plantar fasciitis - what shoes??

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Urgh my feet are wrecked. Can someone tell me what shoes I should be buying for doing lots of walking? I thought Sketchers were the go-to but recently saw a TikTok that said this was not the case.

It’s so bad just now. I’ve been kicking around in fake Uggs and platform trainers and I need help 😭

Sketchers are good for mine. The main thing that works for me is doing leg stretches over and over again ever day.

have you tried Hoka's?
And/or immersing your feet in freezing cold water

Oofos sliders for at home, Birks for pottering, and trainers with a big heel stack ( I know these don’t work for all) for running / hiking walking. It’s such a frustrating injury!

My podiatrist said my Skechers weren't supportive enough. It's mainly the exercises that will help. And time.

Anything that fits tightly around your foot (laced shoes) and has good heel support. I found Skechers to be very good and comfortable when I had PF after my son was born. You need the support of a good fitting shoe, no flats or floppy boots for a while!

My podiatrist said to avoid Skechers too, I wore inserts in sports trainers or Birkenstocks with the buckles done so they stayed snug to my feet and didn't flap around. Lots of stretching and massage. Rolling on a frozen bottle of water.

I’m not sure TikTok is the fount of all knowledge.

sketchers arch fit are good for me for daily walking on flat surfaces. Need more support around the foot for unlevel surfaces or constant changes of direction (like all day shopping or sightseeing).

I prefer to find shoes that fit well with a pretty flat sole then add in specialist insoles.

Thanks all, this is great.

This is an issue that has plagued me on and off since I had my daughter 4 years ago. Yet another way in which my body is ruined 😒

I would recommend going into a running shop (you don’t have to be a runner!) they can analyse your feet and tell you what support you might need. It’s very useful x

Agree with others. Well fitted, structured shoes with a thick cushioned sole have worked for me. Something like Nike air max 90s or Hoff skyline.
The biggest thing though for me, is never going barefoot. I wear crocs all day everyday at home, and take them with me if I go to a friend's house, away on holiday etc etc. It's made a massive improvement.

Just to 2nd Nike Air Max 90s. Was once told by a physio that they are well structured and supportive and have worn them since. I had an insole I wore with other shoes when needed. Stair stretches, frozen water bottle to roll, tennis ball to roll and getting my foot strapped are all things that helped me as well. It’s so painful so wishing you luck

Asics gel kayanos will change your life. Sketchers are terrible for plantar problems.

Hoka, the physios in my work all wore them and my podiatrist said they are the best to wear. They are definitely the best trainer for my feet and I have a lot of different ones.

Vionic, I got them for Achilles tendinitis but they are for pf too. The physio I saw said stay away from Skechers, too soft & not enough support.
The Vionic shoes are quite pricey & not beautiful but the do work - I could hardly walk & was in agony but they have worked wonders. The other thing that worked for me was high too wide fit converse with an arch support insole

Watching with interest as mine has just flared up again

My podiatrist also said definitely not Skechers, he said anything solid, supportive and with a slight drop from heel to front. I have some New Balance ones which seem OK so far

I think crocs are what caused mine because they are so squidgy and unsupportive, so although I do have some I wear them sparingly (for going out to the bins etc). When my PF was bad I had a pair of slipper boots with insoles in for winter, Birkenstocks for summer around the house.

7 years down the line and my feet are fine, I wear Birkenstocksin summer, boots with inserts in winter but also wear trainers without inserts a lot and am fine barefoot or in flat slippers around the house. Can wear ballet flats or heels for a day here or there no problem. The only time I tend to get a twinge is if I overwear the crocs. I do a lot of yoga and I think that helps keep it away.

I have this foot issue too, fitflop shoe range have been a lifesaver as they have arch support that your feet really need. I would 100% recommend their slippers too that do the same thing.

Interesting because I swear crocs are what sorted mine! I bought some (proper ones, not the cheap knock offs) after seeing them recommended by a hospital podiatrist that said lots of hospital staff wear them for walking on hard floors. I wear them as slippers and when it was really bad I never let my bare feet touch the floor, always in crocs at home.

You need arch support and a structured shoe. I love my Skechers but I don't think they're great for PF. I bought arch support insoles off Amazon for all of my pairs of shoes and boots as it was cheaper than spending ££££ on lots of new shoes.

Do downward dog yoga poses every day and really stretch your heels towards the floor. You have my sympathy, it's awful and at one point I wore a special boot in bed that strapped my foot into place but it has definitely improved lots since then. I still wear the crocs and the arch support insoles though as I don't ever want it back.

Archie’s flip flops are great. Obvs not all the time but I found them comfy when PF was an issue.

when it was really bad I never let my bare feet touch the floor, always in crocs at home

This is what I was advised to do by the feet people at the clinic. I don't have crocs per se, but they look very similar- marketed as clogs I think.

Trainers with arch support (whether inbuilt or with separate insoles), rolling my foot on a spiky roller thingy, and a strap for overnight when it was very bad. I was also advised to vary the heel height of my shoes daily- difficult when I usually wear trainers anyway!

I found walking boots weirdly comfortable and helpful too, although not much use for everyday purposes.

a gel heel insert will help a lot.
I get them pretty cheap and have them for a fair few pairs of shoes.

Walking boots are the one thing I haven't been able to go back to, they were agony when I first had PF and I can still only manage a couple of hours in them, not all day like I used to be able to, and definitely not with arch support insoles in, unlike regular boots. They give me cramp now. I think what this shows is that different things work for different people

I got moulded insoles from a running specialist place- I got 2 pairs and wore them in all my shoes / trainers for years. I also had the rollers to massage foot while watching tv etc. Stair stretches (pushing heel down) also helped. Now I don’t need the special insoles but wear Nike Pegasus and find them supportive.

FitFlop trainers are great for this.