excellent 4.7 · 88,552 reviews

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 Posted August 2026 · 5 min read

At 57, I tried 7 things for my plantar fasciitis. Only one actually worked.

Words by Mike Reynolds

Retired High School Coach

Let me save you the time and money I wasted.

 

Over the past 3 years of stabbing heel pain, I've tried the $160 "comfort" trainers the shop guy swore by, gel heel cups from the pharmacy, a night splint I couldn't sleep in, months of rolling a frozen water bottle, $1,200 custom orthotics from my podiatrist, and more calf stretches than I'd ever admit to my old players, just to get through a normal day on my feet.

 

Six failures. One winner. Here's the difference:

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1. Every step finally got softer

1. Every step finally got softer

Nobody tells you this: your heel takes the full force of every step, over 8,000 times a day, most of them on concrete. These put shock absorbing cushioning under every single landing, like a landing mat for your heel.

 

Thousands of softer landings a day. Less pounding from the very first walk.
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2. My mornings stopped starting with a wince

2. My mornings stopped starting with a wince

Those first steps out of bed were the part of the day I dreaded most. Day one was milder. By day three I'd stopped bracing on the dresser on the way up.

 

By week two I was at the coffee maker before I remembered to brace. Not overnight, just steady.
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3. Every step became a gentle foot massage

3. Every step became a gentle foot massage

The 7 firm nodes press in and release with every step, like fingertips, spreading pressure across the whole foot so no single spot takes the pounding.

 

Thousands of gentle presses a day. My heels finally stopped doing the whole job alone.
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4. They went into the shoes I already owned

4. They went into the shoes I already owned

I was not about to replace every pair of shoes I own. These trim to size in a minute: trainers, work boots, even golf shoes.

 

I set up three pairs in less than a minute and actually laughed. Why didn't I think of this sooner?
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5. I stopped counting hours until I could sit down

5. I stopped counting hours until I could sit down

For years my whole day was about my feet: how long until I can sit, how close can I park. Then one day I forgot to count.

 

Eighteen holes, on my feet since breakfast, and I hadn't thought about them once. That's the whole test.

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6. All-day relief, not a 15-minute session

6. All-day relief, not a 15-minute session

My old routine was a frozen water bottle, ten minutes of rolling, and wincing through every second of it. The bottle lives in the freezer now.

 

These cushion every step of the whole day. No rituals. No rolling. No remembering.
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7. Gentle enough for my sore heels

7. Gentle enough for my sore heels

Thick cushioning? Under heels like mine? That was my biggest fear. Day one they felt odd. By day three I stopped noticing them.

 

Gentle pressure, not poking. And the guarantee covers worse feet than mine.
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8. They didn't flatten after a month

8. They didn't flatten after a month

Every drugstore insole I bought was pancaked within weeks, back to square one plus $20.

 

The shock absorption holds its shape for 12+ months, the same steady base under every landing. Ninety days in, mine feel like week one.
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9. A podiatrist actually stands behind them

10. The one that worked cost less than everything that didn't

9. A podiatrist actually stands behind them

Not a paid celebrity. A podiatrist with 20 years of insole experience helped design them for people who spend long hours on their feet.

 

Feet like mine are the feet she sees every day. That's the endorsement I trust.
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10. The one that worked cost less than everything that didn't

10. The one that worked cost less than everything that didn't

10. The one that worked cost less than everything that didn't

I spent over $1,400 on things that didn't help. Orthotics $1,200, the splint $99, the "comfort" trainers $160. None worked.

 

These were $16.74 each in the bundle. The only ones that did. Expensive isn't the same as right.

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Stepprs Massage Insoles: Finally, The Answer For Plantar Fasciitis

Absorbs shock and protects muscles and joints

Pain-free steps throughout the day

Trusted by podiatrists

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