I have struggled with Hagelund's deformity for the past five years and have tried many different shoes with a soft heel that does not cause heel pain. I bought the Saucony Freedom a few years ago for their soft heel which allowed me to walk without pain. Imagine my disappointment when I bought the Freedom 3 to find that Saucony had decided to "upgrade" their shoe by adding a stiffener to the heel. Saucony's Bad Move I'm done with Freedom