Recovery Shoes

By Jenny Willden

Be it running, biking or hiking, any leg-dominant activity can wreak havoc on your lower body, leaving you with tight, overworked leg and foot muscles. Recovery shoes, while not an entirely new concept in footwear, are currently coming to market to help reduce this post-exercise leg and foot pain. I still remember my first recovery shoes, a circa 1995 pair of Adidas flip flops that featured massaging nubs to soothe tired feet after soccer. Unfortunately, the nubs were more painful than beneficial if worn any longer than ten minutes.

But those flip flops are a far cry from the recovery footwear of today. Enter Salomon’s RX Recovery Shoes. Made to slip on before or after sports, these lightweight, breathable shoes feature a shock-absorbing, wedge-shaped heel designed to reduce stress on your legs and allow muscles to relax. After racing or working out, your overheated feet don’t smell like a flowerpatch, and the mesh upper and antimicrobial treatment on the RX’s help your toes breathe, without alienating everyone in a ten-foot radius. Plus, the cushioned footbed molds to the shape of your foot over time, making the shoes fit better with every wear.

They’re available in flip flop, moccasin and slide styles, but I recommend the slides because they’re effortless to get on and off. (A plus when you’re so sore that bending over seems impossible.) The RX’s run a bit on the pricey side, but deals abound when purchased online. For more information on running recovery, read “Recovering from a Marathon” on page 22. $55 salomon.com