Shoes

[GirlyGirl80]

I have always been a Vionic gal. I have plantar Fasciitis  and wear a 9 Wide (/C), lately though, the Vionic shoes have been NOT helping but hurting. I had always had success with the Kea slip on sneaker-type but now they are starting to hurt my feet which sends a ripple effect through my legs and I just can't wait to get off my feet.  Has anyone else noticed this phenomena or maybe my feet are just  "catching on" and messing with me.. lol 

I even started to wear compression socks thinking that may help the issue - I work in retail so am on my feet all day.  

I was considering trying Alegria as they were recommended by a foot doctor for plantar Fasciitis care.  I noted the price is much nicer on the Alegria, which helps of course.

Is there any way of comparing these two shoes? Has anyone gone from one to the other successfully ? I realize they are two different shoe brands. Is there anything to look out for with Alegria?

All help appreciated! (I think I fixed them all, but if not please excuse any typos)

Thanks!

TT 

[patbz]

If you have access to reflexology, try it; really "fixed" my PF.

[Mathgal]

I have tried both brands and neither worked for me.  In fact, Alegria makes my plantar fasciitis worse.  The only thing I have luck with are my custom orthotics and believe it or not, Birkenstocks.  My podiatrist suggested Spenco, but they didn’t work too well for me either. 

[Carol Diane]

FitFlops cured me but they were sandals so a little tough in the winter!

[Nightowlz]

I have wasted money on Vionic plus Alegria.

I'm sticking with my Birkenstocks.

At least I don't get a backache when I wear them as I did with Vionic.

[BirkiLady]

@GirlyGirl80Look up Finn Comfort Shoes (or sandals) on-line or may be wherever Birkenstock's are sold. See if there is a store near you selling high-end orthodics. If so, stop in and try some of their shoes on and select the brand that suits you the best for your problems. While I love Birkenstocks and don't really have problems with my feet, I have fallen in love with the leather interiors and the amazing support offered by Finn's. They are more expensive than Birkenstocks. After trying them on and deciding which shoe/sandal/clog to purchase, I go to shoes dot com and buy them online which saves about 25-30% and free shipping. If your PCP has indicated you need orthodic shoes, have him write a RX and take it with you to the store. I believe they will help defray some or part of the cost, but don't know the process. You'll have to ask all the pertinent questions when trying on the shoes. Good luck and hope this helps you find relief. 

[AngelPuppy1]

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wrote:

I have always been a Vionic gal. I have plantar Fasciitis  and wear a 9 Wide (/C), lately though, the Vionic shoes have been NOT helping but hurting. I had always had success with the Kea slip on sneaker-type but now they are starting to hurt my feet which sends a ripple effect through my legs and I just can't wait to get off my feet.  Has anyone else noticed this phenomena or maybe my feet are just  "catching on" and messing with me.. lol 

I even started to wear compression socks thinking that may help the issue - I work in retail so am on my feet all day.  

I was considering trying Alegria as they were recommended by a foot doctor for plantar Fasciitis care.  I noted the price is much nicer on the Alegria, which helps of course.

Is there any way of comparing these two shoes? Has anyone gone from one to the other successfully ? I realize they are two different shoe brands. Is there anything to look out for with Alegria?

All help appreciated! (I think I fixed them all, but if not please excuse any typos)

Thanks!

TT 

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@GirlyGirl80

I feel for you!  I have had and continue to have all of these issues and more with my feet, ankles and legs for quite a long while.  I have had orthotics from the doctor for a couple of years.  It helps significantly though does not completely take all of the discomfort away.  I would say to go to a good podiartrist and let him/her treat you.  Instead of spending large sums of money on expensive shoes which probably will not help the issue, this might be a better place to start. I have been wearing athletic shoes or sneakers if you will for several years now.  I hate it but it's difficult to find shoes that the orthotics fit comfortably in and also these shoes seems to give better support.  Good luck! 

[Moonchilde]

I wore Alegria’s rocker-bottom shoes for more than a year, and loved them. But - the rocker-bottom action, similar to the Skechers ‘exercise’ shoes out at the same time - gave me Achilles tendinosis, which is a chronic, very painful, condition. There are lawsuits about this and podiatric commentary if you google it; there used to be more but things kind of ran their course so little publicity these days.

Having the Achilles issue in one foot screwed up my body mechanics such that I developed severe plantar fasciitis in the other foot.

The arch in Alegria shoes seems much less pronounced to me, and there are no other things about the Alegria footbed that make it PF or pronation-friendly. My PF will forever be aggravated by my pronation.

I think that Vionics were made largely for people who pronate. If your PF is caused by something else entirely, it’s quite possible that Alegria’s arch could be enough. Personally, I need the Vionic, Aetrex, Spenco or Abeo type of podiatrist-recognized orthotic footbed which Alegria does not have and does not claim to have.

Because of my specific experience with Alegria I don’t recommend them to those with any foot, ankle, heel, knee, hip etc issues. They’re fine for relatively healthy feet. And yes, I do think they’re cute, and I LOVED mine when I had them, but they screwed me up. I had pronation before I wore them, but I did not have Achilles tendinosis or plantar fasciitis before I wore them.

[Shanus]

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wrote:

If you have access to reflexology, try it; really "fixed" my PF.

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@patbz  When I experienced PF, I never had such pain just waking up and putting my feet on the floor.....6 sessions of Accupuncture & gone. The cortisone shots did nothing.

[queendiva]

@Carol Diane: FitFlops makes shoes now and they are great!! Check out their website- many, many styles on sale. I just bought a beautiful pair of suede loafers and velvet loafers. Like wearing good sneakers!

I am also a big fan of Alegria, though I can't address the issues of PF.