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Dr. Angela's Approved Shoe List



I'm Dr. Angela and I am "The Plantar Fasciitis Doc". The first step in my plantar fasciitis recovery program is to transition to functional footwear.


The following list includes footwear that meets the criteria for natural foot-positive brands that I approve and recommend.


There are a few design features and shoe terms that you should know to help you better understand what makes a healthy shoe.


Design Features & Shoe Terminology:


Widest at the toe: A healthy shoe should have a wide toe box that supports the natural shape of our feet and toes. The toe box should be wide enough to allow for normal toe splay.


Zero Drop: Drop refers to the height difference between the heel and the forefoot. Zero drop is a shoe that is flat from heel to toe with no elevation of the heel. Elevation of the heel in footwear creates excessive stress on the forefoot, and a chronic shortening of our heel cord, our calf muscle and Achilles tendon.


Toe Spring: Toe spring is an upward angle of the toe of the shoe and should be avoided. A flat sole is ideal for proper foot function.


Stack Height: This refers to the total amount of material or cushioning on the sole of the shoe. I am not opposed to a higher stack height in the earlier phase of plantar fasciitis, but encourage less cushioning as your feet become stronger.


Minimalist Shoe/Barefoot Shoe: These shoes are intended to closely approximate barefoot running or walking. They provide "minimal" interference with the natural movement of the foot. They have minimal stack height, have a highly flexible sole, and are zero drop.


Transitional Shoe: A transitional shoe is a shoe that has all of the characteristics of a barefoot shoe such as zero drop and a wide toe box, but has a thicker sole/higher stack height. This shoe can be a good option for someone new to my program, and who is accustomed to heavily cushioned shoes.


I often recommend a transitional shoe first before you transition completely to a barefoot shoe. As you progress in my program, I encourage a transition to lower stack height or minimalist footwear.


New To The Program?


Are you new to my plantar fasciitis home recovery program? If you are in the early stages of plantar fasciitis where you are experiencing daily pain, the first type of footwear I recommend is a "transitional" shoe.


We defined a transitional shoe above. It has all the characteristics of a barefoot shoe, but has more cushioning, and some varieties have a very slight elevation of the heel.


I recommend this type of footwear initially because transitioning too quickly to minimalist or barefoot shoes may increase your symptoms. As your feet become stronger with the strengthening and mobility protocols in my program, I encourage a full transition to minimalist footwear.


Transitional Footwear For Beginners:


Altra Running


  • Torin 7: 30mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Paradigm 7: 30mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Rivera 3: 28mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Escalante 3: 24mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Solstice XT 2: 23mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • FWD: 26mm stack height, 4mm drop (PLEASE NOTE: this style has heel elevation)


Flux Footwear

  • Adapt Runner: 22mm stack height, 0mm drop


Topo Athletic


  • Magnifly: 25mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • ST-5: 14mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Fli-Lyte 5: 23mm stack height, 3mm drop (PLEASE NOTE: this style has heel elevation)


Best Running Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Road Running:


Best running shoes for plantar fasciitis: Dr. Angela Walk

Transitional Shoes:


Altra Running:


  • Escalante: 22mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Rivera 3: 28mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Vanish Carbon: 33mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Vanish Tempo: 33mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • FWD: 26mm stack height, 4mm drop (PLEASE NOTE: this style has heel elevation)


Flux Footwear:


  • Adapt Runner: 22mm stack height, 0mm drop


Topo Athletic:

  • Magnifly: 25mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • ST-5: 14mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Fli-Lyte 5: 23mm stack height, 3mm drop (PLEASE NOTE: this style has heel elevation)


Minimalist Shoe:


Xero Shoes:


  • HFS

  • Born To Run

  • Speed Force

  • Prio


Vivobarefoot:


  • Primus

  • Motus


Lems


  • Primal 2

  • Primal Zen



Best Trail Running Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Trail Running:


Transitional:

Altra Running


  • Lone Peak: 25mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Superior: 21mm stack height, 0mm drop


