More than 2 million Americans experience heel pain every year. ... An abnormal growth of bone where the plantar fascia attaches to the heel bone also can be at the root of heel pain.

Shoes with slightly thicker cushioning in the heel can add a slight lift and reduce the strain on the Achilles tendon and where it attaches to the heel bone, Dr. Lefkowitz explains.

Insertional AT pain occurs when the tendon attaches to the back of the heel bone. Noninsertional AT pain occurs slightly higher, roughly 2–6 centimeters (cm) above where the tendon attaches to ...