I think Walmart and others sell those interlocking kids play mats? Lock a bunch together to make a board game sort of thing. Get a set, turn them over, lock enough together to cover the floor.

Yep, I have that foot thing too. And spurs on the heels. I work at a factory job ( my"Day Job") for 12 hour shiftd. Walking almost five MILES a shift. Yep, them doggies are BARKING all the way home. Most days, it is a soft pair of tennis shoes. Other day, it is the steel toed, gelling insert. Feet still hurt.

 

I put down 5/8" x 2' x 2' interlocking foam tiles in my basement after deciding against carpet in the event of a plumbing failure. I thought of doing the same in my shop with a thin wood overlay to allow sliding and rolling for all but the heaviest (stationary) machines where the flooring would be placed around.

 

The bottoms of my feet hurt if I'm on them all day, but I started wearing running shoes and it's makes a huge difference. Not sure if this is applicable to what you're talking about here, but just thought I should throw it in.

 

Been there, done that. I started wearing Merrill shoes with adequate width (toe box), and the standard cushions for the shoes. These "sneaks" have made a big difference in my foot comfort.
Bill

 

Running shoes should be tried, especially if you already have them. Also, make sure you have a chair the right height that can be used for those tasks that don't require standing. A high chair, like a bar chair, and a work surface to match will be used a lot more than one that requires you to get down low into a chair.

I work a lot on my RAS top doing things that don't require tools much, and kind of lean on it with my arms since it is quite high, and large. That takes some load of your feet, and varies the load.

I use a chair only when I have an extended period of time to work on detailed things, such as electrical stuff, plans etc. My chair is essentially a swiveling bar chair I bought cheaply unfinished decades ago. Sitting will help, but only if it is comfortable, and the work surface is the right height.

 

Yeah, since this flared up it would appear that my backside has been on the shop stools a LOT more than I had ever used them..

I typically wear very supportive, and comfortable hiking boots. Not sure how sneakers would be any better…

I have a pair of very, very cushy, and quiet soled hunting boots that I am tempted to start wearing regularly just to treat my feet nicely…

 

I thought I read it here not to long ago that someone cut one of those foam mats to fit their shoe then contact cemented it to the bottom and kept them for just to wear when they are in the shop. I haven't tried it but was thinking about it. Cheaper than covering the whole floor.

 

Anyone who has or had plantar fasciitis will really sympathize with you.

The things that helped me the most were good shoes and some therapy. The therapy helped get rid of some of the symptoms and also provided me with some daily exercises which were mainly stretches. Over a period of time, the exercises really helped but you need to keep doing them.

Finding good shoes is not an easy thing to do and not cheap. Some running stores can have people who will help you find the right shoes with arch support. I probably make some of the people in the store unhappy as I have found that the younger people in the shoe store may no about running shoes but not about older peoples feet. I found the owner of a New Balance store to be very helpful for me finding good shoes with proper support.

Good luck and hope that it gets better soon.

 

http://www.plantar-fasciitis.org/
The above site has good info. If it were me, if you haven't already, I would see a Podiatrist. I am an RN and I do home health care and I have seen several patients that obtained relief by seeing a "Foot Doctor."

 

Fortunately I don't suffer from plantar fasciitis, but in addition to the mats and shoes, you could try putting a cheap wood floor on top of the concrete.

A chapter near the end of Great Workshops by Fine Woodworking shows various types of floors. I checked the book out from my local library.

One of the cheaper options was a DIY wood floor made from 2×4 stretchers with foam between them and plywood/OSB on top. They also recommended putting a moisture barrier on top of the 2×4s to protect the plywood layer. Another idea was to use DRIcore panels, which are usually used for basement subfloor. In both cases they also recommended painting the floor. I'll probably go with one of these solutions in my garage, but they also mentioned various other flooring solutions, including a couple interlocking foam/rubber tile systems.

 

I also suffer from plantar fasciitis. See a podiatrist and have custom orthotics made. They are not cheap, ~$400. It takes a few months of consistent use to see improvement.

