Part of Plantar fasciitis

Shoes for plantar fasciitis: what actually matters

There is no one best shoe, and anyone selling you one is guessing. What the national guidance actually asks for is modest: the NHS advises shoes with cushioned heels and good arch support, and advises against high heels, tight pointy shoes, flip-flops and backless slippers, with walking barefoot on hard surfaces on the same list. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust adds the two most useful lines on the subject, that supportive slippers at home are worth having and that with insoles comfort is the key factor. Notice what is missing from all of that: a brand, a model, a heel height and a price. That is not an oversight, it is the state of the evidence. Footwear has been trialed, but far less than stretching, taping or insoles: the systematic review of mechanical treatments for this condition found only three studies of shoe adaptations among 43, and concluded that the evidence on shoe design is limited and that more research is needed (Schuitema and colleagues, 2020). So treat shoes as a way of lowering the load on a sore heel for all the hours of the day you are not doing your exercises, judge a pair by how your first steps feel the next morning, and spend your money on the pair you are in most, which for most people is not the one they think.

Warning signs, and when to get help

Do shoes make a difference to plantar fasciitis?

Yes, though not in the way the roundups imply. Shoes for plantar fasciitis are about the hours, not about the model: whatever is on your feet governs how much load reaches the sore spot across a whole day, which is far more time than any exercise program occupies. The NHS puts supportive footwear in its self-care list alongside insoles, resting the foot and not standing for long periods, which tells you how it is meant to be used, as one part of lowering the daily total.

Be clear about what kind of evidence this is, because it is thinner than the confident advice suggests. Stretching, taping and foot orthoses have each been tested in a stack of randomized trials for this condition. Footwear has been tested too, but barely: a systematic review of mechanical treatments found 43 studies in 2,837 patients and only three of them looked at shoe adaptations, and it concluded that the evidence about shoe adaptations is limited and that more research is needed on sole design (Schuitema and colleagues, 2020). The best practice guide for plantar heel pain includes footwear advice in the core of first-line care, but it got there through expert clinical reasoning and what patients told the authors, not through footwear trials (Morrissey and colleagues, 2021).

What the three shoe studies did find points the same way as the national advice. A contoured sandal relieved pain better than a flat flip-flop. A rocker-soled shoe lowered pain, and lowered it most when it was paired with a contoured insole (Schuitema and colleagues, 2020). So there is a basis for choosing features. There is still no basis for anyone ranking one pair above another.

The practical consequence is that your money goes further on the pair you are in most hours, which is usually either your work shoes or whatever you wear around the house, and almost never the new trainers or sneakers bought for the two hours a week you run. The staged exercise program does the other half of the job.

What to look for in a shoe

Start with the two the NHS names, because they are the ones with national guidance behind them. A cushioned heel, which spreads the impact of heel strike out instead of letting it land on one point, and good arch support, so the band under your foot is not left to take the lot.

Then there are three fitting details that make those two features work. They come from fitting shoes, not from a trial, so take them as practice reasoning:

A firm back to the shoe, the part that cups your heel. Squeeze it between finger and thumb. If it folds flat, the shoe cannot hold your heel over the arch support no matter how good that support is.
Room across the toes, so nothing is squeezed sideways. The NHS advises against tight pointy shoes for the same reason.
A liner you can lift out. If the footbed is glued in, an insole or shoe insert has to sit on top of it, which raises your foot and tightens the fit.

The last of them is heel height, and there the honest answer is a direction, not a number. The NHS advises against high heels. A completely flat sole is the other end of the same problem, and that end has published advice behind it: the best practice guide asks for footwear that is supportive, comfortable and has some drop from the heel to the front of the shoe, and says specifically to avoid barefoot walking and flat, unsupportive footwear until symptoms have entirely resolved (Morrissey and colleagues, 2021). The experts it interviewed gave the reason, which is that a small heel takes some tension off the calf and so off the fascia.

Somewhere with a small amount of heel is where most people land. No source states the millimeters, so we are not going to invent them. If you are curious about the minimal end, barefoot shoes has its own page.

