How to get walking feet to be less complainy?
January 11, 2015 7:16 PM Subscribe
A friend is having a lot of foot soreness after walks that are only a bit longer than his usual. After about a year of this, he's wondering: How can he start going longer distances with less foot pain?
A friend of mine has been walking for exercise about an hour a day, four or five times a week, for almost a year now. He says he gets really sore feet if he pushes things only a bit more--say, one hour and thirty minutes. Is this normal? Should he be toughening his feet somehow, or are e.g. his shoes suspect (he says they seem pretty comfy)? He's wondering how he can expect to start walking longer distances occasionally (like 3 or 4 hours, or hiking on rougher terrain) if his feet get so sore when he only goes 50% farther than normal.
If it helps: His shoes are pretty standard New Balance running shoes. He told me he gets hotspots in addition to the foot pain typically if he goes up to ~2 hours or more. He had plantar fasciitis in the past but says this is more of a general soreness and not quite the same.
A friend of mine has been walking for exercise about an hour a day, four or five times a week, for almost a year now. He says he gets really sore feet if he pushes things only a bit more--say, one hour and thirty minutes. Is this normal? Should he be toughening his feet somehow, or are e.g. his shoes suspect (he says they seem pretty comfy)? He's wondering how he can expect to start walking longer distances occasionally (like 3 or 4 hours, or hiking on rougher terrain) if his feet get so sore when he only goes 50% farther than normal.
If it helps: His shoes are pretty standard New Balance running shoes. He told me he gets hotspots in addition to the foot pain typically if he goes up to ~2 hours or more. He had plantar fasciitis in the past but says this is more of a general soreness and not quite the same.
There are all sorts of ways your feet can go wrong. For example, if the pain is mostly in the forefoot, he could have some dropped/misaligned metatarsal bones. This may require metatarsal pads (available at the drugstore or dollar store) or orthotics to correct. (The latter worked for me just fine, allowing me to walk longer distances without getting pain at the 90 minute mark.)
Ideally, a quick visit to a sports medicine clinic or foot specialist would give him a proper diagnosis and a better choice of treatment options.
posted by maudlin at 7:32 PM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
Ideally, a quick visit to a sports medicine clinic or foot specialist would give him a proper diagnosis and a better choice of treatment options.
posted by maudlin at 7:32 PM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'd have him try a different pair of shoes and a different brand before he tries to change anything else. They may be worn out (you'll feel it before you see it with athletic shoes), not fit right, or just be the wrong shoe for his foot makeup. Tell him to head to a store like The Walking Company, Road Runner Sport, or REI to get fitted properly. Hotspots when only walking an hour and a half sounds suspiciously like ill fitting shoes.
posted by cecic at 7:32 PM on January 11, 2015
posted by cecic at 7:32 PM on January 11, 2015
He should get his arches checked.
I frequently had sore feet and finally broke down and went to a shoe store that has pressure pads you stand and walk on. It turns out that I have super high arches. (Even though they look low to me.)
They sold me a pair of inserts and shoes for about $120 total, which I thought was very reasonable, and I have zero foot pain.
The place I went was "The Walking Company", but there are probably other stores with the same machine.
Good luck to your friend.
posted by 1066 at 7:35 PM on January 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
I frequently had sore feet and finally broke down and went to a shoe store that has pressure pads you stand and walk on. It turns out that I have super high arches. (Even though they look low to me.)
They sold me a pair of inserts and shoes for about $120 total, which I thought was very reasonable, and I have zero foot pain.
The place I went was "The Walking Company", but there are probably other stores with the same machine.
Good luck to your friend.
posted by 1066 at 7:35 PM on January 11, 2015 [1 favorite]
When this happened to me, I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. It took physical therapy and stretching exercises to address it.
posted by Majorita at 7:39 PM on January 11, 2015
posted by Majorita at 7:39 PM on January 11, 2015
First, never underestimate the importance of good padded socks. These will help with the hotspots in particular.
Second, it could be the brand or style of shoes. Not all brands work well for all people. He should try out something else next. He also might have better luck with boots. I had Keen boots that were more comfortable for long periods of walking (up to 8-10 hours!) than any other pair of shoes I've owned.
Third, there are exercises for your feet that help. He could try some of these -- going up on tiptoes and back is a good one, or just standing on one foot for a while. Strengthening foot muscles will make them more resilient.
Good luck!
posted by goingonit at 8:03 PM on January 11, 2015
Second, it could be the brand or style of shoes. Not all brands work well for all people. He should try out something else next. He also might have better luck with boots. I had Keen boots that were more comfortable for long periods of walking (up to 8-10 hours!) than any other pair of shoes I've owned.
Third, there are exercises for your feet that help. He could try some of these -- going up on tiptoes and back is a good one, or just standing on one foot for a while. Strengthening foot muscles will make them more resilient.
Good luck!
posted by goingonit at 8:03 PM on January 11, 2015
Ah, your friend wants Hiking Shoes. Not Hiking Boots, but Hiking Shoes.
