Heel spurs/plantar fascitis (sp?)...what shoes w/o socks?

[Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo]

I just don't understand the Croc's! They look like they would be hot and sweaty to wear, and the vinyl/ plastic would rub you raw with blisters! I can't get past how awful they look to even try a pair on, but they appear to be as uncomfortable as those old "jelly" shoes, since they are all plastic. Should I swallow my preconceived notions and make myself try them? Also, should you stay away from imitations and stick with the brand name?

 

[KKB]

I just don't understand the Croc's! They look like they would be hot and sweaty to wear, and the vinyl/ plastic would rub you raw with blisters! I can't get past how awful they look to even try a pair on, but they appear to be as uncomfortable as those old "jelly" shoes, since they are all plastic. Should I swallow my preconceived notions and make myself try them? Also, should you stay away from imitations and stick with the brand name?

They are made of an absorbent resin material. (googled that one!)

I have worn DS's around the house. Soft, comfy, cool. They are worn fairly loose, so blisters would be difficult to aquire.

I still find them ugly. I have heel spurs, and wear Birks around the house. Tried the crocs (real ones here...) and had a sore heel in an hour. Now, there is a Crocs RX for heel spurs/PF, and I may need to buck up & try them. For now good tennies w/ my lifts will alternate w/ Keens at WDW.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Didn't know about the Croc Rx. Thanks for the tip. My father has heel spurs and enjoys his crocs but he wears his orthotics in them. Sometimes they slip out the back. Actually they don't they don't actually slip out.. if he is walking fast they "pop" out and fly into the person behind him. I had imagined doing disney with him and constantly apologizing to the people behind us.

 

[alloyd1170]

I live in my Crocs (Athens and Beach) all the timenow. When I first saw them on a trip to CO, I thought they were so ugly and cheap looking. If you remember, when Birks first came on the scene everyone thought they were ugly too. Look how popular they became. I jumped on that bandwagon and wore them all the time. Now, they hurt my feet.

Crocs are so lightweight, and so comfy-like walking on a cloud. I used to wear Birks and New Balance to WDW. After a few hours, my feet, legs and back would hurt, plus I had blisters. I would go to bed with cramping legs and feet, dreading the morning when Id have to do it all over again. Ive now worn my Crocs twice to WDW. Im not sore at the end of the day, and I have no blisters. For $30 you cant go wrong!

alison

 

[ladylee]

I too have PF and just returned yesterday from 6 days at the park. I wore my Crocs relief everyday and my feet, back or legs were never sore. For me they are wonderful. Last time I did Disney I came home and ended up in a cast because I walk so weird trying to keep my feet from hurting-not this time. ds and dd wore them too and they never complained about their feet or being tired.

For those of you who have tried Crocs and didn't like them did you try the Beach or Cayman ones? The ones you can find for adults in the stores are mostly sold is s-m-l and are the beach. If you go to Crocs.com you can find the Caymans which are size 6, 7, 8, 9 I can't wear the Beach ones because they bother my arch (Disney crocs are beach) but the Caymans don't bother me at all and work just as well as the Relief for shorter periods of time.

 

[mommykds]

I am 33 and I have Plantar Fascitis in my left foot. It got so bad last fall that I was on crutches for a couple of months. I finally bought a pair of crocs and they helped tremendously! We went to WDW in Jan and I give you my word of honor-I had absolutely no foot pain while wlking around the parks!! It was really amazing. Go to the crocs web sight and look under "Crocs Rx". They have crocs specifcally for PF. We are going back in Sept, and those are the only shoes that will be on my feet!

do You know how they fit? I have the Athens & I wear a 9 but in other shoes I am a 10. Do the rx relief run small/large? thanks!

 

[goinback]

[ QUOTE=mommykds;19287813]do You know how they fit? I have the Athens & I wear a 9 but in other shoes I am a 10. Do the rx relief run small/large? thanks![/QUOTE]

I wear a 7.5 and I odered a womens 8. They do feel a bit big, but I think that is part of what makes them feel so good. I recently bought another pair and ordered a size 7 and had to send them back because they felt too small. I also ordered an arch brace from footsmart.com that helps alot.

 

[SingingMom]

Croc wearers... just DON'T RUN IN THEM!!

Today, like an idiot, I ran across the street in my Croc clogs - in a rush to get back home after stopping at the neighbor's...

Tripped and went flying into the middle of the street -
leaving for WDW tomorrow - I'll be the one with the skinned knee and palm!

 

[myladyisatramp]

I have PF also, they only shoes I can wear are Dansko, they are expensive but believe me they are heaven. I bought a pair of sandals last year and just bought another pair this year. check them out on line. Dansko.com or onlineshoes.com

 

[ZoZo]

I have another suggestion - I really like Easy Spirit sneaker "mules." They're "backless" sneakers and extremely comfortable without socks. I have to wear shoes without backs due to heel problems (on the advice of my orthopedist), and own four pairs of these in different colors. The type I wear is called "Traveltime." To me, it's just like wearing slippers! Got them on Zappos.com (free shipping and returns) and had a great experience. Come in lots of great colors.

Give 'em a try!

 

[WINTER]

do the Crocs generics work as well, such as the ones as Payless?

 

[RoseNJ]

I have PF in both heels with a bone spur on one of them too. Last summer in WDW I wore my New Balance Sneakers during the day ( I love the new socks with Coolmax, if you don't like socks because your feet sweat, these wick the moisture away from your feet keeping them dry). I made my husband stop walking every mile or so and I did my stretches to keep from tightening up. In the evenings I wore my Birks (make sure they are broken in first though). I think you have to be prepared by following your Dr.'s advice. Mine told me to take an anti-inflamatory in the morning, again at lunch, do my stretching exercises frequently, and ice in the evening if needed. I lasted all week with little or no pain, but you have to plan and you have to have people who understand that if you don't take care of your PF, they will not have a happy camper on vacation!

