What are the best insoles to buy if you have plantar fasciitis?

Are you suffering from foot pain? The most common cause of foot pain is a foot injury called plantar fasciitis. This foot injury affects at least one in ten people. If you are a runner you have a much high chance of developing plantar fasciitis due to the extra strain and pressure running puts on your feet. In this article, we will be looking at a hand-picked selection of some of the best insoles that money can buy to help ease pain associated with plantar fasciitis and help you get back on your feet. To understand what are the best insoles to buy it is important to understand how the foot functions and what causes plantar fasciitis in the first place.

Plantar fasciitis is triggered when the plantar fascia becomes overused and inflamed. The plantar fascia is a thick stretchy ligament found on the arch of your foot. Its main functions are to support the arch of the foot, help to shift weight from your heel to your toes during the gait cycle and to help absorb shock. The most common causes of plantar fasciitis are:

• Wearing ill-fitting shoes that do not properly support your feet. If your shoes do not support your feet properly or are too tight this can affect the positioning of your feet and can put more pressure on key ligaments in your feet and causing damage and injuries such as plantar fasciitis.
• Bio-mechanical imbalances can cause unnatural load that can exert pressure and creates small shocks on the plantar fascia ligament which over time can damage it and cause plantar fascia. The most common form of biomechanical imbalance that can cause plantar fasciitis is excessive pronation.
  During the gait cycle, your feet are designed to pronate. Pronation helps your feet to adapt to the contours of the ground, absorb shock and prepare your feet for the push-off phase of your gait cycle. Too much pronation in the form of overpronation when your foot rolls inward and excessive amount or supination when your feet roll outwards excessively can cause extra pressure on your plantar fascia which can over time result in plantar fasciitis. Those who have flat feet or high arches are more likely to develop over pronation and thus are more likely to develop this foot injury. Wearing arch support orthotic insoles will help to correct the most common biomechanical imbalances. For example, orthotic insoles will help to correct excessive pronation and supination preventing excessive strain and pressure from damaging your feet.
• If you have a tight Achilles tendon. Due to the fact that your Achilles tendon is attached to the plantar fascia means that if your Achilles tendon is unusually tight it also will usually mean that your plantar fascia will also be too tight. A tight plantar fascia is more vulnerable to being overstretched and damaged. If you have got a tight Achilles it Is important to do regular stretching exercises especially before exercise to help make the tendon less tight.
• Obesity or sudden weight gain. Being overweight or suddenly gaining weight can cause excessive and unnatural weight to press down upon the plantar fascia ligament that it is not designed to cope with. This can cause damage to the ligament and result in plantar fasciitis.
  Standing for long periods of time can cause pressure to build up underneath your heel and arch. This pressure can cause damage to your foot. Also walking and running for long periods on hard surfaces can also have the same effect. If you are required to stand for a long period, for example, you work as a bartender wearing gel insoles can help. The gel can help to spread pressure underneath your feet and prevent this pressure from damaging your feet.
• Injury to the foot can weaken the supporting muscles around the plantar fascia. This can mean that your feet can no longer properly function or support the plantar fascia making the ligament more susceptible to damage and inflammation as a result. If you have injured your foot is recommended to apply RICE which stands for rest, ice compression and exercise to help reduce inflammation and boost the healing process.

One of the best ways to treat plantar fasciitis or prevent yourself from even getting it is to wear a pair of insoles.

How can insoles help?
Insoles will help to protect, support and take the strain off your feet and allow your feet to make a full recovery. There are many different insoles that you can buy including:

• Arch support insoles are often the best for treating plantar fasciitis. The main function of these insoles is to provide rigid support to the arch of the foot taking the strain off the plantar fascia and preventing a particular movement of the foot such as overpronation and supination which may be damaging. You can buy them from your local running store that will cost around £10-30 or get a pair of expensive custom insoles made for your feet. Off-the-shelf insoles should suffice as there is little evidence that buying expensive custom insoles is more beneficial to your feet. Some research has actually suggested that custom insoles are worse for your feet as they support your feet in the position that caused your plantar fasciitis.
• Orthotic insoles use orthotic compression to help reposition your feet when you walk. This can help correct function imbalances from occurring and reduce strain on the plantar fascia. Orthotic insoles will usually also feature a number of other handy things too such as metatarsal pads to support your metatarsal bones and ball of the foot as well as heel cups to keep pressure off your heels. Orthotic insoles can be bought in a range of different sizes including ¾ length and full-length insoles. They are usually lightweight and can be worn in most shoes.
• Shock absorbing insoles are designed to absorb shock. One of the main functions of your feet is to protect your foot from shock by absorbing this shock but when you have plantar fasciitis the plantar fascia’s ability to do this is inhibited. Shock absorbing insoles are designed to protect your feet from shock allowing your feet to recover properly. They are often lightweight and can be fitted into a number of different shoe types.
• Gel insoles give your feet a custom level of protection as the gel actively adapts to your foot’s shape and contour. These insoles are excellent for providing shock absorption and redistributing weight underneath your feet helping to stop pressure from building up and damaging your feet. There are a wide range of gel insoles to buy for many different types of shoes including high heel gel insoles which means not even plantar fasciitis can stop you from wearing your favourite pair of heels!

