Who runs with custom orthotics?

I've run with custom soft (EVA) orthotics for over 5 years--on my second pair now. I struggle with PF issues and have since 1993, but the orthos really helped me. I do a lot of barefoot running as well, but I really can't do much running at all in shoes without my orthotics. When I run the Footlocker race in November, I don't use my orthos in my spikes and my PF hurts for a few days. I do use the same pair in all shoes. Yes, eventually the foot pain got better. PF is a terrible injury.

I have had custom EVA orthotics for two years. I have two pairs: one for my running shoes and one for my street shoes. I wear them 100% of the time. They helped reduce my leg soreness and my PF, yet I continue to wear them daily and think of them as part of my shoes. I did not find them uncomfortable at all in either set of shoes (running or street). One caveat: I needed to get larger shoes to accommodate them (wider street shoes and a size larger running shoes). Because of the orthotic's EVA cushioning, I remove the sock liner from my running shoes. Best of luck with your issues!

I have also run with custom orthotics for about 9 years now. I was fitted at a reputable pediatrist. He used a cast to mold the orthotic and it is a hard plastic. I place it under the insole of my traing shoe. Before getting the orthotics, I experienced major shin pain (due to the fact that I had to wear hard supportive shoes). After getting the orthotic, I was able to wear a neutral running shoe. This took care of the shin issue and allowed me to train in a lighter and more comfortable shoe. The impetus for me getting the orthotics was exactly what you are experiencing, the PF. It went away within a month of using my new orthotics.

Time Warp, do you regret or recommend getting two pairs of orthotics? I would be willing live with the hassle of swapping one pair of orthos between two pairs of shoes (for work and running) if it saved me $425. You didn't have different pairs made specifically for different shoes, did you?

Noz4nuz wrote:

Some of the orthotics threads include posts from folks who ran with custom orthotics and then stopped, reasons often unstated. Did the foot pain stop? Were they uncomfortable to run on long-term? Does the same pair work in both daily work shoes and running shoes?

I am one of those runners. After using custom orthotics for about six months, not only had my (extremely painful) PF totally disappeared, but my foot had gotten so much stronger that I stopped wearing them and have never had any recurrence of PF (it\'s been 8 years). Orthotics feel a bit weird to run on for the first month, as they do affect the way your foot hits the ground, but the long-term results I got were more than worth the transition period. Don\'t just wear the orthotics when running-- wear them all the time. I think that\'s why I saw such amazing improvement.

I have worn custom orthodics for 6 years now and have been very happy with them. One alternative to custom orthodics is insoles you can buy at a running store which mold to your foot and then you put in the oven to harden. I have not tried them, but have heard good things.

Hope this helps.

And I did just swap the same pair between my running and normal shoes. As long as I took out the liner thingy in the shoe bottoms, it did not affect the fit of my shoes at all (the orthotics I had were hard only 3/4 of the way down, with the part right by the toe being soft, so I didn't need a longer shoe).

Noz4nuz, in reply to your question, not only did I not regret getting two different pairs, I was the one who requested two, and it has worked out well for me. The pair for running were made of a springier material, and the pair for the street shoes had a harder covering on the top. Also, the street pair had a lower heel. On a few occasions I used the street pair in racing flats because of the slightly lower heel. Anyway, in essence, then, each pair was made for each shoe type in that the material, coating, and heel height was different, though the overall size was the same. I would guess that if you wanted an extra pair it would be about $200 extra, on top of the $425, since only one mold of your foot is needed. I was fortunate in that all of my medical costs were borne by my company, so I did not see any cost whatsoever. I definitely felt that there was a benefit to having two pairs, so I did not have to worry about switching them and since they could air/dry out between wearings.

Real Novice wrote:

Don't just wear the orthotics when running-- wear them all the time. I think that's why I saw such amazing improvement.

Short term, this is ok to get over the injury. My long term experience is that, when I wore orthotics all day, my feet got weak. I would get cramps, feet would get sore. So I stopped wearing orthos except for running (1 hr/day) and I go barefoot around my house (socks ok) instead of wearing sports sandals. These little changes have largely eliminated cramps & foot pain.

Real Novice wrote:

After using custom orthotics for about six months, not only had my (extremely painful) PF totally disappeared, but my foot had gotten so much stronger that I stopped wearing them and have never had any recurrence of PF (it's been 8 years).

How did the orthotics make your feet stronger, exactly?

To the original poster, this is not to say that orthotics is not the answer to your problem, but you might also consider working with an AT or a PT and developing a long-term stregthening program for your feet/lower legs. PF is a bear to get rid of completely...

