SHOES, not shows, ha ha.

OK, I admit most people with common sense would realize this already, but perhaps some others can learn from my mistake.

I have been wearing open sandal type shoes (not flip flops) with no back of foot support for a long time now, everywhere I go, and that includes mostly rough urban walking on concrete.

As you might predict, this eventually created severe food pain mostly in the back of the foot, maybe something like tendonitis or related to it.

Without going into the specific details of my case (not sure if there is permanent damage or not), I can say the pain was quite severe and didn't go away right away when I stopped wearing that kind of shoe.

Now I feel I must wear normal shoes with good support for a long time to see if the problem gets totally healed. I don't even want to wear open sandals to the beach now, at least for the time being.

So there it is, take the advice or not.

I've been wearing sandals, with a strap around the back of the Achilles tendon for five years this month, haven't had regular shoes or boots on in this period. No problem, none, zip. Don't even like to wear sox, hot, but do when going to something "official" or semi fancy. If shoes really required for an event, I give it a miss.

Mac

I don't think (but who knows???) the problem I developed would have developed if I had been wearing normal sandals with a decent strap around the back. I will move to that kind of sandal when all the pain goes away, which I have good reason to hope will happen. The pain problem I did develop didn't happen overnight either.

The kind of open shoe with no back support I am talking about --

I think it's a bad idea, but like others I've been wearing open sandals with a backstrap for some years. Before that I wore better quality leather shoe type sandals made in NZ (Morrisons) that had semi-open top for ventilation. They were brilliant, because they gave shoe support, but still breathed, and lasted forever.

Most sandals here are too soft in the sole and the straps are really just decoration. It seems that this is one area where the more you pay, the better the quality. But its difficult to find good quality footwear in Thailand for men in larger sizes, who are into comfort rather than fashion. I would certainly appreciate knowing where you can buy good quality shoes/ sandals, as the extra cost is worth it.

JT, as I recall, you live in the Jomtien. Did you know that there is a bona fide podiatrist on Soi Chaiyapruek? Apparently the only one in Thailand, as I recall: when I was having some foot problems a few years ago I asked on a few forums and was told that there were no podiatrists in Thailand.

Hmmmm. I just clicked on my bookmark (http://www.footclinic.asia/index.html) and their web site seems to be down. Here's the Google cache for the site: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:85RWE1AsR3QJ:www.footclinic.asia/+www.footclinic.asia&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com, and it looks like none of the links back to the site are active...uh oh.

Anyway, if my memory serves, and if they are not out of business they are on the north side of Chaiyapruek between the Baan Suan Lalana entrance and Sukhumvit. If they are open, they might be able to help you?

Okay, further research:

(It has telephone numbers at the end of the video.)

Plantar fasciitis? Causes include "shoes with poor arch support or soft soles" and most affected "active men ages 40 - 70." It produces a very sharp pain in the heel when walking, which seems to lessen as the day wears on. Try those gel-like supports that fit under the heel. Heaving walking on concrete, especially carrying luggage or such, seems to bring it on.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004438/

Thanks for that but that isn't my problem (which is getting better). That's bottom of the foot; I said BACK of the foot.

It sounds like you have developed tendonitis at the attachment of the achillies tendon to the calcaneuos ( back of the heel ), this can be due to your walking gait and shock due to cushioning of the sole and sometimes a weight factor.

Normally you can get relief from icing and hot baths before bed with voltarin cream and wearing a good shoe with a custom made orthotic or a sandal and also wear a slipper in the house to take shock from hard floors

There is a foot care clinic in Bangkok which you can do a google search.

Goodluck

..

When I left the army I vowed never to wear shoes again, 45 years later that is still the case. Even during my 20+ years as a teacher I always wore sandals, I persuaded my doctor to give me a medical certificate

I never wore backless sandals until I moved to Thailand, but they make the constant removal of footwear much easier. I found these difficult at first until I mastered the art of gripping with my toes.

Problems such as yours can often be caused by posture, bad weight distribution, or simply being overweight

try walking faster, it shift your weight more forward onto your toes, where it should be.

If you have a park nearby try running on grass in bare feet, that will restore elasticity.

If nothing works get a bicycle

I find the Birkenstock style sandals or similar Thai varieties to be very hard on the architecture of the foot. We still have the apes' prehensile toes and they're meant to grip to balance the body's enormous bulk. I usually remove those thongs first (with my teeth!) but flip-flops train your toes to hang on. I've been trekking and climbed trees in mind for over 40 years!

Already knew that sandals were ugly, but now very happy to know that it's also dangerous, so now i am sure that i will never wear this kind of ugly "shoes"

hahaha...

In the past year or so I have seen an ad in the English newspaper for a German foot doctor in Chatuchek, Bangkok. The science is called podology, and the doctor, a podologer. Maybe search google.

It sounds like you have developed tendonitis at the attachment of the achillies tendon to the calcaneuos ( back of the heel ), this can be due to your walking gait and shock due to cushioning of the sole and sometimes a weight factor.

Normally you can get relief from icing and hot baths before bed with voltarin cream and wearing a good shoe with a custom made orthotic or a sandal and also wear a slipper in the house to take shock from hard floors

There is a foot care clinic in Bangkok which you can do a google search.

Goodluck

Probably so. Alternate ice and heat on the area. Learn how to stretch the tendon.

Hiking shoes are what you need for Thailand anyway. Wearing sandals is asking for problems of one kind or another.

Jingthing:

SHOES, not shows, ha ha.

OK, I admit most people with common sense would realize this already, but perhaps some others can learn from my mistake.

I have been wearing open sandal type shoes (not flip flops) with no back of foot support for a long time now, everywhere I go, and that includes mostly rough urban walking on concrete.

As you might predict, this eventually created severe food pain mostly in the back of the foot, maybe something like tendonitis or related to it.

Without going into the specific details of my case (not sure if there is permanent damage or not), I can say the pain was quite severe and didn't go away right away when I stopped wearing that kind of shoe.

Now I feel I must wear normal shoes with good support for a long time to see if the problem gets totally healed. I don't even want to wear open sandals to the beach now, at least for the time being.

Yes, and wearing sandals changes your natural gait of a walk if there is not back strap.

I too, (similar but unlike you) used to wear the cheap, thin, sandals. When I hit 40, I started having foot pain, deep inside the foot, in places I'd never felt anything before.

I have always had flat feet, but never problems because of it.

I eventually was in so much pain I went to the podiatrist (in US) and I was told I had fallen arches and now I wear orthotics in my top-quality shoes.

I cannot wear sandals ever again (yes, I tried!).

I won't wear sandals, even on the beach.

We cannot skimp on footwear.

Best of luck.

I don't think (but who knows???) the problem I developed would have developed if I had been wearing normal sandals with a decent strap around the back. I will move to that kind of sandal when all the pain goes away, which I have good reason to hope will happen. The pain problem I did develop didn't happen overnight either.

The kind of open shoe with no back support I am talking about --

The strap on the back is critical.

The strap on the back of a sandal changes the *entire* way you walk, put weight on your foot, and even affects your knees.