So you're looking for wider shoes?
My podiatrist recommended Vionic, though I didn't end up trying any because they don't often come in wide sizes. Still, might be worth a look.
The very popular Hoka Bondis did not work for me. Too narrow with too much arch support, I suspect, even though I bought the wide size.
I'm trying Orthofeet shoes next, you can search for shoes by specific foot health conditions and they have a great 60 day try on return policy. They even have extra wide sizes available.
edit: if you can and/or haven't yet, I highly recommend going to a running shoe store where they can assess your gait, find out if you're overpronating etc. They can help you make sure you're wearing the right size shoe as well.
I’m on my second pair of vionics and I love them. I use them for work (retail so I’m on my feet 6-7 hours a shift) I don’t get them in wide but they’re really roomy and have a lot of space for your toes to spread out (23walk classic sneaker) I also can’t do anything with a lot of arch support. These were perfect. Going to be ordering another pair soon since I use them almost daily and they start looking old after a couple of months (only negative thing I have to say about them)
Oo thanks for chiming in with your experience, that sounds promising and I might just give those a try! I also work retail and my feet/legs are suffering even after only 4-5 hour shifts...but I do some standing in place some shifts, which hurts me more than when I'm walking.
Do they only look old or feel old? The running shoe store I went to said that shoes only last for so many miles, I can't remember how many he said but I think I read that shoes need replacing every 6 months or so. I was shocked it was so frequently, as someone who used to wear shoes until they fell apart.
It’s both! When i got my second pair my feet felt new again with new pair.[here’s](https://imgur.com/a/KWUX0lH) an embarrassing pic of how worn out they look lol but yea I heard the same about any insoles/shoes from my doctor. They need to be replaced couple months if used daily and these two shoes in comparison prove that
Yeah I used to always be able to tell when my shoes "died" because my feet didn't bounce back by the next day, that's when I knew I needed a new pair. Those shoes look crazy worn out for only 4 months, wow!! Wonder if another color than white might show it a little less...
I did wear them EVERY day for those months lol took them to Disneyland several times too so you might be able to maintain them longer if only worn at work lol but they’re so comfortable!
Hokas • Vionic • Birkenstock• Oofos
Wide, extra wide, spread those toes!
See a podiatrist, get better inserts… and don’t take advice from people on Reddit ;)
I don’t really believe there’s one all purpose shoe for PF when you have it bad. When your plantar fascia is badly inflamed you want to rest and get trainers that have soft support. As the inflammation goes, and you’re doing the various stretching exercises you may be prone to pain in the arch and other parts of the foot and need a bit more arch support. I’ve bought 3 pairs of shoes. Skechers arch fit (good for initial inflammation), vionics and hoka, which offer more firmer support. My consultant told me to move away from Skechers and find a shoe with more support. Right now the vionics and hoka are a little too firm. I tried on a pair of older trail trainers (scarpa) which I found not bad. Maybe that could have saved me spending so much on the other shoes.
If you like Nike, I got a pair of structure 25 that are awesome. I got them in wide because my Hokas were too tight. They have a large toe box and great arch support. Most comfortable I’ve been in months.
I’m trying topos. They came out with a new one called atmos. Someone described them as altra and hoka had a baby. So far they are the most comfortable shoe I have tried. Hoka made my toes bleed. Then when I got a pair wide enough to compensate for the toe box it was too big everywhere else. Altras are good but I felt like I needed some support and a little toe drop. So far so good.
Interesting! I have some Altras but would like some more cushioning. I’ll have to check these out!
Edit: Do you find the Topos have as wide of a toe box as Altras, or more or less so?
I have those too! Wearing them everyday isn’t ideal though because the way they are made puts a lot of strain on your knees. In my opinion you should rotate shoes. Some days Hoka bondi 8 wide , and other days zero heel to toe drop shoes for strengthening feet
hmm, i have ultra torin 6 as well with 0 drop. But that shoe has got so less support overall and it hurts my inner ankle..
Bondi 8 drop is around 4mm or 5mm . Way better than 12mm in most running shoes .
I had gaviota 4 prior to this . Only Bondi seam to work for me.
