On their 20 years of journey, Crocs have always overlooked appearance over comfort. You may not like its style, but you cannot, but like the comfort they offer. Many people suffering from plantar fasciitis are grabbing Crocs for their comfort.
But are Crocs good for plantar fasciitis? If yes, then how good are Crocs for Plantar Fasciitis? Let’s look into the matter.
What Is Plantar Fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain among adults. It refers to the inflammation of a long fibrous tissue lying across the skin of the bottom of our feet. This thick tissue band is called Plantar Fascia that links our heel bone to our toes.
Plantar Fascia supports the arch of the foot and absorbs shocks while walking and running. When this tissue band is stretched unusually and gets torn, it can cause intense pain.
When you get up from the bed in the morning and put your first steps on the floor, the plantar fascia ligament is stretched and can cause pain. The pain can increase while exercising enormously immediately after leaving the bed or standing for a long time.
As the day goes on, the pain decreases. However, you may experience it again after standing for a long period or while standing up after sitting for a long period.
If it has been a long since you felt terrible heel or foot pain in the morning, you should look into the matter seriously and take steps.
How Do Supportive Shoes Help To Heal Plantar Fasciitis?
One of the main causes of developing plantar fasciitis pain is wearing shoes with inadequate arch and heel support. Especially people who are in a profession where they have to be on foot all day should always choose supportive footwear.
If you are experiencing extreme or chronic plantar fasciitis pain, you may need further treatments and therapies. Otherwise, supportive footwear or inserts can aid in alleviating the pain of Plantar Fasciitis in most cases.
Comfortable footwear with proper arch support distributes the pressure across the feet. Besides, these shoes absorb shocks and bumps while walking or running.
Shoes that have thick and rigid soles and cushioned footbeds give comfort while walking or standing. But thickly cushioned soles may bend or twist while walking and causes stress and pain on your feet if it is not rigid enough.
Therefore selecting the appropriate shoes is deeply concerned with the good health of your feet. Choosing the appropriate shoes is necessary not only when you notice plantar fasciitis symptoms but also for regular use.
Are Crocs Good To Wear For Plantar Fasciitis?
Some shoes or Crocs are good for plantar fasciitis because they come with good arch support, cushioned insole, thick and rigid outsole, and shock absorption capability. Podiatrists do not recommend using Crocs for a longer period as they have less heel support.
Crocs were brought to the market as casual waterproof and non-slip shoes. They are not plantar fasciitis shoes or not even walking shoes (for long distances). They started becoming popular for the comfort they offered. Therefore, many Crocs shoes are now specially designed for people who have Plantar Fasciitis pain.
If I say precisely, Crocs are good for what they are made for. They are nice and comfortable while taking a walk on the beach, pool, or working in the backyard garden. Some Crocs are effective for reducing plantar fasciitis pain. But they are not for excessive walking or running.
If interested, please check our article, are Birkenstocks good for Plantar Fasciitis?
Why Are Crocs Good For Plantar Fasciitis?
All Crocs are not good for plantar fasciitis. You can choose only a few Crocs that will give some relief to plantar fascia pain. These shoes have the following characteristics that help to alleviate foot or heel pain.
Loose Fit
Crocs have a very loose fit and open design, so your feet get enough space to breathe. There is enough room in the toe box in some Crocs so that your toes do not get compressed while walking.
Enhanced Arch Support
Some Crocs are designed for people who have chronic plantar fascia pain. These pairs provide proper arch support to the plantar fasciitis sufferers while walking or standing for a long period.
Cushioned Insole
Comfort is the first thing that people suffering from plantar fasciitis look for. Many Crocs have very comfortable cushioned footbeds to soothe the pain of Plantar fascia. Crocs LiteRide Clogs have LiteRide next-generation foam cushioned insoles that ensure very comfortable wear.
Rigid And Thick Sole
Crocs that are designed to reduce plantar fasciitis pain come with thick and rigid outsoles. These soles do not tend to twist or bend while walking.
Heel Support
Excessive stretching of the plantar fascia band causes stabbing pain. To reduce abnormal extreme stretching, you should choose footwear with reinforced heels. Shoes with reinforced heels reduce tears in the plantar fascia ligament while absorbing shock during walking or running. Crocs Women’s Neria Pro LiteRide comes with such a reinforced heel cushioning that can reduce plantar fascia pain.
Shock Absorption Capabilities
People with plantar fasciitis need the right footwear to absorb the shocks while walking and running and let the plantar fascia ligament relax. Crocs clogs have Croslite outsoles (made from a foam resin shock absorber material) that are capable of absorbing shocks and bumps.
Lightweight
Being made from Croslite, Croc clogs are extremely soft and lightweight. The EVA foam resin material is more lightweight than rubber.
You can also check our article, Hey Dude Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis.
Should You Wear Crocs For A Longer period?
Crocs are not made as walking or running shoes. You should not also wear Crocs for a longer period. The right pair of crocs will comfort your heel and support your arch while walking around or standing for a longer period.
But while walking for long distances or standing for long periods, you should better choose other shoes with softer cushioning and better arch support. Shoes with orthotic insoles will be a good choice in this regard.
Do Podiatrists Recommend Crocs?
Although no one will question Croc’s comfort, there are some other issues. So before grabbing a pair of crocs, let’s see what podiatrists say about Crocs.
According to many podiatrists, Crocs are not meant for day-long use. They may offer better arch support but they do not support the heel well. Therefore an unstable heel makes it difficult for your feet to stay on the shoe securely. As a result, you tend to grip the shoes with your toes to be in place.
When you walk or stand like this for a long period, that can cause more serious problems like tendinitis, bunions, nail problems, toe deformities, corns, and calluses, etc.
However, for a walk in your backyard or outdoor garden, the pool and Crocs are great pairs to put on. Podiatrists recommend them for such short-term use.
However, you may or may not find Crocs suitable for your plantar fasciitis pain. It depends on other factors like obesity, age, chronic plantar fasciitis, flat feet or high arch, and so on. All that you can do is take advice from your podiatrist and try Crocs once.
Which Crocs Are Good For Plantar Fasciitis?
Not all the crocs are good for plantar fasciitis. Crocs have designed a few shoes that can relieve plantar fascia pain and inflammation. For example, if you want to use Crocs to relieve chronic plantar fasciitis pain, flat shoes like flip-flops won’t support your arch. You can pick the Baya Flip among the Croc flip-flops to ease your plantar fasciitis pain.
Plantar fasciitis sufferers choose the Classic Croc since it has nice arch support and thicker heel cushioning.
Crocs have brought Neria Pro LiteRide with enhanced arch support, rigid and thick sole, and soft and cushioned footbed for working women with plantar fasciitis.
Bistro Pro LiteRide Crocs is another great shoe designed especially for reducing plantar fasciitis pain. It comes with good arch support, a thick outsole, a reinforced heel, and a contoured soft cushioned footbed to ease the pain of plantar fasciitis.
Conclusion
Therefore, if you want to grab a pair of Crocs, choose the one that comes with proper arch support, reinforced heels, thick inner and outer sole, spacious toe box, and shock absorption capacity. Fashion Crocs are no good for plantar fasciitis. And as the podiatrists suggest, do not use Crocs as walking shoes. Crocs themselves say their shoes are not made in that way. So, why should you try?