Hiking Boots for Plantar Fasciitis

[Richard Wasserman]

I have recently developed Plantar Fasciitis in one foot and desperately need new hiking boots. I have been wearing Vasque for years and they have suddenly become terribly painful and unwearable. I am looking for a lightweight mid-height boot, preferably waterproof. Any suggestions? I'm desperate...

[cowanw]

Do you have orthopaedic insoles? I have always used Vasque boots but the custom made insoles are now a must for you. Also be sure you replace the soles before you wear down the heel

[johnm]

Try lathrop and sons. They are podiatrists that make and sell custom insoles and high end boots like hanwag and lowa. Great service and terrific product.

[Bob Salomon]

I have it in both feet and found that virtually anything from Mephisto eliminates the pain.

[Peter Lewin]

I guess I come at this from a different perspective, since I developed plantar fasciitis a couple of times when I was a competitive runner. The pain comes from stretching the plantar fascia when you flex your arch, and typically occurs at the attachment point at the heel. So the treatment is a combination of insoles (mentioned in several prior posts) and taping the foot to minimize the flex. There are a large number of responses when you google "taping plantar fasciitis" including demos on YouTube (which is why I hesitate to post any one link). Bottom line, in the short term I would tape the affected foot, which will speed up the reduction in inflammation. Longer term, supportive insoles, either custom (the best solution) or store-bought (next best solution). I honestly don't think the hiking boots themselves will make much difference as long as they fit well.

[Drew Wiley]

I have horrible feet, do a lot of hiking and backpacking on all kinds of terrain, and gave up on store-bought boots a long time ago. I currently wear Essato custom boots, which fit right the first time, and yeah, cost a lot; but the fact that custom boots tend to last ten times as long as store-bought means that they're a bargain in the long run, and the kind of leather they use is highly waterproof. Hard to get that kind of thing nowadays. Expect to wait about six months and pay about eight hundred bucks for the first pair. There are a lot of orthopedic custom shoemaking outfits which can offer a pair of walking shoes or flatlander hunting boots, but very few sources for real hiking boots with good ankle support. It's a different ballgame entirely, if this is in fact what you need. Vasque is pretty flimsy.

[tgtaylor]

You might try Drew's: http://www.onlineshoes.com/mens-drew...rk=&matchtype=

Thomas

[Toyon]

Spend money on orhotics first, if that's what the Doctor recommends. That you can wear almost any boot and partially eliminate uneven wear in the heel, which will only get worse with time.

[Drew Wiley]

If the boot isn't mfg around the orthotic itself, it's going to slide around in there and prematurely wear the boot itself out by cutting into the sides. Just something to be aware of, that my boot repair guy made me aware of (and the best repairman I've ever met, who actually makes a decent income in an expensive neighboorhood, a rare instance indeed in that trade). Most boots nowadays are basically disposable, and not even intended to be resoled. Or you can try double-faced carpet tape.

[tgtaylor]

I don't have any problems with the orthotic sliding around. I get my inserts from the VA who x-rayed my feet and then have them custom built. Been wearing them in dress and hiking boots for about 3 or 4 years now for Plantar Fasciitis with no reoccurrence. I first developed the condition about 20 years ago and the VA injected silicone into the heel bone which cured it until it reoccurred and then switched to the inserts and Drew shoes/boots. The inserts also work in a pair of REI hiking boots that I have but the Drew boots are much better.

Thomas