After 18 years, one of my dogs ate my orthotics. I thought I could go without them. Not so. It became irritated and painful. I had a new set made and I am now mobile and pain free.

BJ

 

......and I think you are planning on a wooden floor, when able…..........right? Sooner might be better than later.

 

I experienced what I thought was plantar fasciitis and went to a massage therapist. She worked a bunch of knots out of my calves and had me stretch my legs 2-3 times daily. It worked. Now, I stretch once daily and have not had any further issues. The stretching was to put one leg well out behind me and slowly lean forward on the bathroom vanity and hold that for 30 seconds with 3-4 reps, then do the same with the other leg. FWIW

 

I have anti-fatigue mats in any area I frequently use. A 6'x4' can be had at $10 bucks from sears. They come in 2'x2' interchangeable squares. For $20 I've covered every area in my shop I spend any amount of time on.

Paul

 

Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. No fun.

Best quick relief method? Ice in a styrofoam cup. Peel back the edges and ice your sole down. Gets the inflamation down.

Best long term relief? A pair of custom made orthotics perscribed by my Physical Therapist Sister in Law. Best $90 I ever spent. They're still in use. The last ones I got from a podiatrist weren't nearly as good, and yes, they were $400 easy.

My experience is that they MUST provide arch support and lot's of it. The more expensive orthotics didn't provide nearly enough arch support and aggravated my shin splints something fierce.

Good luck.

 

Been there too and so has my wife. It is not fun!

Add in a little RA on top of that and you have some interesting times in the shop!

 

I was experiencing this about 6 years ago. My solution was to go to the Knapp shoe store for some work boots like I wore when I worked as a mechanic. At that particular location (a choice of pure genius, in terms of good will), Red Wing shoes had rented it. You can buy work shoes and what are called "moldable" insoles that can be made to conform to your feet. I bought work shoes and insoles, and within a week I was symptom-free. I used to lay there in bed in the morning with my feet hurting before I even got up to face the day. As a follow-on to that, I went to my podiatrist and got some cotton support pads to reduce stress in other places. An easy way to tell where your foot sits in your footwear is to put an insole of some sort in there and look for the wear spots. The unworn spots are where extra padding may be needed. Our ancestors wore no shoes at all. That is actually the best option, as your foot will work properly. There was no cement in those days, and they had serious callouses. Padding the shop floor is a good option, it will reduce the micro-flexing that goes on on a hard surface, reducing fatigue.

 

I have had plantar fasciitis for 14 years. I went through therapy, foot taping, exercises and injections. The only thing that helped me and stopped the pain totally is Birkenstock shoes!! There used to be a website several years ago that was only about PF and what relieved pain and helped people continue life normally. There were so many people that recommended and swore by Birkenstock I decided to try them. I was shocked that from the minute I put them on the pain was gone…as long as I wore them!! Going barefoot, even to shower, was a thing of the past! I now wear Birkenstock sandals until winter and then I have bought the Birkenstock shoe inserts that fit in other shoes for cold weather. I will NEVER be without Birks, because they made me have a normal life again!! They even make cute ones now compared to what they had when I first had to start wearing them!! LOL People that have never had PF cannot imagine the pain that has to be endured when you do have PF.

The best thing to do since Birkenstock shoes are so expensive, go to a store and try them on, find the size you need and go buy them on eBay!! Just make sure if you try on Birkenstock, buy Birkenstock, if you try on on Birki's, buy Birki's . There are different kinds Birkenstock make and some have a higher arch and some lower. "Birkenstock" are the ones I like best of all and I can buy my size in any style and know that they are going to fit the same every time I buy a pair. They also make some with a soft footbed, that are even more comfy!!

I know I sound like a commercial, but after the pain I suffered for over a year before finding something to get my life back to normal, I love my Birks and can't imagine ever having to go through that pain again!!

Good luck and I hope all of you that suffer with PF, find relief soon!!!

 

LOL, I remember the post about glueing a piece of horse shoe mat to some boots, was hoping to see if anyone ever tried it and gave feedback. i do plan to buy a horse mat or two when they go on sale an setup a dedicated work station. All my tools roll and can be moved.