I'll second "my two cent's" question: How do orthos strengthen feet? Since the fascia is essentially a connective tissue (not a muscle) pulled taught by my arches, I'm assuming I need something to relieve that tension. What can be strengthened that would help?

Thanks Time Warp for the follow-up. I'll ask my podiatrist about the efficacy and cost of a second pair of orthos for the running shoes. I'm looking into how much of this my insurance may cover.

Also, thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences -- and contributing to one of the most civil and least snarky strings on this board in quite some time. It's appreciated.

Noz4nuz wrote:

I'll second "my two cent's" question: How do orthos strengthen feet? Since the fascia is essentially a connective tissue (not a muscle) pulled taught by my arches, I'm assuming I need something to relieve that tension. What can be strengthened that would help?

The goal isn't to strenthen the facia, because as you said, it's not a muscle. By working on the muscles in the feet and lower legs, however (toe curls, calf raises, even standing on a wobble board), you can reduce the amount of strain on the facia. Stretching is important too! The gastroc and soleus should be stretched multiple times per day. Do a google search on this. It's really the little things that help solve this stuff but most people don't want to take the time to do the exercises, etc.

Still look into the orthotic option, but a good arch support may be enough to lessen the strain to allow it to begin to heal.

Finally, try to figure out why this happened in the first place. A good PT friend of mine says that no one gets PF without something else going wrong first. In other words, you probably have some minor biomechanical issue that is throwing you out of whack. That is why I suggested the longterm stregthening program. 15 minutes of core work three times a week will do you wonders.

I'll agree with that:

leehamster wrote:

Real Novice wrote:

Don't just wear the orthotics when running-- wear them all the time. I think that's why I saw such amazing improvement.

Short term, this is ok to get over the injury. My long term experience is that, when I wore orthotics all day, my feet got weak. I would get cramps, feet would get sore. So I stopped wearing orthos except for running (1 hr/day) and I go barefoot around my house (socks ok) instead of wearing sports sandals. These little changes have largely eliminated cramps & foot pain.

I do wear mine all the time, but sometimes I just NEED to walk around barefoot when I'm teaching, which feels better but generally looks pretty weird.

I do about 10 mpw barefoot, as well, which has really helped my feet quite a lot.

I did note the civility on this thread. :-)

my two cents... wrote:

Real Novice wrote:

After using custom orthotics for about six months, not only had my (extremely painful) PF totally disappeared, but my foot had gotten so much stronger that I stopped wearing them and have never had any recurrence of PF (it's been 8 years).

How did the orthotics make your feet stronger, exactly?

To the original poster, this is not to say that orthotics is not the answer to your problem, but you might also consider working with an AT or a PT and developing a long-term stregthening program for your feet/lower legs. PF is a bear to get rid of completely...

I'm frankly not sure how it strengthened my feet, but I think that my results indicate that they did get stronger, since the problem has never recurred.

The idea that orthotics would weaken your feet is strange to me. Although they are providing support, running causes the muscles in your feet and everywhere else to work. Orthotics just enabled my muscles to be in the correct position while working for a while. I don't claim to be an expert, but this makes sense to me because I've definitely had soreness in foot muscles after hard workouts, just as in other muscles.

I was also keeping up with my normal exercises as well, like rolling the bottom of my foot and my arch with a golf ball.

Would getting them be beneificial for problems with shin splints/ stress fractures?

Go see a PT who can make you custom orthotics for less than 1/4 that price.

By all means, do NOT get orthotics that are hard plastic or fiberglass. They should be EVA as some others mentioned here.

In my experience, very few podiatrists know what to do for athletes.

The clinic I worked in would do a casting (lying on your stomach) and send the casts and measurements to a company in CA who would mold the orthotics and send them back. We had much success with that method.

orthotics ENDED my running career. a year ago I was prescribed a pair of HUGE rigid orthotics by an podiatrist for my shin splints. He instructed to wear them 'round the clock, every step of every day, and never even walk without them. I did this for five months and my shin splints did not go away. Finally I found a docotor who is experienced with runners, and he basically told me that my feet were normal and that I had no need for any orthotic, much less the obscenely bulky ones my podiatrist prescribed. So, at the advice of my new doctor, I discarded the orthotics and tried to run without them. Upon making this change I IMMEDIATELY injured both feet severely. My feet were so severely weakened by constant use of monster orthotics for five months that, as soon as I tried to run without them, I sufferred permanent damage to the joints of my feet. I can never run again because of this.

The lessons here: first, verify diagnoses before making drastic changes; second, implement changes gradually rather than suddenly. Sounds like you didn't use a lot of common sense here. If you were switching to minimalist running, you wouldn't do it cold turkey either.