I have been living here (near Pattaya) for over 2 years and since arriving have worn mostly cheap flipflops and flat soled sandals (Gambol and similar) 99.9% of the time.

After about 10 months or so I developed regular daily, but not continuous pain in both heels and someone suggested I buy a decent pair of sandals or flipflop style footwear with good, supportive soles.

The pain is usually not when I'm walking around but more when I get up in the mornings or from sitting for a couple of hour.

As they would be worn every day and I'm getting on a bit I would prefer easy on, easy off but I'm not averse to doing up a velcro strap if it means this pain may disappear as a result.

I'd be looking to buy around the Chonburi or Pattaya area or even Bangkok which I visit once or twice a month.

Someone said I should go for Teva brand which seem to be good quality and have very supporting soles.

Are they or something similar available in the areas I mention and if so, where?

Teva is good. I have been using a particular Croc sandal for many years now (not same sandals, same brand). They are very comfy, a bit of impact absorption, and good grip. Love 'em.

If I am not mistaken you have flat feet, as I do.

The only proper way is shoes with arch, central department store .

Crocs I believe started to make some, around 3000 baht.

Also in my case, loosing weight helped a lot

Flip flops dont cause heel pain...are you overweight....do you consume a lot of gluten rich foods....bread, pasta, noodles and cookies, cakes etc?

Birkenstock, period.

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It could be Planter Faciitis if the pain begins in the heel (look it up in Google), or just flat feet or fallen arches . Common if you also walk around barefoot a lot. I get it occasionaly from wearing shoes, especially sports shoes, with no arch support so you may need to buy some inner soles or arch supports if what you are wearing footwear with no arch support. I make my own arch supports with foam and put it under the inner sole in my shoes and after a few weeks i find my feet improve. Feels strange at first but it works for me. I also use a foot massage machine for a couple minutes everynight because i can't pop down to get a foot massage like in Pattaya.

Another vote for Teva. North Face is also good. Mine is still fine and been wearing it since 2013.

Last pair of Tevas I bought (IIRC approx £130 in the UK), the Velcro straps rubbed my heel/ankle raw & had very little grip (proper slipped on my ass when walking on a wet rock at a waterfall in Cebu).

Ymmv, but I found the Nike equivalent more comfortable & better grip (not to mention about 1/3rd of the price).

I'm very partial to the Dr. Scholl brand...lots of comfy and supportive styles at Central Department Store beach road...about 2k a pair.

I'm very partial to the Dr. Scholl brand...lots of comfy and supportive styles at Central Department Store beach road...about 2k a pair.

Yes they walk nice but don't last long.

Try Fitflop like all Thais have, not cheap but very comfy and durable.

I'm very partial to the Dr. Scholl brand...lots of comfy and supportive styles at Central Department Store beach road...about 2k a pair.

Yes they walk nice but don't last long.

Try Fitflop like all Thais have, not cheap but very comfy and durable.

The styles I get, with rubber soles and leather uppers are quite durable. I get 2-3 years from every pair. Some of the all rubber styles maybe less durable but cheaper as well.

I'm very partial to the Dr. Scholl brand...lots of comfy and supportive styles at Central Department Store beach road...about 2k a pair.

Yes they walk nice but don't last long.

Try Fitflop like all Thais have, not cheap but very comfy and durable.

The styles I get, with rubber soles and leather uppers are quite durable. I get 2-3 years from every pair. Some of the all rubber styles maybe less durable but cheaper as well.

I tried many different Scholl slippers who all broke within 6 months.

Teva doesn't have nice flipflops, only simple models. Their sandals are high quality but i don't need any straps.

Fitflop lasted me 3 years and i do walk much on them. If you are used to those then cheap or thin flipflops make your legs hurt as well.

Now i just brought 2 pairs of flipflops from Europe, they have my size and are much cheaper then in Thailand.

My wife just got Havaiana's brought by her friend from Brazil, they are 7 times cheaper there then in Thailand.

where do you guys get TEvas? I have heard good things about them.

If I am not mistaken you have flat feet, as I do.

The only proper way is shoes with arch, central department store .

Crocs I believe started to make some, around 3000 baht.

Also in my case, loosing weight helped a lot

Thanks for the response. I don't have flat feet and never suffered any problems until I came to Thailand and stopped wearing shoes with supportive soles and heels (ie Joggers and leather work shoes).

Losing weight is an issue for me which I am starting to address.

Flip flops dont cause heel pain...are you overweight....do you consume a lot of gluten rich foods....bread, pasta, noodles and cookies, cakes etc?

I am overweight and have been for a long time although I have put on a few kilos since arriving here. I am in the process of trying to shed some kgs now.

I do eat gluten products?

Fairly certain that the flipflops are doing it as whenever I wear them for any period of time (not just one style but anything without arch/heel support) the pain recurs.

