Need help! Painful feet! Indoles vs buying shoes; currently on trip

New shoes should be your last resort. You don't want to add problems from shoes that have not been broken in. It is hard to recommend a brand of insole, since we don't know what is available. If you can find a gel or memory foam insole, that might help. Other than that, try ibuprofen.

I bought new shoes in Vienna. I bought them a half size big, and I still bring them on my trips. I call them my "clown shoes" because they're a little big (not clownish otherwise--just black suede lace-up sneakers), and they are far from beautiful, but they saved my trip. In the heat on my last day in Budapest (where we were right before Vienna), my feet had swelled and blistered, and walking had become painful. The new shoes rescued my time in Vienna.

Maybe some moleskin to add to the bottom of your feet for an extra layer? Or another layer of insoles?

I would have never thought Converse for a walking shoe. And were your Chacos broken in or are they really "new?" It really could be either one (or both) causing the problem. Hope you feel better!

Meghna,
Ouch! I'd suggest going to a pharmacy & see what type of insoles you can find there.

You also need to rest your feet, so take advantage of public transportation ( buses over Metro) & taxis as much as possible.

Last month while traveling in France, one of my knees started to hurt, so I had to minimize my walking & relied on buses to get us closer to the sites we wanted to see.

Ask the hotel for ice in plastic bag & ice painful feet every evening.

Take it easy...

You might try finding a doctor to give you a steroid shot. Painful, but effective.

I use a product called Palinka.

What bad luck! Do you have access to ice? I find that it's a great help when my feet are painful.

Meghna88 I feel your pain and I agree with BB. Try and find some looser fitting shoes. I had a similar situation on a trip to Europe years ago and found some loose fitting inexpensive shoes that saved the trip for me (although I ultimately ended up losing a toenail). Good luck.

Grande Pharmacie Bailly at 15 rue de Rome, next to the St. Lazare train station has a large selection of Dr. Scholl and other products for the feet. The medical items are upstairs, the beauty products on the ground floor. This is a very large pharmacie with a lot of products.

If you are walking on pavement more than you are used to, I would suggest wearing very supportive shoes with good arch support. If possible, try icing your feet for 15-20 minutes three or four times a day.

I've never tried Chacos but once wore some Converse sneakers and promptly gave them away to a charity shop (they did not have enough arch support for me). My preferred shoes for lots of walking are Asics running shoes, several types of Skechers Go Walk with memory foam, and Merrell with air cushion insoles. Quite a few years ago, I bought an Italian pair of Lomer walking shoes and wore those until the rubber soles lost their treads - very comfortable for being on your feet all day.
Good luck - hope you find a remedy.

Meghna88,

You may want to check a sporting goods store, such as, 'Au Viex Campeur', & try to find comfortable walking or running shoes or at least some sandals that offer more support for your feet than what you have now.

If you're still in Paris, I saw at least three of these shops in the Latin Quarter near La Sorbonne University.
I take my Keen Rose Sandals as one of my shoes when I travel, and they've been comfortable since the day I tried them on in the store, so they don't really need to be broken in.
You may find other Keen sandal models. As someone else mentioned, you need some shoes that offer some type of arch support.

Here is a link to the camping store I saw in Paris:
http://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr

I hope this helps...

I use Aetrex non-custom orthotics in my travel shoes. They provide some extra arch support. Bought them at a rather pricey shoe store in the US, where I paid $20 or $25 for them. Aetrex seems to be US brand, so I sort of doubt that you'll find it in Paris, but perhaps a product of similar quality will be available and will help.

I suspect that, whatever change you make in your footwear, you're going to need to cut back on your walking until your feet recover a bit.

I just got back from the BOE 21 day and every step I took hurt someplace! My feet never hurt so much on previous trips. I think I walked more on this trip though! If you can take some form of NSAID's ( Ibuprophen, Aleve) that might help. It helped me.

