Remember this not-so-sneaky pose? (I would hope so, it’s from yesterday’s post.) Well, you’re looking at the last pic of me pain-free, Wednesday morning. Ever since Wednesday evening I’ve been hobbling around my house and pretending I can ignore the fact that only one of my lower limbs is working properly. Yes, like many bad things in fitness that I have avoided only through sheer luck and the occasional sacrifice at the altar of pitted-out shirts, rather than taking intelligent steps to prevent them – the inevitable has occurred. I have an injury.
It started out as a dull achy pain, right in the bottom of my heel. It was such a weird pain that I kept checking to see if I had accidentally impaled my foot on a Lego, K’Nex or other lethal object left willy nilly on the floor. (Side note: If you hear of someone being assassinated by small, expensive plastic toys, you can be it was my kids. At this very moment, I just told my son to go get dressed for school and the way he’s doing that – as evidenced by the racket from the basement – is by shooting his sleeping brothers with his Nerf gun. Ah trusty time out, I feel you coming for a visit.) ANYHOW. I did my workout Thursday morning and was fine so I figured it was just a fluke. But yesterday afternoon it was back and had spread to the outside of my foot. By evening it was up my Achilles heel and so painful I couldn’t put weight on it. Last night, the throbbing ache actually woke me up.
Sigh.
After paging Dr. Google, I have decided it’s most likely plantar fasciitis, otherwise known as the bane of runners everywhere and the most common cause of heel pain. Nearly everyone I know has had a bout with it at some point. But other than my stress fractures in my shins five years ago brought on by my insane over-exercising, I have been injury free. No sciatica. No IT band problems. I’ve never – knock on wood – thrown out my back or neck or rotator cuff. But like my old trainer Steve had predicted (man, I still miss him!) “You don’t have any injuries?! Because [with your imbalances and form problems] you should!” And now I do. Which makes me extra whiny.
I probably don’t have to tell most of you this but the pain is awful. Not on par with childbirth but definitely worthy of five owowowowow’s. And me being me, I’m ticked that it’s messing up my carefully planned (read: precariously balanced on a highwire with no safety net) life. I can’t do my workout today. (Upside: Look at me being all reasonable about resting!) I can’t run my errands. I can’t… stop whining.
So what exactly is it and how did it happen? According to WebMD, it’s simply when the fascia (connective tissue) that runs along the bottom of your foot gets inflamed. The how is harder to figure out. It can come from upping your running miles too quickly, running too often on hard surfaces, wearing worn out/unsupportive shoes (or wearing high heels too much), or having a form/muscular imbalance. I can definitively say it’s not the first three as I haven’t run more than 5 miles at a time in over a year and I very rarely run outside (although I did last Saturday – so maybe that one time did it? Because I’m not used to it?). I’m careful to take good care of my kicks and replace them when worn out. As for the high heels, you know I love me my stilettos!
Shhh – don’t tell the boys what they got mommy… someone should be surprised Christmas morning!
But while I love them I wear them a few hours a week at most. Anytime I’m home, I’m in sock’ed feet. All of which leaves bad luck or form problems. Crap.
The bigger question, however, is what to do about it. Common therapies include lots of calf and Achilles stretches (check and check), arch supports, specialized braces, icing it, exercises like towel pick-ups with your toes (fun!), and wearing supportive athletic shoes all the time, even at home. Like an angel from above, sent to save me from myself, I got these adorable neon Spine RPM training shoes in the mail from Under Armour.
Allison had her own new neon sneakers on so of course we had to take a pic!
This is the yoga Show Off Your Shoes pose. You knew it had one right?? Yoga has a pose for everything!
They’re super supportive so now I’m wearing them pretty much 24/7. At least if I’m going to hobble, I can hobble in comfortable style!
Want to win a pair yourself? Under Armour wants to hook up one of you up (and who wouldn’t want to have matching shoes with me?!). Simply leave a comment below telling me which sweet color you’d choose to enter! And – if you’d be so kind – please leave me ANY advice you have about plantar fasciitis and how to deal with it! Just commiserating is good too!
Rules and Disclaimer: Contest is open for one week, ending at midnight on Dec. 21, 2012. I was given one pair of shoes from Under Armour to review. I was not paid for the post.
Love the shoes! Especially the purple “Pluto”!
As for the plantar fasciitis…stretch, stretch, stretch! Before even getting out of bed, lay on your back, place a band across the ball of your foot, straighten your leg while pulling the band toward you. My DH has to do this every morning before he gets out of bed. He’s also had the IT band injury, poor man.
Feel better soon!
Ouch! I had plantar fasciitis a couple years ago and it was definitely painful. Like hurts to walk flat-footed kind of pain. I had no idea how I got it either. I did lots of icing and stretching and it went away pretty quickly on it’s own but it was not fun while it lasted.
I love your pink shoes! I would totally go for pink since my latest shoes are purple.
Oh, how I remember the pain! I found that stretching my toes back with a towel before I got out of bed kept the pain from being unbearable when my feet hit the floor first thing in the morning.
And I LOVE the pink shoes!
Charlotte, I would love to get a pair of Neo Pulse shoes! Who doesn’t love neon pink?
You aren’t going to like this, but you need to stop walking/running and you need to rest your foot. Swimming is great, biking is sometimes ok and weight bearing stuff can make it worse and make it last longer. You need to give the fascia a chance to heal and if you are constantly standing on it and stretching, it isn’t going to happen. If you just got it, you may be able to rest it and stretch it for a few days and have it go away.
Also-Stretch!
Dealt with this for more than a year. Highly recommend finding a sports podiatrist and utilizing physical therapy right away. I ultimately did a procedure called “EPAT” (http://www.smaplc.com/epat-faqs/about-epat/) that helped tremendously. Now I just have to be super conscious of stretching my calves all the time. Good luck!
I like them all but I’d get purple! Sorry about your injury…I hope it gets better. Nothing sucks more than not being able to exercise because your body won’t let you. I always throw my back out hard about 4-6 weeks after having a baby.
