Are there other shoes for plantar fasciitis? Quite a few actually. One company that makes a good set of shoes, sandals, and slippers designed specifically for people with plantar fasciitis is Orthaheel. This means the shoes have solid arch support while providing a lot of comfort. They are not half bad looking either!

How to Determine If Your Shoes are Suitable Plantar Fasciitis Shoes

You’ll find a lot of people tell you what to look for in a pair of shoes if you have plantar fasciitis and it can get pretty darn confusing putting all that information together. Here’s my real of thumb when looking for a shoe to treat heel conditions like plantar fasciitis:

Pick the shoe up with both hands and bend it. If the shoes bends in any place other where the ball of your foot would be located in the shoe, it’s NOT a good shoe to wear with plantar fasciitis. Obviously, there is some leeway to this “rule of thumb” guide for plantar fasciitis shoes. But I’ve found in my own case, it’s worked pretty well.

This rule applies to general shoes NOT designed specifically for people with plantar fasciitis. The key to finding the perfect shoe for you is to try different brands. What works best for Joe’s plantar fasciitis condition may NOT work best for Sam’s condition. So be prepared to try a few shoe brands before you find a pair of shoes that you find comfortable to wear with your plantar fasciitis condition.

We’ve found a few shoe brands are particularly good for plantar fasciitis: New Balance, Orthaheel, and Birkenstock. Personally, I find New Balance have the best running shoes for plantar fasciitis, while Birkenstock offer some of the best heel support but are just flat out ugly. A nice compromise between the two shoe brands are Orthaheel shoes. Orthaheel make particularly good women’s sandals and slippers. So let’s look at some of the Orthaheel shoe models.

Orthaheel Shoe Reviews/Recommendations for Plantar Fasciitis

Orthaheel Men’s Action Walker Shoes

Features

Why We  Recommend Them

These shoes offer the same features as the women’s version, but are shaped from men’s feet. These are a good option if you are looking for some straight up waking shoes for plantar fasciitis. I’ve had a pair of these for a while and they are a good alternative to the New Balance walking shoes. Keep in mind these are best for men looking for casual walking shoes (work, shopping, weight lifting, casual activities that don’t require heavy running). But don’t buy these thinking you can run marathon’s in them – they are a bit too heavy for that.

On the plus side, the Orthaheel Men’s Action Walkers have really sturdy heels; if you have a severe case of plantar fasciitis and you need some shoes with maximum support, these shoes will deliver what you need. The price too is pretty reasonable (you can get them for about $100 on amazon) as shoes go.

So here’s the breakdown: if you want running shoes for plantar fasciitis, we’ve yet to find better than New Balance running shoes. But if you want walking shoes or casual shoes, the Orthaheel Men’s Action walkers are a great pair of shoes that offer more heel support build in than the New Balance shoes.

Orthaheel Wave Slippers

Features
•    I Orthotic footbed realigns your foot and ankle to a natural position.
•    EVA midsole absorbs shock, reducing stress on your feet.
•    Flexible rubber outsole provides extra grip, keeping you steady as you walk.
•    Mesh webbing upper, neoprene upper lining, EVA insole, rubber outsole.

Why We  Recommend Them

Normally, wearing any sort of sandals or flip flops  is a bad bad idea when you have plantar fasciitis. The reason is because sandals and flip flops don’t have sturdy support and can easily bend pretty much anywhere. This means that extra stress is placed on your plantar fascia which can cause more micro tears in your ligament, making your condition worse.

The solution is to wear sandals/flip flops/sippers that are designed for people with such foot conditions. The Orthaheel brand some of the best sandals for plantar fasciitis that we’ve come across.

This Orthotic Flip Flops will help to control overpronation of the foot and reduce the pain. There are a tone of great reviews about these specific flip flops and a lot of people with plantar fasciitis recommend them.

As a bonus, they are reasonably priced when compared to other brands such as Mephistos or Birkenstocks.
The one con I’ll point out is that these sandals ARE a bit heavier than your usual sandal, but since they are designed for people with plantar fasciitis problems, they are built a bit heavier. If you want a lighter sandal, go with the Orthaheel Tide model. The Orthaheel Wave are better if you need more support.

Not only does this slipper relieve plantar fasciitis pain, it feels soft with a stretch cable knit upper. The removable EVA orthotic footbed helps realign your feet and ankles. Indoor / outdoor thermoplastic rubber outsole.

Womens Orthaheel Tide

Features

• Convenient- pain-free “natural healing” solution to many of the common aches and pains associated with poor lower limb alignment
• Orthaheel technology is clinically proven to reduce excess pronation- a contributing factor to “flat feet.” & plantar fasciitisPodiatrist-designed- biomechanical Tri-planar Motion Control footbed with a deep heel cup helps stabilize- support and realign the feet back to their natural position.

Why We  Recommend Them

By far, the most popular Orthaheel sandal would be the Women’s Orthaheel Tide. Why? It looks great with a classic flip flop style and it features Orthaheel’s patiented biomechanical support system. Normally, plantar fasciitis sandals are quite heavy (and clunky looking!). Any girl I know wouldn’t want to be caught dead wearing the usual plantar fasciitis sandal. But the Orthaheel Tide actually looks pretty good. It’s also quite light as these type of sandals go. So for style and comfort in a plantar fasciitis sandal, you can’t get better then the Orthaheel Tide. As a note I’ve recommended this specific model to a couple fashion conscious female friends and the feedback has been VERY positive. So I can recommend these sandals to women without hesitation. The sandals also come in a bunch of different colors which is a bonus.

Orthaheel Walker Women’s Plantar Fasciitis Shoe

Features

• Very comfortable
  Has a motion controlling contoured arch support with very deep seated heel cups that help to control the motion of your feet as you walk.
• Breathable moisture absorbing mesh liner with friction reducing PA foam base.