A word on how to use all of this in the shop. Comfort is what the experts behind that best practice guide put first, ahead of any feature list (Morrissey and colleagues, 2021), so trust your own feet here. Walk in both shoes, on a hard floor, for longer than feels polite.

Which shoes make plantar fasciitis worse?

The NHS has a short list of things not to do, and most of it is about footwear: no high heels, no tight pointy shoes, no flip-flops and no backless slippers. Walking barefoot on hard surfaces is on the same list, and it earns its place there because it is a choice about what you put on your feet. The one item on that list that is not about shoes at all is standing or walking for long stretches.

The thread running through those shoes is that none of them is attached to your foot in a way that lets it do any work. A flip-flop and a backless slipper both stay on because your toes hold them, so the foot grips with every step and the heel lands on something thin. A tight pointy shoe squeezes the front of the foot while giving the heel no help at all.

Worn-out shoes belong here too, by the logic if not by name: the NHS lists wearing shoes with poor cushioning or support among the things that make this condition more likely, and a pair whose cushioning has collapsed has quietly become a pair of those. The failure is invisible: the upper looks fine and the midsole under the heel has gone solid. That is the pair people keep for gardening and then wear all weekend.

The indoor pair nobody buys

This is the paragraph to act on if you only act on one. Count the hours you are barefoot or in socks at home, on tile, wood or laminate. For most people it is the largest block of unsupported weight bearing in the day, and it happens on the hardest floors they will walk on.

Both sources say so directly. The NHS asks you to try not to walk barefoot on hard surfaces, and the Sherwood Forest leaflet recommends supportive slippers at home and avoiding walking barefoot where possible. A supportive indoor pair kept by the bed is the cheapest change on this page, and it lands at the moment the heel is most sensitive, the first few steps of the day. Pairing it with the morning stretches gives those first steps two things working at once, and heel pain in the morning explains why that moment is the sore one.

Showers and bathrooms are the exception people ask about, and the answer there is a non-slip surface first. Nothing on this page is worth a fall.

Work shoes and standing all day

If your job keeps you on your feet, this is the lever that matters most, and it is partly about the floor, not the shoe. The US physical therapy guideline lists work-related weight bearing, particularly where shock absorption is poor, as a risk factor for developing this condition (Koc and colleagues, 2023). Concrete and tile absorb almost nothing.

Three practical moves, in the order they usually help. Put a cushioned mat where you stand most of the day. Get a shoe or boot that fastens, so your foot is held instead of gripping. And break up the standing, because how long you stay still in one spot matters as much as the hours total: shift your weight about, and sit down when there is a seat going.

Safety footwear is its own problem and often non-negotiable. Ask your employer whether a cushioned insole can go into your boots, whether the same standard is available in a model with more sole cushioning, and whether a mat can be put where you stand. These are reasonable requests, and a physio or physical therapist can put them in writing.

Do you need different shoes for running?

A running shoe is a shoe with the same features and more cushioning, so the list above still applies. What matters more than the pair is the amount, because running is one of the risk factors the guideline names for developing this condition. Running with plantar fasciitis sets out how to judge whether a run was too much, and what to cut first.

Surfaces are worth a thought at the same time. Softer ground asks less of the heel than pavement, and a treadmill is not magic but it is predictable. No trial we can point you at has compared surfaces for this condition, so treat it as a sensible variable to play with, not a rule.

Do insoles count as part of the shoe?

They are a different question with its own trials behind it, which is why they have their own page. The short version: the US physical therapy guideline says on moderate evidence that orthoses, whether off the shelf or custom made, should not be used as an isolated treatment for short-term pain relief, and may be used alongside other treatment (Koc and colleagues, 2023). In a trial of 135 people, prefabricated and customized orthoses produced small short-term gains in function over a sham insole at 3 months, with no significant difference between the two types and no benefit over sham by 12 months (Landorf and colleagues, 2006).

The best practice guide reaches a similar place from another direction, putting taping, stretching and individualized education at the core of first-line care and adding custom foot orthoses at around 12 weeks where improvement is still not good enough (Morrissey and colleagues, 2021). Taping and insoles for plantar fasciitis goes through both properly, including custom against off the shelf. If your arch is the part that aches rather than the heel, arch pain and flat feet are the pages to read next.