Sorry to hear about the pain! I’ve had similar problems and did stretches along with icing it every single night before going to bed (when I wasn’t going to put any weight on it afterwards) and eventually it went away. That was in the summer though, when icing wasn’t so painful (I had being cold).
Pink looks great on you, but I like the purple pluto color. Always a sucker for purple!
I would love a pair in Pluto!
When I had foot problems from running I would roll a ball (baseball, field hockey ball, whatever), under the arch and heel of my achy foot whenever I was sitting on the couch. I hated doing because it would hurt to do it but it would always feel better later 🙂
I had PT last summer and it was horrible, mostly because I had never really heard of it before and wondered what the heck I did wrong. It took a lot of stretching and rest, one of those things I’m good at and the other? Not so much. But that pain was nothing compared to what I had happen about five weeks ago that I’m still struggling with–an over use injury to my foot that resulted in a huge bruise thing and hobbling around for around a month smelling like Icy Hot. It’s my own fault for overdoing it and one day it just snapped. I thought I broke it, and I still can’t bounce around and do what I want. Rest is the only thing, and you know my history is similar to yours…sigh.
Anyway, sorry for the novel. I literally feel your pain. Hang in there and rededicate yourself to some yoga 😉 Oh! And purple anything is SO the best color.
I love the purple!
While I’m normally a hot-pink shoes kind of girl, I just bought some hot-pink sneakers, so I’d have to go with the purple!
Also, I hope that your heel starts feeling better soon. I know what it’s like to have a precariously balanced schedule, and how frustrating any hitch it in (especially a big hitch) can be.
Finally, those pumps are super cute. Where can I find some?!
Pluto, definitely for me. SOunds cool and looks cool 🙂
My sister in law has that. Its painful. She’s very inactive so anything will set it off. Thankfully you are active. She was told to never go barefoot and so has good sandals to wear inside the house. I’m glad you found shoes that help for workouts. That and stretching daily until the pain goes away is the biggest challenge apparently. I’ve been lucky in the footy department so far. I’ve got knee stuff instead….um, joy?
Not sure if this is open to Canadians, but definitely Pluto! My DH has Faciitis right now, unfortunately I don’t have any tips for you 🙁 But I will suggest that he starts wearing shoes a home more, he works from home so spends most of his time just wearing socks.
I cured mine through hamstring stretches, rolling my foot on a frozen water bottle, and giving upmy beloved ballet flats with no arch support. You can geta good passive stretch when seatedfir work by putting your feet on a coupleof 2×4’s and letting your heels hang off.
This absolutely worked for me to!
I’d love to win the Charcoal pair. I’ve been fortunate so far not to have PF, but my Mom hasn’t. Her PT told her to freeze a water bottle and roll it under her foot. The frozen water helped the pain and the action of rolling helped stretch it out.
The pluto shoes are beautiful! Wish I could help with the plantar fasciitis. I’ve never experienced more than stress fractures on my chin… but then I do tend to take advantage of *rest* days when I think I *might* be injured. 🙂
Never had plantar fasciitis, but my best friend in college did and she just did a lot of icing/resting with it.
As for the shoes…. I love the charcoal!
The pluto shoes are beautiful! Can’t help with the plantar fasciitis. Only injury I’ve had is stress fractures on my shin. Then again, I do tend to take advantage of *rest* days when I think I *might* be injured. 🙂
I love the pluto ones. For some reason my entire life has turned purple, so these would fit right in. 🙂
I would go purple, but not sure if I’m eligible since I live in Canada.
I don’t think I’ve ever had plantar fasciitis, but I tend to wear shoes around the house at all times to give my feet some arch support, otherwise they end up hurting.
Purple! I love purple!
I have also had plantar fasciitis (and my Mom has as well). Go see a pedorthist and got orthotics (the expensive ones, not the 20$ drug store ones). Really- everyone I know who had it eventually ended up with orthotics. And if you catch it early it is easy to treat. You get orthotics, and wear them as close to 24/7 as you can (excluding sleep). Don’t walk around your house barefoot- wear your runners and orthotics. They help support your arch properly, so your foot isn’t flattening out and putting strain in your tendons. Also stretching your calf is really important, as it can pull on the tendons/fascia in your heel. My doctor also recommended rolling my foot on a frozen juice can – you use it to stretch the fascia and ice your foot at the same time (a tennis ball would also work, without the icing part).
oh man I need new running shoes, although I would go gray, not too sure on the neon shoes 🙂
I’m always balancing injuries…runners knee and IT band issues (and I don’t even run anymore). Never had much heel pain though… good luck!
My sister has issues with plantar fasciitis and it doesn’t sound fun at all. Sorry you’re dealing with that, but hey, at least you have cute shoes! I am loving those pink ones you have, but when I went to the website, I was won over by the Pluto color…it looks like such a great purple!
I know nothing about planar fasciitis, but I’m sorry you’ve gotten it!
I like the charcoal shoes~
I had that several years ago and my podiatrist told me the more I used my foot the faster it would get better. He also told me to wear slippers in the house or shoes (some kind of support). I won’t like, it was really painful, but it did eventually go away.
I’d be all about the Pluto shoes, since I’ve had both gray and pink running shoes in the past year. Love the purple!
Unfortunately, I have no good advice about plantar fasciitis but my mom has struggled with it for YEARS. My mom swears by wearing her Crocs around the house because they’re soft but have a little support.
Hope it heals quickly!
I’m dealing with unknown foot/ankle pain myself. I’ve been to two doctors, multiple times each, had blood samples (for gout/??!?), x-rays, PT, etc. I’m a medical oddity. Which is to say that I have no advice for you. Sorry I’m no help.
BUT! I love me some neon shoes!! I think I’d go purple, if only because my last three pairs of shoes have had hot pink. I need to change things up a bit here. 😀
Have you tried an over the counter antii-nflammatory like ibuprofen.
And I would choose the purple 🙂
I would pick the purple shoes (pluto).
