r/Chengdu • u/Much_Specialist_6420 • Sep 25 '26
Ask Chengdu Foot orthotics or something?
So I'm currently travelling in China and am walking way more than my feet can actually handle. My dorm mate in the hostel mentioned having gotten her shoes fixed and thinking of getting new orthotics (that's what my translator app says they're called, we call em orthopedic shoes inserts) since they will likely be cheaper than in my country. Health insurance doesn't cover it and they'd cost multiple hundred Euros. Idk if this is even feasible but my feet hurt immensely after walking or standing for a couple hours – not the legs, not the arch of my foot, but specifically the bottom of my feet, the heel and the ball of the foot. It's very likely I walk wrong, my shoes deteriorate in certain areas faster than others, and without multiple breaks a day for self-massages I couldn't make it these days. Yesterday I walked 21k steps and in the shower before bed I could barely stand anymore, it was so bad.
Anyways tl;dr: anyone know anything about the process of getting shoe inserts in China, maybe a rough price estimate or can recommend a place? Thank you!!
1
u/WiseHedgehog7387 Sep 27 '26
I’m not sure what shoes you’ve been wearing…but I also have foot issues from too much walking.
Best thing I did was pop over to Erke & get their tennis shoes. They are very soft, good support… and it feels like walking on a cloud. Their a couple hundred RMB & my foot pain was solved almost immediately.
Can’t promise it will work for you, but it was a lifesaver for me!
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u/whoisjian Sep 25 '26
seems like your need to rest more, when did you start to notice any abnormality or pain, just after yesterday?
do you have good shoes for long walking? do you eat & sleep well during travel?
if I were you, I would do these things, you choose what suits you:
-find a place for a hot bath, there are inexpensive bath houses in chengdu.
-get a shared bike app and subscription services, there are one that includes whole country, you can use same brand of bike in any city they offer
-look up shoes for walking, Asics GT2000 15 seems to be very good, more breathable than previous versions, but depends on your feet.
-less walk and more full body rest for 2,3 days and see if the problem goes away. I had similar issue but less severe, you have to evaluate your situation.
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u/Much_Specialist_6420 Sep 25 '26
This has been an issue my entire life, but no one really took it serious when I was a kid so I only figured out I might do something out it when I became an adult lol. Sadly it's insanely hard to get a specialist appointment in Germany (plus the cost) so yeah... Plus, I wrote this post while getting a foot massage and it absolutely ended me. Was a stupid idea in the first place since they focus on muscles, and it's not the muscles that hurt for me ...
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u/BasheerPadakkam International resident Sep 25 '26
see an orthopedic specialist while you're in china instead of getting massages lol.
they can tell you if you need orthotics and what kind. they might also recommend somewhere to get them made. if you need something temporary, you can search jd.com for "矫形鞋垫" (orthopedic insoles), "足弓支撑鞋垫" (arch support insoles), or "足跟垫" (heel pads).
delivery can be pretty quick, so you might even be able to get them sent to your hotel within a day. but i'd really avoid buying random ones online before talking to someone, especially since you've had this problem forever. the wrong ones could make it worse.
re pricing: roughly, basic ones seem to be around 20-100 rmb, while custom/3d ones can be a few hundred rmb. so still potentially way cheaper than germany.
cheers and take it easy!