Cushioning is essential to protecting your feet from injury, but it also protects your ankles, legs, and back. Consider Newton’s third law of motion, which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This means that each and every time you take a step, you are pushing down on the ground and the ground is pushing back against you, which allows you to propel yourself forward. The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. As such, energy has to transform from one form to another. There is a lot of force generated by each footstrike and that energy has to go somewhere; it doesn’t just disappear.

As you walk or run, you are converting energy stored in your body into kinetic energy, which allows you to move. Then, that kinetic energy is slammed down into the ground, which pushes back with just as much force. The energy travels as shock through your shoe to your foot to your ankle to your leg and finally to your back.

Cushioning cannot eliminate shock, but it can change the way that it is distributed and prevent more of that shock from running your legs to your back, which will reduce back pain. However, as great as most forms of cushioning can be, not all kinds of cushioning are effective or useful for reducing or eliminating back pain. Padding in the upper of your shoe, for example, can make the shoe more comfortable, but it doesn’t absorb the shock from each footstrike.

Insole
The insole or insert of your shoe needs to provide ample cushioning without hindering the flexibility or support features of the shoe. Many shoe manufacturers use EVA, or ethyl vinyl acetate, memory foam in their insoles, but they also use polyurethane and other kinds of soft, responsive foams. Each can be effective, but EVA is used the most often.

When you are shopping for a shoe, consider the areas of your shoe that experience the most wear- those areas are the areas that need the most cushioning, so look for a shoe with an insole that meets those needs.

Some shoe manufacturers and models come with removable inserts, so you can replace them with custom orthotics if you need to, but it would be less expensive to find a shoe that has the appropriate amount of cushioning for you.

Midsole
Midsole cushioning is wedged between the insole and the outsole and is often made with EVA foam. These units are never replaceable, so the midsole units are usually made of more durable materials so the shoe lasts longer. These units often offer the most bounceback and responsive cushioning.

Outsole
The outsole of the shoe provides shock absorption, as well. Specialized air pockets can be placed in the heel, which further reduces the shock from each footstrike and it feels like you’re walking on air, too!

Specialized Cushioning Locations
Sometimes you need more cushioning under your arch or beneath your heel. These midsole or outsole units help to absorb shock and provide some support for your arch and heel. Not all shoes come with either or both of them, so bear that in mind if you need extra arch support or if your heel suffers a lot of painful impacts.

To promote normal pronation and supination, many shoe manufacturers use different support features to reduce this resulting from abnormal pronation and supination. Most shoes that offer the most support are stability and motion control shoes, but sometimes these don’t offer enough shock-absorbing cushioning and can still result in injury and discomfort. So, make sure that the support is positioned exactly where you need it before you invest in the best shoes for back support.

Consider your arches. Do you have a high, normal, or flat arch? The simplest way to determine this is to place a sheet of paper or a towel on the ground, get your foot wet, and then step on the paper or towel. If the shape of your foot on the paper is very thin and skinny in the middle, then you likely have a high arch and we recommend these types of shoes or particularly shoes for high arches. If you have what looks like a complete outline of your foot and the middle of your footprint is as wide as your foot, then you likely have a flat arch. If your footprint is somewhere between those extremes, then you likely have a normal arch. You’re more likely to have problems with pronation if your arch is high or flat. If you have a high arch, you’re more likely to have problems with overpronation and under supination, whereas a flat arch would cause you to have problems with under pronation and hyper supination.

Arch Support Units
Usually, an arch support unit is placed in the midsole section of the shoe and takes the form of a firm EVA foam wedge, but can also take the form of foam pillars or a midfoot shank made with thermoplastic polyurethane. Some shanks extend from the edge of the forefoot to the heel, providing both arch and heel support at the same time.

Heel Support Units
Heel support units can be found in the outsole or midsole sections of the shoe. They can take the form of a firm EVA or another foam wedge, but they can also come in the form of a thermoplastic polyurethane ring encasing EVA foam, which provides support and shock-absorption at the same time.

Other Forms of Support Units
Other forms of support found in good shoes for back pain include synthetic or leather overlays or firm upperparts, but these rarely affect you. The exception to this rule would be a firm back of the shoe, which can help to stabilize your step.

Flexibility serves as the opposite of support, but they do not necessarily negate each other. In fact, the best shoes for relieving and reducing back pain have a healthy combination of flexibility and support which team up to provide you with a comfortable step. A flexible shoe can prevent injury and discomfort. Imagine a wooden baseball bat. A baseball bat could splinter if you hit it on something hard enough. A bat made of plastic can bend more without splintering if you hit it on something. Depending on the type of plastic, it may not splinter if you hit it on something too hard. With these examples in mind, imagine running hard in a pair of shoes that won’t bend or flex. It could lead to a serious injury because the shock cannot be dispersed through the shoe and back to the ground without affecting your feet, legs, and back. Now imagine a shoe that is firm enough to support you, but flexible enough to allow natural foot motion and disperse shock. The second shoe is more comfortable and safer to wear.

Flex Grooves
Flex grooves are strategically cut into the outsole to provide more flexibility and give. These flex grooves are also good for increased traction and grip on the shoes, which further reduce your risk of injury and back pain.

Outsole Materials
The outsole material can improve the cushioning and shock-absorbing properties of the shoe, but the outsole material can make the shoe more or less flexible. Rubber and synthetic outsoles are the most flexible and, thus, the best for reducing shock and discomfort.

Flexible Uppers
Flexible uppers are important, too, though they don’t affect you as much as flex grooves or the outsole material. Flexible uppers do, however, protect the top of your feet from painful rubbing and pain, so it’s important to consider, as well.

In terms of reduction or elimination, traction isn’t as important as the previous entries on this list of criteria, but traction is still important. Wearing shoes that don’t properly grip the ground and provide you with the traction you need can result in a painful slip or fall and falling can result in discomfort or injury. So look for shoes that have good tread patterns that allow water to slip between the grooves to escape so you don’t slip stepping in water.

Look for tread patterns and outsole parts that are diverse and moderately deep to improve your grip in every terrain. A shoe with a flat outsole will do little to prevent you from slipping and falling, so it’s in your best interest to find a shoe with a diverse tread pattern.

Temperature management doesn’t have an effect on you, but it can reduce foul odors, prevent athlete’s foot and other foot fungi, and reduce the occurrence of blisters from heavy sweating. Managing the temperature of your shoes can really increase your quality of life, as these things are quite unpleasant.

Look for shoes with mesh uppers or perforations in the sides, which allow for increased airflow. The increased airflow will cool and dry your feet. This will allow you to walk or run more comfortably while having your feet be dry will protect you from blisters. Open toe and open back shoes, as well as sandals, are great for keeping your feet cool and dry.