Written with contributions from Superfeet Wellness Experts and the Superfeet education team.
A heel spur is a common and often painful foot condition that can affect anyone, but it most frequently afflicts athletes who run and jump on hard surfaces, from track athletes to dedicated amateur runners.
These calcium build-ups on the heel bone can cause significant discomfort that limits daily activity if left unaddressed. Fortunately, with an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment approach, including targeted stretching, appropriate footwear, and supportive insoles, most people find meaningful heel pain relief without surgery.
Let's talk about what causes them, how to recognize the symptoms, and how the right orthotic soles can help you stay active and comfortable.
Understanding heel pain
Heel pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints in both athletes and non-athletes alike, affecting millions of people each year. It can range from a mild, nagging ache to a sharp, debilitating sensation that makes it difficult to take even the first steps of the day.
While many conditions can produce pain in this region, two of the most frequently diagnosed are
- plantar fasciitis: an inflammation of the thick band of tissue that attaches to the heel bone and runs along the bottom of the foot
- heel spurs: the bony calcium deposits that often develop as a consequence of prolonged plantar stress.
Understanding the relationship between these two conditions is key to finding the right course of treatment. In many cases, the pain a person attributes to a bony heel spur is actually originating from the inflamed plantar fascia surrounding it, which is why treatments that address both conditions simultaneously tend to be most effective.
What are heel spurs?
A heel spur is a calcium deposit that can cause a boney protrusion on the underside of the foot, most often on the heel bone (calcaneus). A heel spur is typically not visible but can be diagnosed via an x-ray of the foot.
Heel spur causes
Heel spurs are most often caused by repetitive running or jumping on hard surfaces.
If you suffer from plantar fasciitis, a condition affecting the plantar fascia between your heel and your toes, you are more likely to suffer from bone spurs as well. Increasing age, diabetes, flat feet and regular long periods of standing can also cause you to develop these spurs. Anything that consistently places strain on your heel can cause these calcium deposits to develop.
Heel spur symptoms
Heel pain is the most reported symptom among those suffering from heel spurs, and understanding its nature can help you seek the right treatment sooner. The pain associated with heel spurs is often described as a sharp, stabbing sensation at the base of the heel, particularly intense with the very first steps in the morning or after long periods of sitting.
Although heel spurs may be up to 1/2 inch long, curving from under your heel toward your arch, some are painless. You can have one and never know it. However, 50% of those with heel spurs do notice a number of symptoms, like:
• Heel Pain
• Swelling
• Inflammation
• Feeling of Warmth
• Tenderness
Heel spurs are difficult to diagnose unless your doctor performs some imaging on your foot. Usually, an X-ray will identify the bone spur and allow your physician to develop an effective treatment plan.
Heel spur treatment
Doctors seldom operate on heel spurs anymore, although it was once a fairly common practice. Now doctors focus on non-surgical interventions such as stretching exercises, physical therapy, specially designed shoes and custom heel spur insoles.
For those more difficult cases, the doctor may inject a corticosteroid to reduce inflammation and the resulting pain. OTC pain relievers such as ibuprofen are also frequently helpful in reducing the symptoms of heel spurs.
Surprisingly, rest is not effective for this condition. In fact, you may experience more pain after a night's sleep than you did during the previous day's activities simply because the plantar fascia is particularly sensitive until it stretches once more.
If you've been diagnosed with bony spurs on your heel, here is a practical step-by-step approach most podiatrists recommend:
- Reduce inflammation first. Begin with OTC anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and apply ice to the heel for 15–20 minutes several times a day to calm acute heel pain.
- Stretch daily. Gentle calf stretches and plantar fascia stretches performed first thing in the morning, before your first steps, can dramatically reduce the sharp pain caused by plantar spurs and the associated tightness in the fascia.
- Reassess your footwear. Shoes with inadequate arch support or worn-out cushioning increase the stress heel bones endure. Replace footwear regularly and choose options designed for your activity type.
- Add orthotic support. Introducing heel inserts or full-length insoles for plantar fasciitis and heel spurs into your footwear helps absorb and redistribute the stress your heel absorbs during walking, running, or prolonged standing. This is often the single most impactful at-home intervention for long-term heel pain relief.
- Consult for advanced care. If conservative measures do not provide sufficient relief after several weeks, your doctor may recommend physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, or in rare cases, surgical intervention to address the bony spur directly.
Superfeet help for heel spurs
Prevention of the development of a heel spur starts by wearing supportive and properly fitting footwear for your activities. Once you've received a diagnosis, adding the orthotic support of Superfeet shape to your footwear can help provide heel spur pain relief and keep your feet as comfortable as possible.
Which Superfeet insole is best for heel spur treatment?
To find the right Superfeet, start with your shoes. What type of shoes are you wearing? What you are doing in those shoes? We think you deserve to experience the I-never-knew-my-feet-could-feel-this-good benefits of the Superfeet shape in all your footwear. That’s why we make insoles for casual and dress shoes, shoe inserts for high heels, insoles for hiking, insoles for running shoes, insoles for snow sports, insoles for skates, and more.
Need help finding the best Superfeet for you? Take the online insole finder quiz.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between heel inserts and full-length insoles?
Heel inserts are small, targeted cushions placed directly under the heel, while full-length insoles replace the existing footbed of your shoe and support the entire foot. For heel spur sufferers, full-length insoles are often preferred because they address the biomechanical root causes, such as overpronation and arch collapse, that place excess stress on the heel bone in the first place.
2. How long does it take for heel spur insoles to work?
Most people notice a reduction in heel pain within a few days to a few weeks of consistently wearing supportive insoles. However, full relief — especially when plantar fasciitis is also present — can take several weeks of combined treatment including stretching, appropriate footwear, and orthotic support.
