Plantar Fasciitis Insoles: Arch Support Inserts vs Braces for Relief & Recovery
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Plantar Fasciitis is a common overuse injury that causes pain in the heel and arch of the foot. For many people, the pain can be debilitating, making it difficult to enjoy daily activities, let alone participate in more strenuous exercises.
One of the most popular at-home solutions for managing Plantar Fasciitis pain is using insoles. Plantar Fasciitis insoles typically provide heel cushioning and arch support. However, for lay people, it's difficult to tell whether an insole is effective at resolving the root cause of the condition, and whether to choose an insole or a brace for Plantar Fasciitis self-treatment.
In this article, we'll guide you through the benefits, drawbacks, and alternatives of insoles, based on the current science and clinical practices of our co-founder, who is a seasoned physical therapist with over 20 years of experience. Let's dive in.
Plantar Fasciitis insoles should be made to address pain by providing additional support and cushioning to the affected areas of the foot. These insoles (sometimes called Plantar Fasciitis inserts or orthotics) are placed inside your shoes, either on top of, or as a replacement for, the insoles that come with your shoes.
The primary function of Plantar Fasciitis insoles is to dampen the shock of each step you take. The cushy material used in these insoles helps dampen the impact on your heel and arch, which can significantly reduce pain for some people. This shock absorption can be helpful for people who spend a lot of time on their feet or engage in activities that involve a lot of walking or running.
Many Plantar Fasciitis insoles feature structured heel cups. These heel cups provide additional stability, preventing excessive movement that could exacerbate pain for some people with Plantar Fasciitis. By stabilizing the heel, these insoles could slightly reduce the strain on the plantar fascia, the ligament that runs along the bottom of your foot, forming the arch.
In addition to cushioning and heel stability, Plantar Fasciitis insoles often include some form of built-in arch support. This support is designed to maintain the natural shape of your foot's arch, which some people find alleviates their arch pain, even though the mechanism of insoles doesn’t actually reduce the load on the plantar fascia (which we’ll get more into detail shortly!)
Insoles can be a convenient and accessible solution for managing Plantar Fasciitis pain. Here are some of the key benefits of using insoles:
Ease of use is likely the top reason Plantar Fasciitis insoles are so popular. All you need to do is place the insoles inside your shoes, and you're ready to go. This simplicity makes insoles an attractive option for people who want immediate relief without the hassle of custom orthotics or frequent visits at a physical therapist’s office.
Insoles are generally more affordable than custom orthotics. While custom orthotics are tailored to your specific foot shape and condition, they can be expensive and take several weeks to manufacture. In contrast, Plantar Fasciitis insoles are widely available and can be purchased immediately at a lower cost.
Compared to professional low-dye taping, insoles are far more durable. Low-dye taping is a technique used by physical therapists to provide arch support and pain relief. Though it's very effective, low-dye taping can lose its effects after just 30 minutes, especially during sweaty activities. Insoles, on the other hand, can last for months with regular use.
While Plantar Fasciitis insoles offer several benefits, there are also important drawbacks to consider.
If you regularly wear multiple pairs of shoes, you may need multiple pairs of insoles to avoid constantly moving them between shoes. This is especially true if you use insoles that you cut to better fit your shoes.
Since well-designed, Plantar Fasciitis-specific insoles can be pricey, starting at around $30 and going up to over $100, the cost of outfitting all your shoes can add up quickly.
A key aspect of treating Plantar Fasciitis is reducing the load on the injured plantar fascia. This ligament plays a crucial role in maintaining the arch of your foot, and when it’s damaged, it needs time to heal.
While insoles do provide some arch support, they don’t significantly reduce the load on the plantar fascia. The arch, while being pushed up by the insole, still bears the full weight of your body, which means the injured tissue continues to work hard and get stressed, slowing down the healing process.
Perhaps the most significant drawback of insoles - especially if they are your only treatment - is that they treat the symptoms rather than the root cause. Insoles can alleviate pain while you wear them, but they do not facilitate long-term healing.
This is why many people find themselves dependent on insoles for pain management, only to experience a return of symptoms when they stop using them.
Another important consideration is that most insoles are designed to address multiple foot conditions, not just Plantar Fasciitis. These generic designs can offer some relief, but they are not tailored to the specific biomechanics of your feet or the unique demands of Plantar Fasciitis. As a result, they can’t be as effective as more targeted, Plantar Fasciitis-specific treatments.
