Best Supportive Shoes
Updated on May 31, 2024
Shop the best supportive shoes
Shoes with flat soles can only get you so far. And even the cutest pair of kicks can’t keep you moving if they can’t support you. Enter shoes with good support. A truly supportive shoe should curve with the natural arch of your foot and offer firm stability and comfortable cushion in all the right places.
KURU’s line of stylish orthopedic shoes have the cushion and support your feet need to get through long days on your feet.
What Makes a Supportive Shoe?
A high-quality supportive shoe should complement and support the natural biomechanics of the foot.
The best support shoes feature a combination of contoured, firm arch support, a wide toe box, and shock-absorbing cushioned footbed—just like KURU’s line of footwear.
A deep heel cup can also help to improve alignment by helping prevent over- or under-pronation (rolling inward or outward too far from the ankle).
KURU specializes in creating stylish, orthopedic shoes with built-in support in every pair. There’s no need to purchase additional inserts or sacrifice comfort for style. With KURU you’ll get the best of both worlds—support and style in every shoe.
How To Pair Your Supportive Shoes and When To Wear Them
Whether you need support for a long day on your feet at work, walking the dog, or running errands, KURU offers a wide variety of stylish footwear options to keep you moving with less pain.
Business-casual environments: Choose a men’s boat shoe like our PACE or a leather multi-strap sandal like our CODA Muse for stylish, supportive footwear that you can wear to work and dinner out afterward.
Casual work settings: For jobs where you spend the day on your feet, support and cushion is a must. Athletic shoes like the QUANTUM 2.0, comfort boots like QUEST can help keep you supported for every shift.
Travel days: Travel days can have you walking for many miles—sometimes without realizing it. Our ATOM pairs perfectly athleisure attire or activewear to help you stay comfy and stylish for long days on your feet.
Vacation Adventures: Vacations to new locations can mean long treks on a variety of surfaces. Try a versatile court shoe like our ROAM. Or for an open-toed option, try an active sandal like our TREAD or a sandal with a heel strap like our GLIDE.
Shoe Care Tips
Simplify the process of finding a pair of supportive shoes that fit well with these helpful tips from our kuru gurus
A key part of finding a pair of good support shoes is ensuring they fit properly.
The right pair of shoes in the wrong size or a shoe with shock absorption but without arch support can reduce your overall comfort and increase your chances of experiencing foot pain.
Shoes with best support will also be those that are the right size and width for your feet. Take a peek at tips on finding the right fit at KURU.
In general, we recommend shoes should fit snug and secure around the forefoot without any tightness in the toes, heels, or bunion area. Your toes should lay flat and feel comfortable. You should be able to put a finger-width of length between the end of your toe and the edge of your shoe.
A Brannock device is an industry standard tool to determine your true shoe size. We recommend getting fitted at your local shoe store for the most accurate sizing, and never hesitate to reach out to a KURU GURU for tips on finding the fit for you!
FAQs
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What are the best support shoes for walking on concrete?
The best support shoes for walking on concrete should feature a durable base, wide toe box, shock-absorbing cushioned footbed, and high-quality arch support—just like KURU’s line of footwear.
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How do I choose a supportive shoe?
When looking for shoes with the best support, look for high quality arch support, an EVA midsole for extra shock-absorption, and plenty of cushion so you can last on your feet all day. The shoe should fit comfortably, allowing all your toes to lay flat and without any painful pinching and squeezing.
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Can I use custom orthotics with KURU shoes?
Due to the anatomical shape of the KURUSOLE, custom orthotics with a rounded heel fit best inside our shoes. If the underside of the custom orthotic (the part that sits on the footbed) is squared off, then it may not fit into our deep heel cup—which is rounded like your foot.
That said, many of our customers tell us our three-part technology offers better support and stability than they expected, and that they don't need to wear their custom orthotics with KURU shoes.
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How is the arch support of KURU shoes?
KURU offers some of the best arch support shoes for women and men without the need for thick inserts or expensive, custom orthotics.
Superior arch support starts with our patented KURUSOLE technology, which hugs your feel and dynamically flexes with every step. Every foot is unique, and our ULTIMATE INSOLES adapt to fit your needs by using your own body heat to custom-mold to the shape of your feet over time.
