Agree Muck Shoes are an issue, as well as other no cushion shoes like flip flops. I switched to Merrels to do the barn, so much better. And lots of stretches.
One problem that I have seen frequently enough, and what I read about a LOT when getting into zero drop shoes, is that way too many people try to go barefoot, or wear flipflops, after years of being in shoes that “support” feet, and have a raised heel. You can’t do that, and not suffer consequences, short term and even long-term. Many of the zero drop shoe sites warn about acclimating.
Way too many feet are poorly conditioned because society has us in shoes really fast, and for practically since we became “civilized”, those shoes, even sneakers, have had heels higher than toes. And that doesn’t even get into the high heels women were “forced” to wear for 100+ years (I have no idea how old high heels really are, but at least 100 years)
Someone can’t go from 30 years of lifted, cushioned, “supported” shoes, to flat, without conditioning feet to it. Our bodies weren’t built for that, and it shows.
Obviously, that has nothing to with real conformation issues, or injuries, etc. I’m talking about how we grow up and wear foot gear that does not support how we are supposed to move, and it affects our entire body.
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My thought is that many doctors do not bother talking about diet changes because mentioning diet changes leads to all kinds of conflicts and then people will not come in at all.
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Nike makes “flip flops” with arch support. I wear them all summer and if you buy muckers a size larger, your inserts will fit.
I definitely agree that is probably pretty common 
That’s really, really unfortunate, and is part of the bigger issue of too many people wanting someone else to fix their problems
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@tabula_rashah - Would you be willing to share what type of diet changes you found helpful?
Thank you!
Sure I went pretty strict, clean Keto- I cut out all sugars (including honey, maple, fruit, etc), grains and starches, eat high fat and moderate protein and a ton of non-starchy veg but I’m pretty sure it’s the removal of sugars and starches that fixed the PF for me. I’ve been eating this way since Sept 2020 and it has not come back at all
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@GreyDes, I have not been eating that way (not even close, I like fruit way too much to give it up, and eating a high fat diet makes me puke) and with stretching and not running around barefoot I have not had any problems either.
Well fascia can be affected by inflammation, and so plantar fasciitis could definitely be exacerbated by inflammation. But for most people it is an actual injury to the fascia of the foot.
So it can’t hurt, and might help to reduce your intake of inflammatory foods, and increase anti-inflammatory foods. But that alone won’t cure an injury if you’ve incurred one. Rest, icing, and stretching will help you recover from the injury; and then you need to identify how you did it in the first place and change/adjust what you’re doing to avoid doing it again (in addition to dietary changes, if you think they contributed).
Shoes, and what you do in them can be a big problem. I developed PF when I started trail running some years ago, but I was also working FT and often wearing heels to work, and riding a couple of times a week. I think the combination of “heels up” at work and “heels down” on a horse were big factors, and the running off road and in new shoes that may not have been great for me pushed me over the edge.
I would look at more than just your shoes, and I would also add stretching and strengthening once the pain is reduced.
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If you can find out the root cause/triggers it’ll help you to avoid/improve. Mine specifically comes from an extremely tight muscle lines all the way from my ankle to my back, so riding actually helps me because it encourages a stretched leg. Sometimes I get it from going barefoot too much after not going barefoot for a while (feet need time to strengthen and stretch). I can always feel it coming on in the big toe knuckle before the rest of it acts up and adjust accordingly.
I third the tape! It’s an amazing tool to use. I also have some PF focused compression ankle socks that help when it flares up and I don’t have the energy for taping. Frozen water bottles to roll over the bottom of my foot for cold massage therapy helps a lot with the pain too (though that can set off my raynauds which can set things off all over again so I have to be careful)
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I agree with looking at diet.
Self diagnosis I did have a period were I was having a lot of sharp pain in my instep, could barely walk in heels at one stage. I narrowed it down to a couple of possible causes either an overdose of oxalate from drinking too much Cashew Nut milk, or a calcium / magnesium imbalance - actually lack of calcium. Removing cashews from my diet & increasing cow’s milk intake by having yoghurt for breakfast seems to have resolved the problems.
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I’d say make sure you get a good diagnosis. I was diagnosed with PF and tried everything but it just kept getting worse. Went to a different ortho and he diagnosed Morton’s Neuroma from a broken foot from 30 years ago. The nerve was so inflamed that it was looking like PF. I had inadvertently made it worse by doing things like KT tape. We tried injections which was only temporary. I ultimately had surgery which cured the problem.
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check on this for sure. I had partial tendon tears after taking Levo. Even if the drug has been used for a while, adverse events can develop
I had PF and much of it was solved with better quality shoe and insert. I will say my feet have never felt better , however, since I went to using Altra shoes. They have neutral foot beds and encourage and mimic the spread of the foot akin to barefoot. Instantly comfortable and the arthritic areas have calmed down and are not constantly painful
Altra makes running shoes as well as casual everyday and walking shoes.
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