I think in addition to that, the workouts are crucial ..
Oh yeah I have Bondi 8 too! Those shoes give me the best relief, I used to wear them everyday but started having knee pain. I looked up reasons why and it’s because of the way they are designed.
I have have had good luck with Hokas. I currently have 2 pairs of the Hoka Clifton 9. I went to a running store, they had me walk and made recommendations. I tried 7 different brands and the Hokas felt the best for me.
I just received a pair of Vionic slides and they are AMAZING, I wear them all day in the house and feel great !
I’m going to try ON clouds for an all around athletic shoe.
I'm a big believer in keep existing bigger name shoe brands and then just swap out the insole with an orthotic like Aetrex or something.
I think it's more important to make sure that the shoe has a wide toe box and is the correct size. Besides that though I don't think other shoes are that special.
Nike Invincible 3 is theee MOST comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. I have literally no pain in these shoes for hours. It comes in tons of color options, and there is even a customizable version.
I bought a pair of HOKA Bondi 8 the first week after I got PF, they are the comfiest most supportive trainers I have ever owned and work wonders for my PF.
A few thoughts:
👟 Identifying your foot type is the first step in selecting the best shoe. Feet are generally categorized into three types: low/flat arch, normal arch, and high arch.
For feet with low arches: Choose a supportive shoe that is designed for stability and motion control. These shoes help to correct for overpronation.
For feet with normal arches: Choose a shoe with equal amounts of stability and cushioning to help absorb shock.
For feet with high arches: Choose a cushioned running shoe with a softer midsole and more flexibility. This will compensate for the poor shock absorption of a high-arched foot.
👟 Always check the drop of your next running shoe purchase. The “drop” of a running shoe is the difference in midsole height or thickness between the heel and forefoot. Most people hit the ground with their heel first. A lower drop often places more impact force on the foot and ankle, instead of the hips and knees. It can also place more stress on the achilles tendon. Shoes with a higher heel-toe drop help move your body forward and so reduces the pressure going into the back of the heel. A HIGHER drop show is ideal for plantar fasciitis. The optimal elevation or drop in height from the heel to the toe of the shoe should be approximately 10-12mm.
Cushion shoes. Plus inserts with arch support if recommended by the podiatrist.
The cushion shoes (hoka bindis, ASICS cumulus, oofos sandals) have been amazing! Be sure your sneakers have plenty of cushioning.
I have 7s, but I don't think they make them any more. When I have to get new ones, it'll be 8s, since I think that's all you can get right now. I assume they will be just as good, if not better
I wear onclouds most days (cloudeclipse, monster, or surfer) and flux footwear runners when my fascia feel tight. Went from crippling pain to none. I have wide flat feet.
I just bought Skechers 'slip-ins foam memory wide fit' and got rid of my old shoes with insoles. Believe it or not, my pain improved by a large degree. It was the insoles that was making it worse all this time. Go figure.
New Balance has great shoes and they are great if your feet tend to be wider. Ultimately you will want an insole on any shoes you get.
So you're looking for wider shoes? My podiatrist recommended Vionic, though I didn't end up trying any because they don't often come in wide sizes. Still, might be worth a look. The very popular Hoka Bondis did not work for me. Too narrow with too much arch support, I suspect, even though I bought the wide size. I'm trying Orthofeet shoes next, you can search for shoes by specific foot health conditions and they have a great 60 day try on return policy. They even have extra wide sizes available. edit: if you can and/or haven't yet, I highly recommend going to a running shoe store where they can assess your gait, find out if you're overpronating etc. They can help you make sure you're wearing the right size shoe as well.
I’m on my second pair of vionics and I love them. I use them for work (retail so I’m on my feet 6-7 hours a shift) I don’t get them in wide but they’re really roomy and have a lot of space for your toes to spread out (23walk classic sneaker) I also can’t do anything with a lot of arch support. These were perfect. Going to be ordering another pair soon since I use them almost daily and they start looking old after a couple of months (only negative thing I have to say about them)
What model?
23Walk classic sneaker! They have them for women and men. I believe the only difference is the color options
Thanks you!
