54M - Plantar fasciitis won't go away and now my other foot hurts too
About a year ago I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot after spending a couple months doing a lot of stair climbing with a 20-pound pack. Since then I've tried a night boot, compression socks, and more stretching than I can count. It's improved a little at times, but never really went away.
I've been active most of my life—marathon runner, lots of ultra-distance mountain bike racing—but I've slowed down quite a bit over the last 4-5 years.
About two months ago my left foot started hurting too. Now if I'm on my feet for any length of time wearing anything other than running shoes, I'm miserable. Work boots and dress shoes are by far the worst. I tried some Dr. Scholl's OTC insoles and they seemed to help initially, but not anymore.
These days both feet hurt when I get out of bed in the morning and after I sit down in the evening. The right foot pain is mostly at the front of the heel and back of the arch, which still makes me think plantar fasciitis. The left foot is harder to describe—it just seems to hurt everywhere.
At this point I'm wondering where I should start:
- Custom orthotics from somewhere like Good Feet?
- One of the online orthotic companies like Bilt Labs or Upstep?
- A local podiatrist?
- A specialty foot and ankle clinic?
Curious what others have done when it got to this stage.
Posted Jul 7, 2026, 10:10 PM UTC