Damn plantar fasciitis

ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 48,482 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For runners out there who've had it, what shoes have you purchased that helped to alleviate it?

The shoes I have are good, but since I've upped my game in intervals (running up to 10mph), it's caused an issue. When I ran under 10mph, I didn't have much of an issue.
Once it's totally subsided, I plan to do intervals again (I like them), but I'll purchase shoes that may provide better performance to reduce it happening again.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Replies

  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    I taped my feet with KT kinetic tape for about 9 mo until it healed, too. In the beginning I used the white athletic tape but kinetic tape is faster and doesn't leave all of that sticky residue.
  • desertfoxcoffee
    desertfoxcoffee Posts: 46 Member
    I've had it off and on. The first time I got it I went into see a specialist and thankfully he was also a runner so he understood how much of a pain in the *kitten* this is/was. I didn't really change my shoes per se, he just had me on heel inserts for a month and reduce my mileage and speed during that process. It helped but then it came back a few years later while I was training for my 3rd marathon and the foot doctor I went to see wasn't very helpful or sympathetic (she was recommended by my GP who I love). She gave me a cortisone shot on my heel during my first visit and I had me on inserts like the previous doctor but these were weird and very uncomfortable to run in, I actually think it made my form worse. Anyway, they later made a cast of my feet for custom orthotics that I currently wear.
    Honestly, I would just look into shoes with a bit of a heel lift, I feel like that's all the orthotics did for me but made my shoes feel tighter. I currently run in Brooks only, but I wear Hokas for work where I'm on my feet for 12 hours and they are a dream.
    I always go with neutral shoes. The stability ones are too stiff for me.
  • YellowD0gs
    YellowD0gs Posts: 693 Member
    Our local running store is owned/operated by a non-practicing orthopedist. He took the diagnosis from my GP , did an analysis of my step mechanics and set me up with Hoka Gaviotas with PowerStep Pulse inserts. I'm not sure which is better, because the inserts get switched into my hiking boots when needed. But a world of difference from "the cheapest Nike's I can see".
  • serapel
    serapel Posts: 502 Member
    I have inserts for it and it’s awesome. Got them from my chiro
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,257 Member
    Diatonic12 wrote: »
    I taped my feet with KT kinetic tape for about 9 mo until it healed, too. In the beginning I used the white athletic tape but kinetic tape is faster and doesn't leave all of that sticky residue.

    This.
    I also found inserts on Zappos that were (are?) only $45 and gave me stability in any shoe. I'm wearing New Balance right now, for the 3rd pair. I wore Hokas for a while, but really only when the PF was at its worst. Hokas were new on the market and very expensive relative to other shoes at the time. Now I can wear other brands successfully, but always have my inserts.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Had to have orthotics in all my shoes to heal.
    Afterwards needed them in the stiff shoes (like work dress) that prevented normal foot flex/roll/absorb, but as barefoot as I could get in everything else. Got them very strong that I even tried barefoot running.
  • Alinouveau2
    Alinouveau2 Posts: 6,155 Member
    Saucony for sure. They have nice support and I love them

    Clearly support is needed because when my PF was raging my feet felt best in my skates
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,257 Member
    heybales wrote: »
    Had to have orthotics in all my shoes to heal.
    Afterwards needed them in the stiff shoes (like work dress) that prevented normal foot flex/roll/absorb, but as barefoot as I could get in everything else. Got them very strong that I even tried barefoot running.

    That's amazing. Everything I read, and my own personal experience has been that barefoot absolutely kills my foot. I remember walking on a beach barefoot by accident (I didn't want sand in my shoe) and my PF hurt for literally WEEKS. How awesome that you came back with such a strong foot. Can I ask what therapy you did? Mine will "creep" in on me every now and then and I can keep it back with certain therapies/strategies, but I wouldn't try barefoot running for anything. Congratulations on your foot strength!! I'm so impressed (and jealous!) :)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I didnt switch shoes per saw other than the normal wear.

    I paid more attention to my load management of running/cycling/baseball(catching), powerlifting and over a few months it went away.

    The K-tape gave some temporary relieve but I would never say it "helped" me recover other than it allowed me to continue with less pain for a time.
  • jenring3
    jenring3 Posts: 44 Member
    Just battled this over the winter and it cost me a couple of races. It's not about the shoes at all really. These guys are kind of goofy, but look up Bob and Brad on YouTube and find their PF videos. There is also a guy on YT (young guy, looks like he's about 12) who has a whole PF series but it's good. I had to stretch before I even got out of bed in the morning, put my feet immediately into shoes even to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night and I don't go barefoot in the house anymore on my hard tile floors. Roll your foot on a frozen water bottle just for some relief, etc. It's one of the more relentless of the overuse injuries. Also calf raises and calf rolling since most of the time that's where PF originates from...weak calves.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,482 Member
    jenring3 wrote: »
    Just battled this over the winter and it cost me a couple of races. It's not about the shoes at all really. These guys are kind of goofy, but look up Bob and Brad on YouTube and find their PF videos. There is also a guy on YT (young guy, looks like he's about 12) who has a whole PF series but it's good. I had to stretch before I even got out of bed in the morning, put my feet immediately into shoes even to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night and I don't go barefoot in the house anymore on my hard tile floors. Roll your foot on a frozen water bottle just for some relief, etc. It's one of the more relentless of the overuse injuries. Also calf raises and calf rolling since most of the time that's where PF originates from...weak calves.
    Well my calves definitely aren't weak, but over time I have neglected to spend time stretching them out more. I'd maybe spend just a couple of minutes stretching them, but now 10 minutes. I just resumed teaching kickboxing classes again (cardio kickboxing) and when I wear my minimalist shoes, no real pain before and after. It's been about 2 weeks now and what I've focused more on is foam rolling my calves more and stretching my calves and foot more and it's much much better. I'll likely wait another week or two to start running again and see how my foot responds then.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    girlwithcurls2 wrote: »
    heybales wrote: »
    Had to have orthotics in all my shoes to heal.
    Afterwards needed them in the stiff shoes (like work dress) that prevented normal foot flex/roll/absorb, but as barefoot as I could get in everything else. Got them very strong that I even tried barefoot running.

