My feet hurt... could a pair of insoles help?

[lew]

Hey guys and gals I just wanted to know if there is anything to stop my feet from getting wrecked when I skateboard.. time and time again my ankles and feet will either twist badly or I would get really tight pain in the arches of my feet. Maybe it is because I am getting old... as before I would just let all this go and ignore the pain but after reading up on different foot problems and how you can permanently wreck your feet Im now more sensible....ish. I am also thinking that what is causing the tight pain in my feet is plantar fasciitis.. has anyone had this before and what did you do about it? I was contemplating about getting some insoles do they help at all the internet when it comes to this kind of thing is pretty useless and a lot of sites telling me to buy £200 custom made insoles.. hmm for a piece of plastic I think not! What would you guys recommend?What about a pair from over here  that look good.. but to be honest insoles all just look like pieces of plastic to me and I don't know what I should be looking for when buying a pair.

(If you dont understand some of the phrases I am using it is because Im from the UK and not the untied states... Its all perfectly normal to talk like I am round here )

[JB]

just try some doctor shols from the drug store. they work fine and dont cost a ton. not sure if they will fix your problem, but they will take a good amount of shock off your feet.

[coneklr]

I think the custom ones that are expensive are so because they are professionally molded to your foot specifically and to your specific needs.  They may just seem like a piece of plastic but they actually align your whole body correctly, so it will actually help more than your feet.  I'm actually contemplating the same thing right now because I'm old and still trying to skate   Anyway I know there are a couple skate brands that are cheaper and mold to your foot with heat or something but I'm not sure if they are as effective in the long run.  One important thing to remember is if you spend $200 or whatever for legit ones from a specialist, you'll be able to reuse them in multiple pairs of shoes.  So while it's expensive up front you'll definitely end up getting your money's worth in the long run.  Just a thought.

[shit_for_brains]

I took lunarlon insoles out of two pair of converse and they're the best things ever. The shoes sucked, but the insoles were worth it on their own. They're different than the Nike ones. Better, I think. I almost went custom orthotics but these make a big enough positive impact that I haven't had to yet. I am also old and everything hurts all the time, but these insoles are great.

[@thewilleasley]

just try some doctor shols from the drug store. they work fine and dont cost a ton. not sure if they will fix your problem, but they will take a good amount of shock off your feet.

this.  I've heard good things about the super expensive insoles but I've never tried it myself. The athletic dr scholls insoles are pretty good tho, especially if they have that lil plastic shank guard. also you're literally shooting yourself in the foot if you happen to skate vulcs, especially if you're older

[the snake]

i had the same arch pain you talk about for months, one osteopathy session fixed it, no pain since that, it was 2-3 years ago

ps : don't forget to get good insoles

[posguy]

I really liked the ETC Insoles. Be aware that you should change them every 6 months or so depending on how much your skating just cause we blow them out faster.

[kenneth]

I had some problems with my feet aching after about an hour of skating and even after walking to much I got problems. So I figured I'd try some insoles. The thick version of the etc is what I went for. Actually made wonders for my feet. Now I can skate and walk for as long as I like. Feels a bit strange at first but totally worth it. Since I was so satisfied I bought a pair of Footprint ortopedic too. Right now I just walk in them to get used to them. They feels a bit harder than the etc ones but you can feel how they support your whole foot. Actually it feels like your foot leans a bit towards the outside. Don't now wich ones i prefer but both made a great improvement on my feet. I'd say go for it, if it improves your foot problems it's worth every dollar if not it isn't that much of a cost anyway.

[art hellman]

how thick are the standard skateboard brand insoles?  like say, Remind?  I've played around with the idea of getting insoles, but most shoes are designed for the stock insoles that they come with.  I'm not going to throw some lunarlon in a pair of busenitz vulcs and then have my heel be an extra inch higher than it is supposed to be in the shoes...i.e. increased risk of ankle rolls.  

thoughts?  experience?

[Sk.A.T.A.N]

how thick are the standard skateboard brand insoles?  like say, Remind?  I've played around with the idea of getting insoles, but most shoes are designed for the stock insoles that they come with.  I'm not going to throw some lunarlon in a pair of busenitz vulcs and then have my heel be an extra inch higher than it is supposed to be in the shoes...i.e. increased risk of ankle rolls.  

thoughts?  experience?

Thats my fear too... I have some adi ease that hurt my feet skating because the insole is really thin but if i put the sti insoles i have the heel will be too high because the hell part of the shoe is already raised. I think i need a insole that is thick in the front and thin in the back if it make sense to feel me heel safe. Same with janoski's.

[franquietits]

In my experience, I've dealt with arch problems (in my pushing foot) such as soreness and pain that persisted for awhile. I'd just skate with it until it warmed up and was less painful, but it didn't really help the problem. So I just tried using dr. scholls insoles myself, with an emphasis on arch support (I got "tri comfort orthotics") and it definitely helped. Helps take some pressure off the arch & gives more structural support in how you distribute your weight (I learned I tend to put more weight and flex into my problem foot just out of habit).  I used them even with normal walking around etc & my foot felt improved from that alone (throughout a month or two). I'd even skate with it in my shoe on top of my normal insole, but careful if you try that (it'll raise your heal alot more and u could potentially turn an ankle easier). Just know it's a process, cause arch pain definitively takes long term healing and can come back at times.

Also, try looking up some tennis ball foot massage/exercises to help relieve some soreness. I usually try to do that a little before/after I skate and it helps loosen foot tension a bit more.   