For those seeking a more comprehensive solution to Plantar Fasciitis , alternatives to insoles are worth exploring. Here are the two options at the top of the efficacy list:
Low-dye taping is a technique commonly used by physical therapists to lift the arch and reduce the load on the plantar fascia. This method involves applying tape to the foot in a specific pattern that uses a fulcrum to lift the arch.
While effective, low-dye taping requires skill to apply correctly and may not be practical for most people who don’t want to visit their physical therapists daily for reapplication.
A more practical alternative to insoles is a foot brace for Plantar Fasciitis (like our Loft 2 Brace). Unlike insoles that push up against the arch, the Loft 2 Brace uses a power strap to lift the arch and reduce the load on the plantar fascia.
This design mimics the effects of low-dye taping but is much more intuitive to use yourself and far more durable. User testers have reported significant pain reduction as soon as they put on the Loft 2 Brace, making it a highly effective alternative to traditional insoles.
If you find that Plantar Fasciitis insoles are helping you manage your pain, there’s no need to stop using them. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep using what works for you, especially when dealing with a chronic condition like Plantar Fasciitis. (It has to do with being intentional with variables you introduce during your rehab process.)
However, if you’re not getting enough relief or if your symptoms persist, it’s time to change tactics.
Also remember that insoles aren’t a root-cause treatment. To treat the microtears and scar tissue on the plantar fascia, make sure to incorporate Plantar Fasciitis massage (deep tissue work), and follow a Plantar Fasciitis exercise program to progressively strengthen your foot, ankle, and the rest of your kinetic chain. These two approaches will ensure you are working on the root cause of your foot pain, and not just alleviating your symptoms.
To determine whether your insoles are actually working, you can use the test-intervention-retest approach. Here's how:
Heel Walk Test without insoles: First, put your shoes on without the insoles, and walk 10 steps on the heels of your feet. Rate your pain on a scale of 0 to 10.
Wear the insoles and repeat the Test: Put the insoles in your shoes and repeat the Heel Walk Test. Rate your pain on the same scale.
Compare pain levels: If your pain is significantly reduced with the insoles, that’s a sign that they are working for you.
If the insoles do not provide sufficient relief, consider active treatments that address the root cause of your pain.
Plantar Fasciitis insoles can be a useful tool in managing pain and staying active, but they are not a long-term solution. While they offer convenience and affordability, they don’t address the underlying cause of your pain; insoles are at best a temporary solution for your symptoms.
If you're not getting the relief you need from insoles, switch to other options, such as Plantar Fasciitis-specific braces that can unload the injured tissue. Whether you choose insoles or braces, remember to incorporate Plantar Fasciitis massage and a strengthening exercise program to strengthen your foot, ankle, and other parts of your lower body, so that you won’t have to rely on insoles for the long term..
Benefits of Insoles: Plantar Fasciitis insoles can provide quick pain relief by cushioning the heel, supporting the arch, and absorbing shock with each step. They are easy to use, widely available, and more affordable than custom orthotics, making them a popular at-home treatment option.
Drawbacks of Insoles: Insoles don't address the root cause of Plantar Fasciitis. They don't significantly reduce the load on the plantar fascia, and their generic designs often limit their effectiveness for long-term relief.
Alternatives to Insoles: Alternatives such as low-dye taping and Plantar Fasciitis-specific braces provide more targeted support and can reduce the load on the plantar fascia, for a more effective pain relief and long-term recovery.
The Alleviate Method: For long-term relief, incorporate additional treatments like soft tissue mobilization (massage) and a strengthening exercise program for the foot, ankle, and the whole kinetic chain. This is the fastest way to long-term recovery, rather than ongoing symptom management.
Alleviate was founded by a patient-and-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our Plantar Fasciitis System 2 that includes the Loft 2 Brace, you can use the Alleviate Method to recover from Plantar Fasciitis at home. No physical therapy appointments required!
Luke Ferdinands, Physical Therapist & Co-Founder
A New Zealand-trained physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, Luke developed the Alleviate Method to bring the gold standard of physical therapy care to everyone's home. Luke leads the development of physical tools and digital physical therapy content, focusing on driving clinical outcomes for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions like Tennis Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis, Runner's Knee, and more.
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