Tell me about footwear for plantar fasciitis/heel spur

In My Humble Opinion
1

Disclaimer: I am seeing a podiatrist, just seeking opinions on footwear from others who’ve had this condition too.

So I went to see the podiatrist for my heel pain, and the first thing he said when he saw my Crocs was, “I see you’re wearing those fake shoes.” :frowning: Too bad, because some days those are the only shoes I can wear comfortably.

So he says he wants me to wear athletic shoes all the time, and in the meantime he wants me to get custom orthotics. I asked him about my Birkenstocks, which are the other shoes I live in (until the snow flies, at least, because all I have are the clogs), and he said he couldn’t say, because he knew nothing about the footbed. I plan to take one in for my next appointment to show him.

He did say that I want to look for shoes with removable insoles, so I can put the custom orthotics in. But he was still pretty emphatic about the athletic shoes.

To which I say, YUCK. I am not a sneakers person. I will gladly wear them at the gym, or maybe an old pair for working in the yard, or running casual errands. But if I’m going out to dinner, or wearing a skirt (!) or dress pants, or going to a party, I don’t want to wear sneakers.

(The idea that I need orthotics is very bizarre to me, because I sit at the computer most of the day! It’s not like I work on my feet.)

But anyway, I’ve done some Googling, and here’s what I’ve found:

The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has a list of footwear that carries its “Seal of Acceptance.” Sadly, I don’t see my Birks on the list, but I like the looks of some of the Dansko and Sanita clogs. There is also a Klogs brand of shoes that are not on the list, but the entire line has removable insoles.

So it looks to me like I ought to be able to find some nice casual leather shoes that will make my doctor happy AND let me keep some shred of personal style. There are certainly enough manufacturers out there touting how ergonomically correct their shoes are (with price to match).

And there’s a shoe store in a nearby city (Shippy Shoes in Stevens Point, for any WI Dopers who are reading) that has pedorthists on staff who will help you find the correct shoes. I’m planning to go there soon and check it out.

NB: Obviously I’m all about the clogs; also obviously I’d be looking at the clogs with closed backs to accommodate the orthotics.

So what’s the poop? I’ll ask the doctor, but also here: Is the idea that I need to wear either shoes with built-in arch support OR shoes that can accommodate these new orthotics I’ll be getting?

And finally, a general question: If you have plantar fasciitis, what shoes have worked for you?

2

I have it… wow is it painful. I wear ugly, orthotic walking shoes with arch supports. Like these http://www.spirafootwear.com/products_walking_womens_ClassicLeatherSWC202.php

They are ugly, but really help with the pain.

3

You should be able to put your custom orthodics in most shoes you wear regularly, but probably not shoes that are really open or with lots of straps. My fiancee puts her orthodics in the shoes she wears with her suits in the office with no problem. I don’t think you’ll get them to stay put with clogs or footwear that doesn’t support your heel from the back.

Until you get those, he probably wants you to wear runners because they offer WAY more arch support than shoes with a flat footbed. Birkenstocks will not be good for you.

My tenant had plantar fasciitis that was corrected with orthodics.

ETA: At work, my fiancee puts her orthodics in shoes that are this shape but no where near as ugly.

4

I have custom removable orthotics, and I swear by the Danskos (only certain styles have the removable insoles, though, and if your orthotics end up being as thick as mine are, you will want something with a thick-removable insole). Certain styles of Timberland shoes have worked well, too, but so far the Danskos are the best.

ETA: as for sandals, the only ones that have enough arch support for my feet are Mephistos. Too bad they are so damn expensive!

5

And she’s got this kind of shoe (also not as ugly) which also works with her orthodic insert, but it didn’t have a removeable insole, it just had a really thin insole. I can’t remember if she had to go up a half-size to make it work though.

6

Gee, I kind of like those! But I had to give up pointy-toed shoes because of my ingrown toenail (hence the Birks). Also no open-toed shoes for the same reason, so no more sandals. But I do like the clogs and being able to slip them on and off easily. As I’ve said, I wouldn’t mind the closed-back kind.

Sheesh. Now I’m having flashbacks to my childhood, when I had to wear special shoes from kindergarten through 6th grade. They had a “cookie” in them (I forget what that is) and metal cleats on toe and heel. No sneakers for me until 6th grade, and I felt like a freak because everyone else had “cool” shoes.* Now I hate the sneakers, and pine for shoes that many people think are ugly!

*As opposed to Steve Martin’s “Cruel Shoes.” :smiley:

7

Birkenstocks have a lot of support, much more than my running shoes. I had to put an expensive insole in my running shoes to wear them.
To the OP: Eleanorigby had some success wearing Earth Shoes with her heel spur, I think.

8

I heard a story on NPR this summer about how flip-flops exacerbate plantar fasciitis. IIRC, the issue is any shoe that allows the sole of your foot to come up off the bed of the shoe. I’d think there’d be some of that with clogs, too.

I can fit my custom orthotics in Lands End all-weather mocs.

9

I had so much foot pain from plantar fasciatis that I could not walk barefoot at all. My podiatrist got me custom orthotics and in a matter of weeks I was pain free.

Any shoe you choose must have a stiff enough sole as to keep the orthotic up against the bottom of your foot. Picture your Crocs (or my favorite LL Bean mocs)…no good. As you walk the sole flexes so much that your foot lifts off the orthotic and the platar fascia tears (again)…ow.