I think my brain isn't working because there are other terms for these shoes, and I've owned many a pair. They're like a low ankle boot/shoe hybrid. They often have Vibram soles. They have steel shanks. From the Internet:
"A shank is a metal or heavy plastic strip in the sole used as reinforcement for the wearer's arch. It provides support for the bottom of the boot. A full shank goes to the toe while a 3/4 shank goes to the ball of the foot. Shanks can be plastic or steel."
So, the shank makes the sole super rigid. These are what I use for cheffing. And hiking. Unless I'm carrying a hiking backpack, because then I want a full boot for ankle support.
A snug fit is KEY. Go to an REI or similar and get fitted on a slanted platform by a trained sales person.
Bonus? They last longer than sneakers. Sneakers are ass for serious walking unless you're going to replace them every 3 months, and they are still hell on your feet.
Hiking shoes for the win!!
posted by jbenben at 8:52 PM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think my brain isn't working because there are other terms for these shoes, and I've owned many a pair. They're like a low ankle boot/shoe hybrid. They often have Vibram soles. They have steel shanks. From the Internet:
"A shank is a metal or heavy plastic strip in the sole used as reinforcement for the wearer's arch. It provides support for the bottom of the boot. A full shank goes to the toe while a 3/4 shank goes to the ball of the foot. Shanks can be plastic or steel."
So, the shank makes the sole super rigid. These are what I use for cheffing. And hiking. Unless I'm carrying a hiking backpack, because then I want a full boot for ankle support.
A snug fit is KEY. Go to an REI or similar and get fitted on a slanted platform by a trained sales person.
Bonus? They last longer than sneakers. Sneakers are ass for serious walking unless you're going to replace them every 3 months, and they are still hell on your feet.
Hiking shoes for the win!!
posted by jbenben at 8:52 PM on January 11, 2015 [2 favorites]
The weather where I am has forced me to stop walking outdoors in the last couple of weeks and I've begun using an indoor home treadmill instead. My feet kept hurting in an unusual place: the ball of the foot on the outside, behind the pinkie toe.
Just yesterday I realized that the walking surface of the treadmill is narrower than my normal stance, so I've been walking with my feet closer together than I would if walking outdoors. Correcting this and walking with my feet farther apart seems to prevent the pain from occurring, although stepping so close to the edge of the walking surface is annoying.
So, maybe there's something about the way he's walking that causes the pain.
Also, due to an odd gait on my part the heels of my shoes wear away much faster than the rest of the sole. Before I realized it was a problem, wearing old shoes for long periods of time was excruciating because the worn-away edges caused pressure to be distributed unevenly. So, as suggested above, he should check that he isn't getting some similar effect from old shoes or even just defective new shoes.
posted by XMLicious at 9:17 PM on January 11, 2015
Just yesterday I realized that the walking surface of the treadmill is narrower than my normal stance, so I've been walking with my feet closer together than I would if walking outdoors. Correcting this and walking with my feet farther apart seems to prevent the pain from occurring, although stepping so close to the edge of the walking surface is annoying.
So, maybe there's something about the way he's walking that causes the pain.
Also, due to an odd gait on my part the heels of my shoes wear away much faster than the rest of the sole. Before I realized it was a problem, wearing old shoes for long periods of time was excruciating because the worn-away edges caused pressure to be distributed unevenly. So, as suggested above, he should check that he isn't getting some similar effect from old shoes or even just defective new shoes.
posted by XMLicious at 9:17 PM on January 11, 2015
Is he wearing cotton socks? Those will tend to cause hot spots.
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 9:33 PM on January 11, 2015
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 9:33 PM on January 11, 2015
I bought a pair of Sorbothane insoles for my walking boots when I started walking. I occasionally get blisters on my heels still, but the soles of my feet are always comfortable now, even when walking 10+ miles in a single go. I don't know if they're recommended for use with plantar fasciitis, though.
posted by Solomon at 6:29 AM on January 12, 2015
posted by Solomon at 6:29 AM on January 12, 2015
Your feet continue to grow, albeit very slowly, over the course of your life. And for most of my adult life, I was very confident that my shoe size was a men's 9, until I learned of this fact and decided that maybe I should try a men's 10. I had been experiencing foot pain for years, and nothing helped, until I got bigger shoes. It's a simple thing to try, and it might just do wonders for your friend.
(Previously.)
posted by monospace at 9:58 AM on January 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
(Previously.)
posted by monospace at 9:58 AM on January 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
I would recommend your friend go to a running store and ask around. Also, Runner's World rates shoes on how much cushioning they have. He or she should get shoes with more cushioning.
posted by cnc at 11:00 AM on January 12, 2015
posted by cnc at 11:00 AM on January 12, 2015
Running shoes are for running, not walking. As others have suggested, he needs walking shoes. If he is walking on other than smooth surfaces, hiking shoes will provide better grip and last much longer. If he has been walking regularly for a year and is still getting sore feet with modest increases in duration, it's almost certainly the shoes. Socks are also important and talking to a reputable 'outdoors' shop that sells serious hiking gear would probably be useful, as I can guarantee he's not the first person they've seen with this exact problem.
posted by dg at 4:29 PM on January 12, 2015
posted by dg at 4:29 PM on January 12, 2015
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posted by brainmouse at 7:32 PM on January 11, 2015 [3 favorites]