foot pain

[ekeverette]

any suggestions please: i hiked 55 miles the other week, 4 days. by the 3rd day the ball of my feet, and the outside bottom (not the arch) hurt so bad it was unbelievable. my feet were bruised. i wore vasgue's, good fit. now i'm very disappointed in myself and scared now to start my 2012. any advice? thank you.

[PapaGarrettP]

Could be plantar faciitis, which is the most common foot ailment for middle-aged folks. Pain is more commonly centered on the heels of the foot. Here is a link with diagnosis and treatment. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview
(http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/plantar-fasciitis-topic-overview)
My mom had this and with ice, rest and the towel stretches pretty much cured it. She is definitely not a hiker, however.

[ekeverette]

thank you papa g.

[ekeverette]

i don't think this is plantar fasciitis. the balls of my feet, and the outside bottem (opposite the arches) hurt. think i may go to a diabetic shoe store. maybe i just need a lot of cushion...

[FlyPaper]

i don't think this is plantar fasciitis. the balls of my feet, and the outside bottom (opposite the arches) hurt. think i may go to a diabetic shoe store. maybe i just need a lot of cushion...

Prior to this last year, I would always use store bought inserts which were a little thicker than what normally comes in a shoe or boot, and take a
gob of about 8-12 rubber bands strategically placed under my inserts to boost my arch support. Just put them under your insole on the inside half
of your arch.

This has made a big difference and is very easy to try. I'm not a doctor, but this is so easy to try I would suggest giving it a go. If you're like me
you'll feel an improvement from day 1.

If that doesn't work, see a podiatrist.

(Note: I've dealt more with pain my the outside top of my feet).

[DapperD]

any suggestions please: i hiked 55 miles the other week, 4 days. by the 3rd day the ball of my feet, and the outside bottom (not the arch) hurt so bad it was unbelievable. my feet were bruised. i wore vasgue's, good fit. now i'm very disappointed in myself and scared now to start my 2012. any advice? thank you.You say you "hiked". I don't know wether you were carrying a heavy pack or not. Also if you haven't been hiking/backpacking regularly for awhile and/or you yourself are overweight all of these could contribute to having foot issues.

[Tenderheart]

This sounds to me like a cushioning problem. The foot has natural built-in cushioning if the shoe and insert will allow it to occur. Oddly enough, the worst thing to use is a soft cushy insert. That's why Super-feet inserts are firm and actually cradle the foot. This problem is definitely magnified with weight on your back. The difference can be felt immediately if this is indeed your problem. Good luck.

[Don H]

Sounds like you tried to do too many miles a day. When you start your thru I would suggest going slow, less than 10 miles a day, until you build up to it. It can take 3 or more weeks of constant hiking to get your "trail legs". To prepare for a hike I do a 3 mile loop trail with some steep hills with a full pack. I start with one loop, then increase to 2 loops after a few weeks. By week 5 or 6 I'm doing 3 loops or 9 miles in 3 hours total. Then I know I'm ready to do a section on the AT.

[ekeverette]

thanks alot for the advice. i think i did do to much.... thought i was 25!

[mountain squid]

any suggestions please: i hiked 55 miles the other week, 4 days.I don't know about the bruising or the balls of the feet issues, but I concur with Don H - too many miles and about 3-4 weeks to acquire 'hiker legs'.

Neels Gap is 30 mi into the trail. Arriving there on day 4 is good, without pushing too much (that is 7.5 mi/day as opposed to 13.75 mi/day, your stated 4 day avg of 55 mi). You might be carrying a heavy load - if you haven't done so already consider posting your gear list.

Also suggest to air out the feet often during the day.

See you on the trail,
mt squid

how to hike (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73587-how-to-hike)

[sbhikes]

It could be that the shape of the bottom of the shoe is wrong for your feet. Maybe the toes curve up too much so your toes are constantly hyperextended. That would expose the metatarsal heads on the balls of your feet to a lot of stress. Or it could be that they were just too thin and the rocks beat your feet up. Or it could be that they were too hard and you do need more cushion. Or it could just mean something about them doesn't fit right. I've had shoes like that where I can't figure out what the problem is but they really hurt the bottom of my feet. Most New Balance shoes seem to do that to me and I can't figure out why.

[malowitz]

ekeverette -

I thru'd in 2010 and had severe problems with the balls of my feet. There were days where I was walking ginergly becuase it hurt. I remember doing one very short day into Free State Hiker Hostel in MD and icing my feet for most of 2 days. Nobody (a hiker) described my feet as cartoon feet due to the level of swelling.

I tried various cushioning (gels, etc) since that seemed to logically be the problem. In Palmerton, I went to a podiatrist. Turns out even though my arch didn't hurt, the issue was arch support. When you don't have enough, the balls of your feet take the brunt of the impact without properly spreading out. I can't say this is your problem and I never had bruising - just swelling, but I would suggest some high-arch inserts for a try. He gave me a couple of old ones from around his office (Spenco w/plastic arches). In Manchester Center, I bought a pair of Sole ones that I wore the rest of the hike and daily up until 2 weeks ago.

I think I had some pictures of the swelling and you can read about how much I complained about my feet if you want. postholer.com/malowitz

[ekeverette]

thank you guys i really appreciate your suggestions.