Slipping achy feet into recovery shoes after a long day or tough workout can feel like getting a mini-massage with every step. It’s a luxe experience, and, clearly, people are into it: The recovery footwear market is predicted to hit $18 billion this year—and jump up to over $28 billion by 2034.
But do these cushy, slipper-like shoes actually speed up recovery, or do they just feel good? Here’s what experts have to say about the trend.
What makes recovery shoes unique
To the naked eye, the thick soles of recovery shoes don’t look all that different from what you see in maximally cushioned sneakers. But while athletic shoes are meant to keep your feet safe and your movements efficient during activities like running, playing pickleball, or walking around all day at work, recovery shoes are designed to help your muscles and joints recuperate from those activities, says sports medicine foot and ankle surgeon Gideon J. Lewis.
“Compared to other shoes, recovery shoes are giving your feet a break,” says Sally Crawford, a biomechanical expert who’s conducted research commissioned by OOFOS, the brand that popularized recovery shoes.
Although the exact design of recovery shoes can vary, there are a number of common features intended to help your feet bounce back from whatever kinds of stress you put them through.
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For starters, whether it’s a sandal or sneaker, a recovery shoe is typically made with an extra-wide toe box to give your forefoot plenty of space to spread out. There’s usually arch support and often a heel drop (meaning the heel sits higher up than the toes). Many recovery shoes are also designed with a curved rocker bottom, which rolls underneath you as you step through your stride, and that means your foot doesn’t have to move as much while you walk. These elements place the foot in a position that allows the plantar fascia along the bottom of the sole and the flexor tendons of the toes to relax and stretch out, says Dr. Sean Bryan, a primary sports medicine physician at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Almost all of these shoes offer lots of cushy foam for ample shock absorption. “The thought is that by having extra cushioning and that positioning, it allows the tissues to rest and feel better, and possibly recover from repetitive stress,” Bryan says.
Most recovery shoes are also made to let your sweaty feet air out, either through a sandal design or breathable materials in the upper fabric of a sneaker. “It’s not just recovering from a musculoskeletal issue or pain—it’s also for skin protection as well,” Lewis says.
Some footwear manufacturers have recently begun taking things a step further, injecting more advanced tech into these shoes. Last year, Nike and the athletic recovery brand Hyperice released the “Hyperboot,” a $799 battery-powered shoe that blasts your feet with heat and compressed air as you walk around. There are also some shoes that integrate red light therapy that claim to bring more blood flow to your feet. Lewis predicts we’ll soon see shoes with vibration and cooling mechanisms.
Do recovery shoes actually help you recover?
Unfortunately, there’s not much hard data on recovery shoes outside of research funded by footwear companies. “I’m not aware of any clear scientific evidence that proves that recovery shoes actually speed recovery at a cellular level or a tissue level,” Bryan says.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they have nothing to offer. Plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that recovery shoes can help reduce symptoms like foot pain, muscle fatigue, tightness, and soreness in people who repeatedly subject their feet to large amounts of stress, Bryan says. He also points out that several recovery sandals and sneakers have been given the American Podiatric Medical Association’s Seal of Acceptance, a distinction awarded by a committee of podiatrists to products that promote good foot health.
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When it comes to the more high-tech recovery shoes, some small studies have found that air compression can temporarily reduce muscle soreness, while heat can speed up post-workout muscle recovery, and red light therapy can decrease inflammation and oxidative stress in muscles. But research is early, and these futuristic shoes are still more likely to be found on the feet of pro athletes than everyday exercisers on a budget.
How to get the most out of recovery shoes
If you’re looking to make your feet and legs feel a bit better after exercise, experts agree that wearing recovery shoes might help. But only in moderation. For the most part, these shoes are not designed to support long bouts of walking around, since they’re typically pretty unstable. Also, because they can alter your gait and posture, Bryan believes long-term wear could put abnormal kinds of stress on soft tissues like the plantar fascia and ankle tendons, which could lead to “degeneration, discomfort, and pain,” he says.
Lewis says he typically tells his clients to only wear a recovery sandal at home after a big workout or competition. That way they’re not wearing them for too long (or trying to walk far), and they’re in a controlled environment where the instability is less likely to make them trip.
Bryan also reminds patients that recovery shoes don’t magically erase all the strain you put on your feet and legs throughout the day. “I try to encourage [patients] to use them appropriately, not thinking that they can get away with as much standing, walking, and running as they want just because they have recovery shoes,” he says. He adds that to truly let your tissues recover, you need adequate time off from whatever activity is stressing them, as well as sleep and proper nutrition—not just another pair of shoes.
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