I’ve luckily been serious injury free as well (not counting a broken collarbone during rugby practice), although I have had to stop doing deadlifts because they irritate a spot in my lumbar spine I probably hurt carrying heavy packs while doing trail work. Now that I write this I realize I haven’t been altogether injury free…
Ohh, plantar fasciitis is the worst! But a great pair of those Neo Pulse shoes would make the pain more bearable 🙂
I’m liking the purple! But they are all cute! Sorry about the PF! Never had it before! Sounds like rest might be what you need! Or do spinning and other non-weight bearing exercises if resting is not an option!
I love the Pulse. My co-worker has PT and she got supports to wear in her shoes. Doesn’t sound like fun.
PF seems to come on without any warning. Ouch! Take care of yourself.
I would love love love pink!
The pluto ones for sure!!! Love love loveeeee sneaker porn.
I’d love to win the Neo Pulse bubble gum pink! I’ve never experienced PT, but I hope yours heals soon!
Are those hot pink shoes new? I found that the plantar fasciitis came on when I wore 1 particular brand of shoes. It stayed well after that pair left, but I can’t help but think if you were fine and now you’re not- if your shoes changed that could be the root of all problems.
Pluto is a great color!
Sorry, no advice. But don’t worry about forced rest days – from your posts, it sounds like you get plenty of exercise taking care of your kids!
I would definitely go with Pluto! LOVE purple workout clothes. I don’t know why exactly. I looked at my workout clothes drawer one day and realized that basically everything in there is some shade of purple (“what is light urple?”).
My advice for the plantar fasciitis: R.I.C.E.! (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation). You can’t go wrong with that classic formula for healing an injury. Hope the pain goes away SOON!
Charcoal! Love the color contrasts.
When I had PF I used The Stick’s FootWheel. I seem to remember that the PF went away pretty quickly but it could just be marathoner’s memory where you forget previous pains. I normally am barefoot in my house but I had to wear shoes while it was going on.
Hopefully yours will go away quickly too!
The charcoal ones are cute.
Charcoal! I love the neon accents!
I love the pink ones, the ones you’re wearing!
As for PF, I’m sorry, I don’t have any advice. I guess I just don’t work out hard enough. And I don’t wear stilletos. Being tall AND a klutz (and having a short hubby), I find heels are too dangerous. If I topple over I’ll end up taking at least one innocent bystander with me. Like King Kong falling off the Empire State Building.
I can only wish you a super-speedy recovery. And a weekend free of assassinations.
Pluto totally looks like fun!!!!!!!!!!
Last year I was trying out for a women’s football team and felt a snap in my left foot. I had torn my plantar fascitis. I couldn’t walk for a week and the whole bottom of my foot turned black/purple/red. A few weeks after that I had a hard lump right in front of my heel – that is where it healed back to where it should be – this is a normal thing but it sure felt weird for awhile! And no, I didn’t go to the doctor for any of this because I am both stupid and stubborn.
Eeek! I didn’t feel a snap, thank goodness. Glad it all healed up for you!
Such cute shoes! Love the pink.
I had PF a couple years ago too, but it was definitely from running too much too soon. Of course I ignored it originally, but when it reached the point where it hurt to put my feet on the ground first thing in the morning getting out of bed, I knew something had to be done. So I gave up running for a month and actually followed that pesky “increase your mileage by 10%” rule once I started up again. No help to you right now – but I understand your frustrations!
Pluto! Though I’m not a runner, I must admit… hopefully I still qualify. My current sneakers are falling apart. I hate shoe shopping, so I’m dragging my feet – haha, sorry, accidental pun.
Don’t know what to do about the pt, but the frozen cans sound sensible. I did a similar thing after my ACL surgery, rolling my knee on a frozen jar. And stretching. And rest. Hopefully you’ve caught it early enough to clear up fast.
Definitely Pink! Those are awesome.
I keep a tennis ball or one of those Rubz foot massagers in front of my couch so that when I’m sitting on the couch, I’ll make sure to massage out my foot. If it hurts really bad, I’ve heard that a frozen tennis ball will help alot!
I’m in love with the pink ones!
I struggled with PF a couple of years ago and still get flare ups. The frozen water bottle is great. My husband works with a marathon runner who showed me how to tape my foot. After 3 months of no running this was a miracle for me. There are some good videos on You Tube that show you how to do it. Good luck! So sorry 🙁
I’ll go look that up – thanks for the tip, Kendra!
love the pink!! sucks about the plantar fasciitis… what is the recovery time like for that?
Sorry, I don’t have any advice, but I would love a nice new pair of pink shoes.
I would love the charcoal pair. I never had PF but heard that rest helps.
Sorry about the PF – I had it earlier this year from trying zumba and dance class. Never from step class or running, but that did it.
What helped:
This awful splint at night (which is soft, and wearable, and much more sustainable than wearing a boot or something):
http://www.thesock.com/
Putting arch supports in my flat shoes.
And that did it. Good luck!
And it’s
Pluto- those purple shoes would rock my world. or maybe pink. I never wear pink but my feet would like to be more girly. Gee. I can’t even decide!!
I’m so sorry to hear about your plantar. I haven’t had that (knock on wood) so I have no good advice. But I feel for you!!
http://www.amazon.com/Dryer-Balls-Natural-Fabric-Softener/dp/B000WQRYH4
Buy those and use one to roll on the bottom and sides of your foot while standing up and putting as much bodyweight on it as you can. Use the other one to help dry your clothes.
Take a glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM type supplement. I take the Kirkland (Costco) brand. It’s good for joint health in general. Takes about 2 weeks of daily supplementation for it to build up in your system and affect the way you feel.
Shoes: Pluto purple for sure!
This: “Use the other one to help dry your clothes.” is why I love you. You are imminently practical! And thanks for the supp tip too!
Love the pink ones!
I had PF a few years back – a night splint and having my doctor show me how to tape my foot for a while to offer some support worked. But what really got rid of it was a cortisone shot – not the most comfortable thing to get in your foot, but totally worth it in the end.
