I bought some Crocs Echo shoes that look like a cross between marshmallows and an alien spaceship. I’m calling them my “Martian Marshmallows,” and I think I’ve found a pretty good cheap and comfy recovery shoe.
How I Got Here
I started with Brooks Glycerin running shoes. I made a lot of progress with these, but I started reading about different styles of shoes and stumbled across the barefoot movement. I love the idea of building up the muscles and tendons in my lower legs, but I rushed the transition and jumped straight into using them while rucking and running on concrete. I ended up with a case of painful extensor tendonitis in my left foot (basically inflammation of the tendons on top of your foot that lift your toes). Lesson learned: take the necessary time to transition to barefoot. I eventually settled on Altras: zero drop and a wide toe box. They’re a good compromise between barefoot benefits and some protection for workouts on concrete. My left foot still gets irritated after higher mileage days. So I started researching recovery shoe options.
Why Crocs Echo?
Most recovery shoes are slides, but I prefer the clog style for everyday use. These use LiteRide foam in the footbed, which is supposedly way softer than regular Crocs. Super lightweight so they won’t tire your feet. The slip-on design means no laces pressing on sore tendons. They’re also half the cost of fancy recovery shoes and should last a while.
How They Actually Feel
The LiteRide footbed provides solid cushioning. The slip-on design works well for my tendonitis - no laces to worry about. I’ve been wearing them after workouts and for running errands. The main issue is the textured footbed - it has raised bumps that are designed to stimulate blood flow, but they get uncomfortable on bare feet after extended wear. They’re fine with socks though.
Bottom Line
My Martian Marshmallows seem to work for what I need - comfortable post-workout recovery without breaking the bank. The footbed texture thing is manageable if you wear socks. They’re not perfect, but they’re doing the job, and my left foot is a little happier after longer workout days. I’m always learning though, so if you have a better solution I’d love to hear it.
