Those aching feet

[John K Jordan]

I use the 4x6 ft x 3/4” horse mats from Tractor Supply.

I've bought 3/4" 4x6 stall mats from several sources including Tractor Supply and all seem to be made of recycled tires. I like to buy a pallet of 25 at a time and use them widely around the farm.
A stall mat has to be hard and tough or a 1200 lb horse would destroy it. I tried one over concrete in the shop. The material are much too hard for mats to provide useful cushioning. At least for my feet.
The best I've use are much spongier and more cushiony mats I bought when on sale at WoodCraft.

BTW, here is one hint that helped me many years ago when I had to stand on concrete at a job. I took a different pair of shoes and changed shoes at least once during the shift. Changing the pressure points gave my feet a "lift."

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I get plantar fasciitis flare-ups every now and then. For me, it’s because my calf muscles have gotten too tight. Regular calf stretches can fend off a flare-up if I catch it early, or if it gets too severe, I sleep with an ankle brace that pulls my toe up.

I get PF in my feet as well. But oddly it develops in late winter and early spring ever couple years. I have a skin condition on my feet and wear "good quality" flip flops from April/May to November, with no feet problems. I often walk miles in a day wearing them. In fact, while on vacation two years ago, I walked approximately 6 miles a day in them. No PF problem

[Dave Carey]

John Jordan - I took your advice on Oofos some time ago and love them. Thanks. Also have PF issues and it took me forever to realize the problem was tight hamstring/achilles tendons. Stretching is the key.

[John K Jordan]

Good to hear! I do my "intense" isometric stretches at least once a day. My wife and I have a superb foot surgeon to thank for making me understand that. (He's a novice woodturner too, almost no free time to play but plans to come for some serious lessons when he retires!)

[Reed Gray]

When I asked the people at the store where I get my mats from about the horse mats, they said that they are fine if you weigh about 1500 pounds. Too hard for us bipeds... Some people do like them.

robo hippy

[Jen Joy]

I have benign tumors in my feet so they're always a pain. I really like Hoka One One shoes, which are stupid expensive, but if you buy from REI you have good return options if they do not work out.

[Ricc Havens]

I have benign tumors in my feet so they're always a pain. I really like Hoka One One shoes, which are stupid expensive, but if you buy from REI you have good return options if they do not work out.

My nephew a Doctor of Physical Therapy who lives in Germany just told me yesterday that he and other PT Docs recommend the Hoka One One shoes. So I plan on checking them out when I can get to the retailer in our region who carries them. They may be expensive but the pain of money leaving my wallet doesn't last near as long as the pain from my plantar fasciitis!! :-) :-)

[George Yetka]

I bought rockler mats 3 total one for table saw/bench/miter saw. I bought them all on sale. Paid less then 100 for them they seam to do the trick. I bought them for the cold. my garage in the winter gets down to 30 and cold concrete made it hard to work like that. I now have no issues with the cold in the garage.

[Dan Gaylin]

John’s Oofos suggestion has been really helpful to me. The one problem with them is that they are open clog type shoes so wood shavings can be annoying. I found some shoes that feel very similar to me and have the same benefits (although not quite so much). You can find them here:
Skechers Men's Equalizer Double... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082WL5QS6...p_mob_ap_share

[John K Jordan]

John’s Oofos suggestion has been really helpful to me. The one problem with them is that they are open clog type shoes so wood shavings can be annoying. I found some shoes that feel very similar to me and have the same benefits (although not quite so much). You can find them here:
Skechers Men's Equalizer Double... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082WL5QS6...p_mob_ap_share

Those look good! I just ordered some to try in the shop along with a pair of the Hoka One One walkers. (My wife got recommendations on the latter from her foot doctor.)

[Ricc Havens]

Those look good! I just ordered some to try in the shop along with a pair of the Hoka One One walkers. (My wife got recommendations on the latter from her foot doctor.)

LEt us know what you think of them. I recently developed plantar fasciitis. Just narrowed the cause down to a new pair of Sketcher brand walking shoes. I originally thought the heel pain issue was maybe caused over time from my right leg being 1/2" longer after hip replacement in 2013 and my body finally saying enough of this. But, my nephew a Doctor of Physical Therapy in Germany said to change my shoes. At first I scoffed and said no that's not the problem. These are new shoes and a good brand.

But, I quit wearing those Sketcher shoes on wednesday and used an old pair of Merrill hiking shoes. And, today I have very little heel pain left after weeks of heel pain I thought was due to my hip replacement/leg length issue.

[Gordon Stump]

Here is what I discovered. Extremely happy.

https://www.merrell.com/US/en/jungle...ails=complete#

[Jeremy Treibs]

I wear Merrell Moab 2 hikers on a normal basis. In My shop I use Dura Cal interlocking kitchen mats.

My thought process was that the normal smooth mats become very slippery when covered in sawdust. I love my mats.

https://www.rubbercal.com/rubber-flo...chen-mats.html

[Dan Gaylin]

This is all very interesting. First, in deference to the OP, I have tried mats and don't find them as helpful as the right shoes. Also, I often turn outside and a mat is another thing to take out and bring back in. As far as shoes, my experience with Merrells versus Sketcher is the opposite of some here: I am a life-long Merrell fan and wear them for walking, running, hiking. I have multiple pairs. They indeed have helped with my plantar fasciitis. But when it comes to tiredness, aching feet, and sore back after a day in the workshop turning, I have found the Oofas and the Sketchers that I sent a link to in my post above to be far more effective than my Merrells. For me a night and day difference.

--dan

[Dueane Hicks]

I get PF in my feet as well. But oddly it develops in late winter and early spring ever couple years. I have a skin condition on my feet and wear "good quality" flip flops from April/May to November, with no feet problems. I often walk miles in a day wearing them. In fact, while on vacation two years ago, I walked approximately 6 miles a day in them. No PF problem

I couldn't walk ten feet in flip flops!