Best Shoes for Hip Pain: What the Largest Shoe Trial Actually Found
Not yet bench-tested. This guide explains what the evidence says about shoes and hip pain. The shoes described here have not been measured or worn under the Podiatrist Tested standard, so no scores and no Seal appear on this page. It is general information, not a diagnosis: hip pain has many causes, and persistent pain deserves an examination.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Tom Biernacki, DPM, FACFAS · Last reviewed 2 October 2026
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Almost every guide to shoes for hip pain says the same thing: buy a stable, supportive, well-cushioned shoe and your hips will thank you. It sounds right. The best evidence now available says it is not that simple. The largest randomised trial of shoes for hip arthritis found that stable supportive shoes worked no better than flat, flexible ones for hip pain, while the same research group had earlier found that supportive shoes did help people with knee arthritis. Shoes matter much more for some joints than others.
This is a foot surgeon’s guide to what shoes can and cannot do for hip pain, the situations where the foot genuinely matters, and when hip pain needs a doctor rather than a new pair of shoes.
Quick answer
- For hip arthritis, choose the shoe you find most comfortable. A major trial found supportive and flat flexible shoes made no difference to hip pain, so there is no need to pay for a particular type in the hope of protecting the hip.
- Exercise does more than footwear. Strengthening and staying active are the first-line treatment for hip arthritis.
- The foot matters most in specific cases: a genuine leg-length difference, and marked flat feet that seem to drive symptoms further up the leg.
- If you are unsteady, prioritise stability and grip to reduce the risk of a fall, which matters more for the hip than cushioning does.
- Some hip pain is urgent. Sudden hip or groin pain after a fall with difficulty putting weight on the leg needs same-day assessment.
What the research actually found
Researchers at the University of Melbourne have run the most careful trials of everyday shoes for arthritis. Their SCHIPP trial gave people with hip arthritis two pairs of off-the-shelf shoes to wear every day for six months: either stable, supportive shoes or flat, flexible ones. The results, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, showed no meaningful difference in walking hip pain between the two types of shoe.
That is striking because the same group had previously run a matching trial in knee arthritis, also in Annals of Internal Medicine, and found that stable supportive shoes reduced walking knee pain more than flat flexible shoes did in people with arthritis on the inner (medial) side of the knee. The researchers have said it is not yet clear why the two joints responded differently. One explanation they have raised is that the forces a shoe can change are larger at the knee than at the hip, which sits further from the ground and is cushioned by more of the body’s own structure.
The practical meaning is reassuring rather than disappointing. If you have hip arthritis, you do not need to force yourself into a shoe you dislike because someone told you it would protect the hip. Wear what is comfortable and lets you stay active, because staying active is what helps.
If your knees hurt as well
Many people with hip pain also have knee pain, and here the evidence points the other way. For knee arthritis, the stable, supportive shoe is the better-supported choice. If both joints are a problem, a supportive shoe is the reasonable default, since it helped the knee and did no worse for the hip. See our guide to shoes for knee pain.
When the foot genuinely matters for the hip
- A real leg-length difference. When one leg is measurably longer than the other, the pelvis tilts and the hip on one side works harder. A heel lift in the shoe on the shorter side can even this out. It is worth having the difference measured by a clinician first, because an apparent difference is often caused by the pelvis or spine rather than the bones of the leg, and a lift in the wrong shoe can make things worse.
- Marked flat feet or feet that roll in. When the arch collapses and the foot rolls inward, the leg rotates inward with it. For some people this seems to contribute to symptoms at the knee and hip. A stability shoe or a supportive insole is a reasonable, low-risk thing to try, though the evidence that it helps the hip specifically is limited. See also best shoes for flat feet.
- Balance and falls. For older adults, a fall is one of the most serious risks to the hip. A shoe with a secure fit, a firm heel, a low heel height and a sole that grips reduces that risk far more than extra cushioning does. See our guide to shoes for seniors.
What to look for in a shoe if your hip hurts
Because the evidence says comfort matters more than any particular design, the goal is a shoe you will happily wear while staying active. Within that, a few features make sense:
- Comfort first. The shoe that lets you walk further and more often is the one doing the most good.