The shot thing kinda freaks me out… Hopefully it doesn’t get that far! Glad yours is all better now though!!
I would go with the Pluto purple! So fun!
Charcoal!!
Ooh, ouch! Foot pain is the WORST because you can’t do much if you can’t get around. I’m all about Pluto, that is one fun shoe! (But I’d need two, as I have two feet!)
Sadly, I have no advice for your poor foot except what you already stated (rest, ice, stretches). A really great stretch for the entire foot, if you can strand it, is to kneel with your toes tucked under (make sure the pinky toe makes it under too!) and rest your weight on your heels. Especially fun for the ladies who love high heels – it may get intense, but breathe through it!
And I would love those shoes in charcoal! I can’t quite pull off the neon with your aplomb.
Hero pose! Did it this morning! It hurt. But not horribly so I’m hoping it helped!
I love love love the pink ones. I’m obsessed with obnoxious, neon colored sneakers
Purple, love the purple!!
I think the purple color is my favorite. I haven’t read through all of the comments, but one thing I would suggest is massage with a golf ball. It hurts, but it really helped me with my bout of PF. Also, there were some stretches mentioned in a recent issue of Running Times magazine (sorry I can’t remember the specific issue) that helped me out. Maybe you could do an internet search. Good luck!
Ah I am the Google master! And thanks for the golf ball tip – now if only I knew anyone who has one I can use! (Seriously I have no friends who golf – how weird is that?)
Always purple all the time!
I was fortunate enough not to get PF, but I had shin splints BAD for a couple months. That was rough.
i had pf badly last summer and went to pt without any results. what helped me was wearing sneakers all the time and stretching my calves.
i would kill for the purple shoes! ( but i dont know if i can take part sice i live in germany)
get better soon!!!
puja
Oooh the neon pink ones are SO pretty!
I like the charcoal color. I hope your injury gets better soon!
I’d definitely have to go with the purple/pluto ones
Oh. OH. Clearly the correct answer here is PINK (Neo Pulse). I’m so sorry you’re hobbled. Hope your brain stays in a good place despite the challenge.
PF sucks – usually it is tied to a bone spur on the heel of your foot that is exposed because the arch isn’t being supported so the tendons aren’t held taught covering that part of your heel bone – an xray can confirm. arch supports are a huge help! My foot doc recommended the Dr Scholls Tri Comfort insoles – not too expensive and you can get them at Target/grocery store/etc. She said that while you can pay for custom orthotics it really isn’t necessary. I have two or three pairs that I can slip in and out of my shoes. Stretches are big – the thing that worked the best for me was rolling my arch on a tennis ball.Once I got my foot on the path to recovery I was able to wear shoes without orthotics on occasion (gotta still be able to wear my cute sandals in the summer!) And now I don’t need them in my running shoes at all. Every so often if it starts to bug me I will make sure to wear my better shoes but I have never had the pain again at the level it was when diagnosed.
and those shoes are awesome!!! I love the purple ones! 🙂
oh – and here’s the link for the orthotics my doc recommended: http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/products/TriComfortregOrthotics.jspa
Thank you Hannah! I love that they’re pretty inexpensive too – I’ll go look for some tomorrow.
I like the grey color! When I had plantar fasciitis years and years ago, I froze a water bottle and rolled it back and fort with my foot, and that’s what helped with the pain the most. I hope you have a quick recovery!
PLUTO!!!!! I love purple!
I have PF now. I took a month off of running and got new shoes. I had to do a lot of fun stuff like using a foam roller and something like The Stick (I use my wooden rolling pin because I’m cheap) on my calves to loosen them up. Something about those being so tight affecting the achilles tendon messing with my feet. Whatever. Also I got to do hydrotherapy- alternating heat and cold- I do it by taking 2 buckets and putting ice water in one and hot water in the other. 2 minutes in the cold, then 2 minutes in the hot. It’s really a special time. Also doing things like writing the alphabet in the air with your feet and stretching them before you get out of bed (like pointing your toes and then bringing them back the other way (whatever that’s called).
I’m sure I’ve impressed you with all of my medical terms, but all of this stuff does help. Hope you get better soon!
“It’s really a special time” Buwhahaha! Special, indeed! And I appreciate both the tips and the sympathy Suzanne! I hope your PF gets better asap!
All of my running shoes are white, so I would love a purple (Pluto) pair!
oh no….injury….NOT FUN! wishing you a speedy recovery. one day at a time!
I’d pump up my pulse in the new pulse color!
(Btw, what a great job it would be to be an official “color-namer.” Take OPI Nail Polish for example; with names like “An Affair in Red Square” and “I’m Not Really A Waitress.” So fun!)
I know!! I’ve had that same thought! Nail polish and lipstick names definitely have fun jobs!
Hi Charlotte! I am back & catching up!!!! I would so pick the Pluto OR maybe the color you have on too – I am so indecisive! 😉
On your feet….. I am only going to say to check out my Hoka OneOne running shoes.. Read their FB page. You know I write about how they saved my exercise life when I could barely walk. I have read on thier FB page of people with your issue that use the Hoka shoes & have had their issues go away, yes, even your prob…. might be worth checking into…. they are expensive but I would not be working out or walking normal without them! Dr. J even broke down & wears them now! 🙂
Hahah I love that you converted Dr. J! I’ll definitely go check them out – thanks for the rec. And welcome back from your vacay:)
PS: So sorry you are having these issue!!!!!!
They’re all cute, but I like the charcoal! I’ve never had plantar fascitis, but I’m a relatively new runner. Here’s hoping you recover soon!!
I love the charcoal ones!
The ones you are wearing ate beautiful
Bummer! Been there. My advice:
1. roll your foot on a frozen water bottle
2. Have your husband rub your feet
3. Whine about the pain.
Repeat as needed. I’d like the pink shoes. I’m surrounded by testosterone. I need pink.
I definitely like steps 2 and 3!!
