Heel pain that shows up when you walk can come from a few different places. Where it hurts and when it hurts are usually the best clues. Here are the most common causes — and when it's time to get it checked.
Pain under the heel
Plantar fasciitis
The most common cause of pain under the heel. Typically worst with the first steps in the morning or after sitting, easing as you move, then returning after long periods on your feet. Read our plantar fasciitis guide.
Heel spurs
A bony growth on the heel bone, often found alongside plantar fasciitis. Many cause no pain; when they do, it usually feels similar. See What Is a Heel Spur?
Heel fat pad irritation
Your heel has a natural cushion of fat beneath it. With age, or from long hours on hard floors, it can thin or get bruised, leaving a deep ache in the centre of the heel that's worse on hard surfaces and when walking barefoot.
Pain at the back of the heel
Achilles tendon irritation
Pain and stiffness at the back of the heel or just above it, often worse when you start moving or after exercise.
Rubbing from shoes
A stiff or loose heel counter can rub the back of your heel with every step. If your shoes slip at the back, heel grip pads can help keep your heel in place.
When it's something more
Pain that started after a fall or injury, pain that's getting steadily worse, or pain that doesn't let you put weight on your foot needs a professional check — it could be a stress fracture or another injury.
What helps in most cases
For the common causes of pain under the heel, the everyday approach is similar: reduce the pressure on the heel, wear supportive shoes, stretch the calves and the sole of the foot, and rest when you can. Cushioning under the heel matters most on hard floors, where every step lands with nothing to soften it.
Solearo 4D Comfort Support Insoles add a padded heel zone and a 4D cloud foam base to the shoes you already own, to take pressure off your heel with every step.
This article is for general information only and isn't medical advice. If heel pain lasts more than a few weeks, is severe or follows an injury, see a doctor or podiatrist.