Can the Wrong Shoes Cause Plantar Fasciitis (Guest Blog)

Can shoes cause plantar fasciitis? We asked Dr Casey, a female foot doctor in NYC at Park Avenue Podiatry Care. Here're some quick tips from her blog. Read her full blog post here and follow her on IG for some awesome shoe style.

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As a female foot doctor in NYC, this question often pops up in my line of work: “Can the wrong shoes cause plantar fasciitis?” The answer is simple: yes! But not to worry – after reading this, you’ll confidently make smarter choices about wearing shoes for plantar fasciitis without compromising your style. In this blog post I will discuss three topics: what plantar fasciitis is and what causes it, what shoes you should avoid, and how to your pick shoes for it.

Plantar fasciitis is also known as heel spur syndrome, arch pain syndrome, or just plainly heel pain. The syndrome is broken down into two words: “Plantar”, meaning bottom, and “Fasciitis” meaning inflammation of the fascia. Allow me to explain further –fascia is connective tissue that connects our toes to our heel bone. It helps maintain the arches of our feet. You can actually visualize your foot’s plantar fascia: Cross your one leg over the other and place your foot close to your knee. Then with the same hand as the knee that’s flexed, pull your toe back toward your foot. Look at the bottom of the foot. You’ll notice a string-like thing moving in your foot arch as you pull your toe toward your body – that’s the plantar fascia. Next, I’ll discuss what causes plantar fasciitis.

Finding Cute Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis

What causes plantar fasciitis?

Do your muscles feel really sore after a barre or yoga class? Well, this soreness is from stretching your bones and muscles. Stretching our bones and muscles are really good for our bodies. However, over-stretching in our bodies can be harmful. Over-stretching is what occurs when we are diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. Allow me to explain: anything that can over-stretch the plantar fascia will cause it harm. For example, walking a distance in shoes without any arch support, running in worn out sneakers, carrying a heavy bag, pregnancy, weight gain, etc. These are all activities that can potentially hurt the plantar fascia on our feet. Let’s discuss further what shoes you should avoid if you have it.

What kind of shoes should I avoid?

I love the look of ballet flats with a pair of cropped high waisted pants à la Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina charming the awkward Linus Larrabee – Humphrey Bogart. However, ballet flats, as stylish and classic as they are (thanks to Audrey), can be the devil when it comes to plantar fasciitis. They can easily cause that painful over-stretching of our plantar fascia – especially when walking long distances or standing. Ballet flats aren’t the only shoe that can cause plantar fasciitis – flat flip flops, casual sneakers, flat sandals, gladiator sandals, etc. can also be culprits. Next, let’s consider shoes that should you wear if you have plantar fasciitis.

Shoes to wear with plantar fasciitis.

Since we previously reviewed all the science-y details of plantar fasciitis, let’s next discuss my three favorite shoe brands that help alleviate it. (This post contains some affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.)

First up is Ally Shoes. Ally Shoes are designed by a very savvy collaboration of women in SOHO NYC – including a female podiatrist. Their heels are engineered for our comfort and handcrafted with the softest lambskin leather (the leather feels SO buttery soft)! Above all, the heels contain an arch support for maximum stability and foot comfort. I took a few photos in them so you can see just how cute they look!

These are NOT your typical comfort shoes. They look super chic and most importably they are extremely wearable. The heels come in several color choices. White was my first choice because it matches everything, plus I like the look with skirts AND cropped jeans!

Here is the link for Ally Shoes and a $40 off coupon code DRCASEY for a first time order.

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Read her full blog post here.

P.S. For those who still prefer flats, Dr Casey recommended wearing flats with arch support, which ALLY Shoes offers. Forever Flats and Cap Toe Flats