LIFE+ Blog

If you really stop to think, we are on our feet majority of the day. Our feet provide shock absorption every step we take and often can be the most neglected part of our body.

When we walk, we go through a series of steps that compose the gait cycle, and within each phase our feet are meant to react and move a specific way in order to maintain smooth and coordinated motion throughout.

Change Your Shoes

If there is an underlying pathology of the feet, your shoe ware can make a huge difference in the support your feet are receiving in order to prevent any unnecessary pain.

Personally, I over pronate when I run, which means that when I have one foot on the ground, some of muscles in the feet are not strong enough and allow my ankle to dive inwards rather than remain in neutral. This causes pain on the inside part of the ankle, knees and outside of the hip. This can be pretty common in many people and often the pain can translate to the more proximal joints when the true pathology lies elsewhere. I have made the correction of my shoes to assist with my running and have had great success with decreasing my symptoms.

Change Your Laces

Foot comfort as well as how the foot functions mechanically can impact the way you run as well. Not only can the shoes you choose impact the way your feet move but so can your shoe laces.

Shoelaces are a simple fix to make your running experience better! Shoe laces are important to be aware of when you run because they are what keep your shoes in places and ultimately how your foot will impact the ground.

This video has two lacing techniques that can help improve your foot comfort:

Don't Give Up!

If you aren’t comfortable when you are running, it is going to make the experience more uncomfortable and may even turn you off to running all together. But don’t give up!

I know that when I was training for my half marathon, I continuously had what is called a “hot spot” on my foot. A “hot spot” can occur when your laces rub excessively over a part of your foot essentially causing a blister. It is hard to avoid especially since we wear shoes that cover the whole foot most of the day.

With so many big races coming up, it is important to address all components of your running to prevent any unnecessary injuries.

Here are a few examples of issues of what your feet may RUN into:

1. Black Toenail/Toe Pain
2. Heel Slipping
3. Wide Feet
4. Narrow Feet
5. High Instep

If you have any other foot problems and haven’t found a solution yet, here are some additional resources:

• https://www.runnersworld.com/health-injuries/a27009861/how-to-tie-running-shoes/
• https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/gear/shoes/a760482/how-to-lace-your-shoe/

If changing your shoe doesn’t provide enough relief for your foot pain, you may want to consider physical therapy at CBPT.

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