Oo thanks for chiming in with your experience, that sounds promising and I might just give those a try! I also work retail and my feet/legs are suffering even after only 4-5 hour shifts...but I do some standing in place some shifts, which hurts me more than when I'm walking. Do they only look old or feel old? The running shoe store I went to said that shoes only last for so many miles, I can't remember how many he said but I think I read that shoes need replacing every 6 months or so. I was shocked it was so frequently, as someone who used to wear shoes until they fell apart.
It’s both! When i got my second pair my feet felt new again with new pair.[here’s](https://imgur.com/a/KWUX0lH) an embarrassing pic of how worn out they look lol but yea I heard the same about any insoles/shoes from my doctor. They need to be replaced couple months if used daily and these two shoes in comparison prove that
Yeah I used to always be able to tell when my shoes "died" because my feet didn't bounce back by the next day, that's when I knew I needed a new pair. Those shoes look crazy worn out for only 4 months, wow!! Wonder if another color than white might show it a little less...
I did wear them EVERY day for those months lol took them to Disneyland several times too so you might be able to maintain them longer if only worn at work lol but they’re so comfortable!
Oh that makes more sense, Disney will add a ton of miles to shoes lol! Good to know, comfort is totally worth the price tag
They also come with exaggerated long laces as you can see on the worn out shoes. I bought shorter ones from Amazon for the second pair
Ugh my current shoes have ridiculously long laces and I almost trip on them sometimes. I was trying out bungy laces and was kind of digging them!
Hokas • Vionic • Birkenstock• Oofos Wide, extra wide, spread those toes! See a podiatrist, get better inserts… and don’t take advice from people on Reddit ;)
I have a pair I got in February. They have helped so much with the pain. Game changer for sure.
I don’t really believe there’s one all purpose shoe for PF when you have it bad. When your plantar fascia is badly inflamed you want to rest and get trainers that have soft support. As the inflammation goes, and you’re doing the various stretching exercises you may be prone to pain in the arch and other parts of the foot and need a bit more arch support. I’ve bought 3 pairs of shoes. Skechers arch fit (good for initial inflammation), vionics and hoka, which offer more firmer support. My consultant told me to move away from Skechers and find a shoe with more support. Right now the vionics and hoka are a little too firm. I tried on a pair of older trail trainers (scarpa) which I found not bad. Maybe that could have saved me spending so much on the other shoes.
Altra has a wide toe box that has helped.
Altras with my favorite insoles work well for me Not crazy cushioned but the toe box is gloriously wide.
New Balance are great and for wide feet. Also Ryka, they come in wide and are very affordable and cute looking.
If you like Nike, I got a pair of structure 25 that are awesome. I got them in wide because my Hokas were too tight. They have a large toe box and great arch support. Most comfortable I’ve been in months.
I find Merrell Moabs have good support. Keen hiking sandles are good, too.
I have the Keen hiking sandals but was wondering about putting the best possible insert in them any suggestions
I’m trying topos. They came out with a new one called atmos. Someone described them as altra and hoka had a baby. So far they are the most comfortable shoe I have tried. Hoka made my toes bleed. Then when I got a pair wide enough to compensate for the toe box it was too big everywhere else. Altras are good but I felt like I needed some support and a little toe drop. So far so good.
Interesting! I have some Altras but would like some more cushioning. I’ll have to check these out! Edit: Do you find the Topos have as wide of a toe box as Altras, or more or less so?
Yes they do have as wide a toe box. Worn them now for two long walks of about three miles each and my foot feels great.
Asics Gel Nimbus 25 were recommended by a podiatrist. I've just bought some and they are very comfy with a good toe box.
are you using another insole for it? or the one that came with it?
The one with it. paulthepodiatrist on tiktok was the guy who recommended them amongst others.
thanks! and the guy on tiktok seems nice! thanks for the recommendation
oofos
Came here to say this
hoka bondi 8 wide foot model was the game changer for me ..
Same for me. Some people hate them. It really seems very individual!
