Shoes for Hallux Rigidus

Two features do almost all of it. A stiff forefoot, so the sole does not fold at the ball of the foot, and a rocker, so the shoe carries you over the front of the step instead of asking the toe to hinge. Together they can take a large share of the load off the joint, and the effect is immediate rather than gradual: a shoe that works is usually obviously better on the first walk.

The test in the shop takes ten seconds. Hold the heel and try to bend the toe box upward. If it folds easily at the ball, the shoe will make this joint hurt, whatever the marketing says. A carbon plate or a full-length rigid insole achieves the same thing inside a shoe that is otherwise right, which is often the cheaper route.

The shoes below are the models on file with a genuine rocker, a stiff forefoot, or both. Toe box volume matters too, because a joint with bone spurs on top of it needs vertical room and not just width - each page gives the widths offered and the fit notes.