The shoes rock…I hope they help! Love the charcoal color!
Only home remedy I’ve heard of is drinking cherry juice…maybe worth a shot. Maybe in a Mojito or Pina Colada…? 😉
Haha you don’t have to ask me twice to drink cherry juice! Yum!!
Hi Charlotte, a massage therapist specializing myofascial massage can work magic on the connective tissue on the bottom of you foot and calf. I know this has really helped others suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. Just makes sure you go to a GOOD therapist. Lots of not so great ones out there. Talk to your running friends – I’m sure someone has a recommendation. Also, it’s not always a pleasant modality to receive as it can be painful, but again, it can work wonders.
As far as the shoes go, Pluto please. 🙂
Ooh good idea! And getting my leg/foot massaged isn’t nearly as weird for me! I’ll ask around and see what I can find. If only you lived nearby! Do you still do massage therapy?
Nope, retired my license last year. I miss it though. Such a rewarding profession, and maybe I’ll go back to it someday. 🙂
Hope your foot feels better soon and Merry Christmas!
Yuck, plantar fasciitis is no fun. I’ve had it off and on for about three years. What works for me is: 1. Anti-inflamitory diet (meat, veggies, fruit, good fats like coconut & olive oil); 2. Stretch in the morning before getting out of bed; 3. Don’t run; 4. Soak your feet in warm water (I usually do this at night for about 30 minutes before going to bed.) I was surprised by how well the warm water part worked, as I’ve always been told to ice, but the warm water seems to just relax everything. Good luck!
And I would much rather do warm water than ice so that works out well for me! Thanks for the tips Tami! (And I couldn’t run even if I wanted to. Unless I wanted to hop on one foot the entire way…)
I’d get the Pluto. And for plantar faciatis, it you have high arches and don’t have adequate arch support, that’ll do it quick.
I do have high arches actually… Maybe I need inserts? Egads, I’m getting old.
My mom has plantar fasciitis and it seems pretty awful. These shoes may be great for her!! I really like the Pluto colors. Thanks for the giveaway!
Ooooh the charcoal ones are preeetty! (and the stilettos are aMAYzing!)
Absolutely agree with everyone who says ice, and stretching/moving your foot before it even hits the floor. The tendon knits overnight in a shortened state, so when you put weight on it first thing in the morning you’re actually re-injuring it: warming up helps prevent that. Wear a shoe with a *small* lift in the heel for the same reason. Also, alternating between a warm-to-almost-hot epsom salt soak and icing the area (starting with the ice!) is a good thing to do before bed.
Catching it early is good! Hopefully you’ll have it beat in no time.
Thanks for the tips Barb! And I even have some Epsom salts so I can do the foot bath thing!
I really love all the colors! But I’d say my favorites are the charcoal colored sneaks!
So I guess I’m a little bit laid-back, but I LOVE the charcoal. The colors are awesome and have just enough bright colors to add some pizazz!
As for the fasciitis? I have not a clue. All I know is that injuries stink! I struggled with (bad) shin splints off and on for several months. Finally feeling better, but am really nervous to start training again. I hope you find a solution soon!
1. So sorry about you PF – totally sucks!!! Hopefully yours will go away soon.
2. Those heels with the stars – AWESOME!!!!
3. I like any (and all) of the colors on the shoes! (Hope I win!!!)
Sorry for the list – I’m old and it is the only way I can remember things!
OH no! Good girl for resting. And I love your thinking: If you sure ain’t working out because of your heel- there ain’t no way you’re doing the errands! Ha.
Um those shoes are HOT! I’d HAVE to go the pink NEO Pulse ones. Otherwise it won’t go with all my other pink gym apparel 😉
No new advice to give you… But would love the shoes in charcoal!
I would choose pluto color!
I would like the charcoal color the most, but I want to say Pluto just because I like the name. When I had plantar fasciitis, I spent a lot of time stretching and massaging the sole of my foot. It took a long time to get back to normal; good luck!
I’ve read that MSM helps plantar fasciitis. I LOVE MSM. It made my hair super shiny after my mother told me for a year my hair was really dull, it helps the skin, it helps with pain and detoxes the cells, as well as helping cell membranes so that nutrients pass into cells more easily. No matter what you do for plantar fasciitis, you should take MSM as well. I take Doctor’s Best from iherb because it’s 100% pure OptiMSM, no added ingredients, and it’s very inexpensive. If you need a coupon code, PEY561 gives $10 off.
I’d choose Neo Pulse! 🙂
I really like pluto
Pluto seems to win the popular vote! I think that color is awesome! Good luck healing the plantar fasciitis!
I’d go for the pink!
My fiance had plantars and he filled a two liter soda bottle (one of the curves ones, like a Dr. Pepper) with water and left it in freezer so he could roll his foot over it instead of just icing it with a pack. His did get better though!
I’d go for the pink!
My fiance had plantars and he filled a two liter soda bottle (one of the curvier ones, like a Dr. Pepper) with water and left it in freezer so he could roll his foot over it instead of just icing it with a pack. His did get better though!
I would definitely opt for the PINK, so freakin cute!
Love the Neo Pulse shoes! So cute:) Between being a nursing student, nurses aide, and daily exerciser, I know too well about the aches and pains r/t PF. I’ve been seen by a podiatrist who made me special orthotics, but honestly rest, ice, and ibuprofen works just as well for me. Hope you get back on your feet soon!
I love the pluto color – love it. I hope you get better soon! i wish i had advice/pointers for you :-/
Pink all the way!!!
I’ve had PF a lot! It sucks. Just kinda hangs around being awful. Change your shoes, definitely no running or plyo or high impact on your feet for awhile. Boo! And ease back into it. Immediately after exercise ice your foot. That night warm bath or foot tub,
And I swear wine, chocolate and shopping Really help with PF!!
You may need to bite the bullet and see a podiatrist. That was the only thing that saved me. I still battle nasty PF, so when I feel it coming I sleep in the boot the doc gave me. I’ve even loaned it out to suffering friends! Superfeet inserts are also great – just like custom orthotics (If you were in Atlanta I’d send you straight to my doctor!)