Minimalist:


Xero Shoes:


  • Scrambler

  • Mesa Trail


Vivobarefoot:

  • Magna

  • Hydra

  • Primus Trail


Lems


  • Trailhead

  • Mesa


Best Wide Toe Box Hiking Boots

Hiking Boots & Shoes:


Best hiking boots for plantar fasciitis: Dr. Angela Walk

Altra Running:


  • Olympus

  • Lone Peak

  • Superior

  • Lone Peak Hiker

  • Lone Peak All-Weather


Xero Shoes:

  • Scrambler

  • Mesa Trail

  • Ridgeway - Waterproof

  • Alpine - Insulated Snow Boot


Vivobarefoot:


  • Tracker Decon

  • Magna

  • Primus Trail

Lems:


  • Telluride Insulated

  • Chelsea Waterproof

  • Boulder Waterproof

  • Outlander

  • Trailhead

  • Mesa


Best Tennis & PickleBall Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Tennis & Pickleball Shoes:


Best tennis and pickleball shoes for plantar fasciitis - Dr. Angela Walk

Altra Running:

  • Solstice: 23mm stack height, 0mm drop

  • Rivera: 28mm stack height. 0mm drop

Xero Shoes:


  • 360: 5mm stack, 0mm drop

  • Kelso: 6mm stack height, 0mm drop


Lems


  • Primal Zen: 11mm stack, 0mm drop (my new favorite pickleball shoes)

  • Primal 2: 9mm stack, 0mm drop


Strike Movement:


  • Haze Trainer: 10mm stack height, 4mm drop

Best Golf Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Golf Shoes:


Best golf shoes for plantar fasciitis with wide toe box - Dr. Angela Walk

True Linkswear

Altra Running


  • Lone Peak

  • Superior 6


Xero Shoes:


  • Scrambler

  • Mesa Trail


Best Cycling Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Cycling Shoes:


Lake Road & Mountain bike Shoes


Xero Shoes


  • Prio

  • Prio Neo


Best Gym Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Gym Shoes:


Altra Running:


  • Solstice


Flux Footwear:

  • Adapt Trainer


Xero Shoes:


  • Forza

  • Prio Neo


Best House Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Around The House/House Slipper/Slip-Ons:


Best house shoes for plantar fasciitis: Dr. Angela Walk

Xero:


  • Sunrise

  • Pagosa

  • Aptos


Vivobarefoot:


  • Mim Felt Slipper


Lems:

  • Drifter Fur Lined

  • Drifter

Whitin:


  • Slides

  • Slip-On



Best Casual Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis

Casual Wear:


Best tennis shoes for plantar fasciitis - Dr. Angela Walk

Women's Casual Shoes & Boots:


Lems

Xero Shoes

VivoBarefoot

Splay

Magic Shoes

Whitin Shoes

Hobibear

Saguaro

Groundies


Men's Casual Shoes & Boots :


Best Women's Flats For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Flats For Women:


Best women's flats for plantar fasciitis with a wide toe box


Xero Shoes:


  • Cassie

  • Phoenix


Vivibarefoot:


  • Opanka

  • Opanka Ballerina


Groundies


Best Formal Dress Shoes For Plantar Fasciitis


Dress Shoes For Women:


Xero Shoes:


  • Cassie

  • Phoenix


Dress Barefoot Shoes For Men:


Saguaro


Vivobarefoot


Lems

Best Ankle Boots For Plantar Fasciitis

Casual Ankle Boots For Women:


Vivobarefoot:


  • Gobi Boot

  • Gobi Chelsea

Lems


  • Chelsea


Magic Shoes

Groundies


Best Work Boots For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Work Boots:


Best work boots for plantar fasciitis with a wide toe box - Dr. Angela Walk


Altra Running


  • Lone Peak All-Weather Hiking Boot

  • Lone Peak Hiker 2

  • Olympus 5 Hike


Vivobarefoot


  • Tracker Winter

  • Tracker 2 FG


Lems


  • Waterproof Boulder

  • Waterproof Outlander


Xero Shoes:


