If you have Plantar Fasciitis and wear safety boots, you’ll be looking for a fast way to resolve this nasty foot pain, particularly if you’re working long hours on hard surfaces like concrete. That’s why in this blog, we’ll be showing you some quick and relatively inexpensive footwear solutions for Plantar Fasciitis, so you can say goodbye to pain and focus on the job in hand. 

What is Plantar Fasciitis? 

Plantar Fasciitis is an inflammation of the Plantar Fascia, a thick band of tissue running along the bottom of your foot connecting your heel bone to your toes. This pain most commonly occurs around the heel and arch of the foot (see image from the NHS website).

Plantar Fasciitis is caused when this part of the foot is subjected to weight, tension or repeated stress without any or proper support.

Many sufferers find Plantar Fasciitis is worse when walking after sleep, while some experience a sustained pain throughout the day, ranging from uncomfortable to severe.

Find out more about Plantar Fasciitis below from lecturer in Podiatry Emma Cowley.

THE FACTS 

According to NHS information, Plantar Fasciitis is one of the most frequent causes of heel pain, affecting around 10% of the population. This same data also reveals that Plantar Fasciitis is more common in people whose jobs involve standing or walking on hard surfaces. 

And if you’re one of the 11 million people in the UK who work on their feet and are experiencing this heel pain, without the right solution, it’s only going to get worse. 

Coupled with this, in a recent University of Bath survey of over 500 safety boot wearers, when asked how long they wore their safety boots for on a shift, the results were clear.

So, if so many safety boot wearers are on their feet for 8+ hours a day with Plantar Fasciitis, it’s crucial to have a fast, effective and long-term solution. Afterall, it’s easy to take feet for granted, and see them as the things which carry us from A to B, but when they succumb to pain and poor health, the rest of your lower limbs, your productivity and your well-being can be very quickly jeopardised.

SOLUTION 1 - INSOLES

The right type of insole can be a very quick and effective way to reduce Plantar Fasciitis, but just like your boots, insoles are not ‘one-size-fits-all.’ To reduce this pain, insoles must provide the right amount of cushioning underneath the foot depending on the height of the arch. When this part of the foot is stretched when taking the weight of the body when walking or standing and doesn't have any support, it becomes inflamed - and that’s what causes the Plantar Fasciitis pain.

THE V12 DYNAMIC ARCH^TM – THE RIGHT SUPPORT WHERE IT’S NEEDED 

At V12 Footwear, we wanted to develop a truly effective solution to Plantar Fasciitis, and use our knowledge and expertise to develop an insole that gave the highest-level of support to every type of arch. We collaborated with motion analysts, leading universities and renowned podiatrists, then carried out numerous independent comfort tests to ensure these insoles offered bespoke arch support with long-lasting comfort. And the result was the Dynamic Arch^TM. 

To cater for the fact that people have different arch heights, we developed Dynamic Arch^TM insoles in three different arch sizes – low, medium and high, so they give the right amount of cushioning under the Plantar Fascia, stopping the pain and inflammation that can be so distracting and debilitating, particularly for those working on their feet all day.

Pictured: Maximum arch support for low, medium and high arches with V12’s Dynamic Arch^TM insoles.

Dynamic Arch^TM insoles feature an open cell cushioning foam so they retain their shape after use and don’t flatten over time like many closed cell insoles. The result? Long-lasting and effective support from heel pain.

True Women's and Men's fit insoles

“The choice in workwear for women is limited in terms of footwear...It’s difficult to find insoles that provide enough support for the arch.” 

Nicola Parsons, Health, Safety and Environment Manager 

All three Dynamic Arch^TM insole types come in specific male and female fit, allowing total arch personalisation for men and women. This was particularly important to us, because the NHS findings mentioned earlier also reveal that Plantar Fasciitis is more common in women – largely due, we can only assume, because of the historical lack of true women’s fit footwear and accessories.

In the video below, you’ll see Nicola talk about how having learnt her true arch size with V12’s Thermoboard, Dynamic Arch^TM insoles meant her Plantar Fasciitis was quick to disappear.

SOLUTION 2 - THE RIGHT FIT 

Furthermore, you can significantly reduce Plantar Fasciitis if you’re wearing a safety boot that’s been designed with comfort as well as safety in mind. 

A pair of safety boots that are designed and built to accommodate both the wider European and narrower Asian foot shapes - like the V12 range - means your foot is better supported and the boot is contoured more specifically to your foot shape, giving a universally more comfortable and supportive fit.

And because our women's and men's safety footwear range are built to reflect the specific foot shapes of male and female wearers, once these boots are coupled with our universal last shape and a bespoke arch-supporting insole, your feet have everything they need to combat Plantar Fasciitis and step forward in total comfort.

Finally, you should look for other comfort features in a work boot including: 

• A cushioned mid-layer  
• A flexible, lightweight midsole  
• A shank to aid support
  

If you want to find out more on safety boot features that will help you avoid pain such as Plantar Fasciitis if you're on your feet all day, head to this blog.

SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE 

The key thing to remember is that painful feet can often make people look for expensive or elaborate solutions like new footwear or costly orthotics, when in reality, the way to reduce issues like Plantar Fasciitis is often simple and quick. The key is putting your trust in a brand who have invested their time and used their own expertise plus the expertise of other industry experts to find the best solutions to pain – so you don’t have to. 

We believe that wearers facing multiple hazards on long shifts have enough to worry about without putting up with distracting foot pain, particularly when this can be solved quickly by having the right comfort and safety accessories paired with the right boot.

And once you start looking at these additional features as part of a whole footwear solution, you can go from pain to productivity in a matter of days. 

So let's get started with V12’s Dynamic Arch^TM insoles. Click below and see how they can change the game for you or your team.