Tripping and falling in Danskos

Mander

The thread on healing from foot surgery made me wonder if there is something strange about my feet or the way I walk. I have a lovely pair of Danskos that should be great shoes -- they fit well, they look cute, and they give me a bit of height without being true heels. But somehow I am prone to stumbling when I wear them. Twice now I have tripped over absolutely nothing and ended up on the ground, skinning my knees and putting a hole in my jeans.

Does anyone else have this problem with Danskos?

12 years ago

General

19 replies

Latest reply was from Ket

Mochi

Veteran

Is that the only shoe you have trouble with? I don't own Danskos, but am the world's biggest klutz and can seriously stumble over anything...in sneakers. My feet have this weird, unpredictable instability, is all I can say. Sorry for your mishap!

12 years ago

JennyAnne

(website)

Veteran

Oh my goodness. I have to say once I had some Clarks, which are some really comfortable, low-heeled shoes. They were almost flat, but I tripped in them a lot. I figured I was just clutzy, but then I realized the base was just off center for me, if that makes sense. After falling in them while I was pregnant, I got rid of them, comfortable or not. I think there can just be shoes that aren't right for your feet.

12 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I can't wear Danskos either. Somehow, they just don't work for my feet. Too much arch support - which I find uncomfortable. Danskos just aren't for everyone!

12 years ago

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Yes, I used to wear Dansko clogs all the time, they are really comfy and you can be on your feet all day. It's the staple of residents and nurses...everyone wears them. But it's really easy to twist your ankle if you're not careful. I would be walking and if the ground was slightly uneven, sometimes all of a sudden my ankles would twist and I would stumble. I think it's a combination of the high platform and the slight looseness of the shoes (because they move up and down in the back). Once I tripped and fell flat when I was walking down the sidewalk. I was 8 months pregnant at the time and fell flat on my belly (it happened so quick I didn't have time to put my arms out). That was very scary! Fortunately DD was OK. After that I started wearing Merrell jungle mocs instead--flatter to the ground and form fitting. I do still have one pair of Danskos that I sometimes wear, but I try to be careful when walking. And I'm thinking of looking into other Dansko alternatives, like maybe some Alegrias mary janes with a strap.

12 years ago

Jonesy

Veteran

Yes, I can see how they might be hazardous, for the reasons that GP mentions. Eeek--how scary to fall on your belly at 8 months!

12 years ago

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

oh Natalie, that fall sounds awful! i was very glad to read the happy ending!

Mander, i've found that no shoe is right for everyone, and any individual person will not be able to wear all shoes. You just have to go by your individual experience. If a shoe makes you fall, throw it out!

I've had an experience with flats that was kind of similar to JennyAnne's. There was some 'wiggle' to the heel somehow and i feel a couple of times. It didn't seem to make sense, but there it was. When i got down and scrutinized the base of the shoes, i could see that there were less support on the outer part of the sole at the heel.

At any rate, if they make you unstable it doesn't matter what everyone else thinks! Good luck, steph

12 years ago

Kappy

Veteran

Mander, that sounds awful. I hope you're OK and sorry about your jeans. I hate ruining my clothes :(. I tend to trip a lot; I found out I have a slight curve in my spine which probably contributes a lot to my tripping tendencies.

12 years ago

emabi

Member

OMG I am so happy to hear I'm not alone! I have owned my Danskos for almost two years. I LOVE them, but I've fallen more times than I can count. As a teacher I would always be in pain by the end of the day, until I found these. Now I can walk and stand for hours, but I can't seem to remain upright long enough to enjoy the overall benefit. If anyone has any suggestions, so that I don't have to get rid of my Danskos, I'd love to hear it!

10 years ago

Echo

Veteran

Danskos absolutely do not work for me at all. The combination of them being quite narrow, along with the platform and questionable heel fit makes it really easy not to feel the ground you are walking on, making stumbling more likely.

10 years ago

Nebraskim

Veteran

Oh my that is so scary to fall. I have taken dozens of tumbles. I have No issues with Danskos or Sanitas clogs but I do have chronic ankle instability and have had surgery on my left ankle to repair this and am anticipating eventually needing it on the right.. One can have lateral instability and fall off any shoes. I hope you find shoes that work. The kind of looseness and slippage that are the hallmarks of clogs can be a problem. Most of my falls occurred while I was in running shoes or barefoot.

10 years ago

DonnaF

Veteran

Danskos are more indoor/standing footwear than outdoor/walking footwear if that makes sense. I still get twinges in my ankle probably a year or more after I twisted it wearing my Danskos on uneven sidewalk or some such. Stepping on and off curbs can be tricky. That being said, my Pros are about the only footwear I can wear for long periods, and my next stop will probably be Alegrias.

10 years ago

Anonymous

That's weird. I swear by Danskos after my ankle injury (avulsion fracture - completely torn ligament) because they're so stable and comfortable. I wear them precisely because I don't want to twist my ankle and risk another injury.

I've never even come close to tripping in them, and I go up and down stairs multiple times per day.

Maybe it's your gait??? I honestly don't know. All I know is that for me, Danskos are the most comfortable shoes on the planet. I also have bunions, so that's saying something.

10 years ago

Liz

Veteran

Just a note that this is a two-year old thread that got revived. Mander may or may not currently be wondering about this.

10 years ago

Lesley

Veteran

YES. Back when I wore Danskos I found that rolling your ankle and falling right off a curb twice a year was the price of feeling good on your feet. I gave them up.

1 year ago

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

I've never tried Danskos because the clog fit would likely slip off my feet anyway, but I have a similar issue with FitFlop's micro wobbleboard flatforms (they're supposed to 'exercise' your calves as you stride, but the imbalance is too much for me).

I do great in all their other styles though (especially the Supercomff), so go figure!

1 year ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Note: 11 year old thread!

1 year ago

April

Veteran

It's not just you. Danskos seem to have two sets of wearers: the "can't live without them" camp and the "holy smokes, these are a serious trip/fall hazard" camp.

I'm with you in the latter camp, though I know many women in the former camp. And I know women of different heights/weights/shapes etc. in both camps, so there's more at work here than those elements.

1 year ago

smurfette1958

Member

New post from a new member here! November 2023.
Just bought a cute pair of black glitter shoes by Dansko 3 weeks ago, LOVED THEM!! Wore them twice and unfortunately FELL TWICE one week apart. Has never happened to me while wearing ANY OTHER shoe. Hurt myself pretty bad both times. Didn’t want to believe it was the shoes, but with 2 falls in a week, couldn’t take another chance. Cute or not, they’re not for me!
They are being returned.

1 year ago

Ket

Veteran

I worked for several years for an industry leading and recognized women’s health physical therapist. She was not a fan of Danskos for any of her patients. The inflexible, thick sole can be really difficult for the foot and entire kinetic chain.

Years ago, I owned and wore a pair of Danskos from time to time. I didn’t love them. They were just too clunky. I didn’t trip with them. But I didn’t love them and need up donating them.

People in service industries like them because the thick sole provides some support and cushion when standing on a cement-based floor all day. But I think in reality they can be tricky for everyday casual wear.

1 year ago

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