofeet’s Emma design is a small heel with a big attitude. Although you’re told to avoid heels to prevent developing or exacerbating foot ailments, Ron and Michael understand that sometimes, you need the extra inches.

They’ve done their best to create a stylish, yet safe shoe that you could wear on a night out without suffering the next morning.

The heels are 2-inches high – the maximum recommended by podiatrists – and the wide base ensures stability at all times, especially with that amazing adjustable insole providing tons of arch support.

If you’re after a fashionable, heeled boot that feels more like a sneaker, invite Emma into your life. She can help you with bone spurs, arthritis, diabetes…you name it.

Men’s Orthofeet Shoes – Reviews

So far, so good. Now let’s move on to a few men’s designs.

Orthofeet Lava

The Lava features the same flexible uppers as the Coral design, reducing pressure on bunions, hammertoes, and sore, post-surgery spots.

An adjustable orthotic insole keeps you comfortable and supported while simultaneously pulling the reins on overpronation, preventing further injury.

Shaped to propel you forward with minimal joint movement, the outsole enables explosive movements without the usual aches and pains, and to top it all off…they look great!

Orthofeet Hunter

The Hunter is based on the super comfortable sneaker blueprint of the Lava, but with a robust, ankle-high upper. It features the adjustable orthotic insole – Orthofeet’s MO – allowing you to experiment and find what works for you.

A mild rocker design, the outsole doesn’t just reduce vibration transmission to sensitive joints, it stops it from ever happening.

Unlike other Orthofeet models that run true to size, the Hunter tends to run a half to a full size larger, so it’s worth sizing down a little for a perfect fit.

I’m not sure I’d actually wear them to go hunting, but they are tough-looking sons o’ guns, and they can work wonders on your foot and joint pain. 

Orthofeet Gramercy

The Gramercy is Orthofeet’s take on orthotic formal wear. They come with all the classic Orthofeet trimmings such as the adjustable orthotic midsole, but this time around, it’s not a standard sneaker base.

To provide the subtle rise of the heeled dress shoe, it seems like they’ve modified a foot-friendly platform to give the effect of a heel without sacrificing even weight distribution — very clever, Orthofeet!

The midsoles practically devour impacts, protecting your ankles, knees, and lower back during long hours on your feet, making them the perfect option for people in the service industry that have to look smart at all times and rarely get a chance to sit down.

The perforated strips that run laterally along the toe box and around the heel are a neat way to introduce some breathability without creating too much of an informal sneaker-like aesthetic, but for me, it makes them seem a little dated. Besides that, they’re a fantastic shoe!

What Are Customers Saying About Their Orthofeet Footwear?

The Good Stuff

The customer response to their Orthofeet shoes has been overwhelmingly positive, not just on the Orthofeet site, but online marketplaces such as Amazon too.

They seem to really be helping a lot of people live their lives to the fullest despite their unfortunate ailments, which is fantastic. One customer writes, “After twenty years of constant foot pain, I have finally found relief”.

Another happy customer writes, “Beyond satisfied. I have suffered from plantar fasciitis for two years. Have tried everything from physical therapy, splints, braces, medications, and too many shoes and inserts to name. I ordered Orthofeet out of desperation. The moment I put them on, I had relief”.

Orthofeet currently has a 3.7 rating on TrustPilot, with 72% of reviews claiming that their products are excellent, which is great considering people tend to only use Trustpilot to leave negative reviews.

The Bad Stuff

During my research, I kept running into the same two complaints. The first was that, while the shoes were genuinely helping to reduce aches and pains, they simply weren’t durable enough.

One customer reports that after only a month or so of use, the sole of her Coral fell off “on a cold, wet dog walk”, leaving her soggy and vulnerable. Perhaps improper shoe care had loosened the glue, we don’t know the full story, but it’s still worth worrying about.

The second common complaint was that the shoes aren’t wide enough for certain foot types, with one reviewer claiming, “these are wide, but only at the toe end, while the sides seem narrower than most name brand standard sizes”.

Where To Buy Orthofeet Shoes

You can buy Orthofeet shoes directly from their website, orthofeet.com or indirectly from Amazon.

Orthofeet – The Final Verdict

Are Orthofeet shoes good for your feet? For the most part, yes, but it’s important to understand that these shoes are not miracle cures, and although Ron and Michael have done their best to make them as adjustable and versatile as possible, they won’t be right for everyone.

With positive reviews coming out the wazoo, I can say with confidence that they’re a trustworthy brand, and unfortunate as it was, Ron’s war injury gives the brothers a rare insight into the lives of the people they’re trying to help.

It drives them to push boundaries with their shoes and fill sections of the market other brands weren’t even aware existed.

Do I recommend them? Absolutely! I can’t promise they’ll ease your suffering, but from what I’ve learned during my research, they’re definitely worth a shot!

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