By the way, I’d love me some pink Under Armour kicks!
Oooh, ouch and awe – love the Women’s UA Spine running shoe in blue. My husband has plantar fasciitis and wears a splint to bed nightly. He also rolls his heel on a golf ball. I hope that you find something to make it feel better soon, and that it never comes back! And those new stilettos are fab!!! Use with caution. 😉
I’d love a pair in pink! Sorry no advice for PF:(
I was going to write anyway, and let you know what worked for my friend and then you threw in the chance to win those great shoes too! Woo hoo. Everyone wins! (I like the gray, in case I’m the lucky girl. Girl? I’m 50, can I still claim that word? 🙂 ) Anyway, I had a friend who had plantar fasciitis and she said the only thing that fully got rid of it was wearing a walking brace and night brace for several weeks. I guess immobilizing it completely let it fully rest and recover. I know that sucks, to be out of commission that long, but she hasn’t had a recurrence.
Good luck.
Gaye
Really enjoy your blog. Thanks for all the great posts.
What a hot topic….everyone knows feet and shoes… Go Purple!
for relief I agree w/ the ones that said massage. Along w/ some feet up time which is nearly impossible for a a mother of 4- 10 days before Christmas…but try to stay off a few hours a day it will help.. go to Scheels or anywhere that sells good sports shoes where you can purchase for $4.99 a small insole lift to place in your shoes under your arch They are about the size of the palm of your hand, a reflexologist told me about it over the expensive insoles and it was an instant relief for me. I THOUGHT all my shoes had good support in them, now if they don’t I get some of these little arch supports. It was like a miracle for me.
Easy! Charcoal/grey…you know, the one like the color of my face after finding yet another new injury. For the PF, use a tennis or lacrosse ball and, with the good foot for support, put 70–80% of all the weight you can on the one that hurts. Remember that post from a while back about foam rolling and how you’re immune to the murderous pain? Foam rolling but with a lacrosse ball is worth a shot. I recommend having a towel to bite on.
Ugh. PF … I have had it, too. I also recommend seeing a podiatrist. It took me 6-8 wks to get through it. I am a runner, but I think mine came on when I was on my feet all day barefoot or in flats at a party right after running. But after reading about it, I am surprised that I had avoided PF for that long.
We put a lot of emphasis on what kind of shoes to wear when we run or train. I have learned that it is just as important if not more important to pay attention to what you wear on your feet *after* working out.
The other advice given to you here is really solid… Stretching, massage, ice, ibuprofen, inserts and shoes with arch support.
The purple Pluto shoes are hot! Would love those!
Plantar fascitis is not fun, a good thing to do before you get out of bed is air write the abc’s with your foot, it really helps. And definately always stretch after working out. A great website to check out is mobilitywod.com for great ideas on how to care for your body and stay mobile!
I would love the purple Pluto shoes!
Start going with zero drop heels on your shoes. Since I’ve switched to the minimalists, the PF has not made a showing.
Also, freeze a water bottle with some water in it (not too much) and roll your foot with that several times a day. Do the calf stretches.
But, seriously, get rid of those athletic shoes with the higher heels.
I wouldn’t wear the UA shoes, but if I did, I’d want the purple ones (since they don’t have lime green).
Pluto is my fave but pulse is a very close second! I don’t have any advice for PF but my MIL has it and I know it causes her alot of pain. She always wears very supportive shoes in the house. I hope you can get rid of it quickly! And the stilettos-I die! Love them.
Pluto is my fave but pulse is a very close second! I don’t have any advice for PF but my MIL has it and I know it causes her alot of pain. She always wears very supportive shoes in the house. I hope you can get rid of it quickly! And the stilettos-Love them!
Neo Pulse. Why wear shoes if they aren’t fun?!
I’d def. get the purple, as my current shoes are a dull grey and blue. blech!
Sorry to hear about your injury – hope it heals quickly. I know it can be quite painful – wish I had some advice to offer………
I love the Pluto color! So pretty.
I like the charcoal – I love dark shoes with superbright laces.
Sorry to hear about your injury! I know you know this, but make sure you give yourself plenty of time to recover so it doesn’t become a chronic problem.
I like Pluto!
I like the purple :-). Hope you feel better!
I love the purple (Pluto). I’ve been dealing with PF for over 10 years now. My mom ended up having to have surgery for it, but I opted the non-surgery route because I am hyper-active and I couldn’t stand the thought of being in a cast (I seriously considered asking the doctor if he would attach SPD clips to the bottom of the casts so I could clip into my road bike). I would suggest you go see a podiatrist who specializes in sports medicine/injuries. You’ll probably end up with orthotics and he/she will give you some good recommendations for running shoes and will also give you some good exercises and stretches to strengthen your foot muscles. Remember to ask for running orthotics with suede on the bottom so they don’t make squeaky noises when you run with sweaty feet! I do the heel raises while I’m making dinner every night – I just made it into a habit and now I do it without even thinking.
I hope you feel better! Any way you look at it, foot pain is the worst!
I like the pink! I had pf three years ago after going on a 3 week walking tour of Greece in Sketchers, which apparently weren’t supportive enough. It mainly took time and rest. I have had to be careful to wear supportive shoes ever since– no weird vibram toe shoes for me!
I love the pink!
Pink for me! I love bright neons.
All the colours are great but if I had to chose just one it would be the charcoal. I don’ t have any advice to offer except see the dr if it doesn’t improve. I’m off there tomorrow to have her look at the wrist I was convinced I’d just strained, over a month later it still isn’t quite right so I’m biting the bullet and praying I haven’t done myself more damage !
I’ve been suffering with Plantar Fasciitis for over a year. It is so painful. I had to get injections in one foot and it’s heaps better now. I think mine was torn rather than inflamed so hopefully you won’t have to get that done because it really hurts ! I only wear supportive shoes most of the time, but I’ve also found that going barefoot at home helps a lot. I believe it’s something to do with the way we step differently when barefoot as opposed to when wearing shoes.