1. Footreviver Plantar fasciitis insoles
These insoles have been purposefully built for helping to prevent you from getting plantar fasciitis or easing and boosting recovery if you already have this foot injury. One of the best features of these insoles is the rigid arch support that these insoles give your feet. This arch support holds your foot in the correct position easing tension off the plantar fascia when you walk. If that wasn’t enough these insoles have great orthotic motion control technology added to them. This orthotic technology helps to correct foot function by correcting a number of biomechanical imbalances that can damage your feet.
These insoles are incredibly lightweight to wear making them perfect for wearing sport and running shoes when playing sports. The breathable holes added to these insoles and breathable designs mean your feet stay feeling fresher for longer. These insoles are available to buy from a site called Shoewawa and what is really great is that Shoewawa offers a full 30-day money back guarantee so if they fail to help you can just send them back for a full refund.

Main features

• These insoles have been made to be super lightweight and durable making them the perfect choice for staying injury free whilst playing sports and running
• Rigid arch support that supports your feet and stops any strain from hurting your plantar fascia.
• Orthotic motion control ensure your feet do not pronate too much when you walk or run.
• Heel cup helps to spread pressure and reduce heel aches and pains
• Come with an amazing 30-day money back guarantee!

2. Arch support insoles from NuovaHealth
Nuovahealth has some pretty decent insoles but if by far the best ones that they sell are their arch support insoles. If you need a lot of rigid arch support then these insoles are for you and are ideal for those with high arches and flat feet who are more prone to the strain on the arch of the foot. These insoles work with the function of your feet and help to correct biomechanical imbalances that may cause unnatural load and pressure to occur. The heel cup is also really good on these insoles and helps to spread pressure evenly across your heel stopping concentrated pressure from building up in one place and causing damage. What is really good about these insoles is that you can cut them to size so they will fit in any type of shoes easily. They are also made out of medical grade carbon fibre material that is excellent at absorbing shock and protecting your feet.

Main features

• Rigid and sturdy arch support ideal for flat and high arches.
• Made from shock absorbing medical grade carbon fiber for the very best shock absorption.
• Pronation control stops your feet from excessive supination or overpronation when you walk or run.
• Can be cut to the size you want quickly and easily.
• Heel cups prevents heel pain by spreading pressure across your whole foot evenly.
• Light weight and perfect for running shoes.

3.Shock absorbing insoles from EdunOnline

When you have plantar fasciitis your plantar fascia is no longer able to properly protect your foot from shock. This can leave your foot vulnerable to damage that can worsen your plantar fasciitis. These shock absorbing insoles from EdunOnline are made to help deplete shock when you walk and run allowing your feet to make a full recovery. These insoles are ideal for fitting into a range of different shoes and because they are lightweight and super durable they are perfect for wearing whilst playing sports. Also ideal for wearing whilst running on hard surfaces or being on your feet for long periods. These support your entire foot and come fitted with metatarsal pads and heel pads to a range of foot injuries, not just plantar fasciitis such as Heel spurs, Metatarsalgia, and Morton’s neuroma. If you suffer from hot and sweaty feet then the breathable holes on these insoles will help to better circulate air around your feet and keep your feet dry and feeling fresh. Edunonline is an ethical and eco-friendly marketplace where you are able to buy and sell ethical and eco-friendly products. This means when you buy these inserts your not only making your feet more comfortable you are also helping to make the planet more sustainable. Come with a full money back guarantee with no questions asked.

Main features

• Features the very best shock absorption to keep your feet protected from shock.
• Ideal for those who are on their feet from long periods.
• Added metatarsal pads to help prevent ball of foot pain.
• Super light weight and durable design.
• Breathable holes to keep your feet sweat free.
• Eco friendly and sustainable product.

4. 3/4 length sport insoles by FootReviver

These insoles have been specially designed to help support and protect runners and athletes feet. How these insoles work is simple, they have been made from high-quality EVA shock absorbing materials that will prevent shock caused when your foot strikes the ground when you run from damaging your lower limbs. These insoles also have the inbuilt orthotic arch support that will take as much strain and pressure off your arches as possible to prevent overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis from occurring. What’s more is that these insoles are so thin and lightweight it means that you can wear them in just about any type of shoes easily without making them feel tight or bulky when you wear them. You can buy these insoles from a range of different stores including Footreviver.com

Main features

• EVA shock absorption to help prevent shock damage when you run or walk.
• Built in arch support helps correct bio-mechanical imbalances easing pressure off your foot.
• Designed for people who are on their feet for long periods and suffer from foot fatigue and heel aches.
• Ideal for athletes, runners and people who suffer from high arches or flat feet.