How to change shoes without setting the heel off

New shoes change how your foot is loaded, and a sore heel notices. Wear a new pair for an hour or two at first, then half a day, instead of going straight to a full shift, and keep the old pair available for the rest of the day while you build up.

Use the same test you use for the exercises: how do your first steps feel the next morning. Mild discomfort during the day that settles overnight is the shoe bedding in. Clearly worse first steps the next morning means too much, too soon, so drop the hours back instead of giving up on the pair. Change one thing at a time. A new shoe and a new insole in the same week leaves you with no idea which of them did what.

When to see a physio, podiatrist or doctor

See someone if the pain is severe or stops you doing normal activities, if it keeps getting worse or coming back, or if 2 weeks of self-care has not helped, which is the NHS threshold. A physio, physical therapist or podiatrist can watch you walk and tell you which features your foot needs, instead of leaving you to buy your way through the problem, and can check the calf, since a stiff ankle changes what any shoe can do. The calf stretch and the heel raise with a towel under the toes are the two exercises most of these conversations end with. The same question for the tendon at the back of the heel, where a heel lift is sometimes used, is covered in shoes and heel lifts for Achilles pain.

Get advice sooner if you have diabetes or reduced feeling in your feet. A shoe that rubs is a different kind of problem on a foot that cannot feel it, and the warning list below gives the signs and the timings. New foot pain with diabetes needs checking, which the NHS states as its own reason to see a GP.

This page is education rather than advice about your feet. Nothing here recommends a brand or a model, and no product on this subject has evidence behind it that would let us.

Related exercise programs

Plantar fasciitis

Warning signs

Get emergency help now

Part of your foot or a toe turns cold, pale, blue or black. Call emergency services or go to an emergency department straight away, and do not drive yourself, as the blood supply to the foot may be blocked.

Get help today

The heel or foot is hot, red and swollen, or you have a fever or feel unwell. Get medical help the same day, and go to an emergency department if you feel very unwell. If you have a very high or very low temperature, shivering you cannot control, you are breathing very fast or finding it hard to breathe, you are confused or your speech is slurred, your skin, lips or tongue look blue, gray, pale or blotchy (on brown or black skin this can be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet), or you have a rash that does not fade when you press it, call emergency services, as this can be sepsis.
Same day: you have diabetes or numb feet, and one foot becomes hot, swollen or red, or changes color or shape, with or without pain. Take your weight off that foot straight away and get advice the same day from your doctor or your diabetes foot team. This can be Charcot foot, where the bones and joints of the foot are damaged and the foot can collapse. Do not exercise that foot until it has been checked. If you also have a fever or feel very unwell, or redness is spreading up your foot or leg, go to an emergency department.
Same day: you have diabetes or numb feet and find a new blister, cut or sore on your foot, especially one you did not feel, a wound that smells or is leaking, or new pain in your foot that you cannot explain. Get it seen by your doctor or foot team the same day. If you also have a fever or feel very unwell, redness is spreading up your foot or leg, or part of your foot or a toe turns black, go to an emergency department.
Same day: a burn, a scald or a blister on your foot or lower leg from hot water, a hot floor or pavement, a hot water bottle, an electric blanket, a heat pad, or sitting with your feet near a fire or radiator. Keep your weight off that foot and get it seen by your doctor or foot team the same day, however small the mark looks and even if it does not hurt. A foot that cannot feel heat can be burned deeply before you notice, and a burn on a numb foot can turn into an ulcer. If you also have a fever or feel very unwell, redness is spreading up your foot or leg, or part of your foot or a toe turns black, go to an emergency department.

Book an appointment

You have numbness, tingling, burning or loss of feeling in the foot. Book an assessment with a doctor or physio in the next week or two. If it came on over hours or days, started after an injury, is spreading, or comes with weakness in the foot, get medical advice the same day.

Common questions

What are the best shoes for plantar fasciitis?

