Jesse Carnes is a RErun Ambassador for 2017/2018. He is a prolific racer and recently finished up a season that saw him complete the Butte 100 Mountain Bike Race, pace the Missoula Marathon, finish the Portland Marathon, and finish all three days of racing at the Rut Mountain Runs among a slew of other races. Jesse has been in the endurance world for years and has remained relatively injury free. We asked him to test the Feetures Plantar Fasciitis Relief Socks and give us his thoughts. You can follow Jesse’s adventures here.
There are a few pains that, being a runner, are very hard to escape at some point in your life. A stubborn IT band, shin splints, achilles tendonitis; we are all familiar with the list, if not from personal experience then at least from conversations with fellow runners. No list of such ailments would be complete without a mention of plantar fasciitis, the crippling pain at the back of your arch and your heel that seems to appear without warning and stick around way longer than it should.
I have only really had one bout with plantar fasciitis in my life, a couple years ago, and not a particularly awful one. Like many runners, I ran through it for the most part until it became unbearable, took a little time off, and luckily within a few weeks the pain was almost entirely gone. Not everyone is so lucky. What I didn’t know at the time is that there are actually products out there to help relieve the symptoms of plantar fasciitis.
One product I tried recently that I think could help for those who have pain when simply standing is the Oofos recovery sandal (see my previous review), which provides extra arch support and cushion. As I mentioned in that review, though, it turns out those aren’t much good for actually running. Who knew?
Anyway, for those who just can’t help but get out for the occasional run even when their plantar fascia is flaring up, there is something out there that might help ease the sting a bit: Feetures Plantar Fasciitis Relief Socks.
The defining characteristic of these socks is a compressive band that runs across the back of the arch and around the heel. The idea is that the compression “lifts, stretches, and stabilizes” the plantar fascia, which helps to keep the pain at bay. Having worn the socks while running, walking around the house, and for a day at work, I can definitely see how they provide some relief. I would certainly wear them anytime my arches are feeling a bit sore.
For me, there was one downside to these socks, and that was the heel band that wraps around the achilles. Specifically, I found it to be a bit rough-feeling and after a 2-hour run my heel felt a little raw. I did not get any blisters, but it wasn’t the most comfortable experience, either.
The thing is, I believe that the tight heel band is necessary to the physics of how the sock works. It seems that it provides extra tension to help pull the arch band into place. Therefore, my takeaway is that in the unfortunate event that these socks become necessary, the minor heel rub might be the least of your concerns. At that point, anything that will get you back out and running is pretty great, and these socks might just help make that happen.
