Plantar Fascitis Crocs wearers: Help!!!

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Just wanted to let you all know that I hit up a Crocs store at the mall today and tried on a couple styles. I tried the Duet which seems like it might work. I also gave in and tried the Patricia. I actually liked them. My only issue was how tight the straps were b/c they were made out of the Crocs rubber. I have a pair of Crocbands wedges I don't wear and even gave to one of my daughters b/c the band just won't loosen up. So...I asked the employees, and they "off the record" said that some of their customers use a blow dryer, heat it up, and stretch. They just said not to pull too hard b/c it won't tighten up again! So, I guess I will try my Crocbands and see if it works before I buy them. I also tried Kadee, and they seemed a bit more comfy than my Malindis. Gasp!! I bought a pair of Sanuks last night on the referral of another Diser on a similar thread. Hopefully they work!!!

 

[housetomouse]

The Sexi Flip style looks like a bad idea! Those straps around the sides & back look like they could rub. I wouldn't take the chance at Disney. That style sandal never works out for me.

I can't tell from the pictures, but I'd want to know if the flip-flop styles have the thin fabric between the toes or if it's that thick separator that some flip-flops have. If it's the thin type, I think any of those would be comfortable.

The one pair that is similar to the Beach style is probably also comfortable, but probably no different than the Beach unless it's a better footbed.

Sounds like you have a good plan, good luck!

P.S. I am also a big fan of the Capri! These are the most comfortable flip-flop I've owned. I manage my feet the same as you, I think: Good, supportive running shoe during the day, then switch over to Crocs (Beach or Capri) late afternoon. I've had PF & Mortons Neuroma both, but not as severe or persistent as yours. Disney brings it out, imagine that!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

The Sexi Flip style looks like a bad idea! Those straps around the sides & back look like they could rub. I wouldn't take the chance at Disney. That style sandal never works out for me.

I can't tell from the pictures, but I'd want to know if the flip-flop styles have the thin fabric between the toes or if it's that thick separator that some flip-flops have. If it's the thin type, I think any of those would be comfortable.

The one pair that is similar to the Beach style is probably also comfortable, but probably no different than the Beach unless it's a better footbed.

Sounds like you have a good plan, good luck!

P.S. I am also a big fan of the Capri! These are the most comfortable flip-flop I've owned. I manage my feet the same as you, I think: Good, supportive running shoe during the day, then switch over to Crocs (Beach or Capri) late afternoon. I've had PF & Mortons Neuroma both, but not as severe or persistent as yours. Disney brings it out, imagine that!

Don't worry! The sexy flips would only be for an evening out with the hubby when I know I won't be in them for super long, or a morning church service when we are home. They wouldn't be good for any amount of time in the park other than a romantic evening.

Any shoe I wear at Disney I wear at home first so that my feet adjust to the rub places! I have to do this with flip flops as well. The thong hurts if I don't break in my feet! Currently I am breaking in my first pair of Sanuks! I got the idea from someone on a similar thread and decided to try them out. They were inexpensive buying them new on ebay, and were shipped here from florida in two days!!! I wore them all day, and there's no pain! Yay! They are a definite contender for a backup pair of flip flops for Disney! I just have to be careful not to wear my Crocs too much before I go to Disney as I can wear them out too much and they willl become ineffective for me.

I usually like a beach Croc for at home, but at Disney they were not thick enough for me. I did try on the Duet clogs in the store and they seemed to have more support than the classic beach Croc. Like I said before, I liked the Off-Roads and Capris most at Disney. I will totally be taking a couple pairs of Capris with me.

Sounds like great minds think alike as to our "Disney feet care plan" goes! Hmmm...imagine Disney causing pain in our feet...I wonder why that happens??? Haha! Most days at home my feet are ok. I just have to be careful, and if I notice pain then I have to make sure I act fast or it can get out of control before I know it. My first step is ALWAYS band exercises before getting out of bed!!!! I probably did a lot of it to myself to be honest. Originally it started out as a result of walking on our concrete slab floors barefoot for 6 years. Both my hubby and I developed it at the same time. That healed, and then I injured my feet badly by running on concrete. Then, when I was in therapy, I refused to stop training while trying to heal from it. I was mistreating my feet badly. Now I have to be careful not to send myself back to that place.

Thanks for your pointers! I appreciate having people of like minds who know what I've been through weighing in on what worked best for them!!!

 

[housetomouse]

Don't worry! The sexy flips would only be for an evening out with the hubby when I know I won't be in them for super long, or a morning church service when we are home. They wouldn't be good for any amount of time in the park other than a romantic evening.

Any shoe I wear at Disney I wear at home first so that my feet adjust to the rub places! I have to do this with flip flops as well. The thong hurts if I don't break in my feet! Currently I am breaking in my first pair of Sanuks! I got the idea from someone on a similar thread and decided to try them out. They were inexpensive buying them new on ebay, and were shipped here from florida in two days!!! I wore them all day, and there's no pain! Yay! They are a definite contender for a backup pair of flip flops for Disney! I just have to be careful not to wear my Crocs too much before I go to Disney as I can wear them out too much and they willl become ineffective for me.

