After reading this thread I felt compelled to register and share some info. I realize this is old, and apologies.
I am 27 year old male with painful arch's/plantar faciitis in both feet.
I never had problems with my feet until I bought a pair of minimal walking shoes.(note:i have not run in years or with these shoes)
Walking in these shoes has brought out the plantar faciitis in me. My advice to avoid the same:
1) Get your feet checked out by a REGISTERED EXPERIENCED PHYSIOTHERAPIST before you switch to minimal shoes of any kind.
They will be able to inspect your ankle foot alignment and advise you on a program to transition to minimal foot wear. (or in my case could have warned me of my problem and corrected it before it exploded)
2)NATURAL does not mean APPROPRIATE. We are often shown the peaceful happy third world barefoot people as an example of the freedom we have lost in the west. The problem is your life and their life do NOT COMPARE. You have not lived their life. Things that work for them cannot be transplanted into your life and be expected to work. You can gradually change and adapt to a different way of life or footwear, but this must be done with care and patience. (and TIME! probably years)
I spent much of my childhood barefoot in a rural setting. That was 15 years ago. Do not fool yourself with "when I was a kid" routine. What have you been walking in, and on, during the last year? Base your footwear choice on the recent and the near future.
3)Your feet are a marvel of the natural world. They are strong and flexible. They go where you ask. They pound against concrete,asphalt,stone. They trudge through sand,gravel,mud. But they have limits. Exceed those limits and they can also cause you great pain. Physical pain and emotional pain of limited mobility.
The problem with a lot of natural healing is that people like to make medical science out to be some kind of monster. The average physiotherapist has learned about anatomy and motion and applies treatments to injuries that are up to date with latest research. The latest research on connective tissue injuries was really done when they came up with RICE. rest,ice,compression,elevation. So the lesson here is PREVENTION is the only cure for chronic connective tissue injuries. And that the monster of modern medicine is completely ineffective at treating the kinds of injuries some people experience with minimal footwear.
It is far better to spend $50 assessing your situation, then 1000's in ineffective remedial treatment and a chronic condition.
Google barefoot running injury and be prepared to accept that the many injured people are not all weak and that somehow you will be stronger than them.
I am not a physio. Physio is the only treatment that has any impact on my condition. 2 doctors told me my feet were normal at 2 different times in the past. Lesson:see a specialist or save your money.
This post is my plea to you on behave of your feet. Trust me, you do not want to p*ss them off.
