Tired Feet? Take a Load Off with the Best Recovery Shoes (2024)

Imagine this: You just finished running 26.2 miles on the unforgiving pavement, and every step past the finish line feels like you're walking on hot coals. If you can have a bag of gear waiting for you at the end of your race, do your feet a favor and slip into these supremely cushioned, breathable slides from Hoka.

The Ora has a thick bed of the brand’s famously pillowy cushion and a wide platform that allows tired feet to relax and splay. It also has Hoka’s signature rounded sole, which gives the shoe a smoother ride, as well as more arch support than you’d expect from a sandal. Some wearers have even found that they ease plantar fasciitis pain.

Key Specs

These lightweight sandals work well for runners with high arches. A curvy, foot-hugging mold follows the contours of your soles and reduces stress on your knees and lower back as you walk. The American Podiatric Medical Association has even awarded these shoes the APMA Seal of Acceptance for promoting good foot health—an accolade most other flip flops would struggle to earn.

The entire shoe is made of a squishy, odor-resistant foam that’s machine-washable. And unlike the toe strap on many flip-flops, the Oolala’s strap also feels soft and doesn’t rub or chafe. It’s only available in women’s sizes, but we think just about anyone can find a pair that suits them.

Key Specs

Kane developed the Revive in collaboration with renowned foot and ankle surgeon Dr. Daniel Geller, and built it with 75 percent Brazilian sugarcane. Designed to be worn for active recovery, the Crocs-style slip-on has little rubber nodes in the footbed to stimulate your muscles and activate blood flow, while also providing a bouncy, well-cushioned platform underfoot with just enough arch support to still feel like a walkable shoe.

It has a stiff upper with little holes for breathability and a chunky style that’s surprisingly lightweight. We found that it’s great for running errands and light hikes, and we also love that it’s recyclable.

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Key Specs

A dedicated recovery run shoe could be a lifesaver for your joints and stabilizer muscles if you often rock a stiffer, more energetic shoe for training and racing.

The Bondi is one of the most ludicrously cushioned shoes we’ve tested. It has almost 40 millimeters of Hoka’s cloud-like foam under the heel, as well as a congruently soft tongue and heel collar for all-round comfort. We don’t recommend picking up the pace too quickly in these, as they’ll absorb all that extra energy, but recovery runs usually demand a mellower pace anyway.

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Key Specs

What it lacks in looks, this recovery shoe makes up for with its stretchy, sock-like upper, supportive memory foam insole, and air-cushioned heel.

Deputy Editor of Reviews Zoë Hannah rocks a pair of these when running errands. She’s unbothered by the look, which she admits is less than attractive; she cares a lot more about the quick relief the shoe provides when her plantar fasciitis is acting up. It’s also her go-to dog walking shoe—a much-needed change after too many hours in “stupid shoes that make her feet hurt all day.”

Key Specs

The ridged, textured cushioning in the footbed of these slip-ons feels like a little nerve massage for your feet as you walk off the stress from your latest trail excursion, while the high-traction Vibram outsole makes the shoes durable enough for dicey terrain.

You can walk, hike, and even briefly run in the Rekovr 2s—though the shoes are comfy enough to serve as slippers, they’re also rugged and supportive enough for active recovery efforts. A cozy wool upper makes it so you can happily sport these without socks, too.

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Key Specs

If you like the Oofos Oolala’s impact-absorbing foam footbed but find yourself tripping in sandals or want something a little more substantial for all-day casual wear, the Oomg Low Shoe is a great alternative.

The shoe is made with a breathable, four-way stretch mesh upper that’s easy to slide your foot into, and the footbed has the same thick, squishy foam as the brand’s sandals.

These aren’t shoes you’d want to wear for active recovery or even a long walk, but after a hard workout or race, they’re comfy and luxurious for running errands, wearing around the house, or driving.

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RW: What if you have unconventional feet that don’t fit well into any recovery-shoe options?

B.C.: If you can’t find one recovery shoe that works for you, consider getting creative like Coates. He has a Morton’s toe that was cramped by the original Hoka Ora recovery shoe. To make it work, he cut the heel out to get a better fit and added a Foot-Chair Plus insole. “It’s an over-the-counter insole that gives you the opportunity to adjust the arch height, so you can form-fit it to your foot,” Coates said. “And it only costs $43, not $600. So, I modified the Ora to be a custom-fit slide.”

RW: What do you do if you have foot pain after running?

B.C.: Recovery shoes can go a long way in making your feet more comfortable after a workout. But if they’re not enough, and you have active foot pain while running, finding the right recovery shoes isn’t your biggest issue—you need different running shoes, says Coates. “Nine times out of 10 that means you have an inflammation, and you need to get that inflammation down with an ice bath and moving on to a different pair or different size of shoes.”

That said, if you just have foot discomfort after running but not active pain, Coates says to massage the bottom of your foot by rolling it around over a tennis ball or golf ball. “You want to stretch the tendons in the foot arch from the heel to the big toe, the heel to the second toe, the heel to the third toe—get them all,” he says. “All that stress will affect your Achilles tendon and your calves. But once you make them more relaxed, it will take the stress off the metatarsal and your whole foot will feel relief.”

RW: What is active recovery—and why is it important?

B.C.: Walking, yoga, or even running at a very easy pace—all of these are methods of “active recovery,” and can give your body the rest it needs while still maintaining blood flow to your muscles and tissues. Getting the muscles moving helps you increase circulation, which improves healing, because the vitamins and minerals are going into your muscles and joints, Coates says. He recommends walking as a minimal-impact activity that helps your body recover, or easy running for a bit more intensity. Just make sure to put the emphasis on the easy part. “I’ve trained with runners who didn’t want to run with me because I ran too slow on my easy days,” he says. “But some of them never broke into faster times—and often ended up injured. So the two most important things to remember about rest days are ‘don't be afraid to take a day off running,’ and ‘don't be afraid to run easy.’”