jakermc

Unfortunately the plantar fasciitis in my right foot has reached a level that it is becoming extremely difficult to operate the pedals without significant pain. It's so bad that this weekend I abandoned the brake pedal and have begun the process to become a left foot braker in my non-boosted Clubsport. My coach suggested that switching to a shoe with a harder sole might help alleviate the issue and that Indy Car drivers use such a shoe that had stiffer soles versus the flexible ones we commonly see in the popular shoes most of us are using in sports car racing.

I know I am not the only one out there with this issue. Has anyone found a stiff soled racing shoe that helped manage the problem?

fatbillybob

Have you tried putting a green "superfoot" insole in your shoe? Next step is getting a real orthotic like you would for your ski boots?

jakermc

I used a Protalus insert yesterday, first time I tried an insert in the racing shoe (use them in all other shoes I wear). More comfy walking around, but no help with the force needed on the pedals.

Cory M

I don't have PF but my Puma shoes have very stiff soles with a layer of carbon fiber. I assume you are only wearing the shoes for driving and not wearing them around the paddock all day.

jdistefa

A pedorthist (not chiropodist, not podiatrist) can make a very thin and stiff custom 3/4 (ball to heel) CF insert for you. Superfeet products generally won't fit in a driving shoe although you can test the one they make specifically for hockey skates. Custom pedorthic material like CF easyflex are 1.5 mm thick and are heat molded on a plaster copy of your foot. This should help to manage your symptoms a bit given the particular stresses involved in braking.

A few free bits of medical advice:

1. There is no - NO - evidence that orthotics, or heel lifts, or other padded mumbo-jumbo make any difference re. treatment of plantar fasciitis. Don't waste your money, or anyone else's.

2. Stretching is the mainstay of non-surgical treatment. You must stretch both your gastroc and soleus.

3. A night splint (that holds the ankle in flexion) worn nightly for 1-2 months has been shown to help.

4. Cortisone injections are sometimes helpful early on in the process (first 1-2 weeks) but not later.

5. Wearing shoes with heels and/or ramp angle (like most running shoes) likely contribute to this problem by causing some adaptive shortening of the achilles. Once this episode resolves, continue doing daily calf stretching and try to switch to flat sole shoes i.e. birkenstocks and/or so called zero ramp running shoes.

6. Surgery to partially release the plantar fascia is a salvage procedure that has risks. Do all the other stuff first and be patient.

seanseidman

This process cured my PF

https://barefoot-science.com/product/

jdistefa

...

jdistefa

I think orthotics of various types can feel good (or not) but there's no good evidence - compared to sham treatment or no treatment - that they actually affect any cure or alter the time course of the problem. Obviously do what feels good in the short term, especially if there's no harm. However, excessive cost is a harm and I have a very hard time ethically telling anyone that the 'need' custom orthotics that can cost hundreds of bucks. Remember that things often simply get better with time and that gets conflated with the purported treatment 'benefit' of various devices.

See here, a review of the literature:
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr....CD000416/full

Also excellent summary here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951039/

93 FireHawk 968

Spot on..... I had PF a few years ago and resolved it with consistent stretching, ice, frequent massage with golf ball and it eventually went away. I do remember not wearing my race shoes when out of the car, my training shoes provided much better support and comfort.

JRitt@essex

I'm in complete agreement with jdistefa on this one as well.

I've struggled with foot pain over the past couple of years, particularly on the ***** my feet. I tried custom orthotics and even had a podiatrist recommend surgery, but I ultimately followed a more natural solution. My approach was two-pronged.

First, I changed my shoes. I started wearing minimalist shoes with zero or very little 'drop' or ramp angle. I found that shoes with a wider toe box and a flexible bottom (not stiff) helped strengthen my feet. They are great for driving because the soles are so thin and you can precisely feel what's going on underfoot. One of my favorites was the Topo Halsa: https://www.topoathletic.com/mens-halsa?color=20
Here is a site that has a lot of shoes with this fundamental idea: https://naturalfootgear.com/
Another great sneaker brand with a wide toebox is Altra: https://www.altrarunning.com/

Inserts- I tried some very expensive custom orthotics, but they didn't do much for me. I also tried some ball of foot pads, etc, and those weren't the best either. The best inserts I found were the Powerstep Pinnacle. They lasted the longest and felt the best on my feet:
While the new equipment was helpful, flexibility, mobility, and strength were the keys to relieving my foot pain. I believe the "Bear Walk" as shown in this video brought the most dramatic improvement for me:
GMB fitness also has a great article and videos on feet and ankles. Check it out here: https://gmb.io/feet/?Id=yzpzw7mv38rznwhapzea&Email=jeffreyjritter@gmail.com&utm_term=active-30-days-clients&utm_source=drip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=broadcast-monday-clients&utm_content=19-02-11-feet

At any rate, I hope you get your feet sorted. It is certainly a debilitating condition, and it seems like there are many conflicting opinions on what works. For me, the above path was most effective.

Raven 666

I put my orthotics in the race shoe ,,as I do with all my foot wear .

ProCoach

+1,000

Took that advice and I just had to stretch and wait. Took months. But it is no longer bothering me.

993944S2

If you sit at all during working hours freeze 2-3 plastic coke bottles. During the day slip your shoe off while at your desk and roll the foot over the frozen bottle. The ice and continual rolling has really helped me.

993944S2

If you sit at a desk during the day, freeze a few plastic coke bottles. Slip your shoe off and roll your foot on the ice under your desk. The ice and massage have been great for me.

joejenie

https://www.kurufootwear.com/mens-shoes.html