         

[@thewilleasley]

how thick are the standard skateboard brand insoles?  like say, Remind?  I've played around with the idea of getting insoles, but most shoes are designed for the stock insoles that they come with.  I'm not going to throw some lunarlon in a pair of busenitz vulcs and then have my heel be an extra inch higher than it is supposed to be in the shoes...i.e. increased risk of ankle rolls.  

thoughts?  experience?

i've used some footprint insoles and while i think they do a variety of types of insoles, the ones I had were totally flat & all foam. comparable to the ortholite insoles they put in the DC Lynx but with a better material. they worked well though. it was just their standard insole not the custom ones. I would look into those if you want something thats should be pretty compatible with most if not all shoes

[Xen]

I've used a lot of insoles over the years, stock, dr. scholls, 'sports' centric and some 'skate' insoled (etc and footprint).

The biggest issue I have is that after market ones change the feel of the shoe, usually by taking away board feel. The Etc. onces I had were thick and snugged up every shoe but took away board feel.

Stock ones are usually super thing with no cushion. Lunarion is nice but it doesn't have much in the way of support or impact. I want to try the new orthotics from footprint but I have a hard time spending that much on insoles as I do shoes.

My knees end up hurting just from pushing some days so I know I need to find something I'm not hurling myself down sets anymore so shock absorption isn't high on my list.

[j....soy.....]

I have crap ankles, high arches, and my feet are proned to getting thrashed so used to skate dunk hi's with an arch support.....that's a lot of shoe....but I got those custom orthotics which were pricey....like $350.  I had a medical plan where I could claim them though. 

They work great and provide support in the ball of my foot which I've never seen any insole do.  It's true they do change the feel of shoes so you gotta try on shoes with the insole.  I can also skate vulc now which definitely broadens the shoes I can skate.  In some ways it feels like a more consistent feel with shoes for me.

Something else to do is find a pair of comfy running shoes to wear when you're not skating.....sounds dumb but I think it helps....

[dillanharp]

Wear shoes with some actual support. I quit wearing vans a few years ago, vulcs in general more recently. Get some running shoes to wear when you're not skating. My feet have been feelong great lately.

[Second Division]

I've been wearing custom orthotics since I was 10 years old since I have foot problems (Actually doctor diagnosed). Absolutely changed my life. Definitely take a little while to get used to - wear them for like an hour one day, 2 the next, etc. until you're used to them, but completely worth it. I wear them in every shoe and just move them over. Since my feet stopped growing, I've had this pair for probably 8+ years. I don't take out the current insoles, and just lay them on top since they are only half foot orthotics, but definitely give the shoe more structure and help keep your arch stable. And once you start wearing something like that, you don't even notice "shoes feeling different without it" just because that's all you know anyway.

[Spitfire4life]

Footprint game changers are the way to go. I used to have pretty bad arch and back problems, and they really helped. You can go with the orthotics too. They're cheaper and mold to you foot using your body heat. The game changers are more expensive, but you put them in the oven and they soften up. Once you walk around in them for a little, they mold to your foot and harden. The game changers are my favorite, I would definitely recommend them.

[Cthulhu!]

Skating brand wise I'm a big fan of the thick Etc insoles. The Hi model.

[imgne]

Previous posts have given some really good input...

A few years ago I had easy access to the cons skate range shoes through a freind, this was before the nike takeover, but they gad really great shoes with amazing suede (especially the CTS!) but my biggest problem with them was the insole, they simply didn't cut it. Being the idiot I was back then I somewhat ignored the pain, till one day I apparently fracture two bones in my feet & did significant nerve damage on my pushing leg.
After a long stint off the board and a couple of extra pounds gained, I tried skating again and started to feel the similar feeling in my foot as before, so I tried many different options on innersoles & shoes. I eventually found that janoskis actually work for me best once I wear them in a little bit and  change to a rather thin ortho innersole, but I will say that certian innersoles are simply not meant to placed in certain shoes, I think someone already nailed it before mentioning about different thickness's/height's of the soles in particualar shoes...

Anyway the point I'm trying to make is Do not ignore it, start trying out different types of combinations and see what works best for you, if you still can't work it out, go see a doctor.

[fulfillthedream]

yeah like a lot of people have stated before stay away from vulcs! I wear the project BA's quikstrikes as a non-skate shoe. I also have been skating in another pair.. I wear a pair of cons CTAS for work. If i wear them for too long i can feel a big difference in less support/comfort. Then again I have really high arches so the BA's work perfect for my feet where most vulcanized/flatter ones don't. Overall I think theres a good amount of information in this thread.

[Bliz]

Footprint insoles will make the biggest difference for you at an affordable price, you'll love them without a doubt

[Willie]

Some of the Lunarlon type insoles (Cons) are rather thick and meant for whatever shoe they came with but most of the time you can fit a <.5" heel insole into an average cupsole. I use old Nike Zoom insoles in G6s right now.


The biggest thing is: Pamper your feet. Wear super soft pillowy walking shoes when you aren't skating.

Throughout my twenties I used to exclusively wear Sambas and other various soccer shoes, Rod Lavers, etc. when not skating. My feet and knees hurt like shit. Now in my late thirties I wear thick running shoes 90% of the time when not skating. I probably look a little less cool (maybe a lot) but my feet aren't quite as bad now. I wish I had given my joints the same treatment for the last 15 years.

[kenneth]

As stated in an earlier post I've been using etc insoles for skating for a while and recently I bought a pair of footprint orthopedics. I've yet to skate the footprint ones but I absolutely loves to walk in them. However, they do something with the way your foot leans. The last couple of times on board (with etc insoles) have felt a bit strange. Like you are only standing on the outer part of your foot. So my conclusion is this.

Etc works great for skateboarding and I think flat kingfoam fp ones will be great too. If your going for gamechangers or orthopedics I think you may need two pairs, one for skating and one for walking. If you don't mind the smell and changing insoles every day one pair might do. Any insoles is better than none but it might be a bit expensive with two pairs of footprints.