Sandals and Plantar Fasciitis

[hairmagician]

I don't have PF but I have toe issues where closed in toe shoes KILL me. I am a full time hairstylist and I live in Fit Flops almost all year. LOVE. THEM. No foot pain, EVER.

[sweetpee_1993]

OH! I have PF! Kinda new to me. I did it to myself, sadly. Packed on 15-20 lbs. then thought I'd go run in my old running shoes (because I'm a fool who hoards the new pair in the box in the closet like it's the last pair of shoes on earth). Running with extra weight after taking a 2 month hiatus & packing on weight...yeah, it was a recipe for disaster. I still have pain, mostly when I first get up after being off my feet a while and if I've been on my feet a lot then it really hurts. Walking on my toes when it's the worst helps but I can only do that so long. I've been doing the stretches and exercises. That helps a LOT. Weird part is that it only really affects my left foot. I barely have any issues at all with my right foot.

 

To the OP, sorry to say you might need to invest in some decent footwear. I have. Normally I wear my cheap flip flops 9 months out of the year with boots, loafers, or sneakers in the few months of cooler weather that we get. No more. I invested in some good supportive daily-wear flip flops (Olukai). I also got myself an assortment of cute sandals to wear with sundresses, etc. from Vionic. Now is the best time to buy the sandals! I got all mine on sale at our local Dillards! The Olukai flip-flops I got on tax-free day + on sale from a local Sun & Ski Sports store. I have a very hard to find size so often I have to order stuff in multiple sizes then send back what I'm not keeping. Not a fun process but that's my option when I have huge feet with specific needs!

 

This coming Wednesday I'm going back to my podiatrist to see about getting the injections. My mom did the injections once and that was all she needed. She said it went away after just 1 round. On the opposite side of the spectrum, my former sis-in-law just had the surgery on Friday. God love that poor thing. She loves to run. Very active. We both just got up here to around that big 4-0 and it's like our bodies decided they didn't want to play along anymore. LOL! She's been fighting her PF for over a year. It's been a hellacious ordeal for her. When I initially had pain I knew exactly what it was because of what I know she's been thru and I wasted NO time getting into a podiatrist who also specializes in sports medicine. She muscle'd thru her pain until she could barely stand to walk at all. She waited way too long and it got way too bad. I don't want to do that.

[jnc411]

For just day wear I use Teva, they sort of form to your feet and are spongy for walking.

Cori

[smedley_odwin]

Orthaheel for me, or Crocs have started doing a new range called ComfortPath which I've had success with as well.

[MrsPete]

Okay, it's been a couple weeks. With school starting, I haven't been serious about shoe shopping for myself. I should do it -- after all, I might find something on clearance at this time of year.

 

However, I have bought inserts and arch supports in several varieties. Those stick-on arch supports are probably the best single thing I've bought. I'm finding that with some arch support, I have NO pain at all. I really think that's the root of my problem. Bonus: The arch supports don't "take up room" in my shoes like full-fledged insoles do.

 

My husband -- bless his heart -- doesn't get it. He thinks I need something soft, something to cushion my foot. No, that doesn't help at all. At the store the other day, I think he got his feelings hurt because I wouldn't get the insoles he felt sure would work. I think he thought I didn't want to spend $20, but that wasn't it at all.

 

Anyway, thank you all for your suggestions! They were very useful.

[tn1728]

I have PF and find that as long as I am wearing a show with a heel/wedge on it, I am ok. I used to love wearing flats, but now Dansko sandals are my go to shoe, along with UGG clogs for colder weather.

[MommaBear55]

Another but now former PF sufferer. I wore the support brace to bed for 6 months, did PT, used the foot rollers and did the stretches. Pain free now for 5 years.

 

Part of the cure was getting rid of any shoes that bothered me. I find Clark's and White Mountain make supportive and attractive sandals. LL Bean has nice flip flops with good arch support. (They run long.) I wear Naturalizers as well. I wear Superfeet inserts in my shoes and sneakers.

 

Good luck. Keep trying things. If one thing doesn't help, try something else. There is a solution out there

[Lois R]

I know this thread is now a year old but it is still relevant. I was just

diagnosed with PF:eek:......what a pain:(.......My podiatrist told me to

put a towel behind my toe box area and pull.....20 times.....in the morning

and then in the evening.

I don't think that has helped. I can walk better today than last week but

I still feel it.

I have a follow up with the Dr Tuesday afternoon.......

 

I bought a pair of VIONIC slippers (the nurse at the Drs office said to

stop going barefoot around the house).

 

I hope I am saying this the right way...but it seems my pain is not under

my heel but more like on the right side/back of the foot...not sure if

that description is making sense........

I had to go out yesterday and was ok when I left the house but by the

time I got home? I put an ice pack around the area.....THAT did HELP.

Also, the Dr prescribed me Ibruprphoen (800 mg).....to reduce the

inflammation but I don't want to have to take these forever:rolleyes:

 

Any encouraging advice?

