I just learned that most sneakers come from China and Vietnam and what with facing down 50%+ tarrifs I'm buying two pairs of New Balance Freshfoam 860s because I can't outrun facism with plantar fascitis.
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There is a patented design orthotic* that solves gobs of problems out of the box, brand name " Downunders".
I've seen favorable pain relief from plantar issues, among other foot and skeletal challenges.
*I evaluate feet and dial them in for folks thru a custom molding/grinding process.
Oh god I can write a book on plantar fascitis. They+ custom orthotics have helped stave off reoccurence but if you're in the thick of it you need other tools. Have you been stretching your calves?
I have the orthotics. Been using the night splint to no relief, physical therapist has taped my foot which is actually helping but it always comes back. Haven’t done stretches on the calf…is that the key?
they never tell you that. Work the shit out of your calves. Deep tissue massage. daily stretches. I also found that a percussive massager helped a ton (the research is mixed but if you can swing it)
My last round was so bad I stared at Elizabeth Warren running down her selfie line with intense jealousy because she was so much older than me and so much more spry.
Also, "work the shit out of your calves" but incrementally. Don't stretch a lot all at once cause you can fuck up other stuff.
My last PT who was INCREDIBLE (for other stuff) gave me this bit of wisdom - work the joint above and below the area giving your trouble. There's nothing below the feet obvs but yeah the area from knee to calf needs to be factored in too. And muscle tightness in the calf can trigger plantars
I wasn't expecting it, but a hip mobility program got rid of my plantar fascitis. I was just trying to get rid of my hip pain, but there was a whole chain reaction going on that was affecting my knees and feet.
The thing that helps me the most is kneeling (in seiza, if you know about martial arts) and then moving to a toes under, “toe crunch” (or keiza) and back. Holding the toe/foot stretch as long as I can. It’s the back and forth stretch, top, then bottom of foot that helps me.
It's very cool that nowadays when you find a good pair of shoes, you *have* to buy another dozen pairs because next year even if a trade war hasn't erupted the quality will definitely have plummeted and you'll never find that great pair again
Shoes, sneakers, boots, I should have said footwear in general. A year or so later you go to buy the same pair and they now make it out of cardboard, spit, and prayers, it dissolves on your feet in 3 months no matter how long the previous pair lasted.
my understanding is that old school doc martens were indestructible. i bought a pair in 2017, wore them pretty much daily every winter until 2024, but replaced them this past winter. 7 winters isn't 'indestructible', but the 2024 boots are already breaking down so I FEEL YOU
Ooh I'd heard keen got better but that it was some kind of complex "you just gotta buy this batch made in this factory in this time interval, or else the glue dissolves when wet"
I think broadly the split is between the more fashion-y stuff and the outdoor stuff. The outdoor stuff was suss for awhile but they went back to their roots and it's good again. IDK about the "streetware"
I bought a pair of sneakers for I’m Running Warehouse yesterday.. most athletic wear come from Cuba and Vietnam. Athletic wear is gonna really take a hit
Ya, that makes sense. For better or worse I can no longer run due to a disability, so more and more of my activities are doable in boots. I forgot this isn’t generally the case 😅
I scour REI clearance and Garage Sale for deep discounts and returned items. Paid $125 for Lowa Renegades and $56 for Merrell Moabs both pairs were like new.
I'm so fucking annoyed by this. Boots and good shoes last forever but sneakers fall apart after 6-8 months depending on use (if you chime in that you've been wearing the same pair of chuck taylor's since 1975 that's nice but some of us have foot issues)
Yeah i used to wear my shoes until they had holes. But 8?9? Months ago I was in so much pain I was counting steps and it took me thousands of dollars out of pocket to get to "mostly pain free" so like yeah I can't risk it on purpose
Lol my credit card just flagged my attempted order as fraud it is that out of character for me to order this many shoes at once. Meanwhile I spent a week in Mexico City with zero issues. Card was like "yeah this sounds right"
Just BTW, don't put them aside and save them for later. I did that with a pair of shoes I loved, so got a 2nd pair for when the 1st wore out. The 2nd lasted about 1 month
If the soles don't get worked, they go stiff and crumble
I found out my sneakers had suddenly lost all their support yesterday, when my feet on the shopping trip suddenly hurt _intensely_, and still did today. I went and bought new ones because I don't think it's prudent to wear Birkenstock clogs to a rally, but I hope to God
Sudden Sneaker Support Loss is a misery. When I was much younger, I went on a low-budget trip (lots of walking) with only one pair of what I thought were perfectly comfortable shoes. The arches broke down completely and I remember limping through subways.
For me, it's always the heels. I need to reheel a new set of boots because they're already worn down. And my sneakers? I thought they would last until after my vacation at the end of the month.
Hell, even boots and the like rarely last more than a couple years with heavy use. I really need to look into walking shoes, though I've never found a pair that remotely fit me. Need to walk more again.
