I was diagnosed several years ago with plantar fasciitis in both feet and have had plantar fasciotomy in both feet. It helped some, but I always felt best when wearing tennis shoes and had unbearable pain by the end of the day when I would wear dress shoes (even flats). My arches are completely flat.

About 6 years ago, I discovered Birkenstocks and have gotten to the point where I wear them all the time. I even wore my 1st ratty old pair for my wedding a couple months ago! Now that I'm married, my lifestyle has changed more and I dress up more often, but I feel so frumpy in by chunky birks. I have "dress" birks - closed toe shoes that look fine with pants or jeans, but a little questionable with skirts. But I wear them anyway because I've chosen comfort over fashion. I'd like to choose fashion sometimes, though, and feel pretty again! Any suggestions on other kinds of shoes to wear that won't leave me limping by the end of the day?

You are dealing with the question every women has which is how to find the right shoe. My suggestion is to try different styles of shoes and see which feel best to you. there is no one shoe for every one. I would stay away from flats but do not go above a 2-inch heel and make sure that it is a chunky heel and not a thin one. Also, you may want to invest in a pair of dress orthotics. This way they can add the arch pad for your feet since you mentioned that you have flat feet. Before you go have a pair of custom orthoses made; I recommend the Dress Orthotics (1483) by Anti-Shox. You can wear this in most heels comfortably and will help take some stress off your feet. Let me know how these work for you. You can find them by going to products at our web site Foot.com.

Foot.com staff member

I completely understand your issues! I had an open plantar fasciotomy on only one foot, but still have a lot of pain if I try to wear 'normal' shoes. My best suggestion is to try Dansko shoes. They are great for foot issues and actually have gotten a lot more stylish over the past few years. They are about $100 a pair, but they last forever and are cute, too. (I also love my Birks...but understand that not everyone appreciates how they look!)
Dansko has a website, and you can also find them at most walking or shoe specialty store.

Good luck!