Barefoot and pregnant...that was me for years until my feet developed plantar fasciitis during one of my later pregnancy. If you're unfamiliar, essentially the plantar or arch of my foot was under added stress from carrying the extra weight of the pregnancy coupled with no support from too much barefoot walking or so I thought. It's a perfect recipe for inflammation to occur at the heal where the plantar attaches. The pain was enough to make walking difficult by the second trimester and this wouldn't do because I had to chase toddlers so I needed a solution fast. I set out researching for a shoe/sandal with plantar support but that was comfortable for lots of walking, would last for more than one season and of course was a style and fashion I preferred.
After having had more babies and removing occasional sugar and caffeine, even decaf coffee amount, I returned to barefoot and pregnant! I still needed shoes around the uneven property and hiking but have not experienced the same amount of inflammation in my feet while pregnant!
The Jesus Sandals
After researching a bit I found the Chaco sandal was the answer for me. They helped immediately! I was once told these look like Jesus sandals, Although I think my leather shoes may be more accurate. The first I ordered was the Z2Classic sandal in black so they would go with any of my active wear and casual outing clothes so I could achieve the most use out of the sandal for healing my plantar and for my foot comfort generally. And, I live in the southwest so I can wear sandals almost year round which helped the healing process too.
Stylish and Strappy!
They offer colorful straps, a nice feature that I haven't taken advantage of yet but will someday soon. For example, I plan to use their custom print option and create my own design! However, for now, the black is just so versatile I can't go wrong and dressing decision are easy. In terms of the strapping options, I like the toe strap style for the look (bohemian gypsy). I also realized later the toe strap gave my foot extra stability without having to tighten the strap too much. And the strap itself is fantastically adjustable. It is a continual piece that is pulled through the slots in the base of the shoe in order to custom fit your foot's unique anatomy.
Hiking Sandals
They make great hiking sandals, Kayaking shoes (especially if you want to hike first), beach shoes, and all purpose running or walking around the farm. I loved hiking around Red Rock State Park in Las Vegas in the summer for rock climbing outings! They are definitely my go to sandal/shoe for the outdoors.
Long Lasting
Incredibly, I've kept the first set of shoes for over 14 years although when one of the straps became worn a few years ago I sent them to Chaco to replace the straps and they just replaced the whole shoe for me for free! So a big shout out to Chaco for making this $70 purchase at the time such a great investment.
Other Awesome Shoes for Plantar Fasciitis
In terms of tennis shoes that help alleviate the foot pain, the Kuru Quantum fitness shoe tops my list. I needed closed toe shoes for the winter or summer when I lived in Virginia and we found these online. When we moved back to CA these shoes came with me and were my go to pair. I was completely satisfied with these tennis shoes in terms of style and pain management. I could instantly walk around without pain and discomfort. I ran in them and did a 5k run before my pregnancy with my 6th child. I continued to wear these shoes for a few years until I had to retire them. I just wore them out!
Minimalist Shoe Stock
So while on the minimalism journey over the last 18 years (pretty sure it wasn't popular back when I began) I have been streamlining in different ways in order to make more time for creative and other endeavors important to me. I started with my wardrobe, then moved throughout the house. But in terms of the clothing decisions, I found it tedious enough spending time putting together an outfit, e.g., which top I should wear with which bottoms, so having 'go to' shoes helped so much! If you want to read about how I regained 'Sanity on Sundays' visit my post on "Fashion Tips for busy moms".
Shoe brands I love
Kuru, and Chaco will continue to be my favorite brands for heel support and active wear. If you dont need the extra heel support I recommend Toms, for ease, style, and comfort. Minnetonka for natural leather, style and relaxed shoes. Mia Kerri pointed toe flat for comfort, fashion, dress and classy all purpose 'nice' shoe. Earth Origin for real leather ankle boots that are great for dressing up or moving around the farm. They also have cute natural leather sandals. Sanuk yoga shoes are also one of my favorite brands for a low profile comfortable sandle.
Happy shoe hunting!
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