Have you changed your lifestyle due to problems originating in your feet?  I did.  I’m an active person by nature and plantar fasciitis kept me from doing the things I enjoy.  I found that Birkenstock® sandals offered some relief and was sentenced to wear them wherever I went.  My feet were so sore that when I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I slipped on my Birkenstock® sandals to alleviate some of the pain. I was working in the Research and Development group at  Reebok® when I first developed plantar fasciitis.  I was on a long run with my wife and we were training for our first marathon.  Towards the end of the run, at about 15 miles,  my feet started to get really sore.  Little did I know that the pain in my feet was going to lead to years of suffering. The next day I went into the office and consulted with my colleagues at Reebok® about my foot pain.  There were a few world class athletes in my group and one of the more notable runners told me about plantar fasciitis.  He said I might be in big trouble and immediately recommended arch supports.  We went back to the model shop where different shoe models were made and manufactured a set of arch supports.    These supports, made in the Reebok® Model shop,  helped somewhat and I even tried to jog slowly for a few days but finally gave up my exercise routine hoping my feet would heal fully.  One month later and with very little exercise, I knew I was in trouble as the pain still persisted.      I finally resorted to trying different over-the-counter arch supports.  It was extremely frustrating because I'd been running for over 10 years on a regular basis and now I was restricted to painful walks or the occasional painful bike ride.   A sampling of some of the different orthotics and support devices I've tried. I'm not a person who likes to go to the doctor, but I finally went to a podiatrist.  He prescribed custom orthotics and said my pain would probably be eliminated in a couple weeks.  I anxiously awaited my new orthotics which cost $200, not including the office visit, and followed the instructions when they arrived. No matter how hard I tried, these  new custom orthotics made my feet feel worse.  The hard plastic made me dread getting out of bed, up from my chair, or off the couch.  I went back to the same doctor and complained.  He sanded some of the material off the bottom of my new $200 orthotics and told me to try them again.  None of this helped.    I joined a "foot pain" support group on the internet and someone recommended that I try Birkenstock®  sandals.  In my desperate state, I reluctantly paid $94 for a pair of what looked like simple sandals.  I stuck to the Birkenstock® product and finally found some relief.  This had been about 1 year from my initial injury. My job took me to many countries around the world and I now wore my sandals everywhere I went.  I had my "dress" sandals for important meetings and even had a worn out pair that I could ride on a stationary bike at times.  There was always a pair beside my bed.     I still couldn't run and longed to throw on a pair of running shoes and jog through a strange town while on business.  Watching other people run always made me jealous. I finally went back to a different podiatrist  and spent another $185 on a second pair of custom fit orthotics.  I had the same problem with these as I did with the first pair of custom orthotics.  I know they help some people, but they didn't help me.   Made of hard plastic and very expensive,  custom orthotics help many people.  However, I didn't have any luck and they made my feet more painful. This was my second pair of custom orthotics.     I kept trying, in vain, to find an orthotic which might help.  I was at least functional with the Birkenstock® sandals but still suffered from foot pain.  At times, the pain would even extend up my legs. Back to top  Go to Page 2 of Mike's story HERE

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