Help for foot pain from long hours on ice

[sarahemarie]

Hi Everyone

I am a long time coach and I would love some feedback about some foot issues I'm having.

I have asked around my local skating community and seen a podiatrist, but I am looking for all of the different options I can find.

I am on the ice about 40 hours a week, coaching various levels. I have been doing this full-time since about 2002, but recently, I have taken on a new crop of younger skaters, so I will say that while the time spent on my skates is similar to the past, I am definitely skating way more with my beginners than I was for say, my novice ladies a few years ago. The last time I had so many beginners, I was in my 20s and could handle it, and now I am in my 40s and feeling it way more in my feet.

Problem #1 - Both of my feet almost feel like they are chapped or sunburned - like they are rubbing raw against the soles of my skates, or so it feels, to the point that I can hardly walk when my skates come off either. I have a good callous build-up considering I've been on the ice for 35 years, and I have never ever had this problem before. Has anyone else experienced this? Everyone I bring it up to seems as dumbfounded as me. I've tried so many different nylons, socks, padding in the bottom, new insoles, etc, but nothing changes it. It usually is ok when I first start teaching for the day, and then escalates at about 3 hours in. If I take my skates off for 30 minutes here and there, it helps a little.

Problem #2 - is a little less odd. My bunions on my baby toes are acting up. I think my feet have changed as I've gotten older and while they were already VERY wide, they are spreading out more and causing some pain as they press against my skates. I am not interested in surgery at this time in my career. I have a custom pair of SP Teris that I bought in 2014 that I adore, but I think it's time to say goodbye lol. I am very well-versed in skates for my skaters but I can say that I am NOT at all well-versed in coaching skates anymore and the landscape has certainly changed with brands and technology, and hopefully, comfort. I have been doing some research but I would love some opinions on custom skates - where have you gone in recent history, and how was your experience? Comfort is my absolute main focus. I do NOT jump anymore.
Thank you!

 

[tstop4me]

Problem #1 - Both of my feet almost feel like they are chapped or sunburned - like they are rubbing raw against the soles of my skates, or so it feels, to the point that I can hardly walk when my skates come off either. I have a good callous build-up considering I've been on the ice for 35 years, and I have never ever had this problem before. Has anyone else experienced this? Everyone I bring it up to seems as dumbfounded as me. I've tried so many different nylons, socks, padding in the bottom, new insoles, etc, but nothing changes it. It usually is ok when I first start teaching for the day, and then escalates at about 3 hours in. If I take my skates off for 30 minutes here and there, it helps a little.

Tricky to diagnose. Two suggestions:

* Slather your feet with skin cream before you skate.

* Look carefully at the materials of your socks. Nylon is particularly abrasive. Polyester less so. But I prefer high-percentage (~70% or more) cotton or wool socks.

Good Luck!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Tricky to diagnose. Two suggestions:

* Slather your feet with skin cream before you skate.

* Look carefully at the materials of your socks. Nylon is particularly abrasive. Polyester less so. But I prefer high-percentage (~70% or more) cotton or wool socks.

Good Luck!

I've been buying bamboo knee socks on Amazon. They're expensive, but the softest fabric I've ever worn.

 

[tstop4me]

Thanks for the tip. I've never tried bamboo. My current favorite material is Merino wool.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Thanks for the tip. I've never tried bamboo. My current favorite material is Merino wool.

The wool sounds lovely, but I'm allergic to it. I was doubtful about bamboo at first, especially buying the socks online without the chance to feel them. But then I remembered linen and cotton are also made from plants, so why not bamboo ? The socks are thin, but very soft (and I have sensitive skin), and they don't shrink or lose their softness in the washer and dryer.

 

[sarahemarie]

Thank you for those ideas! I am actually going to order some bamboo socks right now - I have not tried them and it can't hurt!

 

[Query]

I'm not an expert, but:

As far as I have been able to determine, callouses are usually caused by friction. (At least that was true for me. After I snugged up the fit, in both boots and shoes, my callouses disappeared. But I never did more than 15-20 hours a week, and it was mostly low level ice dance.) In other words, slippage between the insole and your foot. By that theory there is no reason that a properly snug-all-over fit, which would allow no motion below the ankle, would create callouses.

So putting slippery stuff on your feet, like skin cream, or slippery socks, might actually make the problem worse - though it might also be worth a try.

Do you feel equal snug pressure all over your feet, especially the bottom, and against the sides and top? (But most people seem to feel it is better to have empty space in front of and behind the leg above the ankle, so they can point and flex their feet. And some people prefer no contact between the front of their toes and the front of the boot.)

And, BTW, is the upwards bend in the footbed of your boots properly centered around the balls of your feet? If not, it can create a lot of stress on the structures of your foot. In addition, that centering is one of the things that prevents the foot from sliding forwards and back. And it is always possible that you have developed a condition like osteo-arthritis that reduced the flexibility of your foot, and you can't take that much bend.

Allergies can also create callouses. I'm not sure if a new allergy to the materials of the boot could create callouses. But people do occasionally develop allergies to materials, including leather after many years of not being allergic. I'm not sure what you could do about that, that doesn't involve the expensive & time consuming option of getting new boots, possibly full customs, made of different materials. I'm not even sure how you would detect an allergy. You could even be mildly allergic to your laundry detergent (one of the most common materials for people to become allergic to, because they are exposed so much), and it is a reaction to the traces of detergent in your socks.

Do your boots show any signs of breaking down? Could you post a picture?

Bunions can be caused by sideways pressure against the involved toe. Maybe there is excess pressure from the boot at that point? If your feet are spreading out, I suppose that could happen, though I thought that usually happened at a more advanced age.

You could always see a podiatrist...