IF SOMEONE FINDS A SOLUTION FOR ME, I WILL SERIOUSLY SEND A PAYPAL DONATION. READ THIS LENGTHY POST!
A few years back I worked a job that involved standing 12+ hours at a time (between two jobs, actually). I had no noticeable foot issues prior to that, but I was also getting into exercising at the time, and I developed seemingly permanent issues with my plantar fascia on the left foot. I get intense pain that worsens with activity on the inside of my arch at the heel. What differs from my pain vs what I've read about typical PF issues is that mine does not hurt during my first steps after waking, and typically feels *better* if I stay barefoot around the house. Many doctors recommend wearing devices that stretch the PF overnight, and never going barefoot - Wearing most shoes typically worsens it for me.
I have NOT been able to find a good pair of running shoes. MOST shoes on the market worsen the pain even while I'm sitting down, and forget running. I tend to over-pronate when the shoes have thick, cushioned soles. I'm currently trying Sketchers GO Pro 3. They have a Cadillac feel for sure - Very soft, cushioned. However, they're so high up off the ground, and so neutral, that they cause me to not only pronate on my left (bad) foot, but even my right (never any issues with pain in this one). I've tried many other running shoes, but most tend to run too narrow (I recently discovered 10.5 2-4E is good for me - I had been wearing 12's ignorantly.)
I've been to two podiatrists. They've recommended stretching, massaging, inactivity, and over-the-counter inserts. I've tried them all. The massaging helps, but only after it's already destroyed (and does nothing to prevent), God Bless my Fiance. The inserts help in my dress shoes to a small degree, but are so thick that they don't go well in running shoes even with removable factory inserts - they cause my feet to be far too high in the shoe.
I have yet to find a pair of running shoes I like at all, however, my Nike Stability shoes seemed OK for a while. I've tried some similar New Balance, Asics, etc. to no avail. The absolute best shoes for me to date are very flat, neutral, wide dress shoes. My favorite are my Dr. Scholl's slip on's with my inserts, but they're incredibly cheap and fall apart quick.
At this point I'm kind of thinking my next best shot would be trying something like Vibram, some minimalist shoes that I can toss my inserts in and closely mock my dress shoes... I *Don't* like the shoes that are so cushioned that they put an inch of rubber between my feet and the floor. I feel disconnected, inflexible, and ultimately, unstable.
Can anyone please recommend ANY advice? It doesn't have to be shoes!!