He is recommending removable inserts in the shoes just so theycan get out of the way of the orthotics. I don’t bother. I take my orthos to the shoe store and find a pair of (fairly stiff soled) shoes that fit well with the orthos in them. Bingo!
I can chose what ever style I can find, as long as the ortho fits.

I have worn orthotics for 13+ years now and I cna walk barefoot for a while, but if I climb stairs barefoot I can sometimes feel the ligament tearing.
Bottom line…I put my orthos in EVERY shoe I have, sneakers, hiking boots, work boots, lawn mowing sneakers, etc. No pain is a good thing.

You do not, however, have to buy ugly orthopedic shoes like grandma wore.

10

This is true too. Most quality running shoes have removable insoles (that way you can wash them when they get disgusting), but you don’t have to remove the insoles to put in orthodics if your shoes are roomy enough. My old trail runners didn’t have removable insoles (which is a little weird) but my orthodics fit perfectly fine on top of the existing insoles.

Note: My orthodics aren’t for fasciitis. I also don’t bother putting them in my dress shoes because I sit at work, but they are in the shoes I wear walking to and from the office.

11

Mine is not bad enough to need orthotics, just good shoes. I wear Dansko more than any other brand. After that Keen is my next favorite brand. If I stick to these my feet are doing pretty well.

12

minor hijack …do I have plantar fasciitis? It’s not my heel that hurts but from the ball of the foot to about halfway down the arch. It’s painful walking when I get up in the morning or if I’ve been sitting around a while. I also wear Birks most of the year.

13

Here’s an overview that includes a diagram of where the pain is usually felt. I think my team mate felt it further toward the front though, I may be mistaken.

14

Everything seems to say the pain is felt in the heel, which mine is not. Must be something similar though.

Thanks for the link

15

Mine was in the arch. The doc told me it was plantar fasciitis, and said that sometimes it has a lot to do with the individual architecture of the foot - apparently the fact that I have high arches puts additional strain on the plantar fascia.

16

That was my symptom too. I have very high arches so the plantar fascia was easily stretched to the breaking point whenever I did any high impact activity. The solution was arch supports. I got some arch support inserts that go into my regular old raggedy shoes and they help my arch hold its natural shape so that it can heal.

The trick is you gotta wear it all the time. Take it off when you get home and run out to get the mail? You may have just damaged the plantar fascia again and now you’re in for another few weeks or months of healing. If you have high arches and need to walk around without supports, walk as gingerly as possible to avoid stretching out the plantar fascia.

After about 6-8 months of wearing my arch supports, I now wake up with ZERO heel pain. I still wear the supports as a preventive measure, in case I forget myself and jump down a flight of stairs or something.

The supports I got are the hard plastic white ones on this page. My arches are so high in fact, that I got the highest support they have (1⅛") and it still doesn’t reach all the way up to my arch, but at least it provides enough support to keep my arch from crashing down to the sole of my shoe when I put sudden weight on my feet.

17

I’ve had trouble with plantar fasciitis and the general advice was “never go barefoot” (yeah, right!). My podiatrist has no issue with me wearing Birkenstocks, which are now my footwear of choice better than 50% of the time I wear shoes. In fact I got my first pair of birk sandals about 11 years ago, on his recommendation.

The podiatrist actually told me you can custom-order Birks with orthotics built in. Didn’t seem worth it to me.

When I’m not wearing birks, I do usually wear some sort of lace-up (or velcro-up) shoe, with orthotics. I’ve had foot problems for many years (family history of bad feet) and really can’t put up with dressier shoes for any length of time.

In general, the shape of Birks will be better for your feet than most shoes (can’t speak to the brands the OP mentioned though) as they (other shoes) don’t allow room for the front of your foot to spread out (the Birks do).

18

I have plantar fasciitis and have been through numerous shoes in the last 4 years trying to find the perfect pair. I have finally settled on Ecco’s for normal everyday shoes. I have been really happy with the Track II Low, and the Walkathon’s. I buy one size bigger and my orthopedic arch supports fit perfectly.

For a sandal, I only wear Chaco’s. In fact, I wore these to work today, and am feeling fine. These are the only thing I can wear on my feet without my arch supports that don’t leave me in agony.

19

I was recently diagnosed with PF as well. Before I was diagnosed, I got a pair of http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2731786 Spira’s. They helped with some of the pain in the heel and I added a plastic arch support from Walk Fit http://www.walkfit.com/?src=affiliate&aid=14626&subid=Main&gclid=CIKg_pzL05ICFQY_agodpX3RGQ&gclid=COvtqpnWg5cCFQQCagoduHZlXw - they have 3 inserts to adjust the support level.

I am looking at investing in a pair of MBT’s which come in a variety of styles - though they look a little ackward.

BTW - my Podiatrist said that Bircks are good shoes & so are Spira’s. He indicated that MBT’s and Earth shoes may or may not benefit an individual - it’s one of those things that one has to try for themselves.

PS have you had to have any shots in your foot yet? OooowwwwwEEEEEE! :frowning:

20

I am not a doctor/podiatrist

I had a bit of trouble with what I think was PF last year, although my pain was more in the arch area. I did some stretching exercises to get rid of it. Here’s what I did:

Sit on the floor and extend the affected leg straight in front with heel down and toes in the air. Flip a hand-towel around the ball of the foot and pull back parallel to the ground, so that the calf muscles and bottom of the foot are stretched.
Hold for a 10 count, relax and repeat a few times.

Worked for me after about 3 weeks of stretching.