Following on from my thread in health yesterday about my poorly foot, I have been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and told to get some "well supporting" shoes...

[ElfOnTheTopShelf]

... please help me o sytle and beauty gurus to find a pair of shoes that will give me good support on the arch of my foot, but not make me look like I'm 80 years old!

Ooo painful - much sympathy. My (quite old ) dad gets this.

Think it would be easier to see a podiatrist to get an orthoses (shoe insert) so you can keep wearing your usual shoes? You need to see a really good one though to make sure it's done properly - one who's state registered I think.

Aha! At least someone recognised you had a problem this time. Poor you

Can't help with the lovely shoes though

How about birkenstocks for the summer? I'm sure the footbed it recommended by podiatrists.

I do need to get new shoes anyway, but trying to find goos supporting ones which dont look awful seems like a nightmare tasks. The leaflets the docs gave me says to "choose shoes with cushioned heels and a good arch support." (and to never walk barefoot on hard floors!
I'm 27 and falling to pieces but refuse to do it in anything but lovely shoes

Birkenstocks wrecked my feet! All that 'clawing' of the toes in order to keep the beggars on my feet.

When I was in the same boat as you,I made sure I stretched my calves in bed whenever I could at night by pushing my heels away.

I also did the same stretches in the morning.

I bought some (not cheap) orthotic arch supports from Boots when I was suffering the misery that is plantar fasciitis...I could wear them with nearly every shoe I had, and they sorted my arches out.

I thoroughly recommend them to The House.

I have been given some exercises to do to try to stretch my achilles tendons which apparently can help ease the pain.

My plan is to get some good shoes and inserts.

The doc said it could happen for "months" but I have had this pain since Jul/Aug last year and keen to get it under control quickly!

do you think I can still wear a small heel?

Birkenstocks saved me. Yes, they're vile. Yes, they take about two weeks of agony to get used to. But OMG the difference they make. I find that the ones with a strap between the big and second toes don't require me to scrunch my toes when wearing tehm.

I now wear Bs as slippers at home, and different ones as sandals in the summer, and avoid going barefoot as much as possible. Which is a shame, because I love going barefoot.

You can get Birkenstock insoles, which for me where as good as the sandals themselves, but it is difficult to find shoes to fit them. There's another make, Orthaheel, available in Boots, hich are slimmer and more compatible with regular shoes.

'Superfeet' inserts are good. Often found in hiking shops, but available for all sorts of different shoes, not just walking boots...

get orthoses and put them in normal shoes

do it now

I have had one pair from the Scholl shop and, when those wore out, another from Boots (Orthaheel)

do it!

yes a small block, stack, platform or cone heel will be fine

block

not spike

ouch, I know how you must feel......I wore Birks all through my pregnancy last year, the ones with 1 strap and my feet are killing me..DC is 8 months old...I think I better get to the docs as I really am suffering. I just thought it would go away but clearly not.

Will go get some sensible heels tomorrow. Already warned boss that I am wearing trainers tomorrow to work!

I have this. My husband is a foot specialist and completely failed to diagnose it for ages, just thought I was being whingy. It started in second pregnancy, just starting to get better now. (DD 10 months) Birkenstocks not good - too flat shoes actually cause plantar fasciitis. Small wedge heel is fine. I wear Merrells and Campers for leisure, have had to resort to bloody M&S Footglove for work, and use a heel support with my smart shoes. The exercises really do help - it's amazing! Also good for the pain is getting a tin (or cold can from the fridge) and rolling your foot over it in lots of different directions.Can do this whilst watching telly. I am a girl who loves her heels, but the pain is just not worth it, except for really special occasions when I can taxi it from door to door! Hope it gets better soon.

thanks.
They did give me the exercises to do, one of which is the rolling foot over a can of pop which I am going to do in a min!

ugh - i got this in pregnancy and still have it 7 months on.

lots of stretching does help - the one on the stairs is a good one. (dropping one heel down)

I bought a bunch of shoes at Clarks. God i thought i'd never see the day.

Told you it was your arches!