My footwear is good, what else can I do?
Footwear can have modifications, alterations or additions to improve its fit and use as below. If you are still experiencing discomfort or pain, please contact us as we would love to help you.
Lacing
- High Arches: lace the shoe normally with a criss-cross method, skipping the middle portion of the tongue of the shoe and lacing only through the eyelets at the highest point.
- Heel Slipping: thread the laces as normal, and go straight up to the last two eyelets.
- Toe Pain: thread the laces from the eyelet closest to the big toe all the way across to the eyelet closest to the top of the tongue.
- Wide Forefoot: begin by threading the laces through the sides, once past the midfoot, thread the laces in a criss-cross fashion.
Lacing can help accommodate for any foot conditions you have. If you have good footwear, a small adjustment can be made for the above foot types.
Insoles
A great extra to good footwear insoles can be easily modified to fit the shape of your foot. It provides comfort, stability and proper displacement of force during gait. Insoles can also be used to help offload certain problem areas of the foot (corns, callus or an ulcer).
Gels & Pads
Silicone gel toe spacers and pads reduce high pressure on areas during gait. As a result of high pressure build-up, corns, blisters and calluses are likely to develop. In particular silicone based toe spacers are great for pressure in-between the toes. Whereas gel pads are great for the underneath such as metatarsal heads or bony prominences.
Custom footwear
Bespoke footwear is key when treating a patient with a chronic foot condition such as peripheral neuropathy and pressure ulcers. Footwear modifications can be made that are specific to your foot type and shape and can help with off loading and material modifications. These can both reduce high pressure areas and improve the mechanics of the foot.
High tech footwear
High tech footwear includes new features such as the carbon fibre plate which helps the athlete propel forwards, and a rocker bottom sole. Other features such as the vapour weave material, provides durability while keeping the shoe lightweight and waterproof. Certain shoes like the Nike Vaporfly also have an airpod feature placed under the forefoot which delivers efficient energy return for the everyday runner that wants to take it up a notch.
References
- Frederick, E. C., E. T. Howley, and S. K. Powers. n.d. “Lower Oxygen Demands of Running in Soft-Soled Shoes.” Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 57 (2): 174-177. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.1986.10762196.
- Sinclair, J., R. McGrath, O. Brook, P. J. Taylor, and S. Dillon. 2016. “Influence of footwear designed to boost energy return on running economy in comparison to a conventional running shoe.” Journal of Sports Science 34 (11): 1094-1098. 10.1080/02640414.2015.1088961.