Why We  Recommend Them

The Orthaheel Walker Women’s plantar fasciitis shoe is pretty darn comfortable. Now as I’m a guy, I’m not an expert when it comes to wearing women’s shoes, but I have tried the Orthaheel Men’s Action Walkers and they are comfortable as anything I’ve tried.

These shoes are specifically designed for active women, so if you find yourself out and about a lot, then give these shoes a shot (I’ve heard they are great for going to the gym). If you plan to do a lot of running,  however,I would recommend New Balance shoes over these. I’ve yet to find a better running shoe for plantar fasciitis than New Balance shoes. But for walking shoes, Orthaheel are a good alternative (and in some cases cheaper).

Orthaheel – Gelly Brown Plantar Fasciitis Slipper

Features

• Convenient- pain-free “natural healing” solution to many of the common aches and pains associated with poor lower limb alignment.
• Active removable orthotic footbed with Tri-planar Motion Control supports the foot and helps realign lower legs- improving posture and balance.

Why We  Recommend Them

It’s a big no no to wear bare feet around the house if you have plantar fasciitis – this can make the condition worse. It can be cumbersome wearing a clunky pair of plantar fasciitis shoes in the house too. And while you can wear a night splint around the house, it’s not a practical solution. What I suggest is to get a pair of slippers for plantar fasciitis, specifically Orthaheel’s Gelly Plantar Fasciitis Slipper. These are specifically designed for plantar fasciitis and you’ll notice it. Trust me, these are not just a pair of cheap slippers marketed for plantar fasciitis – there is a lot under the “hood” of these heels as it is. There’s a solid rubber sole that provides more support than regular slippers. These offer you the benefits of solid heel and arch support in a lightweight and breathable slipper.

If you want an alternative to plantar fasciitis shoes, consider a good pair of orthotics. We have a nice long post about the best orthotics for plantar fasciitis should you need some help finding some!

Note: we’ve written a full blown 4000 word comprehensive article talking about the various plantar fasciitis treatments available to you.

Symptoms are sharp pain when you first stand up in the morning. The pain decreases as you move around but may return when you stand for a long time. This ailment is common in runners, obese people, pregnant women and those who wear shoes with poor support.

A good treatment is proper plantar fasciitis shoes — be them running shoes, walking shoes, dress shoes, etc.  Shoes are the natural way to help ease the pain of plantar fascia. Another natural treatment is to warm up and stretch your foot before exercising or playing your sport, you may want to change your workouts for awhile. Switch from running and walking to biking or swimming. This may be a temporary change only, but some people may have to switch permanently for the plantar fascia to go away completely.

Stretches include flexing your foot up and down a few times before standing. You can also place a towel across the ball of your foot and hold onto both ends pulling gently toward you, keep your knee straight and hold for 15 to 30 seconds repeat stretch up to 4 times. You may roll a ball under the arch of your foot, first sitting down and increase to stand. Stretching should not cause pain. Get a new pair of walking shoes, look for good arch support and a raised sole. Heel cups and shoe inserts are a natural affordable treatment option. Try wearing walking shoes often even when getting out of bed to check on your children, or walking around your home. There are shoes made specifically for plantar fascia. Other products include a brace to support the plantar fascia, support sandals, cold booties to ice your foot right where you need it, night splints ( which stretch the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon), and even slippers.

There are a number of ways to treat the pain associated with plantar fascia, and there are various number of effective and simple cures, as well. One simple way to treat the pain caused with this condition would be to apply ice packs and take an over the counter, pain relieving medication that contains ibuprofen. This helps to remove some of the swelling from the affected area. This is a treatment for the swelling and pain, not a plantar fasciitis cure, however.

As far as actually curing the condition, resting the foot is highly recommended. It is very important to give the affected area as much of a rest as possible. Using crutches and avoiding certain athletic activities for a few days will help get the healing process started.

Wearing the right shoes will help to relieve the pain and will also help to cure the problem. It is best to wear shoes that fit correctly and have thick soles. Wearing silicone heel inserts will help to relieve some of the pressure that is placed on the heel. There are a variety of specialty shoes and inserts to try. I detail some of these recommendations in my best shoes for plantar fasciitis and my shoes for plantar fasciitis posts.

Another good option for treating plantar fasciitis would to wear plantar fasciitis night splints. To give support during the day, there are numerous plantar fasciitis tapes
and braces you can purchase. These may or may not be effective, depending on how severe your condition is.

Generally the toes will point down during sleep, relaxing the plantar fascia. This causes the extreme morning pain. A night splint will keep the plantar fascia stretched and will help with the pain experienced first thing in the morning. This is method is very effective in treating this condition and does not have to be used one the pain stops.

Physical therapy and shockwave therapy are sometimes recommended. Physical therapy will work on stretching the calf muscles and the plantar fascia. Certain medications, massage and cold packs will also be used in physical therapy. In shockwave therapy, a high energy wave is used on the affected area, which is supposed to speed the healing process along.

So a quick summary of the cures for plantar fasciitis:

• Plantar Fasciitis Shoes
• Night Splints and Braces
• Physical Therapy (stretches, cold packs, massages, etc).
• Shockwave Therapy.

Combining the various therapies will usually cure plantar fasciitis, although in rare cases more aggressive treatment may be needed. Surgery may be recommended after other treatments have failed to relieve the condition. Getting rid of plantar fasciitis is usually an involved process – you don’t put on a night splint or wrap up your foot or even wear a pair of special shoes for a week and get “cured.” It could take months of treatments before the condition disappears. So, be patient when you attempt to treat the condition.