It could be Planter Faciitis if the pain begins in the heel (look it up in Google), or just flat feet or fallen arches . Common if you also walk around barefoot a lot. I get it occasionaly from wearing shoes, especially sports shoes, with no arch support so you may need to buy some inner soles or arch supports if what you are wearing footwear with no arch support. I make my own arch supports with foam and put it under the inner sole in my shoes and after a few weeks i find my feet improve. Feels strange at first but it works for me. I also use a foot massage machine for a couple minutes everynight because i can't pop down to get a foot massage like in Pattaya.

Thx for the info Not Planter facilitis; I've already checked that out. Fallen arches? I wasn't aware that could happen but makes some sense. Better shoes/sandals and losing some weight should help if that's the case. Foot massage definitely helps but don't have one often enough.

I don't wear covered shoes any more and I have a pair of sandals with arch and heel support which reduces the problem.

Was just looking to get another good quality pair as they are rather shabby now and the newer flipflop styles I have been wearing for a while seem to be causing or at least, exacerbating the problem.

I'm very partial to the Dr. Scholl brand...lots of comfy and supportive styles at Central Department Store beach road...about 2k a pair.

Thx. I'll check them out.

where do you guys get TEvas? I have heard good things about them.

No-one posting about where Teva are available. Maybe worth looking at 'Fitflops' which appear similar and more available here. (Central and the like it seems).

Flip flops dont cause heel pain...are you overweight....do you consume a lot of gluten rich foods....bread, pasta, noodles and cookies, cakes etc?

Yes they can.

What the OP is suffering from is called Plantar Fasciitis.

I developed this by walking nearly exclusively in badly molded (for the shape of my underfoot) flip flops over 5 months in the Philippines. My heels hurt whenever I walked, which means the problem was becoming quite serious. The first signs are pain when first standing up and you can walk it off. Later on it will always hurt whenever you walk. It's really a problem getting out of bed if you need to visit the toilet as it wakes you up and can disrupt your sleep. A bedside pee-bottle solved this problem.

Of course weight will always be a contributing factor, but good footwear is the key to solving this problem. I weigh around 102kg, but have weighed at least that much for about 12 years but only developed Plantar Fasciitis from wearing bad footwear earlier this year.

I bought an expensive pair of Clarks shoes last month (5900 full price - look for discounts) with advanced sole technology and no longer have any pain. They are deck shoes, so easy to slip on and off. There's a Clarks store in Central Mall.

Don't spare the cash if you want to fix this problem.

It could be Planter Faciitis if the pain begins in the heel (look it up in Google), or just flat feet or fallen arches . Common if you also walk around barefoot a lot. I get it occasionaly from wearing shoes, especially sports shoes, with no arch support so you may need to buy some inner soles or arch supports if what you are wearing footwear with no arch support. I make my own arch supports with foam and put it under the inner sole in my shoes and after a few weeks i find my feet improve. Feels strange at first but it works for me. I also use a foot massage machine for a couple minutes everynight because i can't pop down to get a foot massage like in Pattaya.

Sorry, I missed your post when posting about Planter Faciitis. I'll put money down this is the OP's problem, but I have to disagree about arch supports. Arch supports are what is likely causing the OP's problem. A lot of the newer flip flops are molded to provide arch support, and this funky molding is probably what is causing his problems.

How do I know this? I've worn flat flip flops my entire life. I only developed Planter Faciitis from wearing new fangled Quicksilver flip flops recently which have a molded arch support area, which alters the entire surface of the flip flop.

Arch supports are bad for your feet as they take away the function of the arch of the foot, which is nature's shock absorber. I walk barefoot on tile floors all day long at home with no pain in my feet, but put an arch support in my shoe and I'll quickly develop foot pain.

I've noticed that the big sports shoe manufacturers are finally making their soles flatter. I was surprised to discover a new Nike running shoe model with hardly any arch support. I could never wear Nikes due to this problem. My Clarks shoes are completely flat.

It could be Planter Faciitis if the pain begins in the heel (look it up in Google), or just flat feet or fallen arches . Common if you also walk around barefoot a lot. I get it occasionaly from wearing shoes, especially sports shoes, with no arch support so you may need to buy some inner soles or arch supports if what you are wearing footwear with no arch support. I make my own arch supports with foam and put it under the inner sole in my shoes and after a few weeks i find my feet improve. Feels strange at first but it works for me. I also use a foot massage machine for a couple minutes everynight because i can't pop down to get a foot massage like in Pattaya.

Flip flops dont cause heel pain...are you overweight....do you consume a lot of gluten rich foods....bread, pasta, noodles and cookies, cakes etc?

Yes they can.

What the OP is suffering from is called Plantar Fasciitis.