The corrective nature of our superior arch support is designed to neutralize your weight distribution and place your foot in the best anatomical position. This support can take some getting used to. We suggest slowly breaking in your new shoes over the course of 2–3 weeks.
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I just received a pair of your shoes and my feet are sore/hurt after wearing them. Why is that?
Some customers experience tenderness when they first start wearing a new pair of KURUs. That’s ok! Your body may need time to adjust to the new levels of anatomical support you experience with our patented KURUSOLE technology. Our shoes are also designed to mold to your unique foot shape, which takes a bit of a break-in period.
To help mitigate this, we suggest you follow our break-in procedure, including wearing your KURUs for a couple hours per day around the house in the first couple of weeks as they break in and form to your foot.
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Features Of Supportive Shoes & Finding the Best Fit
Explore the process of selecting and fitting the ideal supportive shoe for your feet and activity preferences.
When looking for shoes with support, look at the shape of the sole and footbed within the shoe. Is it mostly flat with minimal cushion? Or is it curved with cushion to absorb shock?
Many standard shoes today come with very little support—if any. Soles can be flimsy or flat, and there is often very little contour for the natural curves of the foot. Without adequate support, we can develop foot pain, blisters, and conditions like plantar fasciitis.
For the best shoe support, you’ll want footwear that hugs and supports your arch and offers extra cushion to reduce impact on your joints and ligaments.
KURU offers some of the best shoes for support and cushion on the market. Each style comes with our proprietary blend of pain-relieving technology built in. KURUCLOUD is our shock-absorbing base layer, KURUSOLE is our patented tech that allows your heels to dynamically flex, and ULTIMATE INSOLES are our premium insoles that offer lasting, whole-foot cushion.
Three Layers of Support
At KURU, we pride ourselves on our unique approach to shoe design. We believe that shoes should be shaped to fit the natural contours of your feet, which is why we create every pair in three distinct support layers, not just an insole.
Our revolutionary ergonomic design starts with a curved footbed and adds unparalleled triple-layer support that includes shock-absorbing KURUCLOUD, heel-cupping KURUSOLE, and arch-supporting ULTIMATE INSOLES. The result? Shoes that are so comfortable you’ll stop thinking about your feet.
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KURUSOLE
...Show LessOur patented KURUSOLE plate features a unique design that cups and protects the heel and allows for dynamic flexion with each step. This superior support helps utilize our body’s natural cushioning system, the heel’s fat pad for long-lasting support.
Our patented KURUSOLE plate features a unique design that cups and protects the heel and allows for dynamic flexion with each step. This superior support helps utilize our body’s natural cushioning system, the heel’s fat pad for long-lasting support.
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KURUCLOUD
...Show LessOur KURUCLOUD midsole acts as a cushioned footbed to offer padding and shock absorption for the whole foot. This layer of lightweight EVA foam helps absorb impact to your joints and bones and helps support every type of foot. You might even feel like you’re walking on clouds.
Our KURUCLOUD midsole acts as a cushioned footbed to offer padding and shock absorption for the whole foot. This layer of lightweight EVA foam helps absorb impact to your joints and bones and helps support every type of foot. You might even feel like you’re walking on clouds.
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ULTIMATE INSOLE
...Show LessThe final layer in this technology trifecta, our ULTIMATE INSOLES feature premium arch support and cushion for the whole foot. Made of durable polyurethane foam, these shoe insoles form to your feet and last longer to help relieve pain.
The final layer in this technology trifecta, our ULTIMATE INSOLES feature premium arch support and cushion for the whole foot. Made of durable polyurethane foam, these shoe insoles form to your feet and last longer to help relieve pain.
KURUSOLE
Our patented KURUSOLE plate features a unique design that cups and protects the heel and allows for dynamic flexion with each step. This superior support helps utilize our body’s natural cushioning system, the heel’s fat pad for long-lasting support.
Our Secret
Our Secret
What makes KURU different? Every KURU shoe comes with built-in patented KURUSOLE tech—a foot health game changer.
While other shoes are flat on the inside, KURUSOLE is shaped like your foot to hug and prevent fatigue and pain.
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