best-recovery-slides — Don’t mind my (nail) paint job.🫠

By Marnie Kunz,
NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified running coach

I tried recovery slides as a way to reduce inflammation and offer support for my feet when I’m not coaching or training. Recovery footwear provides extra cushioning and support for your feet when resting or between workouts. They’re designed to wear around the house, bridging the gap between wearing sneakers and going barefoot. After enduring some ongoing foot inflammation and soreness, I decided to try recovery sandals to see if they could help my feet feel better. Here’s how it went:

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What Are Recovery Slides?

Recovery slides - also called recovery sandals - are footwear designed to give your feet support and cushioning and facilitate muscle recovery after workouts. Most sporting goods companies have at least one model of recovery sandals. They're usually a slippers style with a strap over the top of your foot to keep them on and an open-toe design.

If you’re a long distance runner or an active person who does intense workouts, recovery footwear can be beneficial. If you walk a lot, recovery sandals can also help alleviate some foot inflammation. These slides are also popular among athletes and people with jobs requiring a lot of standing, such as waitressing, cleaning, or retail work. The best recovery slides help ease soreness in your feet and leg muscles, offering cushioning for your joints while promoting good blood flow for muscle recovery.

What Do Recovery Slides Do?

Recovery footwear supports the soles, heels, and arches of your feet. The specially designed sandals include extra cushioning for comfort and muscle recovery. They usually have strong arch support to help your feet recover from strenuous workouts. If you're feeling a lot of fatigue in your lower legs and feet, recovery slides can help.

Recovery sandals usually have textured footbeds to stimulate circulation and massage your feet, offering optimal benefits after long or intense periods of being on your feet. Improved circulation can help reduce inflammation and swelling in your feet and lower legs. Some recovery slides also offer good arch support, which is especially helpful for wearers with flat feet or collapsed arches.

How well recovery footwear works depends on your feet and lifestyle. If you usually wear no shoes or just socks in the house, for instance, recovery slides can offer a supportive boost to your feet and speed up your post-workout recovery. Wearing recovery sandals around the house can help protect and support your feet while speeding up muscle recovery.

Trying Hoka Ora 3 Recovery Slides

As a running coach and trainer, I’m often on my feet. And I do much of my walking and running on concrete since I live in NYC. Recently, I’ve been experiencing some inflammation and swelling in my feet and legs, especially after long runs or long stretches on my feet. I decided to try recovery footwear at home to help reduce inflammation in my feet.

Based on the recommendation of a friend who swears by the Hoka Ora Recovery Slides, I decided to try them. The slip-ons are one of the best recovery sandals, according to many runners.

(You can read her insights on the Hoka Recovery Slides in our Holiday Wellness Gift Guide).

My Experience

Hoka is known for having lightweight, cushioned running shoes, and the Hoka Ora Recovery 3 Slides live up to their reputation. When I slipped them on, I found the slides well-cushioned, with arch support and thick, supportive soles. The recovery sandals have traction on the bottom, so they’re non-slip.

The Hoka Ora Recovery Slides feature a soft top layer and a resilient midsole/outsole for durability and stability. EVA foam offers a soft, supple top layer cushion for your feet. Due to their thick cushioning, these recovery flip-flops felt a little like platform shoes when I first put them on. But their lightweight, comfortable fit made them easy to adjust to wearing around the house.

I’ve been wearing the Hoka slides for a few weeks now, and they have helped ease my sore feet. Overall, my feet feel more comfortable when I’m working at my desk or walking around the house, and I have less achiness in my feet. I also feel like they've helped improve my recovery process after tough workouts. Although other variables may be at play (I’ve also been using orthotics when I run and changing my running shoes often to support my feet), the Hoka Ora recovery shoes are part of my proactive wellness program to improve my foot health and workout recovery.

These Hoka slides are one of my top picks for recovery footwear that you can add to your running routine to improve your muscle recovery and reduce soreness form workouts. If you want to take things a step further, you can also wear recovery shoes for your recovery workouts and active recovery days.

Related Post: When to Change Your Running Shoes

Hoka Ora Recovery Slide Care

The product description says they’re machine-washable, but I wipe the bottom of my slides with a disinfectant wipe when I’m cleaning my floors or rinse them off in the bathtub. I’ve found them easy to keep clean (if only running shoes were this easy to clean!).

My Verdict

As a running coach and trainer who is getting older, I welcome new ways to speed up and improve my muscle recovery after workouts. I also am skeptical of making blanket statements like these recovery flip-flops are a must for everyone. If you have lingering foot or calf aches and pains, recovery slides can help support your feet and lower legs. They can be an integral part of your self-care and recovery routine.

However, recovery footwear is not intended to replace medical care or treatment of injuries. They are just a supplemental tool that can reduce inflammation and offer better support than regular flip flops or sandals. If you have an injury such as plantar fasciitis, recovery sandals can help your feet feel better, but they are not a magic cure that will make injuries go away.

Also, there is not much research demonstrating the effectiveness of recovery footwear, but this may be partly due to the difficulty of empirically measuring “recovery” and not knowing how recovery would be without footwear.

In my case, I went to see a podiatrist about swelling and pain in my feet and some nerve issues. I got treatment with custom orthotics and some modifications to my workout program. I had to try several things to alleviate my pain overall, and the Hoka Recovery Slides are just part of my recovery program. I enjoy the slides and find them comfortable and supportive for my feet and legs. I highly recommend them to any runners or walkers who want to reduce foot inflammation.

Have you tried recovery shoes or slides? What did you think? Follow and tag me on the @Runstreet Instagram to share your workouts and wellness practices and get cheered on. Want more wellness tips, workouts, and motivation? Subscribe to the Runstreet Wellness Wednesday newsletter.

Happy moving to you, and best wishes for excellent muscle recovery!

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

I Tried Recovery Slides for Inflammation: Here’s How It Went