As said, buying new shoes is not ideal, no time to wear them in, but if you have to Sketchers Go Walks are super comfy with NO break in time needed.

I will say the converse runners were not a good choice, they have no support at all , just a flat foot bed.

They sell Sketchers in several places I saw in Paris a month ago .

Ice bottom of feet , try and keep off hem for a day or two( well obviously you have to walk, but no long slogs till feet recover a bit, take a boat cruise or maybe a hoho tour

Stretching your calves may help relieve some pain as well as soaking your feet in a hot water at night. Also try to massage them. Compression socks may help too.

I'm sorry you are dealing with this on vacation - I know it can be painful.

If your heel is hurting it could be the start of Planters Factitious...a very pain and downright debilitating condition and not unusual to develop on a long trip with lots of walking and not having the proper support, I know two people who came down with it while on vacation. ARCH SUPPORT is the one of the steps you will need to take, like PP mentioned go and get an insole that will provide arch support specifically. Also stretch your calf 3-5 times a day by hanging your heel off the edge of a curb and just holding the stretch for 10 seconds about 10 times each session. Converse are the worst! There is an awesome shoe store in Florence right across the street from the Duomo on the corner of Via Dei servi called Monti, they sell the "good" shoes if you need to go that route. Some of the better shoes need no breaking in, also only buy Aetrex and Orthoheel brand (Both wonderful for PF sufferers like myself) and can use them right out of the box with nothing but heavenly comfort.

Thanks for the replies so far!
Yes converse may not have been a great choice. They were previously very comfy for walking .. As comfortable as my sketcher go walks and I added a gel arch support indoor. The Chacos are new. I didn't know they had to be broken in. Hopefully that will happen any day now!
Using ibuprofen and uber def helps. Hopefully a few days of Jess walking up ahead in Florence! (Rented s car). Thanks!

If your heel is hurting it could be the start of Planters Factitious

As soon as Meghna88 stated heal pain, I too thought it might be the start of Plantar Facilitis. As Letizia stated, stretching will help. I find the yoga downward-facing dog pose to be particularly helpful that you can do in your hotel room or apartment in the morning and at night. During the day while you are out and about, stretch the calves on steps. Make sure you stretch both calves - even if the other foot doesn't hurt.

Sounds like plantar fasciitis, before getting out of bed each morning stretch your foot out. Move them forward and back. Don't stand up on them until you stretch them. Never go barefoot even if you hurt. You got a lot of other great suggestions form people too.

The Chacos are new. I didn't know they had to be broken in.

Lots of great ideas so I'll just add that ANY new pair of shoes need to be well broken in before a trip requiring lots of time on the feet. Even a brand/style that you've been able to walk right into in the past can cause trouble as every pair can fit a little differently. I have had two pairs of Privos which were perfect, and two - exact size/style - which cramped the end of my right foot as the day wore on. Also a pair of Naturalizers that I thought I'd broken in well enough until Mile 6 into the first day in Rome. Ouch!

Oh, just thought of something....
Try socks made for diabetics? Those have extra padding that may help.

Hope those feet are feeling a bit better today. :O)

Meghna88, I have been dealing with plantar faciliis for years, but this year it has been at its worst. I bought these Plantar Fasciitis Socks on Amazon, and they have been a lifesaver! I started wearing them 24 hours per day, but now the pain has decreased, so I only wear them during the day. I realize you don't have the time to get them now, but you may want to check out compression socks when you get home.

Stretch - Stretch - Stretch!

Crowd-sourced podiatry.

Bruce-what are friends for? LOL
Seriously when I went to my Podiatrist for my PF he gave me one great stretch to do daily (Hand on wall, lean forward, stretch the calve)...but because I had a trip to Europe coming up in 5 months, and my last bout of PF took a full year to heal I started looking on YouTube, forums, amazon, you name it...and self healed in 4 months, including buying the Orthoheel brand of flip flops that I wore around the house, because the doctor did not tell me to never go barefoot, but forums did and that was a huge part of my healing so fast. I taped, I stretched, I wore the boot at night, I massaged...and I went to Europe 5 months later pain free!

