<p>For plantar faciitis, the z-coil shoes worked for me. Strange looking yes - but when I put them on, I didn’t want to take them off.</p>
<p>[Z-CoiL®</a> Pain Relief Footwear](<a href=“http://www.zcoil.com/]Z-CoiL®”>http://www.zcoil.com/)</p>
<p>Interesting, MOWC…I guess it is trial & error.</p>
<p>I’d ditto the advice not to order blindly off zappos, etc. I’ve done that (even w/a shoe I thought I knew fit!) as well has my husband (a brand he generally liked). It wasn’t the same as trying them on in the store. For husband, 2 pairs of shoes he bought (at $70 per pair) were ultimately uncomfortable/unusable. It’s okay to order exactly the shoe you’ve worn/liked, but, esp. w/running shoes, things change change subtly after even a season or two.</p>
<p>I think Zappos has a free 12 month (you have to double check) return policy, so it’s pretty risk free if the shoes are not a good fit, assuming you don’t mind the hassle of going to the post office to return it. </p>
<p>I think the shipping is free too.</p>
<p>Really - if you like birkenstocks but have plantar faciitis or other foot problems - try ordering the soft-footbed birkenstocks. They are just incredible, and I wouldn’t go back to regular hard birks again. :)</p>
<p>drmcb–aren’t there some molded flip-flops out now? Those look healthier for the feet…</p>
<p>Just bought my daughter a pair of sandals by a company called “Think!”. They have a great footbed and are a little more youthful and stylish than Birks or Mephistos. I also like Naot, I think they are a little narrower and they do have nice support.</p>
<p>MOWC - I saw the MBT’s and almost fell over when I saw how expensive they are. I do think I might like them for when I do a more normal walk. Otherwise I use Asics for training and New Balance for races.</p>
<p>One thing about MBTs - they have no arch support - it’s not molded, but flat. When you walk on a pair, it’s a little like walking on sand, and with a toe to heel motion. It is very different walking on MBT shoes. You really have to try walking on it for a while to see if the shoe is for you.</p>
<p>Oh, my. That wouldn’t be good for me!</p>
<p>thanks for suggestions on the plantar faciitis everyone ! ok…i didn’t take the time to do any research and have just returned home with a splint (the only one they had at the running store). we’ll see if this helps. i’d been thinking of getting one for a while…but this thread has motivated me to take action sooner rather than later. i’m not even a runner ! i do some walking and biking. it’s probably the walking that did me in…my old shoes did not have enough arch support…i can see that now…i was over-pronating for quite some time AND walking on a concrete trail. at work i find myself walking on bad floors too ! guess this means i’ll be spending $$$'s on better shoes for work too !</p>
<p>the doctor advised i should be using anti-inflammatory otc’s but i’m not really wanting to do that. i don’t like 'em !</p>
<p>i’ve read that wearing open back shoes is a cause, too, of </p>
<p>it’s all a learning process…trying to find out what works and what doesn’t work.</p>
<p>i thought i was wearing good shoes for walking (one of the better brands) but then I found out that they just didn’t have enough arch support and thus, the over-pronating.</p>
<p>oh… to be young again with feet that don’t hurt !</p>
<p>i’ve seen the mbt’s in the shoe store. I then saw a nurse with them on and she said she loves them !</p>
<p>i’ve read that I should probably avoid open back shoes and any shoes without a raised heel.</p>
<p>I got plantar fasciitis this spring (what a nightmare!) and ordered a lot of different shoes from Zappos (which I love, because the shipping back and forth is free and the last thing I felt I could do was go shoe shopping when I could barely walk). Naots are amazingly comfortable; there’s an Ecco sneaker that is designed with PF in mind (RXP 3040) and Keens are pretty good, too. </p>
<p>I saw a physical therapist for the PF, and that helped a lot. I stretch twice a day, and wear an arch bandage all day (found at Walmart) that supports the arch; I did lots of icing, too. I use an Ace bandage to wrap the foot at night (I decided the splint was too much). It took about 6 weeks before I could walk comfortably again, and I’m pretty good now – although I can’t wear flip flops or open-backed shoes.</p>
<p>Of course, my other foot is troubled with Achilles tendonitis, and I can’t figure out how to deal with that.</p>
<p>fireanddrain…thanks for the tips ! i’ll try one of those arch bandages too ! i have the same ecco’s…the ones designed with PF in mind. they certainly help me get through the day…but without them on…i am one hobbling momma !</p>
<p>it’s really frustrating to be dealing with this annoying problem. what a pain ! it is a nightmare !</p>
<p>glad some of you have had success. mowc, sorry your h can’t run anymore. i can understand why he doesn’t want to run and have a reoccurence.</p>
<p>Mephisto is another excellent comfort shoe- also expensive. To me, having comfortable shoes is worth spending some $$$, especially if I can wear them to work.</p>
<p>Amen! ^^^^^</p>
<p>I was trying to find sandals a couple of years ago and I tried on lots of pairs of different brands and as I did I was checking the price. They all seemed to be in the $80-90 range. So I kept trying them on and found a pair that really felt great. By then I had stop checking the price. I was stunned when the salesperson handed me my slip to sign. I thought, what the heck, I never splurge on myself. </p>
<p>I love the sandals and have never regretted buying them. I wore them for every college tour and planned all outfits around them.</p>