If you have plantar fasciitis, read this
Plantar fasciitis? That's why your heel hurts most on the first step out of bed.
The first step in the morning. Standing up after the car or the desk. The ache by evening. If it keeps coming back whatever you do, the cause is usually under your arch, not in your heel.
Sound familiar?
How it usually goes
See if this is yours.
- It started smallA sore heel in the morning. It went away after a few steps, so you ignored it.
- Then the morningsHand on the wall on the way to the bathroom. In one sufferer's words, "like starting from the start every morning".
- Then after sittingThe car, the desk, dinner. You stand up and the stab is back.
- NowYou plan the day around your feet. Walks cut short. Trips you stopped planning.
- What you've been toldStretch. Ice it. Roll a ball under it. Rest. Maybe a shot.
If you've done all of that and it still comes back, keep reading. The heel is where it hurts. It isn't where it starts.
What's actually happening
The morning stab isn't a stretching problem. It's a reloading problem.
The plantar fascia runs from your heel to your toes and holds your arch up like a bowstring. When the arch drops, the bowstring pulls. It pulls hardest where it's anchored: the heel.
This is what happens, step by step:
- The arch dropsEvery step, under your weight. Stand barefoot and look at the inside of your foot. If the arch sinks toward the floor, this is you.
- The fascia pulls at the heelThousands of times a day. That's the ache by evening.
- It tightens overnightOff your feet, it shortens and stiffens.
- The first step pulls it againThat's the stab. Then the day reloads it, and it starts over.
Stretching and ice calm it down at night. The next day reloads it. It only stops when the arch stops dropping. That's why it keeps coming back, and why it isn't your fault.
Why what you've tried didn't work
Most arch supports go flat the moment you stand on them. So the heel keeps getting pulled.
A soft arch folds under your weight, like the one above. The arch drops, the fascia pulls at the heel, and you're back where you started. Here's why each thing you've tried helped for a while, then didn't.
Typical insoleStretches, ice, night splint · $
They calm it down. They don't take the load off.
Worth doing. But they work on the inflammation, not on what causes it. The next day your arch drops again and the fascia gets pulled again.
Helps for: the morning. Until the next one.
Heel cups and "PF" insoles · $
Soft under the heel. Nothing under the arch.
They cushion the spot that hurts. The arch still drops, the fascia still gets pulled at the heel. And soft padding is flat within weeks.
Helps for: the first week.
Cortisone shot · $$$
Quiet for a while. Then the same foot, the same load.
It settles the inflammation for weeks or months. It changes nothing about how your arch loads the fascia the morning after.
Helps for: weeks. Then back to the start.
Custom orthotics · $$$$
Some worked. Some didn't. All cost a fortune.
People who've had them say the same things. They cost a fortune. You move one pair from shoe to shoe. When they wear out, you pay again. And some never helped at all.
Helps for: until they wear out. In one pair of shoes.
"I tried all the over the counter orthotics and buckles, I got professional orthotics. It lasted a while and my pain returned. Then I needed to decide to purchase the professional orthotics again, $$$$, or give it one last shot on my own. I found these and I can't tell you how happy my feet have been."
Jennifer M., US
The fix
Hold the arch up, and the heel stops getting pulled.
Custom orthotics work because the arch is firm. Held up, the fascia isn't stretched at the heel with every step, and it finally gets a chance to settle. OrthoFlexx Max Arch Support Insoles do that one job, without the wait, the price or the podiatrist.
Arch Support that Doesn't Collapse.
- Extra-firm arch base. Holds up to 330 lbs / 150 kg without flattening, so the arch stays up all day.
- A real arch, not a bump. Arch elevation 1.38" / 3.5 cm, where your foot actually drops.
- Deep heel cup. Cradles the heel and keeps it centered, right where it hurts.
- Fits the shoes you already own. Full length, trim-to-fit. Sneakers, work shoes, walking shoes.
- Soft on top, firm underneath. Support, not a plank.