- A secure fit and a firm heel, especially if your balance is not what it was.
- A low to moderate heel. High heels shift your posture and load the front of the body. The heel-to-toe drop chart explains how heel height differs between shoes.
- Easy to put on. If bending to reach your feet is painful, slip-on styles or shoes with elastic laces and a heel loop make it much easier to wear supportive shoes consistently.
- Grip. A sole that holds on smooth or wet floors lowers the risk of a fall.
Shoes whose designs fit the brief
Given the evidence, these are suggestions for comfortable, stable everyday shoes rather than treatments for the hip. None has been through our testing, and the features listed are the manufacturers’ own descriptions.
- A cushioned everyday walking shoe such as the Brooks Ghost or HOKA Clifton, for people who want a comfortable, well-cushioned shoe for daily walking. See the best walking shoes.
- A stability shoe such as the Brooks Adrenaline GTS, which Brooks describes as using its GuideRails system to limit excess movement, for people with flat feet or feet that roll in, or who also have knee pain.
- A hands-free slip-on for anyone who finds bending to tie laces painful. Several brands now make supportive slip-on walking shoes with a stiffened heel that you step into.
Where to buy
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Brooks Ghost
Brooks Adrenaline GTS
Hands-free slip-on walking shoes
What helps hip pain most
For hip arthritis, the treatments with the strongest support are exercise and strengthening, staying active, and managing body weight where that is relevant; clinical guidelines consistently put exercise first. A physiotherapist can design a programme that strengthens the muscles around the hip without aggravating it. Shoes are a way of making that activity comfortable, not a substitute for it.
Pain on the outside of the hip that is worse lying on that side, climbing stairs or standing on one leg is often a problem with the tendons there rather than arthritis inside the joint. It too tends to respond best to a structured strengthening programme and adjusting activity, rather than to a change of shoes. Pain that runs from the buttock down the back of the leg may be coming from the lower back; see shoes and sciatica and shoes and back pain.
When hip pain needs a doctor
Get medical help the same day for sudden hip or groin pain after a fall, especially if it is hard to put weight on the leg or the leg looks shortened or turned outward, as this can be a fracture. Seek prompt advice for hip pain with fever or feeling unwell, pain that wakes you at night and does not ease with rest, unexplained weight loss, or a child with a new limp or hip pain. Ongoing hip pain that limits your walking or sleep deserves an examination to find its cause rather than repeated changes of footwear.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best shoes for hip pain?
For hip arthritis, the best shoe is the one you find comfortable and that keeps you active. A large randomised trial found that stable supportive shoes were no better than flat flexible shoes for hip pain. If you also have knee pain or flat feet, a supportive or stability shoe is a sensible choice, and if your balance is poor, choose a secure, low-heeled shoe with good grip.
Can the wrong shoes cause hip pain?
Shoes are rarely the main cause of hip pain. They can contribute in particular situations, such as a genuine leg-length difference or very flat feet that change how the leg moves. For most hip pain, especially arthritis, the cause lies in the joint or the surrounding muscles and tendons, and exercise does more than footwear.
Do supportive shoes help hip arthritis?
The best current evidence says not specifically. A randomised trial published in Annals of Internal Medicine found no meaningful difference in hip pain between stable supportive shoes and flat flexible shoes worn for six months. Supportive shoes did help people with knee arthritis in an earlier trial by the same researchers.
Will a heel lift help my hip?
Only if you have a genuine difference in the length of your legs, and it should be measured by a clinician first. Many apparent differences come from the pelvis or spine rather than the leg bones, and putting a lift in the wrong shoe can make symptoms worse.
Are flat shoes bad for hip pain?
Not necessarily. In the hip arthritis trial, flat flexible shoes performed about as well as supportive ones for hip pain. What matters more is that the shoe is comfortable, fits securely and gives you good grip, particularly if you are at risk of falling.
Related guides
See shoes for knee pain, shoes for back pain, shoes for arthritis in the feet and the best walking shoes.
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