There is no one best shoe, and the honest version of the answer is a short list of features, not a product. The NHS asks for cushioned heels and good arch support. Beyond that, a back that holds your heel firmly, enough room across the toes that nothing is squeezed, and a liner you can lift out so an insole will fit, are all worth checking in the shop. The experts behind the best practice guide for plantar heel pain put comfort first as the thing that settles it (Morrissey and colleagues, 2021). If a pair feels wrong in the shop it will not come good in a fortnight.

Are flip-flops bad for plantar fasciitis?

The NHS advises against flip-flops and against backless slippers while the heel is sore, and the reason is the same for both. There is nothing holding the shoe on, so the toes grip to keep it there and the heel gets no cushioning or support at all. Backless slippers are the version most people never think about, because they wear them for hours at home on hard floors. If you want something open in hot weather, a sandal with a fastened strap behind the heel and a cushioned sole is a different proposition from a thong flip-flop.

Should I wear shoes indoors with plantar fasciitis?

Yes, and for a lot of people this is the single change that makes the most difference. The NHS asks you to try not to walk barefoot on hard surfaces, and the Sherwood Forest leaflet recommends supportive slippers at home and avoiding walking barefoot where possible. Think about where your barefoot hours actually happen: kitchen tile, wooden floors and bathroom tile, which are the hardest surfaces you meet all day. Keep a supportive pair by the bed and put them on before your first steps, which also fits with the morning stretches.

Do I need arch support or cushioning?

The NHS asks for both in the same sentence, cushioned heels and good arch support, so it is not a choice you have to make. Where people do have to choose, the Sherwood Forest leaflet is the useful guide: it says both firm and soft insoles have been shown to be useful, and that comfort is the key factor. The trial evidence tilts a little toward firm: the two devices that worked in the orthosis trial were a firm foam one and a semirigid plastic one, and the dummy insole that did not work was thin soft foam (Landorf and colleagues, 2006). Firmer support suits some feet and feels like a plank to others. A physio or podiatrist watching you stand and walk can tell you which way your foot is likely to go, and after that it is a matter of trying them.

What shoes should I wear for work if I am standing all day?

Start with the surface, not the shoe. The US physical therapy guideline names work-related weight bearing, particularly where shock absorption is poor, as a risk factor for developing this condition (Koc and colleagues, 2023), and a concrete floor is the clearest example of that. A cushioned, supportive work shoe with a fastening that holds your foot, plus a cushioned mat where you stand most, deals with both halves of the problem. If safety boots are compulsory, ask whether a cushioned insole can go in yours, and whether the model with more sole cushioning is available in your size.

When should I replace my shoes?

There is no mileage figure worth quoting here, because the numbers that circulate come from retailers rather than from research on heel pain. Judge them on two things instead. Press your thumb into the heel of the midsole: if it has gone hard and stops giving, the cushioning the NHS asks for is no longer there. And watch your mornings, because a pair that has quietly flattened often shows up as a worse first step before you notice anything about the shoe. The NHS lists wearing shoes with poor cushioning or support among the things that make plantar fasciitis more likely, so a flattened pair kept past its usefulness is not a neutral choice.

References

NHS. Plantar fasciitis. Page last reviewed 14 February 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/plantar-fasciitis/
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Heel pain (plantar fasciitis). Musculoskeletal patient information leaflet, approved October 2025, review date October 2027. https://sfh-tr.nhs.uk/patients-and-visiting/patient-information-leaflets/musculoskeletal-msk/heel-pain-plantar-fasciitis/
Koc TA Jr, Bise CG, Neville C, et al. Heel Pain - Plantar Fasciitis: Revision 2023. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2023;53(12):CPG1-CPG39. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2023.0303
Landorf KB, Keenan AM, Herbert RD. Effectiveness of foot orthoses to treat plantar fasciitis: a randomized trial. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2006;166(12):1305-1310. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.12.1305
Morrissey D, Cotchett M, Said J'Bari A, et al. Management of plantar heel pain: a best practice guide informed by a systematic review, expert clinical reasoning and patient values. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2021;55(19):1106-1118. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2019-101970
Schuitema D, Greve C, Postema K, Dekker R, Hijmans JM. Effectiveness of Mechanical Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis: A Systematic Review. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation. 2020;29(5):657-674. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2019-0036

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-10-24.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. See a physiotherapist or doctor for advice about your own situation.