Running Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis

if you want to fix your plantar, run barefoot on the grass. it may be boring but you can get your mileage in and it helps.

These worked for me:

http://www.heel-that-pain.com/heel_seats.php

I also do some barefoot running, but not as much as I should.

48? well dump the marathons and still with 3k-8k races and you might be good for another decade

It's not your age it's how well you run. Many people I meet at marathons look at least 10 years younger than they really are.

Thank you for the post on the heel cushions and the barefoot running. I already have a pair of the cushions (not that brand). I'd like to hear from anyone who changed shoes and noticed that their pain went away or was diminished because of a particular shoe or type of shoe. Is there a shoe type that is better or is it different for every runner?

It might not work for you, but I switched to Nike Free a couple of years ago and wouldn't train in anything else. I had mild pf and chronic achilles trouble, and these very light shoes made a huge difference (along with self-massage; try rolling a tennis ball under your arch). They also have no heel cup; the hard, rigid cups in most running shoes can create a lot of pain.

Thanks for the Nike Shoe post... they look interesting. What I do for relief... I place my heel and arch on top of a frozen plastic bottle of water for fifteen minutes (if I feel discomfort during the day). I also do this directly after a run. Before getting up in the morning I flex my toes toward my chest for ten seconds several times. It's not a big problem with me right now but,I'm not running 20 mile runs right now either.

If you have PF and you are wearing neutral shoes, its unlikely that you are actually neutral when you are running.

I'd say go to a running store and get fit for proper shoes, if you have already been to one, then go to a different one.

I've gone from heavy built up shoe to less of a shoe (lower heel) and I believe that has helped my PF tremendously. I've also had to work on being a better 'efficient' runner--changing my stride to be more of a forefoot versus heel strike. Treat the symptom, cure the cause.

You can also use a tennis ball to massage the bottom of your foot while you stand up. Just put pressure on the ball and roll it around. You can use a canned food as well to massage it back and forth.

I've had Plantar problem since my Junior year of HS. Honestly, get a higher arch shoe with DUO support... but go see someone so you can get custom made orthotics. This helps a lot!

Also, keep icing and even taping momentarily. A good plantar tape job can get you through for the time being.

Go out and buy a proper arch support, most likely your arch is not supported properly and you need a bit of extra support. Also make sure your calf muscle is stretched out

Hi

I have plantar fasciitis myself for a few months now. My podiatrist prescribed me with Custom made orthotics which did not work at all. I found very good shoe advice in this web site:

http://plantar-fasciitis-elrofeet.com/plantar_fasciitis_shoes.html

Take care & Good luck

cheap method could be to do some taping, and another thing you can use is an over-the-counter arch raise :)

rxw wrote:

It might not work for you, but I switched to Nike Free a couple of years ago and wouldn't train in anything else.

I had PF for 1.5 years and was able to run through it (painfully) with taping, rolling, The Sock, etc. but switching to lighter more flexible shoes "cured" it. I worked my way from heavily cushioned neutral trainers to light trainers and then mixed those Nike Free 5.0. I now wear the Free 3.0 and like them better (much lower heal). For my PF, I think the flexibility of the sole was the key. Being able to bend your toes reduces the tension on the fascia as you lift your heel.

PF seems to be one where just about everyone has a different root cause though.

It may sound counter-intuative, but the "less shoe" approach work for me. I had PF for about 9 months a few years ago and tried everything you're supposed to do with no real relief. One day I just thought "to hell with it" and went up to some soccer fields and laced on an old pair of spikes and just started going around. Within a couple of weeks I was up to 90 minutes pain free. I've always run in fairly lightweight shoes, but the PF started not long after I started wearing DS trainers, a light shoe, but with a medial post that I now believe aggravated my PF. Never had it before and haven't had it since (3 years now). Good luck. PF really sucks.

I also figured I wanted more cushioning, but eventually found that skimpy flats were far better for my PF.

which model are you using and how does one start running with flats: 5-10 minutes a day a la Ed Whitlock?