 

[beattyfamily]

I went to the Dr. yesterday.

Shots = Oooh! The pain!

He suggested New Balance over 800 series, the higher the better.

He hates Crocs but never heard of the Crocs Relief that I 'might' try.

New Balance also has a slip on that I might buy as a house slipper.

I'm looking for any more good shoe recommendations. I'm a sandal lover so this condition is killing me. I don't like wearing sneakers due to the heat, sweat and being prone to blisters.

 

[KKB]

I do have crocs (the sandal w/ the 2 thin straps...). I do wear them around the house, but will get a sore heel at end of the day, so am worried that they WON'T be good for WDW. I have thought about the crocRX...but they are so ugly!

I did wear Keens all day at amusement park (11-8) and had sore FEET, but my heel felt fine!!

I have an ancient pair of Birks I wear around the house...heel NEVER hurts, so I may buck up & get a new pair of Birks for WDW.

I am like you & hot feet in sneakers in FL does NOT appeal to me! So I will take my Keens, my crocs (we shall see...), new Birks, and my tennies w/ ortho lifts JUST IN CASE!

OP had a great plan...stretches, ibuprofen, ice if needed. A recent study showed that people w/ PF/heel spurs who did stretches 3x/day were RID of their pain in 3 months! This was a VERY successful treatment! SO I do those every time I think of it! (MORE than 3x/day) I have had VERY little pain since I started! Just sit, pull toes up toward ceiling (FLEX foot) and hold for 10 sec!

 

[billwendy]

Hi p

The only brands I like are the Crocs and the Airwalks. Now for me, i feel the airwalks are a bit softer and have a smoother inside - while the crocs are a teensy bit firmer with a nubbier inside. I prefer the cayman for a regular croc, but have you all tried the scutes????? OMGoodnes!!!!!! they have a double layered heel that is HEAVEN!!!!!! talk about comfie - instant relief for my PF!!! I wore them on 2 disney trips now, and havent felt better!!! Also, if you just need some extra support, have you tried taping the bottom of your foot with atheletic tape? that is helpful too!!!!

 

[mysparky]

I do have crocs (the sandal w/ the 2 thin straps...). I do wear them around the house, but will get a sore heel at end of the day, so am worried that they WON'T be good for WDW. I have thought about the crocRX...but they are so ugly!

I did wear Keens all day at amusement park (11-8) and had sore FEET, but my heel felt fine!!

I have an ancient pair of Birks I wear around the house...heel NEVER hurts, so I may buck up & get a new pair of Birks for WDW.

I am like you & hot feet in sneakers in FL does NOT appeal to me! So I will take my Keens, my crocs (we shall see...), new Birks, and my tennies w/ ortho lifts JUST IN CASE!

OP had a great plan...stretches, ibuprofen, ice if needed. A recent study showed that people w/ PF/heel spurs who did stretches 3x/day were RID of their pain in 3 months! This was a VERY successful treatment! SO I do those every time I think of it! (MORE than 3x/day) I have had VERY little pain since I started! Just sit, pull toes up toward ceiling (FLEX foot) and hold for 10 sec!

KKB -
I guess we wear the same shoes! I'm a huge fan of Birks (wear them in the house all of the time b/c I'm in PF recovery) and also love my keens. When we were in the parks last fall (and clocked an average 6 miles/day), I usually wore my Keens all day and then switched to either my Birks or tennis shoes at night. I found that I needed the change at night.

One thing I would add about the keens, though. Despite all of that ventilation, your feet still can get hot & a little sweaty. Body glide really does help prevent any friction between your foot and the shoe.

 

[Michellynn]

I also have PF....and I needed something cool for the summer with lots of support. I spend most weekends on my feet all day out in my garden and yard. I found these great flip flops, Bite Spirit OS, that allow you to insert orthotic supports in them and I love them (and yes, I can actually garden in them). I also find them more attractive than the Crocs (which I am not a fan of either, appearance wise). They come in a ton of different colors, although I've noticed that some websites only sell certain colors...so shop around a little for selection and price if you decide you are interested in them.

I've been wearing mine all summer and they are fantastic. I walk every day for excercise and the Bite sandals provide almost as much support as my Asic sneakers with orthotic inserts.

I'll be taking those with me on my trip to WDW, a pair of the Skecher's Biker mary janes, and I am still looking for a third pair to take (looking for a good sneaker mule). Since I am going to WDW in February I want to have some shoes that are little bit "warmer" with me for the chilly evenings.

 

[planningcrazymom]

My 36 yr. ild daughter has heel spurs and I bought her a pair of crocs a couple of months ago and she swears she will not wear anything else. Says she has no pain in her feet at all. The only thing is fer feet sweat a lot while she is wearing them. what would you suggest for this?

 

[leebee]

I have heel spurs, PF, AND tendonitis, all in my right foot! I've worn keens, tevas, chacos, finally ended up with Crocs. It took years...mostly because I couldn't find a pair that hit my arch correctly! I guess I have a non-common length between my arch and toes- all I know is the pre-formed soles found in many sandals just don't work for me. However, I finally found the perfect pair of crocs...and they are amazing! I have always preferred barefoot to anything else, but can't do too much barefootin' anymore. The right pair of crocs has been terrific! And...I have a black pair from Payless and they do NOT feel as good or wear as well as the real Crocs; I can wear them for a few hours but wouldn't risk it at WDW!

 

[aubriee]

Montrail Molokinis=pure heaven .