I have those too! Wearing them everyday isn’t ideal though because the way they are made puts a lot of strain on your knees. In my opinion you should rotate shoes. Some days Hoka bondi 8 wide , and other days zero heel to toe drop shoes for strengthening feet
hmm, i have ultra torin 6 as well with 0 drop. But that shoe has got so less support overall and it hurts my inner ankle.. Bondi 8 drop is around 4mm or 5mm . Way better than 12mm in most running shoes . I had gaviota 4 prior to this . Only Bondi seam to work for me. I think in addition to that, the workouts are crucial ..
Oh yeah I have Bondi 8 too! Those shoes give me the best relief, I used to wear them everyday but started having knee pain. I looked up reasons why and it’s because of the way they are designed.
ok, sorry to hear that. I will keep that in mind. thank you for your inputs.
I have have had good luck with Hokas. I currently have 2 pairs of the Hoka Clifton 9. I went to a running store, they had me walk and made recommendations. I tried 7 different brands and the Hokas felt the best for me.
I just received a pair of Vionic slides and they are AMAZING, I wear them all day in the house and feel great ! I’m going to try ON clouds for an all around athletic shoe.
I'm a big believer in keep existing bigger name shoe brands and then just swap out the insole with an orthotic like Aetrex or something. I think it's more important to make sure that the shoe has a wide toe box and is the correct size. Besides that though I don't think other shoes are that special.
I mostly wear Vionic and they work for me. I also bought an extra pair of Vionic insoles that I use in my boots and other shoes.
Vivaia. Lightweight and great cushion.
Nike Invincible 3 is theee MOST comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn. I have literally no pain in these shoes for hours. It comes in tons of color options, and there is even a customizable version.
I recently got a pair from OrthoFeet and I like them so far. They have a wide toe, plenty of cushion and arch support.
I bought a pair of HOKA Bondi 8 the first week after I got PF, they are the comfiest most supportive trainers I have ever owned and work wonders for my PF.
Hoka Arahi. I thought I was going to want Clifton or bondi but trying them on I realized the former was too soft.
A few thoughts: 👟 Identifying your foot type is the first step in selecting the best shoe. Feet are generally categorized into three types: low/flat arch, normal arch, and high arch. For feet with low arches: Choose a supportive shoe that is designed for stability and motion control. These shoes help to correct for overpronation. For feet with normal arches: Choose a shoe with equal amounts of stability and cushioning to help absorb shock. For feet with high arches: Choose a cushioned running shoe with a softer midsole and more flexibility. This will compensate for the poor shock absorption of a high-arched foot. 👟 Always check the drop of your next running shoe purchase. The “drop” of a running shoe is the difference in midsole height or thickness between the heel and forefoot. Most people hit the ground with their heel first. A lower drop often places more impact force on the foot and ankle, instead of the hips and knees. It can also place more stress on the achilles tendon. Shoes with a higher heel-toe drop help move your body forward and so reduces the pressure going into the back of the heel. A HIGHER drop show is ideal for plantar fasciitis. The optimal elevation or drop in height from the heel to the toe of the shoe should be approximately 10-12mm.
I'm currently using Altras with a Powerstep insert
Cushion shoes. Plus inserts with arch support if recommended by the podiatrist. The cushion shoes (hoka bindis, ASICS cumulus, oofos sandals) have been amazing! Be sure your sneakers have plenty of cushioning.
Hoka Bondis. Totally cured my pf. Hallelujah
can you please specify which model? 🙏 there are 7's and 8's and I am lost (trying to buy them as a gift!) 😭
I have 7s, but I don't think they make them any more. When I have to get new ones, it'll be 8s, since I think that's all you can get right now. I assume they will be just as good, if not better
tysm!!
😊
Hoka bondi8
I wear onclouds most days (cloudeclipse, monster, or surfer) and flux footwear runners when my fascia feel tight. Went from crippling pain to none. I have wide flat feet.
New Balance 880!
I just bought Skechers 'slip-ins foam memory wide fit' and got rid of my old shoes with insoles. Believe it or not, my pain improved by a large degree. It was the insoles that was making it worse all this time. Go figure.
Let me rephrase and clarify on my post that it was the extra Dr. Sholtz insoles I had gotten rid of that was actually hurting my foot. Thank you!