@thumper1 I also have narrow feet and all these comfortable, supportive and european brands just don’t fit! So I mostly end up in sneakers or something that ties. Would love to know what people with narrow feet wear. Birkenstocks do come in a narrow size but it it not what I consider narrow - still flops around. I also have trouble with european sizing - something just doesn’t translate well to my size 10 feet.
Occasionally I’ll get PF from running. Wearing the Strassburg Sock 2-3 nights usually gets rid of it. You can buy it online or local running stores.
Alegriashoeshop.com sells lots of the Alegria sizes on sale. I have many, many pairs and they are fantastic for nurses and folks with foot problems, and they have a replaceable footbed insert. (Plus, they have fun designs!). The sizes are European; I wear a 9wide, and a 39W fits me in Alegria. For those of you who don’t like Birkenstocks, have you tried the soft-footbed ones? I can’t wear the regular footbed, but the soft footbed is fantastic. If you know your size, you can find more styles online - and can order wide or narrow widths.
Re: Vionics or similar shoes…
When you first put them on, you’ll “feel” the arch support and probably wonder if it’s “fitting right”. It likely is. Often, our unsupported arches have “fallen” a bit so you’ll “feel” the correction for maybe an hour…and then you won’t feel it. The “feel” shouldn’t be painful, but it will feel like “counter pressure” on the arch…and then that feeling will go away.
Don’t walk barefoot! That’s what a podiatrist told me was the most important fix.
So…what are the symptoms of PF?
The arch in my foot hurt so bad I couldn’t flatten it to walk. You want to walk on your tiptoes.
I know that Birkenstocks aren’t the most aesthetically appealing, and while I agree generally that a shoe ought to be comfortable from the get go, the cork sole does break in and conform to the shape of your foot over time, and there is nothing more comfortable and supportive (for me) than a pair of broken-in Birkenstocks. I have 5 pairs of Gizeh sandals in different colors. I wear them at home throughout the year. (and out in the summer–don’t care, I’m walking on clouds!) I don’t like Birkenstock clogs, though. They pinch my toes. Haflinger boiled wool clogs are also very good for PF (they look like slippers but have the cork sole and great support).
I like the look of the Alegrias but I have wide feet and they don’t come in wide sizes. I have peasant feet and hands.
PF for me was a burning pain along the entire bottom of my foot. It is the worst in the morning when you get out of bed.
When I had plantar fascitis last year, I discovered Oofos and I have never been happier. They also have clogs but I just used the flip flops. I highly highly recommend them. It takes close to a year for the healing to occur and they were perfect.
My pain wasn’t in my arch. For me, it was a terrible pain in the heel and went along the non-arch side of my foot.
PF can indeed affect anywhere in the foot. That is why the arch supports are one of three types…neutral…which is what I have…the arch on the in side. Metatarsal and Post.
For the narrow-footed: I have excellent luck with Clarks and Cobb Hill for street shoes, and New Balance for sneakers. All are amenable to custom orthotics if need be. I agree – the European sizing just doesn’t work for me either. Aren’t there any Europeans with narrow feet??
There’s also an exercise – maybe google “scandanavia plantar fasciitis exercise” – that I’ve found helpful.
I’m reading all these responses with great interest.
Okay, YMMV, MY Merrell hiking shoes are the most comfortable ones I’ve ever owned. 
FWIW I’ve got fat feet with a high instep - or something - I assume that is why those Dansko clogs hurt so much!
Agreed on the Birkenstocks. I no longer wear them out of the house, but change into them at home. They save me when in the kitchen or doing chores around the house. I had sort of given them up, but on the suggested of a friend hauled them out of a closet. Regular wearing really cleared up my foot pain. They sit by my bed and I put them on first thing in the AM and for any bathroom trips, as they support my arches just right. Out of the house, I prefer more side support and wear runners or Keen sandals or Merrells or one of the other numerous brands than feel good on the feet. Danskos feel great on the footbed but hurt my feet otherwise. Too stiff and mathmom, agreed on the high instep.
Yes, these shoes can cost a bundle. But I have had many of these pairs for years, as they are a quality product, so last well.
Just received my vionic flip flop. It’s really comfy…I’m still wincing over the price as it’s just a flip flop. I guess it has a little bow. I wish these types of sandals were just cuter for the price is all. I guess I’m just used to spending $20 to $40 for really cute summer sandals, but I know those days are over. I do use those Dr. Rosenberg inserts in my shoes…they are meant to be worn up on the side, not flat on a sandal…they feel like a rock like that.
The reason why you have foot problems is when you wear those cute $20 to $40 shoes. Unfortunately those are for the young. My D can wear those cute cheap sandals and flats. I just can’t anymore.
They will be worth every penny if you can walk well and have comfort in them! I guess I would say any flip flop is “just a flip flop” - they look nice enough to me!
Those are for the young who don’t realize the problems they will cause down the road.
@morrismm - I just returned from Glacier and I loved hiking in a pair of Brooks trail running shoes. The Puregrit 3, I found a pair on the clearance rack at Rei. I removed the insert and put in a blue Superfeet. I had no foot pain and I felt secure on the trails.
I find that when I’m starting to get foot pain it means my spine and hips are out of alignment and it is time to go back to my PT.
@BunsenBurner - later this week I’m going to try to go to a Friends and family sample sale at Deckers brands. One of their brands is Hoka. I’ve not tried them but I think I’ll try to pick up a pair.
Ugh! Darn this PF! Felt the first twinges at the beginning of the summer on Mondays after wearing flats on the weekend. After a week’s vacation in flip flops it was full blown in one foot. I wear a compression sock when I’m on the treadmill and started to ice it after a workout and I also sleep in a compression sock if it is aching at bedtime. I wear comfortable wedges at the office during the week. I’m getting rid of all of my sandals and looking at all of your links to find shoes for next spring and summer. Really appreciate hearing all of your treatments - as someone who has been fortunate to have no pain to speak of in my first 50 years and to be healthy this has been a major annoyance!