OP- Good call on the arch support insole! And like others have said, do not underestimate the stretching of the calves (both of them!)....yes the pain in is your heel but the healing will come from the calve stretch.

Hopefully a few days of Jess walking up ahead in Florence! (Rented s car).

Hopefully you are not planning to drive in the historic district of Florence, or if you are, that you are aware of ZTL restrictions. Take a look at this website. Illegally driving into a ZTL zone can result in hundreds of dollars in fines that may not reach you until several months after you return home.

I had a situation a couple of trips ago where previously worn and very much broken-in boots suddenly were my worst enemy, had blisters and foot pain within a day of arrival in Vienna and realized that hard-soled boots weren't helping as my foot was fighting them with every step. I found a great shoe store called Humanic and an even more wonderful pair of soft leather sneakers with arch support, brand is Legero, and they saved my trip, plus they're really cute and I still wear them, so no money wasted. At the end of a long day of hard walking in the city I get a small amount of aching that's usually helped by soaking and massaging.

Ha, ha, James E! Palinka, aka lighter fluid. ;)

I know little to nothing about feet ailments, but how about an epsom salt soak?

As for insoles I've had great experiences with Spenco. They offer different grades of course, from thin ones for regular walking to thick contoured ones for running and hiking. They are very sturdy but at the same time very cushiony. For shoes, I'm a huge fan of Ecco. I've owned and do currently own multiple pairs. I've never had to break them in. I put them on right out of the shoe box and they feel great. To be honest, the only shoes I've ever need to break in are actual leather dress shoes. If you do need to buy a completely brand new pair, just be aware (as others here have noted) of the "type" of shoe you're buying. Fashion sneakers (like Converse) aren't really designed for serious walking. Just looking at the insole and outsole and how flat they are, and the materials being used should tell you that. I'm sure they were once designed for playing basketball in, but that was a long time ago and shoe design has come a long way since then. Along these lines, I recently bought a pair of dress/casual shoes with natural rubber soles and they feel absolutely amazing, dare I say there's even a slight "bounce" to them when I walk. I've never owned a pair of shoes with natural rubber soles (never even considered the difference) and the feel between that and polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride compounds (which is what most shoe soles use these days) is huge. Granted, natural rubber doesn't last as long and not many shoes use natural rubber. I heard Mephisto uses them but their shoes are very expensive.

I feel your pain.

My go-to walking shoes are Clark's. There are stores in the 3 cities you are visiting.

I also swear by L'Occitane's foot cream. Maybe it's psychosomatic, maybe it;s the foot rub you get when you massage in the cream. But it works for me. There are also stores in your 3 cities.

Have a great trip!

Lots of good suggestions here. Ditto the Ascics and Skechers. I walked all over France in brand new, black on black Skechers with no problems.

I would also add:
1. Slather your feet & toes with lotion/cream, preferrably Neosporin, before putting on your socks. Band-aid makes an anti-friction stick, but it may not be available in Europe.
2. Wear double layer or 2 thin pairs of socks.
These help reduce friction.
Good luck & happy travels.

I have had 2 serious bouts of plantar fasciitis. It took 18 months to heal each time. In the middle of one of these episodes, I had a trip planned involving lots of walking. Every day I would fill a small container (hotel wastebasket) with ice and some water and soak my foot, morning and night. Not fun but it got me through the trip and my foot was not worse following the trip.

I also have all the inserts, exercises, good shoes, physical therapy. But the icing was amazing. Both times the PF was caused by overuse, walking more than 10 miles.

One exercise that worked better for me than all the ones mentioned so far is to sit with your feet straight out in front of you and hook a belt or towel or something similar around the ball of your foot. Pull the top of your foot toward you without bending your leg to create a stretch similar to those already described. Hold the stretch as long as you can on each foot.