[Lois R]

Another couple of things.....I didn't know this was such a common

thing. My sister had it and she told me the ONLY thing that helped her

was acupuncture.

She and I are taking a cruise together next month....I hope my foot feels

better by then:(......I have heard it can take months to fully recover...:eek:

[slidergirl]

Bummer. PF is a nasty little thing.

 

Buy a night splint. Yep, they are a little inconvenient, but it sure did help me. There are many different splints out there - this is one time where you need to spend to get one that you like. The towel exercise is also something to do religiously every day, multiple times.

 

take care!

[Ergates The Ant]

Did some research and bought a pair of MBT ( Masai Barefoot Technology) trainers. Not cheap but well made and wearable as a trainer, come in lots of styles. Had been suffering for months, but cured in a couple of weeks. Still have the trainers in case I have a relapse but been fine for years now. I do spend the summer in Fitflops, recommended by my hairdresser who spends all day on her feet. Supremely comfortable and can walk for miles in them. Great for sightseeing.

[rittsail]

Stretching really helps. Doesn't seem that something you can do at home would be effective, but it actually is. I wear orthoheel and Merrell sandals. Actually, Merrell has some really cute wedge sandals that I got this year and plan to wear with my sundresses on our upcoming cruise. Ugg makes some cute sandals too that have arch support. I no longer go barefoot in the house, always wear Crocs for my slippers. Keep trying, you'll find something that works!

 

 

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[cruisemom42]

I had a bad episode of Plantar fascitis a few years ago. I tried the Vionic Orthoheel flip flops (for wearing around the house), but I found the arch support too aggressive for me. It hurt worse to wear them than to not wear them. I then tried Fit Flops and they worked sooo much better for me. Since that painful period, I have only had one small flare and since I recognized what it was right away and started doing the stretches, it didn't take very long to resolve.

 

Good luck -- hope you find something that works for you.

[Lois R]

Thanks for the suggestions.....I hope it gets better too.

[Hoyaheel]

I've been dealing with PF in my left heel since June and pretty much the only shoes I've been wearing have been my Birkenstocks and a really old pair of Merrells sneakers. I've bought some new shoes and pretty much all of my older shoes are comfortable but I couldn't even wear my danskos all day without pain, when previously I could walk miles and miles in them. I've been doing the various stretches and it's improved - hoping I'm able to do some hiking on my upcoming trip to Portugal and cruise I'm Asia....

[MrsPete]

I see that my thread is resurrected, so I'll give y'all a run-down on my progress:

 

- I went to the orthopedist, and it was great -- he really knew his stuff. I cannot emphasize enough, if you're suffering from this condition, GO. Get off the internet and call for an appointment now.

 

- He x-rayed me and said I have heel spurs as well as P.F. (apparently they gang together). Very ugly on the x-ray.

 

- He gave me a shot of cortozone in each foot, saying that my plantar was inflamed, and this would allow it to heal. OUCH! But a day later I had no pain. He told me that if I did my stretches (same things the G.P. gave me, same things some of y'all've suggested here) and wore appropriate shoes, I would never need another shot -- that if I could cure the inflammation and prevent it from coming back, I'd be good. Wrong. The shot made me FINE for 2-3 months, but I still sometimes have pain even when I do everything right. I take this to mean that I still have some level of inflammation inside, and it sometimes "comes out to play".

 

- He made me custom inserts that fit in most of my shoes (not ballet flats, not strappy heels, but most of my everyday shoes). WOW, are they great! Slipping into these inserts feels so good, and at the end of a day standing on tile floors, my pain is a 1-2 out of 10. Aside from the office visit co-pay, I paid nothing for these inserts, and he says they should last me 5 years, making them a much better value than the drugstore insoles. Seriously, for the rest of my life, I will never be without these things. The only negative: I had to wait a month to receive them.

 

- I love Vionics and Chacos sandals (inserts are no good for sandals), and they are 90% as good as the custom insoles (I expect this is individual to every person). Speaking only for myself, I just can't get too much arch support! I dumped a bunch of good shoes that weren't suited to my feet, and I am adding these P.F. friendly shoes a bit at a time.

 

- The ortho also gave me a pair of boots. Hate them, but, yes, they do some good. I could never, never sleep in them, but I have a pair of "booties" -- my word, not the manufacturer's -- that I bought from Amazon that work well for nighttime. They're like compression stockings, but they cover only the heel -- they squeeze the middle of my foot -- they're like shorty socks without toes. If I know I'm going to walk a lot at work, sometimes I'll wear them in my shoes. I highly recommend them.

 

- My nurse daughter is only 22, but she wears compression stockings to work and says they make a world of difference. I'm considering buying a pair for myself.

 

- It's September, and I'm just back to school, and it's killing me. At home I have carpet and a bit of hardwood, and those surfaces are so much more forgiving than the tile in my classroom; however, I can't change that detail about my workplace. I'm thinking of buying a gel mat, but I'm not sure how much good it'll do: I don't stay in the same spot all day.