I usually like a beach Croc for at home, but at Disney they were not thick enough for me. I did try on the Duet clogs in the store and they seemed to have more support than the classic beach Croc. Like I said before, I liked the Off-Roads and Capris most at Disney. I will totally be taking a couple pairs of Capris with me.

Sounds like great minds think alike as to our "Disney feet care plan" goes! Hmmm...imagine Disney causing pain in our feet...I wonder why that happens??? Haha! Most days at home my feet are ok. I just have to be careful, and if I notice pain then I have to make sure I act fast or it can get out of control before I know it. My first step is ALWAYS band exercises before getting out of bed!!!! I probably did a lot of it to myself to be honest. Originally it started out as a result of walking on our concrete slab floors barefoot for 6 years. Both my hubby and I developed it at the same time. That healed, and then I injured my feet badly by running on concrete. Then, when I was in therapy, I refused to stop training while trying to heal from it. I was mistreating my feet badly. Now I have to be careful not to send myself back to that place.

Thanks for your pointers! I appreciate having people of like minds who know what I've been through weighing in on what worked best for them!!!

I will have to take a look at the Sanuks, I don't think I've ever seen them. I totally know what you mean about the Crocs being too broken in. Once the cushioning is worn down a bit, I don't like them any more ! And I love going barefoot at home, on the hard floors, when will I learn? lol! Then my feet get bad, and I go back to the Crocs & running shoes... Best of luck!

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I will have to take a look at the Sanuks, I don't think I've ever seen them. I totally know what you mean about the Crocs being too broken in. Once the cushioning is worn down a bit, I don't like them any more ! And I love going barefoot at home, on the hard floors, when will I learn? lol! Then my feet get bad, and I go back to the Crocs & running shoes... Best of luck!

Yeah, the barefoot thing is a huge mistake with PF. I always have Crocs sitting right by me so I can put them on and then stand up. When my youngest was little she knew not to kick mommy's crocs out of the way. In fact, we just bought a home that was a forclosure, so it had no disclosures. We didn't know it flooded until one morning I woke up and my Crocs were gone. I thought the kids had kicked them under the bed. Here they had floated across the floor in the middle of the night during a flash flood!!! So funny, yet totally not. (We are building dry wells this year to combat the floods!) Anyway, I know that was totally off topic, but I was thinking of it, so I typed it.

I've been wearing the Sanuks around the house and have had no pain in them. I will test it out when warmer tootsie weather comes around by wearing them shopping!

 

[housetomouse]

Yeah, the barefoot thing is a huge mistake with PF. I always have Crocs sitting right by me so I can put them on and then stand up. When my youngest was little she knew not to kick mommy's crocs out of the way. In fact, we just bought a home that was a forclosure, so it had no disclosures. We didn't know it flooded until one morning I woke up and my Crocs were gone. I thought the kids had kicked them under the bed. Here they had floated across the floor in the middle of the night during a flash flood!!! So funny, yet totally not. (We are building dry wells this year to combat the floods!) Anyway, I know that was totally off topic, but I was thinking of it, so I typed it.

I've been wearing the Sanuks around the house and have had no pain in them. I will test it out when warmer tootsie weather comes around by wearing them shopping!

Well that's not good, yikes!! Best of luck with that. I think I've finally got the dog trained not to run off with my Crocs (she liked my good winter slip-ons).

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

Well that's not good, yikes!! Best of luck with that. I think I've finally got the dog trained not to run off with my Crocs (she liked my good winter slip-ons).

It will be fixed soon, so no biggie! My hubby is a contractor, so the work is easy for us! That is too funny!!!

 

[angierae]

I also have PF (my worst flare up ever was after Disney when I listened to all the "wear a good athletic shoe, don't wear sandals advice)

The best shoes I've ever had for my PF are Teva sandals, the kind with the built in arch support and nice thick, squishy soles. I can walk all day in them and not have any problems - as a matter of fact I just bought a new pair for my upcoming trip.

 

[Makcarly]

I have PF and I am super nervous about how my feet are going to feel after a day at one of the parks. I ordered a pair of Beach crocs that I hope will be okay. I didn't get to try them out though because I ordered the wrong size and I had to send them back for an exchange.

I went on a cruise a few years back and there was a ton of walking involved. Obviously not as much at WDW but still quite a bit. I wore my Crocs Athens then and while I did get blisters on the top of my foot from the first day of travel from all the airport walking, my PF didn't act up once on the trip. I think I am going to get a pair to stash in my luggage for my trip.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I also have PF (my worst flare up ever was after Disney when I listened to all the "wear a good athletic shoe, don't wear sandals advice)

The best shoes I've ever had for my PF are Teva sandals, the kind with the built in arch support and nice thick, squishy soles. I can walk all day in them and not have any problems - as a matter of fact I just bought a new pair for my upcoming trip.

