Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis: Boots, Dress Footwear, Sandals & More to Help Heal the Plantar Fascia

Shoes for plantar fasciitis are those that help treat or prevent heel pain caused by the inflammation and injury of the plantar fascia. Such footwear includes sandals, both winter boots and hiking boots, plus running shoes, slippers, dress shoes, walking shoes and flip flops that feature a design that provides correct arch support and stabilizing for the foot. There are even socks for plantar fasciitis.

I should know - I have had plantar fasciitis in the past that lasted a long time. Though it hasn't flared up much in recent years, occasionally I feel a twinge. But I take care of my heel pain with shoes designed to prevent foot injury. I sometimes go barefoot now, but I never, ever wear shoes without arch support. (Update August 2, 2011: I guess I was getting too smug. I recently reinjured my PF. After months of trying one thing or another, thankfully it's virtually all gone again after using the Strassburg Sock.)

Based on my research and personal experience, I have written several articles that provide guidance for people with plantar fasciitis, especially those who overpronate. (Most people complaining of stride problems are overpronators. If, however, you are one of the small percentage of the population diagnosed with underpronation, see Best Running Shoes for Supinators.)

For general information, start your journey with the first plantar fasciitis shoe article I wrote, where you can learn about the best shoes for plantar fasciitis. Here you'll find a poll taken by over 4,000 respondents as to their favorite brand of plantar fasciitis footwear.

Listed here are shoe models that might help people who have this foot injury, which involves an inflamed plantar fascia and causes heel pain in one foot that can last over a year if not treated properly.

I can personally vouch for the fact that it's really, really hard to find dress shoes or office footwear that's suitable for PF. They do exist, but they tend to have a clunkier look that takes some getting used to. I adjusted pretty easily because I found I really like the clunky foot look. But if you don't, you'll be challenged to find the perfect choice, because the best dress shoes for plantar fasciitis are flats or pumps that have a low heel and either built in arch support or an orthotic -friendly design, all of which mean more bulky shoe and less aerodynamic sleekness.

Orthotic friendly means that the insole can be removed and there is enough room in the instep for the insertion of orthotics that can help with plantar fasciitis. These shoes may have a higher vertical depth to allow for the insertion of anatomical insoles.

Such orthotic insoles can either be those you buy yourself, such as heat-moldable orthotics for dress shoes (see below), or those custom fitted by your podiatrist.

For people who just can't find a dress shoe to suit them, the Sole inserts shown here are wonderful. They are less cushiony than other Sole footbeds, but they're not your generic gel pad. Instead, they have real, solid arch support and can turn a flat, archless pair of shoes into something comfortable.

Open strap shoes for plantar fasciitis include sandals like flip flops and thongs as well as slides and even hard to find fisherman sandals. Brands that are recommended include Orthaheel, Sole, Chaco, and other comfort shoe brands featuring anatomical footbeds like Birkenstock, Mephisto, Teva, Drew and Naot.

An important consideration is that with sandals, inserts and orthotics generally don't work. So the footbed the shoe comes with should be as close to natural and anatomical as possible.

Clogs are open-backed shoes with either thick or thin soles. They tend to have good arch support, but some models have better support than others; just because it looks like a clog doesn't mean it has great support. Clogs without a removable footbed - Dansko comes to mind - are generally not suitable for using orthotic inserts. (Find information about shoes with removable footbeds on my personal website here.)

While I've heard of people who like Birkenstock Boston clogs, I've tried wearing them and never could seem to get the right fit for my wide, normal arch feet. I prefer Haflinger clogs; the Classic Grizzly clog fits my feet perfectly, and I just got a new pair after years of wearing an old pair. I went one size up, because my toenails had worn holes in each old shoe, and they are perfect. I'm almost never without them, and my feet are rarely fatigued.

In the past, I've also worn Dansko clogs, which I liked a lot, but which I didn't like as much as I like Haflingers or Birkenstock sandals, partly because of the thick sole but also because a neutral heel seemed better for my plantar fasciitis when I was battling it, not a raised heel.

However, I've had readers with high arches, like "Patricia" and "Kara" (see Comments in Best Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis), say they like Dansko shoes in the Sausalito collection. I've included a couple of Dansko Sausalito clogs here for you to check out if you have high arches - see the Solstice and Sally Mary Jane clogs.

The author is not a medical professional, but rather a patient who had PF for many years and is able to manage the condition with the non-invasive treatments, like doing stretches and exercises, icing, and wearing the right footwear. The recommendations in this article should not be taken as medical advice. See the author's disclosure regarding compensation for this article.