The safety and comfort level of a popular unstructured boot has recently been in the news. These slipper-like boots, originally from Australia but copied by many manufacturers, have become the darling of celebrities and the fashion “must have” for women and girls all over the globe. Podiatrists (foot doctors) have been issuing warnings about these furry boots, especially if worn for extended periods of time. One of the most common orthopedic complaints is plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. This condition occurs when the long fibrous plantar fascia ligament along the bottom of the foot develops tears in the tissue resulting in pain and inflammation. Its symptoms include burning, stabbing, or aching pain in the heel of the foot. Most sufferers will be able to feel it in the morning because the fascia ligament tightens up during the night while we sleep, causing pain to diminish. However, when we climb out of bed and place pressure on the ligament, it becomes taut and pain is particularly acute. The pain may decrease when the tissue warms up but it can return with increased activity during the day.
Plantar fasciitis can occur for a variety of reasons. Among the most common is an overload of physical activity or exercise. Another common cause of plantar fasciitis is arthritis. Certain types of arthritis can cause inflammation to develop in tendons, resulting in plantar fasciitis. This cause is particularly common among elderly patients. Diabetes is also a factor that can contribute to further heel pain and damage, particularly among the elderly.
Among the most popular causes that contribute to plantar fasciitis is wearing incorrect shoes. In many cases, shoes either do not fit properly, or provide inadequate support or cushioning. While walking or exercising in improper shoes, weight distribution becomes impaired, and significantly stress can be added to the plantar fascia ligament. The boots mentioned in this blog have little support and have been linked to an increase in plantar fasciitis.
No one is suggesting that you throw your favorite boots away. They are comfortable and warm, but they simply do not provide sufficient support for extended use. If you can’t live without them and want to wear them daily, consider getting a custom-made orthotic foot mold to put in your boot, or use supportive insoles. Women with flattened arches are even more prone to foot problems as a result of shoes with ill fitting shoes.
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14 Comments
Can’t speak for myself, but I’ve been told they’re too super duper comfortable to give up.
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It is a sign of fashion for the female. Now it is manufactured by many companies originally in Australia. anyway women have to remember the thing is’ they should not put them on for long period of time. because this might be the cause for heel pain.
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I have suffered from this in the past from wearing very flat plimsole shoes, it is painful and does improve once you change your footwear, I find it better to change frequently the shoes I wear.
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First time when I saw these shoes I didn’t like them, but after some time, looking at some well dressed people wearing these boots I even consider buying a pair of them for my wife.
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Wore ugg boots happily as a child and will go on to wear them in my old age, I’m sure. Love them and would highly recommend them for anyone else, simply for comfort.
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Thanks for sharing. This article is useful for me.
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I don’t like these shoes, they are out of fashion here.
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Very good information regarding Plantal Fasciitis. It’s very important that your footwear have good arch supports.
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You’re right. Plantar Fasciitis can be a very painful condition — and it’s not only associated with boots and shoes that fit improperly or have inadequate cushioning. People who regularly wear flip flops are also prone to developing this condition.
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I really like those boots, I’m guilty of that. I also notice like you said in your post but ton’s of college girls wear these.
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Amen to your article. I too have plantar fasciitis and found that in addition to stretching the foot, better constructed shoes are part of the solution. My plantar fasciitis was caused by years of dancing not from poorly constructed boots, switching shoes often also helps.
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My girls suffer from that and I blame it on the wrong shoes!! You must be careful with that
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Great Article, kinda scarry. I live in Northern california and surf, and snowboard durring winter and find that the most toasty warm things to wear afterwords is my Ugg’s. Great for short term wear but would not wear them for any extended time because of the lack of support they give, but man are they warm.
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I like your post for such a consciousness. We need to raise our head on safety and in this issue shoes can run a long route
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