I'm 99% positive I have plantar fasciitis...

I like Orthaheels shoes (and have severe PF pain in my left foot).

I second the Orthaheels. They have a good variety of sandals. I have had Planters fasciitis for about three years and they are the only shoes I can wear that help. I have a pair of Orthaheel flip flops I wear all day when I'm not working. I keep them by my bed so when I get up I can put them right on.

My doctor recommended freezing a bottle of water and rolling it under my foot a few times a day. It does help. I have seen here where people roll a tennis ball under their foot. I didn't try that one so I can't say how it works.

I have two pairs of Abeos and one pair of Orthoheels. The Abeos feel better, but I still have pain in whatever shoes I wear.

I have going to my chiro and she's been doing the Graston technique on my feet. It worked for my bff - hers has not come back since, but it's not working so well on me. It is a bit, but not enough to make much difference. I also, on my chiropractor's advice:

roll a tennis ball under my foot, then a frozen bottle of water.
stretches, by putting my toes on a stair and moving my heel downward towards the next stair down
stretches, as though I am using my toes to pick up something from the floor.

Maybe some of the above will help you?

It really is about the shoes. To heal, you need to adequately support the footbed and allow the facia to relax and rest. Each time you wear bad shoes, it reinjures and progress you've made towards healing.

I'm 5 months in to trying to heal mind fully. Each time I do domething stupid and try to go barefoot or walk too much with good shoes even, I reinjure them.

Can you post a photo of the type of sandals you like to wear?  I also like to wear orthaheels.  I do have one pair that I really don't like the looks of much but the pain relief is worth it.  I have a couple of other pairs that don't really look any different than most of the sandals out there.  


For non-orthaheel sandals, my podiatrist recommended Yellow Box.  They have a nice support that has worked well for me most of the time.  The Orthaheels are still much better but sometimes I want something a bit cuter and the Yellow Box has been good for that.    

I had PF but it was years ago and I don't really remember what cured it. It did take about a year to go away, though. I had two young kids, had moved into a new house with no carpet and all hardwood floors, and it was Christmas time. I didn't sit down for a week and then I regretted that!

Wear shoes ALL. THE. TIME. Even (especially!) in the house. I have a pair of Timberland thong sandals that I lived in then. You need to cushion your heels. I have a pair of ballet flats that are cushy--they are Born's, which is a good brand. Some say Birkenstocks are good, others say they are bad. Some say Crocks are good, some say bad. See your dr, get his/her advice, do some research, and find some good shoes that you can wear without wanting to hide in a closet.

I had it, but now its gone. I also wore orthoheel sandals, and I got a couple insoles just from the store. I think its the dr. scholls machine that you stand on and it tells you which insole you need for your foot. Stretching several times a day helps (kind of push on a wall while extending one foot back at time with flat heels). It is painful, but the nice thing is it does go away (not many ailments you can say that about!)

About 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with Plantar Facitis. At the time, the pain in my foot was so bad I was avoiding all unnecessary walking, which meant I was gaining weight. When I finally went to the dr, she used a two pronged approach to the problem.

First, she recommended Spenco orthotics for my shoes. She told me to take the support that came in the shoe out, add a Dr Scholls gel and put the Spenco on top of that. She gave me some exercises to do that would gently stretch the tendon and help relieve the tightness. She told me to do flex exercises before I ever stepped out of bed in the morning so the tendon would be flexible and hurt as bad. I was to put my shoes on as soon as possible and was to take them off only when I was icing my foot or going to bed.

Second, she explained that the tendon was inflamed and needed about 6 weeks to recover. I was to take NSAIDs regularly and keep the foot elevated and iced. She also recommended the frozen bottle for those times I was sitting at my desk with my feet hanging down. I was to avoid any long walks or heavy walking, especially on concrete, for the immediate future.

I did what she said and t worked. I wore Spenco inserts for more than 10 years, stopping only recently. I bought my last pair from Zappos, but I never bothered to put them in my shoes. At some point I developed chronic tendinitis, possibly bursitis, in my right heel, but I no longer have any pain from the PF. I still do my exercises, though, and they help with the tendinitis as well.

Marcy

One thing I did that really helped me was airrosti (sp?) therapy. It was very painful but it did relieve it. They also taught me some stretches to do with bands, a foam roller and a lacrosse ball.

For athletic shoes - I wear a pair of Saucony with an Aetrex insole. I over pronate and need a nice firm shoe to correct it.

I can't do ballet flats anymore. Even with an insert. Just need more structure. Clarks, Merrells, some other brands.

For me, I can't exercise away bad shoes. It is all shoes for me. If I wear unsupportive shoes for half a day I have a flare but if I wear good shoes I can go weeks at a time pain free.

I agree about Naots. Great shoes! Also Naturalizer might be worth a look.

I should say that I also have custom orthotics, which I wear in my shoes about 90% of the time. The other 10%, I wear either the Orthoheels or the Abeos (preferred).

I have always gone barefoot in the house, but now I am wearing (OMG - never thought I would EVER wear them because I hate them) - CROCS. They apparently have pretty good support, and my feet feel better in those than they do in my Orthoheels or Abeos. I will not ever go outside in them though!