I'm on my third season of blundstones and I have a pair of john fluevog boots that have lasted me over a decade . the shortest run I've had on boots is a pair of dr. scholls
Notably, every shoe/boot I've ever found that actually fit, my dad has volunteered "those look like wrestling shoes." So I guess wrestlers wear sensibly designed shoes. 🤷
I’m a sales rep for a running shoe brand and it’s going to be bad. Our margins are not wide enough for anyone along the chain to absorb the tariffs. Run specialty stores are also one of the few industries that still thrives with small locally owned physical stores. Good luck with the PF!
My husband and I bought two pairs each last week in anticipation of the tariffs. We're both people with foot issues, so "making do" was never going to work for us.
When I was a kid, we would take day trips to the States, wearing old shoes. We’d buy new shoes and put the old ones in the garbage. No duty on shoes you’re wearing!
To keep in mind next time you’re traveling.
I lived up there for work for a couple years. Had to do it. My wife and I always laughed at the boxes piled up in the trash cans outside of the shoe stores in Buffalo. We knew when the Canadians were there 😁
Yeah, there’s no expensive version that actually lasts for years, there’s just the medium expensive ones that last two months or stupid expensive ones that last 8 if you’re really lucky (or got Covid and spent 6 weeks bedridden)
The expensive ones (within limits) also provide better support and or/cushioning and stability depending on what you're angling for. The cost doesn't reflect durability though
We legit had this convo with my SIL while we were at Disneyland last week, she was complaining her feet hurt and she had brought her literally years-old Nikes because she didn’t want to buy a new pair of Brooks for on her indoor treadmill and bring the (honestly near the end) old pair of Brooks
Heads up, the head of New Balance has long been a big Republican/Trump supporter. I buy Merrill's now.
I wore NBs with custom insoles for almost a decade due to ankle injuries. If you've got an injury or issue and New Balance is the only shoe that works for you, do what you need to do.
Yeah unfortunately I have pretty severe foot issues and didn't plan ahead for this so don't have much time to figure out a plan B. Very flat feet. Custom orthotics. Plantar fascists. Tendonitis etc. I'm not in a position to try something new and derail 6 months of p/t.
I watch so many of those YouTube videos by physical therapists. It can be some work to pick out who’s serious sometimes. But my back and feet have never been better than after finding some good, gentle routines
I discovered New Balance Reconsidered recently so I am going to drop this in the thread for anyone else who needs new-but-maybe-previously-returned sneakers:
FYI you inspired me to go buy a new pair of running shoes yesterday. I did the stride eval and they recommended the Hoka Gaviotas. They are a mix of cushioning and stability. We’ll see how they work for me.
The amount of stuff I’m glad I “stocked up on” in the last four months is getting to be a stupidly long list. The “still should get” list is also stupidly long.
I bought five pairs the moment the tariffs were announced. If I have to hunt coyotes for meat after the collapse, I'm going to do it in relative foot comfort.
Reminder to Americans: Nikes have NEVER been manufactured in the United States. Bringing shoe manufacturing here is not “bringing back jobs”. It’s stealing jobs that American’s have no interest in doing. It’s torturous, mind numbingly repetitive work that typically doesn’t pay well.
Comments
There is a patented design orthotic* that solves gobs of problems out of the box, brand name " Downunders".
I've seen favorable pain relief from plantar issues, among other foot and skeletal challenges.
*I evaluate feet and dial them in for folks thru a custom molding/grinding process.
Peace
they never tell you that. Work the shit out of your calves. Deep tissue massage. daily stretches. I also found that a percussive massager helped a ton (the research is mixed but if you can swing it)
Also, "work the shit out of your calves" but incrementally. Don't stretch a lot all at once cause you can fuck up other stuff.
https://bsky.app/profile/kendrawrites.com/post/3llzmr2yijc2p
I got a couple of jars of blue bottle freeze dried expresso a month ago for an emergency coffee back up
My wife has foot issues too and that's why she'll stock up on multiple pairs whenever she finds a good sale.
If the soles don't get worked, they go stiff and crumble
We will really know when we arrive at the "Find Out".
It's on its way.
Regularly walked ~50 miles/week last summer. Most in a day was 26.5 miles, out of curiosity. Not many exercises I can feasibly do, so I walk. 😔
I actually owned a SAS Store in Nashville, TN. We closed when Covid hit.
To keep in mind next time you’re traveling.
I lived up there for work for a couple years. Had to do it. My wife and I always laughed at the boxes piled up in the trash cans outside of the shoe stores in Buffalo. We knew when the Canadians were there 😁
Boy, I miss those simpler times.
I wore NBs with custom insoles for almost a decade due to ankle injuries. If you've got an injury or issue and New Balance is the only shoe that works for you, do what you need to do.
I guess we're all stocking up on something, this week.
And https://newbalancereconsidered.com/shop if you or anyone is looking for some cheaper sources for New Bals.
Signed,
A woman who bought entirely too much Irish butter today.
https://newbalancereconsidered.com/
Need to stock up on coffee too…