Hiking Boots for Plantar Fasciitis

[Kimberly Anderson]

Holy cow...there must be something going around. I developed this in both feet earlier this summer and it's sticking around in my left foot longer than in my right. I've not done anything for it except a lot of stretching and using a foot roller/massager occasionally. I find myself standing and stretching the tendon by doing leg lifts from my big toe and slowly stretching it out. Sometimes it helps, sometimes not. Ugh...what a terrible malady. I will look into orthotics soon.

[RPNugent]

I developed a similar problem and my doc prescribed night splints rather than orthotics as a first step. After a couple weeks wearing them at night I am back to my normal Vasque boots. The velcro occasionally sticks to itself in the middle of the night or you add a bit more stretch than needed and it gets uncomfortable making you ease up in the middle of the night, but as a "cure" it sure worked for me. Here's what I ended up with, though mine came from the podiatry department in clinic rather than from an online source. May be covered by insurance if your doc prescribes them.

http://www.footcaredepot.com/soft-pl...IZ0aAvY38P8HAQ

[Drew Wiley]

I suffer from wide, flat deformed feet with short ligaments. But I sometimes backpack with a fellow who has suffers from plantar fascitis, which probably came about from his many years of climbing, when he tended to run down long, steep granite trails following climbs. Duct tape, that's how he does it, and if necessary,
more duct tape, pulling the foot this way or that.

[Bob Salomon]

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

The VA here did an Xray and shortly thereafter, in the mail, I received a pair of Dr. School's inserts that are really, really uncomfortable.

Maybe I should try to visit the VA out there one time!

[tgtaylor]

Bob,

Mine are "PedAlign" by Digital Casting. Got them through the Palo Alto VA - probably the best VA hospital in the country. I'm on my second pair.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

My podiatrist made thick plaster moulds of my feet which were subsequently sent in to make the carbon fiber orthotics. I wouldn't dream of something pulled off a shelf or rack like Dr Scholls. I mean.... feet are kinda important. We use them all the time, and the way we walk affects all kinds of other body mechanics, like our
knees and back. So this is not like treating a blister, and is worth a bit of investment.

[tgtaylor]

Here's what the Palo Alto VA uses: http://www.pedalign.com/ It's the prescription type shown on the left.

Actually with Drew shoes, the inserts are probably overkill but I've been wearing them daily for several years now.

Thomas

[Drew Wiley]

That's still just a foot mapper for minor issues. What a good podiatrist can do is make sure your entire leg is in correct alignment before making a prescription cast. Just depends on how bad a problem you have.

[Bruce Watson]

I have recently developed Plantar Fasciitis in one foot and desperately need new hiking boots. ...I'm desperate...

I used to have plantar fasciitis. But I don't now. It wasn't a doctor who helped me; all they seem to be interested in is blood tests and prescription drugs, neither of which has any bearing on plantar faciitis. Wasn't a podiatrist. Wasn't a chiropractor.

You almost certainly don't need new boots. What you probably need is just a trip to a physical therapist. The "joy" of physical therapists is that they (at least all the ones I've met over the years) don't have any interest in you becoming a patient-for-life. What they want to do is to figure out what the cause of your problem is, and if it's bio-mechanical (like plantar faciitis is), show you how to fix it. That's right, *you* have to fix it. And that's right -- it usually can be fixed, without surgery, without drugs, without orthotics, without new boots.

For me, it was an interesting calf stretch. Only took a couple of weeks to walking pain free. But I still do the exercises, if not as often as I probably should. And I still put in my four miles a day just to keep in hiking shape, as I have for decades now.

But if you'd rather chase a "magic bullet" then save the physical therapists for last. I'm an LFer, I know all about chasing magic bullets.

[Alan Gales]

My daughter pitched fast pitch softball and her calves are turned in some and caused her leg pain. We took her to an orthopedic surgeon and he recommended getting fitted up with custom insoles for her shoes. The insoles made a huge difference.

I'd do like Drew recommends and visit a podiatrist.