I have some Tevas, but I can't seem to get them to mush properly. They are the mush wedges, and I can't get them to break in enough to enjoy. I am glad you found something that works for you. My recent flare up was due to advice from some Disers on the Sketchers Toners. Never again. I started this thread b/c I KNOW Crocs work for me! If you are unsure if something will work, I would have a backup plan. If tennies don't work, but your Tevas do, awesome!

I have PF and I am super nervous about how my feet are going to feel after a day at one of the parks. I ordered a pair of Beach crocs that I hope will be okay. I didn't get to try them out though because I ordered the wrong size and I had to send them back for an exchange.

I went on a cruise a few years back and there was a ton of walking involved. Obviously not as much at WDW but still quite a bit. I wore my Crocs Athens then and while I did get blisters on the top of my foot from the first day of travel from all the airport walking, my PF didn't act up once on the trip. I think I am going to get a pair to stash in my luggage for my trip.

Personally, the beach Crocs didn't work for me at Disney. However, my PF isn't just PF. I have tons of other issues with my feet that could've made them not work well for me. At home they work fine for me. I hope they work for you. I have seen tons of people wearing them, so obviously they work for some people. I would just make sure to have some sort of painkiller, even if it's just Tylenol, and take it within a short time period of your feet hurting. I recently pulled a muscle in my stomach while training that was so bad I couldn't lift myself off the couch. They gave me Vicodin, and even though I was hurting so badly, I only took 1/2 a pill at a time so I could have some left over to take to Disney. I am wierd. I suffered so I don't have to suffer at Disney. But really, who wants to suffer in the happiest place on earth?

P.S. Good news! We are booking tomorrow!

 

[Olismum]

I had Plantar Fascitis and its extremely painful so I sympathise with you, luckily steroid shots helped my problem and it cleared after about 18 months of suffering. I am also a croc fan and have several pairs but I recently bought some leather ones particularly for pounding the pavements in the theme parks and they are brilliant, they don't causes blisters, sweating or any other problems. They are actually mens crocs [the clog style not toe posts] but the smallest size fitted me and being leather they look a bit classier than the usual crocs. Good luck.

 

[KSR0330]

My first flair up of Plantar Fasciitis was after wearing croc flip-flops. I was in pain for about a year and finally went to the podiatrist. I got cortisone shots, was on a strict stretching routine and only wore sneakers with inserts for 6 months. It has finally gotten better and I thought I'd try the Crocs again. After about an hour the pain was back! I threw them away and got Vionic sandals and am pain free again. No more Crocs for me!

 

[brucelegs03884]

What helps me the most isn't necessarily the footwear but faithfully wearing my night splint when I get a flare-up. Whenever I feel the "twinge" out it comes for nightly use for about a month, with stretching and icing throughout the day. I keep a water bottle in the freezer and roll a few times a day. I also got a roller with bumps that I keep in the freezer for a real nice stretch and massage.

 

[Myalyas]

I have PF too. Last trip to WDW was 2 years ago. I packed my most comfy Skecher's (I think they are called Bikers?) but since I always wear socks with them I found they were way too hot! So the next day or so I switched to some flat open-toe sandals. They killed me! I finally put on my pair of Clark's Bendables and they saved my trip!!! They are wedges and are open toe but have wonderful arch support!!

 

[suswa]

I have a friend currently dealing with PF, she is loving Oofos which is a running recovery sandal. I got a pair as well, they are very similar to crocs but seem softer.

 

[CynJ]

I have really bad heel spurs and have to have cushion under them to walk without pain. I am an avid Dawgs (usadawgs.com) sandal wearer and love them - no matter how long I am on my feet.

 

[Berlk]

Oh no! Your feet look so sore! I have sensitive feet, and I completely understand that once you find something that helps, it's hard to want to try something new. My dad currently has PF and is struggling... I came across an article online about taping with PF. I'm wondering if you've tried this?? I suggested it to my dad, but he hasn't tried it yet.

 

[luvdisney00]

I don't have PF but I do have problems with my feet. I have tried so many expensive flip flops and most are "ok" but nothing is as good as crocs. I have tons of them in all kinds of styles. For Disney I love the crocband flip, which is very basic but just perfect for me. I also bought the Sanrah circle wedge this year and I have the sexi which is also good. This is all I will take to Disney and all I have taken for the past few trips. I find I can walk all day in crocs and my feet don't hurt. No other shoe has passed that test for me.

 

[Dashzap]

I have PF and it will flare up any time I wear anything except New Balance sneakers or Crocs Scutes. Regular crocs aren't padded enough. Crocs Athens are ok for brief periods.

 

[Leelo]

Have you tried Birkenstocks? They are highly recommended for people with plantar fasciitis. I have a friend who is a lifelong ballet dancer and she has horrible foot problems. She loves her Birkies and recommended them to me bc I have a high arch and get frequent foot pain. They have been amazing. No foot pain all summer long. You have to break them in though. Like 30 minutes a day for a week, then an hour a day for another week. Now they feel PERF! The styles now are MUCH cuter now too. I have the Gizeh ones.