10 Best Running Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis – 2024 Buyers Guide

Support is extremely important whether you're looking for the best men's or best women's running shoes for plantar fasciitis We started with the first line of defense, the heel. For runners that suffer from Plantar Fasciitis or heel pain, barefoot or minimalist shoes have no place in their rotation. It’s crucial that the heel is properly supported and cupped throughout the entire range of motion. This is why we listened to what runners had to say after several miles of wear and daily use in regards to heel cushioning and support.

Equally, important in beginning to tackle and overcome this very common heel condition is strong arch support. When a running shoe possesses all three basic components (heel support, midsole stability, and arch support) runners can benefit from the maximum protection of their Achilles, ankles, heels, and arches. When the key players are well protected, the road to success becomes a more pain-free experience. The ideal running shoe should compliment your natural arch and protect from strenuous activity.

Good arch support is a vital feature for runners with plantar fascia. There are three different foot arches that are commonly known,

• High Arches
• Low Arches (Flat Feet)
• Neutral Arches

You may have different arch types, which means you’ll need to find a shoe that best fits your specific arch.

Customarily, people that are most at risk of plantar fasciitis are people with excessively high or low arches camps. If you find a shoe with a slightly elevated heel area with a firm heel counter area, you will get the best and adequate provision for arch support for your feet. Having a high or low arch does not necessarily mean that you are prone to plantar fasciitis.

Shoes with a firm heel counter area will assist in reducing the stress on the plantar fascia as you walk by aiding in controlling your foot direction when you step while also pushing the foot away from the shin.

Achilles tendon, a tough band of fibrous tissues that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone, is attached to the heel bone area. The same applies to your plantar fascia on the other end. Thus, any stress reduction or tension on the Achilles tendon also reduces stress on your plantar fascia.

Working in conjunction with the overall layout of the shoe, the stability of the midsole is crucial for several reasons. One of them being that Plantar Fasciitis is exacerbated by stretching and flexing the Plantar Fascia, think of it as a bridge between the front and the back of your foot. According to runners from all walks of life, the higher the midsole stability of a shoe, the less pressure is placed on the heel.

Know Your Pronation Type

Pronation is the way in which your foot rolls inwards as you run or walk. The shoes that you choose should ensure compensation for your pronation type. There are three types of pronation types that we may fall into

Under pronation / Supination (often caused by high arches)
Neutral Pronation (regular arches)
Overpronation (low arches / flat feet)

So, with flat arches, you need the best running shoes for flat feet and plantar fasciitis. If you have high arches, you need to be looking for the best running shoes for high arches and plantar fasciitis. There are a few steps that can identify us with our pronation types. For instance, the wettest test, it is conducted by placing your feet in some water then stand on a white sheet, the print on your foot will often tell your pronation type.

The shoe midsole should also be stiff. Stiff shoes mean you will need cushioning to complement the stiffness. Midsole stiffness means that you should not be able to bend the shoe in half or even slightly in half, only a little bend is recommended in this feature. A shoe that is too stiff with no cushioning may irritate your condition but then again you do not want a shoe with no

You’ll also want to make sure the shoe midsole is stiff. You should not be able to bend the shoe in half or even slightly in half. If you try to bend both ends of the shoe toward each other, the shoe should only bend a little, but not significantly. This means the sole may be a bit on the thick side. Stiff soles also mean you’ll need cushioning to offset the stiffness. You don’t want a shoe that’s too stiff with no cushioning which may irritate your condition but you don’t want a shoe with no midsole rigidity that may not give adequate arch support either. So, just make sure you find a shoe that fits somewhere in between.

Read also about best mud run shoes.

After you’ve done everything you can to match your running shoes with your heel type, if you still feel that your arches are not one hundred percent supported, you should consider using an orthotic in conjunction with your shoes. There’s really no need make a doctors appointment in most cases, over the counter options have made significant leaps in their quality. In fact, most runners found that orthotics found in most drug stores are far superior to their prescribed counterparts. We cannot stress enough the importance of arch support, make sure you never compromise in this department.

The goal when selecting running shoes for Plantar Fasciitis is to reduce excessive toe extension, which has been found to increase the load on the Plantar Fascia. So make sure you look for a fairly firm toe section. You know those running sneakers that you can bend the toe box all the way back with your hand? Those are the ones to avoid. While you should be able to wiggle your toes slightly while wearing the shoes, you don’t want that ultra flexible pair of running shoes that are all over your social media accounts or non-athletes are wearing to their trendy coffee shops.

The front of your forefoot should be accommodated comfortably by a fine fitting toe box area. Basically, you will require a toe box that provides adequate motion for your stride as you move around but also with a firm forefront area that prevents your foot from extending too much. The front of your shoes needs to control your stride by limiting the upward movement of your foot as you walk or run around. This will help you in reduction of the windlass mechanism as you go about your activities,

Therefore, go out and find a shoe that bends to the occasion of the pressure applied by your toes in movement. It shouldn’t also bend too much. Remember that all movement should be limited to the toe box area as you move around. The rest of the shoe should be fairly inflexible.

The most up to date and advanced research continues to point to shock absorption as another key to success when dealing with foot conditions in both best women's and best men's running shoes for plantar fasciitis. In this case, dispersing as much force as possible helps to take the stress away from heel striking, which is essential. We took a look at the shoe’s ability to dampen the impact as runners came down with their weight.

As we age or increase our activity level, the actual shape of our fee can change. Pregnant women may experience a widening of the foot after each birth, and as you gain weight your feet may also experience a certain amount of spreading. This means that the same pair of shoes that you had and loved in your early 20s may not be quite as appropriate in your late 30s. As we said above, one of the easiest ways to treat plantar fasciitis is to make sure that you’re only running in shoes that are completely supportive. If you find a more suitable pair of shoes early in the process, you may be able to avoid additional treatment for the disorder. If you wait too long, you may need the help of a trained podiatrist to figure out exactly how to go from there. Extensive scar tissue or irreversible damage can completely offset your ability to run.