I did all the above suggestions, stretching, ice, rolling my foot on a hard ball, massage, more stretching and finally over a year later I only have 1 heel that’s still a problem. I also find that if I’m standing (such as washing the dishes etc) if I slowly raise up to tippy-toes then back down slowly that really helps too. Apparently strengthening the ankles can help a lot.
Good luck with it ! I hope it heals much faster than mine 🙂
I’m a huge fan of loud workout clothes too. Neon gives me energy! I like the charcoal the best – that way they’ll match most of my clothes.
Pluto Please. My feet hurt a lot – have to wear shoes with good support all the time. Now if they just made dress shoes that super cute and supportive!
Those shoes are awesome! All the colors are striking, but I think I would go with either the pink or gray ones. As for the plantar fasciitis, I would just take it easy for a bit. I’ve also read that rolling a tennis ball under your foot or purposefully flexing your toes may help.
Hi Charlotte,
This is my first comment on your blog, even though I’ve been reading your posts for over a year. I really appreciate the variety of topics that you discuss. Every Friday morning, I eat breakfast and read my Great Fitness Experiment “newspaper” (i.e.,catch up on all your blog posts for the week that I had no time to read until Friday). So thank you for what you do! Also, (side note) I am also from Minnesota (now temporarily living in Canada for graduate school) so it’s nice to read about your adventures and feel connected to home.
Sorry to hear about the plantar fasciitis – not fun! Previous experience has taught me that stretching, resting, and rolling a tennis ball under my feet helps…as well as lots of chocolate!
Anyways, I love the shoes! My favorite is the Neo Pulse – bright colors are so uplifting! However, if I were to win your give-away, I’d like to give the shoes to my best friend. She’s a stay-at-home mother of two who lives in Minnesota and just completed her first marathon (Twin Cities) in October. Running is her only “time for herself” and she deserves some beautiful color on her very hardworking feet.
Sending you happy, and pain free, wishes for the holidays.
Thanks Brittany! This comment totally made me smile:) And thanks for the advice – especially about the chocolate!!
I’d love some neon pink shoes! The best thing for me when my plantar fasciitis flares is soaking my feet in the dreaded tub of ice. using a frozen bottle of water as afoot roller feels great too.
Charlotte, I’m in the process of recovering from plantar fasciitis. Still getting the morning pains, but no pain during the day – huzzah for progress! My treatment has involved massaging (by the physio/a golf ball) along the arch of my foot and regular icing (a drink bottle filled with water and frozen works well for rolling under your foot). Once you’re feeling a little better, calf strengthening exercises seem to be the way to go. Good luck with your recovery. If it helps…and no doubt it doesn’t…I totally know how you’re feeling! 🙂
P.S. I like the charcoal.
I love the Pluto.As for the PF, I found that using a golf ball to roll on my arches really seemed to help and also of course rest.
I want the purple ones! They’re pretty!
I’ve had plantar fasciitis on two separate occasions. For me, it always came from wearing heels too much. Whenever I feel it coming on, when I’m not in workout sneakers, I wear Dansko clogs. They’re super supportive and work for my feet. The other things that helped:
– A night splint (http://www.footsmart.com/P-Night-Splint-Passive-FootSmart-10097.aspx)
– A calf stretching device (http://www.footsmart.com/P-FootSmart-SmartFlexx-Stretching-Device-10741.aspx)
– Extra arch supports (http://www.footsmart.com/P-Arch-Pro-Tec-10036.aspx)
Omg, now I sound like a commercial! Good luck!
When I read this post all I read was plantar faciatis and my heart went out to you. I didn’t realize until I got here and saw over 150 comments that it was a giveaway post too. Oops. There goes my claim that I have an “eye for details”. My advice, above and beyond what you listed here is to never go barefoot. I had it for well over a year, dealing with what I can only describe as debilitating heel pain. After more than 18 months of daily pain, I saw a foot specialist of some sort (an orthorist, a pedoratrist, I can’t remember now). I did buy custom orthotics and they have helped immensely. However, the best advice I got from my orthotic maker was to always wear shoes with support from the minute my feet touched the floor in the morning to when I laid back down in bed in the evening. I also did foot massage using an accu-ball (but a golf ball would be an easy to find and cheap alternative) and foot stretches before getting out of bed in the morning in order to warm up the tendons and ligaments in my injury prone feet and ankles. All that involves is lying in bed and drawing the alphabet in the air with your toes. Hope I’m not being too repetitive and best of luck getting better.
I would love the Pluto color! How fun! As for your foot, my husband suffered from that pretty bad this past summer. Next time you are at the gym (Lakeville Lifetime), stop by the Lifespa. We have these great massage balls that work perfectly. They are blue, come in small or large (the small one is perfect for the foot), they can be heated or cooled as well. Right now they are on the shelf, back by the nail polish. I would definitely recommend trying it! Good luck, Jeannette
I’ve been there too, just this past summer. I wasn’t running hardly at all at the time either. I attributed mine started to not wearing my regular running shoes — I was wearing my cross-trainers as I was running in the gym as part of a boot camp class. Unfortunately it can take awhile for the pain to go away completely. What did seem to help, at least temporarily with the pain, was some sort of ultrasound shock treatment they did locally at the physiotherapist. Oh, and I was careful to always wear supportive shoes around the house (Birkenstocks) and my heel supports for walking and running.
I’d love to win the neo pulse! I would love some funky coloured gym shoes!
Most PF sufferers I know, it took up to 1 year to heal completely. I’ve had it twice. I hope yours goes faster. I think a lot of it though was not knowing how to treat it and you’ve got lots of great information here. I think exercising your feet before getting out of bed will give you the most benefit over the long run. Just don’t walk around in pain. Find a shoe (if you must) that eliminates the pain. I’ll never throw away my Berkenstocks for that reason alone.
