Wow, your wife has had a lot of problems with her legs no wonder she is so tentative about walking. I have to believe that the atmosphere in Waikiki is so conducive to walking that she is more motivated to walk than anytime in her life. As I said we spoke of Waikiki as Disney for Adults.
I know you said that your wife tried different shoes with mixed results. However, my husband trys on shoes in stores all the time and walks around the store. If he doesn't feel the good cushioning that he gets from the cushioned Hoka's that he has now he tells the sales person and walks out. Not all Hoka's have the "Plush" cushioning the my husband likes. I asked him about the the Hoka shoe models that he likes the cushioning on that they sell now and he said they are call Bondi 6. They have women's as well as men's sizes. There may be other Hoka's that she can try on that have good "Plush" cushioning but keep in mind it is the cushioning that she needs for walking not the style or color. She should try a pair on and walk in the store. If they don't give her a good cushioned feel then don't get them. She should go on the Hoka website and peruse the shoes they have for women. On the site she needs to concentrate on the ones that have "Plush Cushioning" since some models have other type of cushioning that my husband feels are too hard and unforgiving.
Aloha
