Bought new running insoles; horrible blister after first run! WHY?!?!
June 4, 2014 8:49 AM Subscribe
I recently took up running, but ramped up the distance pretty quickly and probably as a result have been having some ankle pain. I went to a sports doctor, who referred me to a physical therapist and also recommended that I buy superfeet or powerstep insoles (I went with powerstep). The following day I ran with them for the first time, and subsequently developed a nasty blister on my left foot. I NEVER have gotten a blister while running. My right foot feels very comfortable with the insole.
I'm seeing the doctor again next week, but would like to continue running until then after my blister heals up a bit more. My question for my fellow running MeFites is... Is getting a big blister after one run with new insoles a sign of a bad fit? Or, could it be that the insole isn't properly broken in yet? (I heard that insoles need to be used for a while before they become comfortable, but... a blister after one run, with no prior history of getting them?? Is this not unusual?)
I heard that insoles need to be used for a while before they become comfortable, but... a blister after one run, with no prior history of getting them?? Is this not unusual?
No, going for a run on them immediately is unusual. I'm surprised the physio didn't give you proper information about how to break them in. It's generally something like: one hour the first day (nothing too strenuous, just walking around the house in the evening), two the next day, then three etc. Then when you're up to five or six you stabilise for a bit (and maybe start doing more serious exercise in them) then work up to eight. Etc. When I get new orthotics it's usually three weeks before I'm wearing them full time, let alone exercising in them. Mine are pretty hard core and I wear them all the time but still, even smaller orthotics with less correction need to be tapered into properly. You don't just throw them in your shoes and go running.
So yeah, blisters are normal if you're not careful and other aches and pains can also appear pretty fast without proper time to let your body adjust. It's definitely worth going back because they may be rubbing inappropriately and that can be fixed. But you also need to ask them about how to go about acclimatising to the orthotics correctly and be worried if the person giving them to you doesn't know what that means.
posted by shelleycat at 9:46 AM on June 4, 2014
No, going for a run on them immediately is unusual. I'm surprised the physio didn't give you proper information about how to break them in. It's generally something like: one hour the first day (nothing too strenuous, just walking around the house in the evening), two the next day, then three etc. Then when you're up to five or six you stabilise for a bit (and maybe start doing more serious exercise in them) then work up to eight. Etc. When I get new orthotics it's usually three weeks before I'm wearing them full time, let alone exercising in them. Mine are pretty hard core and I wear them all the time but still, even smaller orthotics with less correction need to be tapered into properly. You don't just throw them in your shoes and go running.
So yeah, blisters are normal if you're not careful and other aches and pains can also appear pretty fast without proper time to let your body adjust. It's definitely worth going back because they may be rubbing inappropriately and that can be fixed. But you also need to ask them about how to go about acclimatising to the orthotics correctly and be worried if the person giving them to you doesn't know what that means.
posted by shelleycat at 9:46 AM on June 4, 2014
If you got an ankle injury from overuse, is it possible that you don't actually need orthotics? I gave myself a stress fracture when I switched to Vibrams, but that was because my own dumb ass ran too much without letting my muscle structure acclimate. Once I recovered and slowwwwwly ramped up my mileage in the Vibrams, I was fine--healthier than I ever was while running heel-toe in supportive shoes.
Does the sports doc you went to specialize in runners?
posted by radicalawyer at 10:52 AM on June 4, 2014
Does the sports doc you went to specialize in runners?
posted by radicalawyer at 10:52 AM on June 4, 2014
Here's my take on this.
If you're running more than 15K regularly AND you need an insole, then you should get a custom orthotic. While there's nothing inherently evil about off the shelf insoles, they aren't a perfect fit to your foolt. That may not matter on the occasional 5 mile hike, but daily running on an unsuitable insole is counterproductive. Considering that you are already injured a poorly fit insole is a recipe for troubles.
Having run on many teams and with many teammates, it seems as though results with off-the-shelf insoles go in thirds: a third of users think they help, a third of users think the hurt, a third see no change.
The questions I'd ask you doc are: What problem are we trying to solve with these insoles? How would I know they are working, not working or doing damage? Why these and not custom insoles?
posted by 26.2 at 11:18 AM on June 4, 2014
If you're running more than 15K regularly AND you need an insole, then you should get a custom orthotic. While there's nothing inherently evil about off the shelf insoles, they aren't a perfect fit to your foolt. That may not matter on the occasional 5 mile hike, but daily running on an unsuitable insole is counterproductive. Considering that you are already injured a poorly fit insole is a recipe for troubles.
Having run on many teams and with many teammates, it seems as though results with off-the-shelf insoles go in thirds: a third of users think they help, a third of users think the hurt, a third see no change.
The questions I'd ask you doc are: What problem are we trying to solve with these insoles? How would I know they are working, not working or doing damage? Why these and not custom insoles?
posted by 26.2 at 11:18 AM on June 4, 2014
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posted by something something at 9:15 AM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]