 

Hiking Boots Aren't gonna do it! As said above get the right kind of Footwear.

I switched to those Blue Rubber, (Forgot the name. You can bounce an egg off of it and it doesn't break) I think Dr. ScHoll's Stuff is all made with it. You can buy just the Heel Inserts if you want to.

They're Open Toed Clog type of Slip ons. Lee Valley use to carry them. Not sure if they still do.

They did the trick for me.

Found The Dr. Scholls Heel Pain relief Pads:

 

Jim. Yes wood flooring is in progress….

Birkenstocks are not my fave.

The podiatrist did the taping gave me anti inflammatory meds and stretches… between that and the Dr Scholls orthotics and the mats my feet aren't screaming. But they could be better… not thrilled seeing folks dealing with this for years… ugh.

 

People been talking about a lot of valid things here, but a major issue has been missed and overlooked. i know a little about the foot comfort thing. Concrete floors are hell on them, as any hard floor. But is concrete any harder than tile? I don't think so.

When it comes to shoes I have 2 problems.

First you wear good heavy shoes that support well and your feet get hot and sweat and when your remove them your dog drops dead.

The second is your shoes are light and airy so your dog don't die but your feet do.

Dog or Feet.

Well the biggest issue is not padding it arch support even with padding arch support is paramount. Right now my favorite shoes are a pair of little canvas tennis shoes. But they have zero arch support and protection. But the dog won't die when I take them off. Unfortunately with the cheap ass crap we getting out of China now, and no quality reasonable alternatives, you have to choose which you need at the time. If I'm going to spend a long time in the shop on my feet I put on what are commonly referred to as walking or running shoes. Not sure why hey called running, They seem kind of heavy for running.

I only know of one way to know if you have adequate arch support in a shoe, and even than it may be a size thing an not work. If you have arch supports, and go the court house or airport, they going to jump your ass when you go thru the metal detector.

 

I had this problem about 20 years ago. I thought I would die with the pain. I went to the shoe store and tried on shoes for a couple of hours. the soft cushy soles didn't cut it for me. I finally got a pair of Rockport ProWalkers. They have a solid platform to support your foot. I was looking for instant relief I suppose. I made an appointment and went to the foot doc. I told him I had to have a big bone spur and I was about to die with the pain. He x-rayed and came back with the film. My heel looked like a peeled onion. It was smooth. Nothing. He asked me to describe the symptoms again. I began and he finished the story. He told me what I had. He gave me a shot through the side of my foot. I didn't think I could do that but it really wasn't bad. I told him I had bought these shoes thinking it would help but NO. He said I looked at those when you walked in. Keep wearing them because they are the best shoe available. He told me some things to do to help my foot get well. 1. DON"T go barefoot. He said if you have to get up in the night to go to the bathroom, put a shoe on that foot. 2. Don't crawl. That stretches tendons and will irritate the foot. 3. Don't climb ladders. Seems like there was more but that is what I remember now. I was walking along one day about 6 weeks later and noticed my foot no longer hurt. (BTW the shot lasted about 2 weeks) I didn't know when the foot got better but it felt so good I was ready to go. I babied it along for a LONG time because I didn't want it to come back. I still wear the ProWalkers and I have had no more problems with that issue. My feet get tired when I stand but that is different. Good luck and take care of the problem.

 

1. Arch support helped me. Merrell shoes extra wide so room for foot helped me. Wearing parachute boots to work instead of the companies cheapest possible boots fixed me.

2. Obtain a beer bottle, emptying if necessary, place on it side on floor, place the affected foot on bottle and role back & forwards betwen heel and ball of foot

 

My wife got relief from her plantar fasciitis by wearing a special nylon boot. It was rather heavy so she couldn't turn over very easily and kick me with it.

I can tell when I have been on my concrete floor to long wearing the wrong shoes and I notice it more in the colder weather. I feel the most comfortable in my Hush Puppies with the Crepe soles since they seem to cushion more that my other shoes. My plantar fasciitis cleared up all by itself in about 6 weeks … knock on wood it won't come back.
I wish my RA would do that.