The doctor also told me to never walk around the house without shoes. I've worn out a pair of Vionic (with Orthaheel technology) house slippers and need a new pair.

When first diagnosed the doc also said to get rid of all my beloved Birkenstocks and Mephistos with the hard soles that form to your feet. Fortunately I have 3 daughters and 2 grand daughters (so far) who wear my same size and love to get my old shoes. My favorite brands now are Ahnu, Abeo and Aertrex.

Those brands may or may not be available in Paris, Florence or Rome. I highly recommend that you visit the stores suggested already. Ignore fashion and get shoes that require socks and that are comfortable immediately upon putting them on. I've never had to break in any of the brands I listed and no matter what you get, you shouldn't have to either.

Just my opinion but do not put moleskin on the balls of your feet. After walking around on them, it will be difficult to peel the moleskin off . You could be tearing your skin. If you have a bidet in the bathroom, bring a chair into the bathroom and soak your feet in Cold water. I have even plugged the bottom of the shower and ran an inch or two of Cold water , then sit on the chair outside the shower and your feet inside the shower.

I have neuromas, causes pain in the ball of foot. I bring one pair of shoes with arch support to walk around in all day. When I return to the hotel and/or we then go out to dinner, I wear shoes with a lot of cushion (fit flops). It gives my feet a break from the 1st pair, also helps with the pain of hitting the pavement. Look for a loose pair with a lot of cushion.

Mary

Hello,
If this question has been asked please ignor. Socks. What kind if any do you wear with your shoes. I had to switch to smart wool or ice breakers wool socks when I'm on my feet all day. Wool socks saved me alot of discomfort while I was walking through and around London for ten days. I'm sorry that you are going through the foot pain. Have you tried putting your feet up at night?

Cathy

I just looked at them, and the brand of my clown shoes (aka go-to travel shoes) that I bought in Vienna is Legero.

Someone mentioned orthotics... I don't want to be rude, but this is absolutely NOT a good idea. Orthotics need to be broken in very slowly over the course of 1-2 weeks. Otherwise, if the problem is related to poor arch support, orthotics will temporarily make the problem worse.

OK, I'm going to do something that I probably shouldn't because I can't examine you or ask detailed questions... but what you are describing is probably plantar fasciitis. This is usually caused by a sudden increase in cumulative force on the feet, like taking up running, walking a lot on vacation, or wearing shoes with inadequate shock absorbance. People with flat feet are more prone to it, but this by itself is not usually enough to cause it.

First thing, if your shoes are over 3 months old, they do little to absorb the shock of walking. All they do is protect the skin on the bottom of your feet. If your shoes are old, get new ones.

Second... the best cure is rest. I know, difficult to do on vacation, but it probably won't get better unless you stay off your feet.

Third... ideally, you should consult with a physician for a course of high dose nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac or meloxicam. These will significantly improve the symptoms within a day or two. However, knowing nothing of your medical history, you should confer with a medical professional before pursuing this course of action. If you can't see a doctor, a pharmacist may be able to provide some good advice.

Fourth... if you can, ice down the painful areas every night

Fifth... at least twice a day, stretch the plantar fascia. Roll up a bath towel and sitting on the flood, form a U with the bottom of the U just under the ball of the foot and holding the arms of the U in either arm. Lean backwards with your torso, so that you apply tension to the foot and stretch the top of the foot back towards you.

Finally... you could have a stress fracture. There is nothing you can do to make this better except rest the foot. Continuing to stress the foot will delay healing and may even cause a full-thickness fracture. Unfortunately, this is a difficult diagnosis to firmly establish. Plain xrays may not show anything. The only method to definitively make the diagnosis is via a bone scan, which is probably all but impossible to get on vacation.

Thanks all. Luckily had a few days rest in Florence and Chacos are broken in! Motrin helped and it didn't get to PF level!