First, I love the charcoal! Second, I want to read the advice because I’ve actually started to develop the beginnings of plantar fasciitis!
I just found your blog last week. Just wanted you to know I find you hilarious.
I would love the Pluto. Hope you get to feeling better. I have not advice for you though.
Ohhh! I love the purple! No clue about the PF thing, though. :/ Sorry!
I love the ‘Pluto’! And I have no first-hand experience with PF, but my mom has it and basically just can never be barefoot. She’s in birkenstocks the moment she gets out of bed, like a common hippie. 😉
My husband has been suffering with PF for a long time, but we still can’t work out what to do about it either! I LOVE the Neo Pulse … I’m a pink girl ALL THE WAY!!
Oh.. love those Pluto ones!
I have no experience with foot issues, thankfully! Hopefully someone has some good solutions for you!
Pluto. I have been dying to buy some neon shoes, but unfortunately its not in the budget.
Tough choice. I LOVE purple but it’s not exactly neon. And my Chucks (always worn with supportive insoles) are purple so okay I vote PINK (Neo Pulse)!
I worked in a specialty shoe store in University. There are shoe brands (Dansko comes to mind if you don’t like the currently-trendy ones for “effortless bum improvement”) that have a stiff sole with rocker. That lets your foot tendons rest while you still get around (presuming putting weight on it isn’t too painful). Once you’re past the acute phase with the stretching and icing andobligatory owowowowing, you’re on to the monkey-toe excercises and such. Funny that the long-term RX is ‘build a concrete boot around your foot’ rather than ‘train your foot to do what it’s built to do’ – paleos would suggest moccasins and the dreaded arch-support-free ballerinas IF (and only if) they have room for your toes to spread and grip, otherwise you’re back to square one. Oh, and looking for any dietary or lifestyle factors that might predispose you to systemic inflammation that just happens to manifest in your foot. Sorry ’bout that (how’s the no-milk thing going?)
Plantar fasciatis is the bane of my (exercising) existence. I recommend lots and lots of stretching. However, the best thing I’ve found is massage. Thank goodness I have a sweet and understanding fiance! And I’d totally choose pink.
PINK! As a mother of all boys, I need some pink in my life.
Hope you find something that helps!
Holy cuteness! Put me in for Neo Pulse!
I just started getting weid pains in my left achilles…hmm, wonder if that is what is causing it!
Injuries are no fun! It’s one thing after another when you get older…at least, that;s what I use as an excuse.
My latest pair of shoes are kettlebell grey cammo (at least, they look like little kettlebells), I was trying to ge the pink and purple ones but they were all out…so I guess I would go for either pink or purple!!!
Hope you feel better!
I have managed to avoid getting injured so far, but I’m sure resting, massaging it out, and stretching will help.
The pink shoes are my favorite!
Um, the neon pink. Duh. Go big or go home.
My former manager when I worked retail got PF. It was a drag. She sat her heel in a bag of ice every night before bed and always wore something with arch support around the house for a while. She especially liked Birkenstock sandals because the arches are HUGE.
I hope you feel better soon!
pink or purple, love them! are Chaco sandals good for the heel pain? I heard they feel great
I’d choose the charcoal, though the purple is cool too.
I’m embracing pink lately, so I’d go for Neo Pulse.
As for the PF, it looks like you’re already aware of all the right stuff. One you didn’t have was freezing a bottle of water and then putting it on its side on the floor and rolling your foot over it.
If you’re doing all those things and you’re still hobbling every time you get up, the best advice is to get some physical therapy if your insurance will cover it. My PF went on for more than two years and I had two rounds of PT before it finally went away. I should definitely have started that second round sooner. Good luck!
I’m embracing pink lately, so I’d go for Neo Pulse.
As for the PF, it looks like you’re already aware of all the right stuff. One you didn’t have was freezing a bottle of water and then putting it on its side on the floor and rolling your foot over it.
If you’re doing all those things and you’re still hobbling every time you get up, the best advice is to get some physical therapy if your insurance will cover it. My PF went on for more than two years until I did. Good luck!
I’m embracing pink lately, so I’d go for Neo Pulse. As for the PF, try freezing a bottle of water, then putting it on its side on the floor and rolling your foot over it. If you’re doing all those things and still hobbling when you get up, get some physical therapy if your insurance will cover it. My PF went on for more than two years until I did. Good luck!
I’m embracing pink lately, so I’d go for Neo Pulse. As for the PF, try freezing a bottle of water, then putting it on its side on the floor and rolling your foot over it. If you’re doing all those things and still having problems, get some physical therapy if your insurance will cover it. My PF went on for more than two years until I did. Good luck!
Charcoal for me. Timely post as I’ved developed a niggling pain. Lots of great ideas that might nip this in the bud.
Sorry for all those duplicate posts! I kept getting error messages with yellow triangles and exclamation points telling me my content was somehow problematic (can’t remember the exact phrase). I thought maybe my post was too long, so I kept trying to shorten it, and I kept getting the error message. Normally, I’m not this much of a dufus.
Pluto was my fav! And never had that injury before, just a stress fracture on my hip, guessing from running. That took me off the XC team and put me on crutches for a few months. 🙁
I’d have to say I love the neo pulse color.
You know I never knew what that pain was and still thought that at some undetermined point I had bruised my heel. It’s good to know that isn’t the case.
Pluto is perfect!
I like the charcoal ones 🙂 I use a golf ball and roll my feet over it…hurts so good! I got in the habit of doing it every morning while drinking my coffee and it seems to have some sort of preventative measure. Hope you heal up quickly!
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Love the pictures!! I recenlty worried that i had plantar fasciitis and quickly bought some shoes from http://www.orthaheelusa.com, i’m now doing great and love how much the shoes have helped!!
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I had a terrible car and a friend brought NE pitted cherries it went away for about eight months but returns so I way plenty of cherries nit sure why it keeps coming back…..hope this helps…..i love purple
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Great color shoe, i love it!I could use a pair right now,I have plantar fasciitis and it hurt so much.