Plantar Fasciitis Shoes

When the bottom of your foot hurts, you will look to any method to get relief from your pain. Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of foot and heel pain, and one of the best ways to deal with this pain is to look into the type of shoes you are wearing. Shoes with a high heel, poor arch, or a lack of cushioning can make a bad situation with your foot even worse.

Finding a shoe that can support your feet is often much more work than it originally appears. If you are an athlete, you need to focus on finding shoes that will support you through the rigors of the sport you play. This is especially true of runners who put a great deal more pressure on their feet than the average person. Running with improper shoes can lead to painful plantar fasciitis and the need for more aggressive therapy.

One of the primary principles of supportive shoes for plantar fasciitis is the concept of "relative rest." This means that the foot is supported through its movement in the walking or running motion and allows for parts of the feet to rest. By wearing supportive shoes, you are giving your tired and overworked plantar fascia a rest because the shoes do not put pressure on it. Cushioning, arch support, and protection from overpronation, or rolling, can actually let you rest on your feet. Shoes are the most effective way of solving your plantar fasciitis problem.

What is Plantar Fasciitis?

Your foot is made up of a group of small bones, tendons that connect muscles to the bones, and ligaments that connect bone to bone. The largest and most important ligament in your foot is the plantar fascia. This is a thick, flat band of connective tissue that runs from the bottom side of the calcaneous, or heel bone, to the bases of the phalanges, or toe bones.

It acts like a string on an archer's bow. When you step down and compress the arch of your foot, this band stretches to accommodate the pressure. When you push off, the band snaps your foot back into shape by resisting the downward force. This is known as the "windlass mechanism." It brings your foot back into shape after the stretching of the foot.

When this ligament becomes overworked, it becomes inflamed. It can become overworked by constant pounding or by the mechanism of overpronation, which means the foot and ankle roll inward. This causes tiny tears along the length of the fascia, and the body responds by sending chemicals to the site to repair it. These chemicals are usually white blood cells and other inflammation response chemicals, such as cytokines, that help to fix the problem. Unfortunately, having all of this attention to the small area causes swelling and that causes pain. When you move your foot through its normal motions, those tears pull and push against the swelling, and you feel more pain.

Ice, rest, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help with the redness, warmth, pain, and swelling that is caused by an inflamed plantar fascia. However, they are not the only treatments for this condition and sometimes are not sufficient to make the pain go away. Stretches of the foot and the muscles of the lower leg are often helpful, and sometimes the injection of steroids into the plantar fascia can make the swelling subside. One of the best ways to prevent plantar fasciitis or manage an ongoing case is to wear appropriate shoes to support the foot through the windlass movement and provide cushioning to the swollen ligament.

How to Choose a Plantar Fasciitis Shoe

You should consider quite a few things when looking for a shoe to control your plantar fasciitis pain. Shoes should have a solid arch, good cushioning, and the ability to keep your foot stable to avoid overpronation. Not many shoes have all these qualities, so it is important to do good research and find a shoe that is specifically designed to prevent and treat plantar fasciitis.

Good arch support is probably the most important feature to look for in shoes. You need your arch to be adequately protected and supported to prevent your foot from overpronating and rolling in towards your other foot. When you are having pain, this arch support will cushion the downward force from your body weight and assist with the windlass motion of the ligament.

The shoe should only bend at the toe joint. It should not collapse around the mid-arch of the foot or this will over-extend the plantar fascia. Your shoe should also not be so flexible that it twists, and the heel cup should be enclosed and firm enough to provide support. Your toes should not extend anymore than one finger's length from the end of the shoe, and the toe box should not compress your feet.

Slip on shoes might be great for the beach, but they are not very helpful in cases of plantar fasciitis. You should have straps, belts, or laces to hold the shoe snugly and securely in place against your foot. If your foot swims around in the shoe, it will not protect and support your foot adequately. If you are a woman who likes high heel shoes for work, you will only make your pain worse. Heels should be no higher than 2.5 cm.

These characteristics are important for all the shoes you wear in your life: athletic, casual, and business. If you are wearing different shoes for different purposes, be sure that all of your shoes follow these rules, and you will find that you have less heel pain.

Recommended Plantar Fasciitis Shoes

Many shoes out there do not conform to these rules, but one company has a passion for making shoes for plantar fasciitis. That company is New Balance. They have quite a few different shoes that are great for this condition. The 1540 Motion Control running shoe has a roll bar inside that helps prevent overpronation. The 1260 Stability running shoe is for the marathon runner who is suffering from plantar fasciitis. For walking, the New Balance 846 Motion Control is recommended for protection and stability.

Brooks is another shoe company that takes pride in making shoes for those with plantar fasciitis. An older model, called Beast, is a great shoe for overpronation control and cushioning. Since it is older, you may be able to get it at a reduced price. New Brooks shoes, such as Adrenaline and Addiction Walker, build upon this base of shoe technology and can help relieve your pain.

P.W. Minor makes a wide range of casual and business shoes for the plantar fasciitis sufferer. In addition to providing excellent support on their own, the shoes are also large enough to support custom orthotics that your doctor may prescribe for your heel pain. Boots, such as the Hercules, may be a bit more expensive than other shoes, but the ability to walk without pain is well worth the price.

When you are choosing your shoes and you have plantar fasciitis, you need to do your research and take your time. You will probably end up spending a bit more for the shoes that you need, but it will benefit you in the long run because you will not have as much pain. Most of the time, foot pain is caused by a foot that is overused and abused. Treat your feet kindly by giving them a solid platform from which to work. If they have the best in shoes, then you will have less pain and less trips to the doctor. Only with good, solid shoes can you expect your feet to respond to plantar fasciitis treatments and get better in the long run.

Start your heel pain treatment immediately

There are many factors the cause heel pain and plantar fasciitis. It is important to identify what are the factors (like body weight, shoes, muscle tightness ect..) that can cause your heel pain. Unfortunately no 2 people are the same so what has worked for some will not work for others. Fortunately we have put together an ebook that can assess your risk factors and guide you through your plantar heel pain and plantar fasciitis treatment today.

Start your heel pain treatment today.