  • Ridgeway Waterproof Hiker


Best Steel Toe Boots For Plantar Fasciitis

Wide Toe Box Steel Toe Boots:


Birkenstock QS 700


Reebok Soyay Safety Toe Shoe


Best Shoes For Prolonged Standing


Altra Running:


  • Torin

  • Paradigm

Flux Footwear:


  • Adapt Runner


Best Shoes For Walking With Plantar Fasciitis


Altra Running:


  • Escalante

  • Torin

  • Paradigm


Flux Footwear:


  • Adapt Runner


Best Sandals For Plantar Fasciitis


Xero Shoes


Luna


Earth Runner

Magic Shoes


Best Hiking Sandals For Plantar Fasciitis


Xero Shoes

Earth Runner

Luna


Kids Shoes

Wide Toe Box Kids Shoes:


Wide toe box shoes for kids - Dr. Angela Walk


Xero Shoes

Vivobarefoot


Saguaro

Magic Shoes


Earth Runner Minimalist Sandals For Kids


Splay


Best Toe Socks For Plantar Fasciitis


Socks can restrict and compress your toes and prevent normal toe splay. Once you begin wearing footwear with a wide toe box, your feet will start to expect more freedom. Some socks can hinder normal foot and toe function just like narrow toe box shoes.


In my program, I recommend wearing toe spacers to realign and stretch your toes back to their normal position. Wearing toe socks is another way to create much needed space between your toes.


I prefer to wear my barefoot shoes without socks, but occasionally, I need socks for those colder months. The following are the toe socks I recommend for optimal comfort and better foot function.


Fun Toes For Women

Fun Toes For Men


Athletic Toe Socks For Men & Women CoolMax


Shoe Brands That Do Not Meet The Criteria For Functional Footwear:


The following brands are excluded from my approved footwear list. They each have damaging features that can be contributing to your plantar fasciitis pain. Narrow toe boxes and excessive heel elevation are the 2 most common findings.

  • Hokas

  • Brooks

  • Asics

  • On-Cloud

  • New Balance

Footwear TO ONLY Wear Occasionally:


The following shoes brands have built-in arch supports, or slightly narrow toe boxes and will not allow your feet to function normally. Many patients enjoy these shoes as comfort or recovery shoes. They will not help strengthen your feet and that is the goal here.

Also, these are typically sandals, flip-flops, or slides and they do not have a back strap. I recommend the back strap to prevent excessive toe gripping. So, I recommend that you only wear this type of footwear on occasion.


  • Oofos

  • Birkenstocks

  • Chacos

  • Crocs

  • Vionics

  • Hey Dudes


Can I Treat Plantar Fasciitis At Home?


I specialize in foot and gait mechanics, and I have seen thousands of cases of plantar fasciitis. If you have this debilitating condition, here are my top 2 recommendations.


  1. Download my free guide. This is the first step on your PF recovery journey. I show you the exact steps to resolve plantar fasciitis at home.

  2. Follow my social media pages. I offer daily tips, exercises, and the latest insights on PF. You can also connect and learn from others with the same struggles. Join us: Facebook page & Instagram

Because there is a so much misinformation out there about plantar fasciitis, I spend most of my time educating people on what NOT to do.


Most rehabilitation efforts fail because they are relying on cortisone shots, night splints, orthotics, ineffective stretching, thick, cushiony shoes, and rolling on a frozen water bottle.


These methods are either ineffective or just short-term band-aids, and do not provide long-term correction.


In my (6) step free guide, I offer solutions through addressing multiple factors. Improving footwear, identifying areas of weakness in the foot and ankle, and restoring proper foot function.

Wishing you health & happiness,

Dr. Angela

The Plantar Fasciitis Doc



AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE:


Please note that some of the links on this site may be affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission if you click on the link or make a purchase using the link. When you make a purchase, the price you pay will be the same.




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