Where The Comfort Co Is Best: The Shoes Experts Rate Highest

When CNN, People and Prevention are the ones singing your praises, you know you have to be doing something right. What follows is a record of the times our shoes have been called the best, by some of the most trusted names in the business.

Sometimes we can feel a bit funny saying "our shoes are the best"... but if the shoe fits 🤷

So rather than say it ourselves, we have rounded up the receipts. Everything below is sorted by what your feet need, from travel and plantar fasciitis to comfortable heels, with each pick linked to the shoe and to the article that named it.

Ben Parnham

Senior Copywriter, The Comfort Co

Host of The Comfort Walk & Talk Podcast, where he has interviewed podiatrists, physios and healthcare professionals about what actually keeps feet working.

Why we are letting the experts do the talking

There is no shortage of best-shoe lists online. The ones worth quoting share a few traits. They are written by a named editor or tested against rivals, they say why a shoe earned its spot, and they name an actual style instead of waving at a brand.

Plenty of those picks also carry the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) Seal of Acceptance, an independent tick for footwear that supports good foot health. Where a podiatrist or a head-to-head test rated one of ours the best, we have linked the source so you can read it for yourself.

It helps that we are fussy about what gets through the door. We will not stock a shoe unless it is built well and built around our Recipe of Comfort, the three things every pair has to get right: fit, cushioning and arch support. So when an outside expert picks one of ours, it is a shoe that already cleared our own bar.

Best for travel and all-day walking

Vionic Uptown Loafer

As recommended by Travel + Leisure¹, Better Homes & Gardens² and Reviewed⁴

Pack it flat in a carry-on, unfold it at the gate, and it still reads as a proper leather loafer. Underneath sits a contoured Vio Motion footbed with a deep heel cup, plus an APMA Seal of Acceptance that translates roughly to: survives a 20,000-step day on cobblestones, looks unbothered.

“I personally own these shoes, and they are so comfortable.”Travel + Leisure

Vionic Walk Max

As recommended by Shop TODAY³ and Travel + Leisure⁵

When the day turns into a route march, reach for this one. Vionic's lightest, springiest midsole sits under a breathable mesh upper, and the contoured footbed is rated by the Heeluxe comfort lab for all-day stability.

“These are super cushiony and the arch support is great for uneven terrain.”Shop TODAY

Best for plantar fasciitis and heel pain

The heel-pain lists circle a few of ours. CNN Underscored named the Vionic Uptown its best casual pick⁶ and PureWow named the Uptown hybrid loafer its best loafer for plantar fasciitis⁷. The two we would start with, though, are these.

Aetrex Danika

As recommended by Reviewed¹⁰

The orthotic is not an add-on here, it is moulded into every pair: arch support, a cushioned UltraSky footbed and a deep heel cradle as standard. The mesh upper is machine washable, which turns out to be the feature you love most.

“These shoes are my go-to travel, walking, and errand running shoe.”Reviewed

Vionic Walk Max

As recommended by Glamour⁸ and EatingWell⁹

Podiatrists keep pointing to the same recipe for plantar fasciitis: a light midsole, a contoured footbed and a deep heel cup. This shoe has all three, and the fact it also made our travel list tells you how hard it works.

“The Vionic Walk Max remains my favorite.”Glamour

Best for bunions and wider feet

Aetrex Jillian

As recommended by Shop TODAY¹¹

Soft exactly where it counts. The braided leather lies gently over the toes, a memory-foam footbed cushions below, and a met-bar pod lifts pressure off the ball of the foot. Adjustable straps then give a bunion the room it actually needs.

“These sandals feature arch support and a bunion pocket to relieve pain.”Shop TODAY

Vionic Walk Strider

As recommended by Shop TODAY¹¹

For the days you want a sneaker rather than a sandal. A roomier last, Vionic's contoured footbed and 1st Ray Technology for a smoother toe-off add up to width without surrendering support, which is the whole ask with bunions.

“So lightweight but supportive and I can wear it comfortably for hours.”Shop TODAY

For width specifically, Reviewed named the Vionic Miles II the best women's walking shoe for wide feet¹². The wider end of the Aetrex range is a good place to start, and our guide to the best wide fitting shoes walks through the rest.

Best sandals with arch support

Vionic Tide

As recommended by Real Simple¹⁵ and Prevention¹⁴

A summer sandal that comes with a clinical footnote. Its built-in orthotic has been shown in a peer-reviewed study to help relieve heel pain, all under a toe-post light enough for the beach, and it holds the APMA Seal of Acceptance.

CNN Underscored also named the Vionic Walk Max sandal among its best arch-support sandals¹³, so the support runs right across the Vionic sandal range.

Best comfortable heels for weddings and events

Naturalizer Vera

As recommended by Glamour¹⁶, E! Online¹⁷ and Good Housekeeping¹⁸

Heels you can actually last the reception in. Naturalizer tucks a cushioned Contour+ footbed and a slip-resistant sole under a tidy block heel, which is how comfortable and wedding-appropriate end up in the same shoe.

“These block-heel shoes are low enough for me to wear them all day.”Glamour

Best for standing all day at work

For nurses, teachers, hospitality and anyone on their feet for a shift, breathable support wins. mindbodygreen named the Vionic Miles II its best breathable sneaker for standing all day¹⁹, and Shop TODAY named the Vionic Walk Max its best splurge walking sneaker³.

In Singapore's heat and humidity, a breathable mesh upper matters as much as the footbed. The Walk Max and the washable Aetrex Danika both pair a ventilated upper with a contoured, supportive base, which holds up across a long shift in the warm.

Best ballet flats and loafers

Vionic Orinda

As recommended by BuzzFeed²¹, Real Simple²² and InStyle²³

A ballet flat with a secret. Vio Motion arch support hides under the leather upper, so the flat that finishes an outfit is not quietly flattening your arches by 3pm.

“built-in orthotic soles that can help treat heel pain.”BuzzFeed

For flat feet specifically, mindbodygreen named the Vionic Walker Classic its best walking shoe and the Vionic Winny a podiatrist-recommended pick²⁰. The Vionic Uptown from our travel picks doubles as the dressier loafer in this category.

Beyond shoes: the support extras

OS1st FS4 Plantar Fasciitis Sock

As recommended by Shop TODAY²⁴

Not a shoe, and the cheapest upgrade on this page. Medical-grade Compression Zone support that a board-certified foot surgeon recommended for plantar fasciitis, worn under any of the shoes above.

“These socks are ideal for daily wear and injury prevention.”Shop TODAY

How to find your best

A list like this is a shortlist, not gospel. The shoe that wins a magazine test is not automatically the one for your feet, your arches, or the shape of your day. The quickest way to find out is to put a few on.

Every style here is in stock and waiting. Read the sources, pick the two or three that suit your life, then come and stand in them. That is the only review that counts.