What is plantar fasciitis?
Plantar fasciitis is inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes. This irritation can be tricky to solve with a single shoe as it can be quite different from person to person, but we have provided some guidelines for which models may work best. Typically we find shoes with a higher drop from heel to toe, good cushion to take the impact away, and sometimes a less flexible option will help. You may want to consult with a medical professional for any injuries requiring clinical attention. To learn more about plantar fasciitis and recommendations for exercises and stretches to help you treat this common running injury, check out this video.
When selecting shoes, the first thing to determine is if you experience any calcaneal deviation as you walk/run. Calcaneal deviation is when your ankles have a tendency to roll inwards toward each other and onto your arches, putting a lot of pressure on the inside edge of your feet, as you walk/run.
If you feel you experience this, then you will want to check out our support shoe suggestions. If you feel you walk relatively flat and stable, or perhaps roll outwards a little, then you will want to reference our neutral shoe suggestions. To help determine if you experience calcaneal deviation, you can visit a local running shop and have your gait analyzed by simply walking/running in the store as a specialist watches. Click the link below for help finding a location that may offer this:
Find a local Brooks retailer
Support shoes
A great option to help with plantar fasciitis relief is our Adrenaline GTS model. The Adrenaline GTS offers a 12mm drop from heel to toe which helps to put your weight more in the forefoot and away from the plantar in your heel. The Adrenaline GTS has great cushion underfoot and our GuideRails® technology to keep your calcaneal deviation controlled as you walk/run. If you feel that you do not have enough cushion or perhaps too much flex in the Adrenaline GTS, then we recommend our Addiction GTS model. The Addiction GTS is a highly supportive option, and it will offer the same 12mm drop benefit and GuideRails® technology of the Adrenaline GTS but with some added stability. The Addiction Walker features a rollbar through the midsole that helps to minimize excessive flex to the shoe and foot as you walk/run which in turn can help to cut back on stress to your plantar.
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Neutral shoes
A great option in our neutral category to help with plantar fasciitis relief is our Ghost model. The Ghost offers a 12mm drop from heel to toe which helps to put your weight more in the forefoot and away from the plantar in your heel. The Ghost offers a slightly wider toe box by design to help get you a little more wiggle room in the fit, and it has great cushioning to help make for soft and smooth transitions. If you feel you are still getting a lot of agitation in your plantar, then we recommend trying our Ghost Max model. The Ghost Max works to keep your gait neutral but with some added width for stability. The Ghost Max has soft cushion, a GlideRoll Rocker, and a low drop which reduces energy absorption in foot soft tissues so they don't work as hard and can help to cut back on stress to your plantar.
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As plantar fasciitis can vary from each person's experience, we suggest these shoes as guidelines. Depending on your unique biomechanics and experiences another shoe may work better.