From Scholl to Esska – 10 comfortable, and fashionable, shoes that will give you fitter feet

Have you heard of a Morton’s Neuroma? I hadn’t either, until I was diagnosed with one in my early 40s. The cause? Shoes. Specifically, the pointy-toed, high-heeled pumps I wore religiously for years in my fashion job and busy social life. They were uncomfortable, okay… painful, but back then, beauty came before pain.

The payback was pure torture. A Morton’s Neuroma feels like a knife stabbing the base of your foot with every step. It got so bad I had surgery to remove a nerve.

Why am I sharing this? Because what I’ve learned since has changed my view on shoes forever. Did you know around 80% of all foot surgeries are performed on women, and in 75% of those cases, the cause is shoes? Also, that weak toes and feet are a major cause of falls later in life? That last fact alone is a game-changer if you want to live a long, active and healthy life.

Luckily, I’m here with some good news. You don’t have to sacrifice your feet at the altar of fashion anymore. A wave of smart, design-led brands is making shoes that look good, feel good, and – get this – actually make your feet stronger and fitter.

Leading this movement is Scholl. The Milan-based brand once best known for comfy nurse clogs and its iconic wooden-soled Pescura sandal is having a moment again 50 years after its heyday in the 1970s. New collaborations with Balenciaga (who have reinvented said nurse clog) and Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini are bringing Pescura – in multiple juicy and neutral colours and three heel heights – to a new generation. Better still, its contoured wooden sole helps strengthen toes and look great with midi skirts, capri pants and shorts.

For something more glamorous, you can do no better than Sole Bliss. Their fashion-forward shoes are designed for real foot issues – from plantar fasciitis to arthritis and bunions. Lisa Kay founded the brand, by, she says, ‘putting wellness at its epicentre.’ As well as working directly with over 1,000 podiatrists, her shoes have graced Oscar red carpets on the feet of Viola Davis, Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep. My mum swears by her Sole Bliss trainers that are designed to boost toe strength over time.

Personally, I now turn to Fit Flop for everyday fashion sandals and Esska for comfortable yet glamorous heels that won’t agitate the potential for a Morton’s Neuroma in my other foot. Esska’s Charlie sandal in rose gold – they come in 25 others colours and in a wide and normal fit – is my current go-to; I can wear them to dress up a scruffy jeans day, to elevate a chic dress and I can dance in them all night.

Still on my radar? Vivo Barefoot. This future-facing brand designs shoes that mimic walking barefoot – and their research shows that doing so increases foot strength by up to 60%. Their recent short film Unbound is worth a watch, search it on Google. I haven’t converted yet but give it time.

Finally, it’s important to know that the shoes shared here are all built with foot health in mind, but for specific concerns, speak to a podiatrist or check out the Sole Bliss website that has a helpful guide on which shoes solve different problems. But one thing is clear: the future of footwear is at the intersection of wellness and fashion and not a moment too soon.

Shop the edit