Best golf shoes for plantar fasciitis?

[matt_puttercup]

I must've tried 8-10 different pairs of shoes these last few years and no matter what the morning after walking around of golf is torture on my feet.  Anyone with plantar fasciitis find a pair that helps reduce morning after pain?

[Bossfan]

I think the best thing to do is go see a podiatrist about custom orthotics. I had a bad case about 15 years ago. I got the shots in the heel and was fitted for orthotics and no problems until 2 years ago. I was a runner and walked playing golf and had no pain. I didn’t get them rechecked at the 10 year like I was supposed to because everything was fine. Two years ago the pain was back. The original orthotics didn’t fit the shape of my feet anymore so I had to go through the heel shots and had my feet refitted for new orthotics. So far so good as long as I avoid walking around barefoot too much. I have had good results with Olukai products. Those are about the only footwear I have found that I can wear without my orthotics that doesn’t cause my Plantar Facitiitis to flare up.

[matt_puttercup]

15 minutes ago, Bossfan said:

So far so good as long as I avoid walking around barefoot too much. I have had good results with Olukai products. Those are about the only footwear I have found that I can wear without my orthotics that doesn’t cause my Plantar Facitiitis to flare up.

I hear you 1000% on not walking around barefoot.  I think I saw Olukai golf shoe ads in the last year, I'll have to check them out.

[Bossfan]

3 minutes ago, matt_puttercup said:

I hear you 1000% on not walking around barefoot.  I think I saw Olukai golf shoe ads in the last year, I'll have to check them out.

I would still advise seeing the doc. Best to get it fixed before you go spending money on expensive shoes. He may also determine why the plantar fasciitis started in the first place. In my case it was a higher than normal and almost no fat pad pad on my heels. 

[Hoyoymac]

@matt_puttercup

Having dealt with occasional painful flare ups of Plantar Fasciitis intermittently over the past twenty or so years and also now playing golf almost daily I have a few thoughts on how to deal with both the symptoms and the underlying cause.

I play a lot of golf.  Over 200 rounds a year.  I also walk regularly with the assistance of an Alphard Wheels V2 assisted Bag Boy Quad XL cart.

The two brands of golf shoes that I have found most effective in reducing my plantar fasciitis symptoms and also be comfortable, stable, supportive and durable are Footjoy Premiums and Ecco Bioms.

Off the course and around the house I now most often wear Geckoman by Walkhero slip on shoes. I never walk around barefoot.

To treat my Plantar Fasciitis pain over the years I have used insoles, supportive socks, night time sleep splints, foot rollers.  You name it I have tried it.

For immediate pain relief the foot roller is the best treatment for me.  Insoles help to cushion and support the foot and reduce pain, but they don’t treat the cause.

But for long term relief the one thing I have done that reduces my symptoms more than anything is doing daily Standing Calf Stretches and holding the stretch for 30 seconds or more.  

I do my calf stretches in the morning while having my first cup of coffee.  I have added some back stretches over time as well.  It takes about 3 minutes and my wife has taken to calling it my “Coffee Yoga” routine

Since starting with the daily calf stretches about 4 or 5 years ago I have not had a significant flare up of Plantar Fasciitis pain.  

But if I miss several days in a row of stretching due to travel or some other disruption to my normal morning routine I can feel the difference and start to get twinges of pain again.  

Hope you get relief soon and best wishes to you for success on the golf course.

[TeeBrain]

100% agree with the above to first and foremost concentrate on exercises/stretches and PT. I bet you can get a good PT appointment for less than a pair of shoes, insoles or certainly orthotics. A decent PT will set you up with some good exercises to work on.

I've tried stiff soles (think FJ Premier type shoes), super cushy (think Hoka running shoes), various insoles including Superfeet and some customs too. Different ones are somewhat more or less comfortable on certain days, but in the end, for me it came down to getting my legs/calves & feet back in proper shape.  Shoes can help, no doubt, but I think they are rarely the cure.

[Neilski]

I've been suffering from PF for around the past 10-12 years, at the start in 2011 I wasnt aware of what it was, it started mildly and peaked during 2020 when I was out running alot. This resulted in physio sessions with ultrasound and a trip to the podiatrist... after learning that I required insoles I then done a bit of reasearch and found Superfeet, you can buy them online or in Tiso / outdoor stores. These have been cruical in regards to relieving the day to day pain but as one post mentions above "coffee yoga" is the best thing to prevent PF. 

I've purchased various foot massagers which I use after rounds of golf, I frequently apply cold spray, heat rub, ibroph gels, roll it out on iced bottles etc..... but I find stretching out the heel arch is alot more preventitive.

 

I'm yet to find a pair of golf shoes which provide support or alleviate the PF so I just buy a size up and put the superfeet insoles inside, which seem to reduce 70% of the pain after 18 or even 36 holes.

I've tried various brands of golf shoes - Adidas, Nike, Ecco, Footjoy and Sketchers - the best I found were the FJ as they provided a bit more arch support. But personally I think the key here is to use the insoles and help support the archway but also think its important to stretch it out to help prevent the pain....  also avoid any high impact sports/activities such as skipping, running etc

[Headhammer]

Never thought this would be a topic that would get me to click on, but here I am. PF sucks!

[matt_puttercup]

15 hours ago, Neilski said:

I'm yet to find a pair of golf shoes which provide support or alleviate the PF so I just buy a size up and put the superfeet insoles inside, which seem to reduce 70% of the pain after 18 or even 36 holes.

I've seen ads for the superfeet insoles and will give them a try! I wince at the thought of 36 holes unfortunately.

13 hours ago, Headhammer said:

Never thought this would be a topic that would get me to click on, but here I am. PF sucks!

I feel your pain!

[PMookie]

On 3/12/2024 at 8:22 PM, matt_puttercup said:

I must've tried 8-10 different pairs of shoes these last few years and no matter what the morning after walking around of golf is torture on my feet.  Anyone with plantar fasciitis find a pair that helps reduce morning after pain?

Have you ever had injections to stop the pain, resolve the issue? I’ve had them and they work like a charm! Anyway, hope it goes away at some point.

[matt_puttercup]

Just now, PMookie said:

Have you ever had injections to stop the pain, resolve the issue? I’ve had them and they work like a charm! Anyway, hope it goes away at some point.

I have never tried injections! You're the first I've heard to recommend them.  I will keep those in mind.

[PMookie]

On 4/19/2024 at 7:16 PM, matt_puttercup said:

I have never tried injections! You're the first I've heard to recommend them.  I will keep those in mind.

It worked immediately for me, went to a podiatrist, he pushed on my foot to see where the most intense pain point was, marked it with a pen, then injected right on that spot. Pain was gone soon after! Haven’t had an issue since.