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FINDING RELIEF: HOW BAREFOOT SHOES AND FOOT EXERCISES CAN ALLEVIATE PLANTAR FASCIITIS
March 15, 2024
Plantar fasciitis is a common type of foot pain. You might have even experienced it without knowing its name! This blog explains what plantar fasciitis is, how barefoot footwear can help with plantar fasciitis, and offers some exercises for alleviating plantar fasciitis.
What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is when the tissues in your ‘plantar fascia’ - the ligament running along the bottom of your foot, connecting your heel bone to your toes - tear and become inflamed. Symptoms include heel pain and stiffness, making it difficult to run, walk, and even stand.
What causes plantar fasciitis?
Genetics, lifestyle, and footwear can all cause plantar fasciitis. Interestingly, plantar fasciitis only affects people who wear shoes. But while runners often think of it as a running injury, it’s more common among overweight or sedentary people, as well as those who spend many hours standing. It’s also more likely alongside existing foot issues, like high arches or flat footedness.
Genetics, lifestyle, and footwear can all cause plantar fasciitis. Interestingly, plantar fasciitis only affects people who wear shoes. But while runners often think of it as a running injury, it’s more common among overweight or sedentary people, as well as those who spend many hours standing. It’s also more likely alongside existing foot issues, like high arches or flat footedness.
Can barefoot footwear help treat plantar fasciitis?
The short answer is yes. For many people, barefoot is probably the best footwear for plantar fasciitis.
Strengthening foot muscles is one effective way to prevent plantar fasciitis. But traditional footwear (including trainers) is padded, narrow, and rigid. This limits how much your feet can move and how hard they’re able to work, undermining your foot strength, agility, and flexibility.
Barefoot footwear, on the other hand, is wide, thin, and flexible. This lets your feet move naturally, flex freely, and grow stronger. Research shows that wearing Vivos for six months can increase foot strength by a whopping 60%.* One study of 2,300 children in Manipal, India, compared regularly shod and regularly unshod school kids, and found that regularly unshod kids had wider feet, which is a sign of foot strength. Another study, by the University of Delaware and Harvard Medical School, found that increasing barefoot activity makes arches stronger and higher.
By promoting proper foot mechanics and strengthening your foot muscles, barefoot shoes can help alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis and prevent future flare-ups.
Exercises to help treat plantar fasciitis
Here are three foot exercises that can complement the use of barefoot shoes in treating plantar fasciitis.
Toe spreading. Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the ground. Spread your toes as wide as possible and hold for a few seconds, then relax. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times to strengthen your toe muscles and improve toe alignment.
Towel scrunches. Place a small towel on the floor and use your toes to scrunch it up towards you. Hold for a few seconds, then release and repeat. This exercise targets the muscles in your arch and helps improve your foot strength and flexibility.
Calf stretch. Stand facing a wall with one foot in front of the other. Place your hands on the wall for support and bend your front knee while keeping your back leg straight. You should feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides. Performing this stretch regularly can help alleviate tension in your calf muscles, which can contribute to plantar fasciitis.
Incorporating these foot exercises into your daily routine, along with wearing barefoot shoes, can help strengthen the muscles in your feet and ankles, improve flexibility and alignment, and reduce pain and inflammation associated with plantar fasciitis.
Another study, by the University of Delaware and Harvard Medical School, found that increasing barefoot activity makes arches stronger and higher. By promoting proper foot mechanics and strengthening your foot muscles, barefoot shoes can help alleviate the symptoms of plantar fasciitis and prevent future flare-ups.
Walking barefoot at home is not recommended for the same reason walking barefoot outside is ill-advised, Dr. Peden says. “All kinds of footwear protect your feet. Over the course of weeks or months, the strain of walking barefoot can add significant stress to your arches, tendons, plantar fascia, and joints,” he says.
"The brands of shoes that I recommend for patients with plantar fasciitis are either On or Hoka, as they provide ample cushion and support while still being relatively light," Dr.
There are very few risks associated with plantar fasciitis massage when done correctly. However, if a person massages aggressively when the fascia is inflamed, the sole of the foot can become sensitive. This may make the pain even worse. It is important to go slowly and stop if the pain becomes too intense.
Eating too much sugar: When your blood sugar levels are high, your body releases molecules that can trigger inflammation and make heel pain worse. Standing for long periods: Spending too much time standing — especially if you're standing on a hard surface or in one position — makes the effects of plantar fasciitis ...
Stretching is one of the best treatments for plantar fasciitis. Stretching should be focused on the plantar fascia and the Achilles tendon. A physical therapist can show you stretching exercises that you can repeat at home several times a day.
Applying ice to the injured tissue, massaging the area, or using a combination of both approaches 2 to 3 times daily for 5 to 10 minutes at a time can help to treat plantar fasciitis. Rolling the bottom of your foot on a plastic ball covered in soft spikes is an easy form of massage your doctor may recommend.
Most people who have plantar fasciitis recover in several months with conservative treatment, such as icing the painful area, stretching, and modifying or staying away from activities that cause pain.
Also, avoid high heels and other footwear that puts abnormal pressure on your feet. If you have flat feet or high arches, pay extra attention to your shoes, as these conditions increase your risk of plantar fasciitis.
You can walk as much as you want with plantar fasciitis. If it starts to hurt, you can stop—but you aren't damaging anything if you keep walking. In terms of footwear, the best shoes for plantar fasciitis are ones that fit correctly—both in length and width—and provide arch support.
While some orthopedists do have experience performing surgery on the feet, a podiatrist is still the only medical specialist who is trained, educated, certified, and licensed for the exclusive treatment of the ankle and foot.
Shoes which often make plantar fasciitis worse are flat slip on shoes or pumps. Ugg boots are also very bad. Flip flops are bad yet remain a popular choice of footwear for many people, particularly those that live in warmer climate.
Wearing zero-drop shoes might help prevent plantar fasciitis by strengthening your foot muscles. But if you already have the condition, zero-drop shoes may aggravate your symptoms. The same goes for those with flat feet. Zero-drop shoes will help strengthen your feet to improve their normal function.
Vibram FiveFinger shoes fall into the Minimalist shoe category. Minimalist shoes are designed to allow the ball of the foot or the midfoot to strike the ground before the heel, leading to almost no impact collision. Meaning reduced impact. This is said to reduce the risk of plantar fasciitis and ankle sprains.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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