 

- I feel like I'm still heading for surgery, but I fear it because a friend of mine had this surgery ... and she was in the minority for whom the surgery made things worse. I feel like if I can "wait it out" 'til I retire -- which isn't all that much longer -- I'll have a fighting chance of avoiding surgery.

 

- I am very good about doing my stretches, but I find them disappointing. I do them, and I immediately feel relief ... but an hour later, it's like I didn't do anything. I find it disheartening.

Edited September 5, 2016 by MrsPete

[Lois R]

I decided to get some new shoes......all VIONIC......a pair of very cute

sandals, a pair of what would be considered "athletic style"....but no laces.

Slip ons.....a pair of cute dressy flats sort of a black snake pattern

AND a pair of slippers......ALL have that good arch support:) and they

all feel VERY comfy...we all have such different feet.

 

I woke up this morning (we are off today from work) and the pain was

not as bad.....but I thought I would get this brand anyway. They are not

cheap by any means but I think they will be worth it.

 

I have a follow up Dr's appt tomorrow afternoon....will see what he

says:eek:

[preschool teacher]

I have PF and let me tell you getting it better is like journey, the dr. Said its a train ride and people get off at different stations....that made so much sense to me....I had it bad...limping and barley walking some days....

 

I had to do everything and I mean everything to get better.....took me about 3 years for it to get better....I did the stretches and wore the night boot faithfully, it felt so good when in pain....had shots, got custom orthotics that I could wear in any tennis shoe...for me I found ones with a flat bottom to be best..i.e. Cheap .only after I got better did I go to sandals like orthoheal, ect. Which I love....

 

Now I can wear almost anything and not have any problems....it can heal it just might take a long time...dr. Said surgery was my absolute last option....

 

Also good advice about changing shoes at mid day and don't wear any pair two days in a row, if you can help it...even now I do that.

 

Hope that helps let m know if you have any questions...

[cat5dog1]

I have a bad Achilles and apparently sprained a ligament/tendon a year ago but did nothing about it. On top of all that the bottom of the heal on my other foot hurts when I step on it. I have found ice, lunges against a wall to stretch calf muscles which actually helps Achilles and PF. I also do the towel stretches, ankles circles and bends. What else I found is helping is to put my foot on my other knee and pull the big toe back. I cannot believe how much better everything feels just from icing.

 

 

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[CutieKakes]

PF is the worst! I sympathize with anyone struggling with it...

 

I've struggled with PF over the years. I'm pain free right now, but it can rear it's ugly head without warning. I have a friend who has had a horrendous time getting relief from her PF. She got to the point were she was in such pain, she couldn't walk. :( In desperation, she ended up getting some cortisone shots - which worked great at first, but they actually made things worse in the end for her.

 

My sports med doc told me to stop running (which I did), and that I needed to make sure that I stretch out my hamstrings and calves really well - every day. I found those stretches worked better for me than the stretches that the podiatrist gave me. He did give me the green light to run again, but less than I was doing before. Which is fine - I've made my peace with it. I'd rather run less and be pain free.

 

Many folks with PF can't wear flat shoes - but that has never been a problem for me. I am however, very careful about my athletic shoes. I have a dedicated pair for running and another pair for activities at the gym (classes, strength training etc). I date them on the inside with a permanent marker. I don't use them for longer than 6 months.

 

If I feel any sort of pain starting, I use ice liberally (you can do the frozen water bottle method) or just a bag of ice (works better for me). My husband is also great about giving me a vigorous foot massage. Which really seems to help.

Edited September 7, 2016 by CutieKakes

[Hoyaheel]

For those who've posted about the brand, many FitFlop options on sale as part of Nordstrom's summer clearance :D

[jmckay331]

I love my vionic shoes and insoles. I'm slowly replacing every pair of shoes I own to a vionic version. So far they have worked great for my PF and bone spurs in my heels.

 

 

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[Lois R]

For those who've posted about the brand, many FitFlop options on sale as part of Nordstrom's summer clearance :D

 

I stopped in there today.....my size on clearance was almost all cleared

out.......in what i was looking for anyway,

[Lois R]

I love my vionic shoes and insoles. I'm slowly replacing every pair of shoes I own to a vionic version. So far they have worked great for my PF and bone spurs in my heels.

 

 

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I have purchased 4 pair of Vionic's this past week.....I wore one of them

while running my errands today......quite comfy for sure:)

I keep looking at my other shoes in the closet.....I have several pairs

of Clark's sandals..not sure if I should keep them all now or not.....:eek:

[Hoyaheel]

I was shopping Nordstrom online. The stores almost never have my size/ the shoe I want in that size, so....Far easier to shop online and return if needed! Esp since the store isn't convenient (well, I live in the country, no store is really convenient:p)

 

I have 2 pr Vionic shoes now. One brown leather "ballet" flat I bought on sale at Sierra Trading Post. They're comfortable, but the leather is NOT holding up well at all. Sad. Glad I didn't pay very much. The other pair are athletic shoes, newer, fabric/not leather so we'll see how they hold up. I paid more for those, so they better last!