I developed this by walking nearly exclusively in badly molded (for the shape of my underfoot) flip flops over 5 months in the Philippines. My heels hurt whenever I walked, which means the problem was becoming quite serious. The first signs are pain when first standing up and you can walk it off. Later on it will always hurt whenever you walk. It's really a problem getting out of bed if you need to visit the toilet as it wakes you up and can disrupt your sleep. A bedside pee-bottle solved this problem.

Of course weight will always be a contributing factor, but good footwear is the key to solving this problem. I weigh around 102kg, but have weighed at least that much for about 12 years but only developed Plantar Fasciitis from wearing bad footwear earlier this year.

I bought an expensive pair of Clarks shoes last month (5900 full price - look for discounts) with advanced sole technology and no longer have any pain. They are deck shoes, so easy to slip on and off. There's a Clarks store in Central Mall.

Don't spare the cash if you want to fix this problem.

Guys, Thanks a heap to everyone who has contributed and in particular Xen and Tropo!

I decided to check Plantar Fasciitis out on the net (again I thought) ) and now have to say I agree with you from the information I have gleaned. For some reason I thought I had researched it previously but it must have been something else.

I spend a lot of time in and around the house (all tiled of course) in either bare feet or flat, cheap flipflops. I go out locally in the same flipflops and as I mentioned previously only developed the problem after wearing these cheap flipflops here so much.

I do have a pair of reasonably quality supportive sandals (Adidas) although these are rather shabby now.

In any case, I'll relegate the flipflops to the shoebox and wear the sandals until I find a better pair. Losing weight is also a factor for me and on my current agenda.

It's a start so I'm grateful for the suggestions and will see how I go after making the changes and giving it a little time.

Appreciate all of you helpful people on TV!

It could be Planter Faciitis if the pain begins in the heel (look it up in Google), or just flat feet or fallen arches . Common if you also walk around barefoot a lot. I get it occasionaly from wearing shoes, especially sports shoes, with no arch support so you may need to buy some inner soles or arch supports if what you are wearing footwear with no arch support. I make my own arch supports with foam and put it under the inner sole in my shoes and after a few weeks i find my feet improve. Feels strange at first but it works for me. I also use a foot massage machine for a couple minutes everynight because i can't pop down to get a foot massage like in Pattaya.

Thx for the info Not Planter facilitis; I've already checked that out. Fallen arches? I wasn't aware that could happen but makes some sense. Better shoes/sandals and losing some weight should help if that's the case. Foot massage definitely helps but don't have one often enough.

I don't wear covered shoes any more and I have a pair of sandals with arch and heel support which reduces the problem.

Was just looking to get another good quality pair as they are rather shabby now and the newer flipflop styles I have been wearing for a while seem to be causing or at least, exacerbating the problem.

I think Xen is on the ball. I had the same problem for a long time, did a lot of research on the web, and took medication like Naproxen for an extended period.

I also ordered many kind of insoles from Ebay, but all with medium result.

At the end I ordered the below items. I removed the original insoles that were in my gym shoes and put bot items on top of each other, and got my problem finally solved.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Footful-Mens-Massaging-Silicon-gel-Insole-Insert-Cushion-Pad-Sport-Shoes-O29-/321562553098?var=&hash=item4ade9f2b0a

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Unisex-Men-Women-Comfort-Foot-Orthotic-Arch-Sports-Insoles-Shoe-Pads-Size-36-46-/141657795745?var=&hash=item20fb766ca1

I checked the slipper departments in central bangna today and didn't see Teva anywhere.

But Fitflop is what you need. I walk on them for 4 years now and love them. If i wear other flip flops or better slippers i also get pain, Fitflop is the way to go. They also have a model which doesn't go between the toe's and a model with straps.

In Central World on the ground floor is a fitflop store from the brand self. Also Central and the lot sell them.

Teva you can buy online but they are more for backpackers imo. If you wear flipflops you are more like a Thai. In BKK they all have them but mostly women. They go untill size 13.

Orthotics or arch supports--best source is Central Dept Store, right?. Any other places? Need American size 12 and forgot to bring them on this golf trip.

I buy only Merrill now.  My feet are happy.

 

One point of warning, be careful and make sure they fit as their sizing can be a little small sometimes.

 

ymmv

 

To answer my own question:

Boots has sports orthotics at store in Central, but only size M. i need size XXL (American size 12.)

BP Hospital Rehab department on 3rd floor of orthopedics building has some, but the good ones have to be "prescribed" (custom).

I started wearing Skechers GoWalk 3..

Very comfortable and light but not ideal in really hot weather !! 

Don't wear crappy sandals or flip flops. Sport shoes all the way if you care about your feet.

I agree too many foreigners use only sandals here , they don't realize both the feet and back could get injured . Only shoes for me inside malls, and when I do my walking in the sois. I wear sandals only at the beach.

There's a pretty good shop near the Outlet Mall on Thepprasit.  As you exit the North side of the mall, through the sports store, it's right across the street.  That sports store also has a pretty good selection.