30-day money-back guarantee · Free shipping & returns
Free shipping & returns
30-day money-back guarantee
Rated 4.8/5 by 1,200+ customers
Podiatrist-approved
What a board-certified podiatrist says
"As an experienced podiatrist who also suffers from Plantar Fasciitis, I confidently recommend OrthoFlexx Max Arch Support insoles. They provide excellent support, comfort, and meet all the qualities I seek when suggesting insoles to my patients."
Dr. Elizabeth DaughtryDPM, DABFAS, FACFAS · Forbes Health Advisory Board Member
She has plantar fasciitis herself. That's why she wears them.
From people who had plantar fasciitis for years
What changes in the morning
"I have tried every orthotic including very expensive custom insoles from the podiatrist and nothing ever worked for plantar fasciitis. This is the first ones that actually worked for me. I have been pain free for 3 months. The first time in years."
Thomas L., US"Noticed a big difference the 2nd day after wearing them as there was no foot pain the second I got out of bed to walk, which hasn't happened in years."
Renee, Canada"I am quite pleased (and a little surprised) that these insoles don't collapse by the end of the day. I have had plantar fasciitis for a few years and nothing has helped. I have started to see a noticeable improvement after only a short time!"
Nancy O., Canada"The podiatrist gave me some relief after several sessions, but it came back over time. To say I was suspect of their claims would be an understatement. However my concerns were unfounded. Within 5 days of wearing the OrthoFlexx product my plantar fasciitis appeared to be gone. It is now a year that I have been wearing the inserts and my feet feel fantastic."
Frank B., Australia"OrthoFlexx insoles definitely have a stronger arch than others I've tried, and whilst not got rid of it, they have definitely helped reduce my plantar fasciitis symptoms. I'm hoping with continued use they will."
Geoff T., UK"My podiatrist sold me some supports for my plantar fasciitis. They helped, but didn't eliminate. I tried the OrthoFlexx and within a couple of weeks the pain was almost gone."
Jack L., USStraight answer
What the first weeks actually feel like
This is support, not a cure. Keep the stretches. If your heel pain came on suddenly, after an injury, or you've been told the fascia is torn, see a podiatrist before you buy any insole. For long-running plantar fasciitis, here's what people report.
Days 1 to 7
Your arch will notice it. That's the support working, not a wrong fit. Start with 2 to 4 hours a day, and put them in the shoes you step into first thing.
Weeks 2 to 3
For many, mornings are the first thing that changes. Some feel it in days. Some need longer.
Weeks 4 to 6
People with severe, long-running PF report this is when it settled. If nothing has changed by day 30, the size or arch height is wrong for you. We swap or refund.
"It took a full week to break them in. However, after that the plantar pain was basically all gone. I'm in week three of wearing them in all my footwear now. Stick with them even if they are uncomfortable initially, they work."
Frankie, USTwo minutes, tonight
Getting them into your shoes
STEP 1
Pull out the factory insole
Most shoes have a removable insole on top. Lift it out and keep it.
STEP 2
Drop in OrthoFlexx
Trim to fit if needed, using the old one as a template.
STEP 3
Step into them first thing
The arch holds from the first step of the morning. Ease in over a few days if you need to.
What you get
OrthoFlexx Max Arch Support Insoles
One job: hold your arch up, so the fascia stops getting pulled at the heel.
- Extra-firm arch that holds up to 330 lbs / 150 kg, day after day
- Free shipping & free returns
- 30-day money-back guarantee, wear them every day
- HSA / FSA accepted
Wear them for 30 mornings. If the first step out of bed hasn't changed, send them back.
Worn, every day, in your own shoes. If they don't hold up or aren't right for your arch, full refund. No awkward questions.
Put your feet on the floor and just walk.
The stab in the morning is the fascia being pulled. Stop the pull, and get back the walks and the trips you stopped planning. In their words: "get my life back".
See the Max Arch Support Insoles
Free shipping & returns · 30-day money-back guarantee · HSA/FSA accepted