    That's amazing. Everything I read, and my own personal experience has been that barefoot absolutely kills my foot. I remember walking on a beach barefoot by accident (I didn't want sand in my shoe) and my PF hurt for literally WEEKS. How awesome that you came back with such a strong foot. Can I ask what therapy you did? Mine will "creep" in on me every now and then and I can keep it back with certain therapies/strategies, but I wouldn't try barefoot running for anything. Congratulations on your foot strength!! I'm so impressed (and jealous!) :)

    Probably 6 months of custom orthotics in all shoes and always wore shoes even around house, and mainly bike and swim for exercise, not much walking even. No running.
    As much rest as could be given while still doing something (prior 4-6 years was doing too much and dragging it out never healing fully, re-injure when I tried to increase activity, and I recall doing barefoot sand volleyball in this period and indeed wrecking progress).
    And night splint.
    Normal calf stretches for tight achilles.

    After 6 months then barefoot around house and minimalist shoes which flex as foot desired, still orthotics in everything else. No twinges of anything under stress.

    It was after about a year total before I started running in those shoes, and then about a month in (they have minimum padding anyway) barefoot on treadmill. Got up to an hour over 6 miles, before an unequal leg problem showed up, requiring insert for height - so back to shoes. It was that problem which actually probably aggravated the PF in the first place, it was a symptom.

    I go barefoot when I can to keep feet strong, and as flexible shoes as I can. And the orthotics when they aren't allowing foot to flex as it should, bike and backpacking shoes mainly.

    From research on how slow the Achilles and plantar heal and lack of blood flow - I'm firm believer in just back off and go for full heal. Which is hard when you walk on the thing causing stress. If someone had an ankle sprain I'm not sure many would think it was good idea to constantly walk with the foot on edge of sidewalk tilted sideways.

    Saw this years afterwards, and this is probably what I ended up improving:
    https://youtu.be/72p58Iy6u7M


  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    My son had that. He had special inserts made that go in his shoes. He does not run, but stands/walks a lot. His podiatrist refereed him to the place that made them. I am sorry you are dealing with that. I know it is really painful. He had cortisone shots and wore a boot for awhile to give it some time to heal.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
    I wear Vionic shoes for everything non running and wear a rigid orthotic to run. I run in a low, but not zero drop shoe. Others I know have had their PF flare in lower drop shoes and had it go away when they swapped back to higher drop shoes.

    I run roughly eleventh billion miles a year. I do as many on soft surface as I can (treadmill, track, trail). Hard surface miles are more of an impact on my PF (and neuroma).

    I do a lot of yoga and focus on flexibility (especially from the waist down). That helps a lot.

    Speed work is a minimal part of my mileage (for efficacy and to avoid injury) and it’s not all intervals, so I’m unsure how doing just that would affect anything.

    Good luck!
  • Wellmom10
    Wellmom10 Posts: 2 Member
    I’m dealing with this right now with my right heel and I switched from Brooks to Hokas. I would say it’s not getting any worse, but it’s not really improving. I think the only thing that’s going to heal is to stop using it. That’s that’s not really an option LOL!
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    edited May 2021
    Like Fittocycle, it was the taping of my feet with kinetic tape that healed my feet. I had all of those inserts and it still felt like I was walking around on bones. I went to the podiatrist and he showed me how to tape my own feet. I switched from athletic tape to kinetic tape for the ease. I learned how to get the tension just right.
    There's a sweet spot that takes the pressure off. I did this for months and they healed. It has not come back.

    https://youtu.be/kxVYNRDnLKo?t=205
  • alexmose2
    alexmose2 Posts: 208 Member
    Wellmom10 wrote: »
    I’m dealing with this right now with my right heel and I switched from Brooks to Hokas. I would say it’s not getting any worse, but it’s not really improving. I think the only thing that’s going to heal is to stop using it. That’s that’s not really an option LOL!

    agree, i feel like Brooks changed their formula recently to be much worse....
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    edited May 2021
    I do all of the following exercises, plus have these in my shoes always: https://heelthatpain.com/treatments/htp-heel-seats/

    I keep my arch support d all the time and never go barefoot. I wear Altras on the trail and Brooks for road and always have this heel seat

    I've been sticking with these for two full weeks and I finally feel I'm on the mend after months of struggling.
  • girlwithcurls2
    girlwithcurls2 Posts: 2,257 Member
    @heybales , that is really interesting. My oldest daughter rarely wears shoes, owns almost no furniture, and is more self-aware about her body's movement than I have ever been. I cannot (and DO NOT) complain about my foot or my arthritic knee around her because she is convinced that I could fix it. I can't debate her because I know how much time it would take to be able to move like her, and frankly, I'm not willing to back down my fitness to start at the beginning (especially without gyms and pools open). But your post is living proof that she is right (darn you!!) ;) She's an engineer by profession, and I always think of her as curious about the engineering of the human body. It can do amazing things.

    Congrats to you! And @ninerbuff, here's hoping your case is short-lived! PF is not fun to deal with. I probably left mine untreated too long, which seriously exacerbated my symptoms...

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