Best sandals for bad feet?

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I would really appreciate any recommendations I could get on comfortable, supportive sandals from people who have or have had plantar fasciitis!

I'm looking for something without too much heel height and preferably a heel strap that has very good arch support. Ideally I'd like something to wear around the house on weekends, walk in all day at the zoo, take to the swimming pool and still be nice enough to pair with a sundress (looking for women's sandals).

I was looking online to get some ideas. I saw Teva and Merrell brands were recommended by some. But I would really like to hear some first hand, unbiased experiences from my fellow MFP members! Any thoughts?
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Replies

  • Luv2Smile55
    Luv2Smile55 Posts: 133 Member
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    Hello Apple, :smile:
    I have horrible issues with plantar fasciitis. The absolute best shoes I've found for this are Orthaheel brand. Take a look at their website. I sure hope that they help you as much as they have me. Also, NEVER go barefoot. I was a huge barefoot person and the Dr. said that is a definite NO NO. :noway: I wear my Orthaheels from the time my feet hit the floor in the morning until I go to bed at night.
    Again, Good Luck!
    http://www.orthaheelusa.com/women/sandals.html
  • PurpleSweetpea
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    Have a look at Fitflops. I love mine, they are so comfy and they have eased my foot pain. They do lots of different colours and styles too, they even do a sneaker version.
  • CHARLYSEZ
    CHARLYSEZ Posts: 3
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    I had PF in one heel for nearly a year and it was so painful first thing in the morning it made me cry. The good news is you can recover - mine is almost completely gone!

    Fitflops are very good and come in all sorts of jewelled and sparkly designs. I have plain black ones, but if I was buying another pair I'd go for silver sequins :)

    I found Birkenstocks quite good too when the PF had started to ease off a bit, as the arch support is very strong, and they come in varieties with ankle straps too, but they're a bit too flat and a bit too hard for really bad PF I think.

    It's good to have a little bit of a heel, not too high but really flat sandals don't help the PF at all. My doctor recommended I look for something with a wedge heel of around 1" but 1/2" minimum. A lot of the dead flat fashion sandals are incredibly bad for feet. I love regular flip flops and could live in them, but my doctor told me these are really bad for feet if worn too often.

    I got a few pairs of 1/2" gel heel inserts that I put in all my shoes and that really helped too.

    Good luck x
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I used to use Therasandals when my PF was bad. Bought them at Kmart at the time, not sure if they still carry them or not as this was a few years ago.
  • bethc370
    bethc370 Posts: 41 Member
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    My favorites are either Noat or Aetrex. Both can accommodate custom orthotics, but I find that their insoles are even more supportive than my orthotics are. They come in some pretty cute styles, though I have to be honest, some of the styles are freaking UGLY, but man, they feel great on.
  • NNAhuja
    NNAhuja Posts: 669 Member
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    I have the SAME ailment! The only shoes I wear are Clarks. They are stylish and comfortable so I wear the brand year round. Thanks to their shoes I don't have any problems anymore. My flare-ups only happen when I DON'T wear my Clarks.
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 572 Member
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    One word: SAS sandals. They are sent from God :)
  • mimieob
    mimieob Posts: 54
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    Hello Apple, :smile:
    I have horrible issues with plantar fasciitis. The absolute best shoes I've found for this are Orthaheel brand. Take a look at their website. I sure hope that they help you as much as they have me. Also, NEVER go barefoot. I was a huge barefoot person and the Dr. said that is a definite NO NO. :noway: I wear my Orthaheels from the time my feet hit the floor in the morning until I go to bed at night.
    Again, Good Luck!
    http://www.orthaheelusa.com/women/sandals.html

    I have PF and live barefoot unless I have to work go to gym, wear regular flip flops(flats) any other time...there are exercises that can be done to aliviate the pain, and heal the PF....look them up they work....
  • JeninBelgium
    JeninBelgium Posts: 804 Member
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    I Love birkenstocks- they are a life saver for my PF and for my feet in general -I have converted many to them, in fact. However, I will say this, they need to be broken in because they have very firm support- the first few times you wear them , just try around the house, or nearby - wear an hour, then work up to a bit more, within a few days to a week you will probably be at the stage where you just don't want to give them up

    I like fitflops too, but not for my pf days, they are comfy but for me, they lack the motion control I need.

    I haven't tried the others (I do have merrel shoes and a pair of Noats but haven't tried either of these as sandals)
  • girlnumber57
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    bump
  • TXLisa96
    TXLisa96 Posts: 1
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    Orthaheel - they are well worth the money. There are also some crazy looking shoes at Foot Solutions by Akaishi (they separate your toes and feel amazing) but they run around $150-$175. I didn't buy them because I couldn't get over the way they looked.

    I wear my orthaheel flip-flops almost daily. Love them.
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
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    My favorites are either Noat or Aetrex. Both can accommodate custom orthotics, but I find that their insoles are even more supportive than my orthotics are. They come in some pretty cute styles, though I have to be honest, some of the styles are freaking UGLY, but man, they feel great on.


    Naot!!! I love my Naots. You can get them in a lot of stores, and there's a huge range on Zappos. They have also branched out in terms of their selection quite a bit, so you can also now get dressier shoes from them in addition to the sandals.
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
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    Check out the Footsmart website - they have tons of things for various feet issues. http://www.footsmart.com/

    I had PF a number of years ago, and found that heel inserts and cushions worked well - you can even find them for sandals now! I also really like Comfortview shoes of all types, and the Earth Spirit shoes from WalMart (even though I cannot stand Walmart for general purposes, they do have this good shoe brand :wink: )

    Hope you find something that works for you!
  • 6566tess
    6566tess Posts: 39 Member
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    I just googled Fitflops. Can you only purchase them online? They do look nice and have tons of different ones to choose from.
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    I have custom orthotics due to severe overpronation but have yet to find a sandal that looks stylish that will fit them. I know it's sad to put fashion before my orthotics but I really can't bear to wear granny shoes!

    Instead, I went on the hunt for sandals with a good arch support and cushioning...

    I found Merrell's far too wide for my feet so ended up buying some Uggs last year... yes, Uggs! They do a gladiator-style sandal with a structured cork sole, which means I can tighten them up round my feet (flip flops give me such foot pain as your toes have to grab on to them).

    http://www.atticclothing.com/womens-c1/footwear-c17/maylablack-p4101?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=ugg-mayla-black-size-uk-4-colour-black-size-uk-4-colour-black-78837&utm_campaign=froogle#16624
  • WhittRak
    WhittRak Posts: 572 Member
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    One word: SAS sandals. They are sent from God :)

    Ok..so two words..lol
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Fitflops. Make no mistake... they will not magically tone your leg muscles :) But they are easily the most comfortable and supportive sandals I've ever worn.
  • applejacks1552
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    Thanks all for the input! I will take all your advice and start shopping around!

    Right now I live in my running shoes with orthodic inserts, but I'm soooo ready to have some air around my toes with summer nearly here.
  • jreed1920
    jreed1920 Posts: 123
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    Propet sandals are awesome, especially if you have hard to fit feet.
  • Mustangsally1000
    Mustangsally1000 Posts: 860 Member
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    Keens! I've had bad feet for years..barefoot is a bad bad thing...even tho I like it...makes the feet much worse.