Top of foot pain when skating?

[AlySkates]

Hi all! A few months ago I got new skates (Jackson 5300s) from a reputable tech in my area. I initially had a lot of issues with heel slipping, but a combo of heat molding, a heel lift put in by the skate tech, and bunga pads around my heel fixed that issue. My skates felt great for 2 months or so with these modifications and I no longer have issues with slipping, but all of a sudden I am noticing what seems to be a nerve (?) being pinched on the top of my right foot. When I do a deep knee bend the tongue seems to press down on a nerve or something in my foot and cause a slight pain/tingle that goes away once I straighten my leg again. Its only in one foot, and if I loosen my laces significantly it doesn't happen, but then I don't feel secure in my boots and my heel starts slipping again.

I've read these forums before and I know everyone is going to say to see a doctor/podiatrist/skate tech so before you do, I'll mention that I do have appointments scheduled for all of those but they aren't for another few weeks. In the meantime, I'm wondering if this is a problem anyone else has experienced and if you know what caused it or what helped it so that maybe I can troubleshoot while I wait for my appointments. Would tying my skates a certain way help? Is this an issue with the fit of the skates? Not expecting professional medical advice, just would love to get some insight on whether anyone else has experienced this!

Edit to add a detail I forgot to mention in case it matters: my Jackson's are rapid customs in a narrow width. Can't remember specifically what width, but I think it's just one down from whatever the standard size is. Also, the bunga pads I'm using arent meant for around the heel, they're just the ankle sleeves but were recommended to me for my heel slipping and dramatically helped. I've tried messing with the placement of them to see if that would help this but so far haven't gotten anywhere.

 

[tstop4me]

Please be more specific about what you mean by "top of the foot". E.g., Just below the ankle extending all the way to the rearmost toe joints; or including the toes; or including the front of the ankle.

 

[AlySkates]

Please be more specific about what you mean by "top of the foot". E.g., Just below the ankle extending all the way to the rearmost toe joints; or including the toes; or including the front of the ankle.

Good point! It's a little bit hard for me to tell precisely, but it seems to be one or two inches below where my ankle meets my foot, and extends another two inches or so down. It doesn't include either my ankle or my toes, and seems to be concentrated at the highest point of the top of my foot, which is the part above the center of my arch. It seems like when I bend my knee, the tongue of my skate presses down on it causing the pain. Hopefully that helps!

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Maybe lace bite? I've gotten it in that area before. There are ankle pads built for that (rectangular, usually attached to a fabric sleeve).
My tech got me to change the lacing pattern which helped a bit to prevent the tongue crunching downward. It might be dependent on foot shape though.

 

[tstop4me]

OP: Lace bite also popped into my mind. You indicated that you have appointments scheduled to be checked out, but they're a few weeks away; and you want a temporary solution to try out before then. Rather than localized lace-bite pads, I'd suggest a full-length tongue liner. I've given instructions previously here: Reply #6 in https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...nths-lts-adult-w-no-jumps.92275/#post-2982817.

The full-length liner will spread out the force exerted by the laces over a wider area. And it may help lock in your heel with less needed pressure to begin with. In your instance, I'd recommend that you start out with a thinner foam than what I recommended in the cited post: start with 1/8" thick foam, then up it to 1/4" thick if needed. Good Luck!

 

[AlySkates]

Maybe lace bite? I've gotten it in that area before. There are ankle pads built for that (rectangular, usually attached to a fabric sleeve).
My tech got me to change the lacing pattern which helped a bit to prevent the tongue crunching downward. It might be dependent on foot shape though.

Good to know! What lace pattern ended up helping?

 

[AlySkates]

OP: Lace bite also popped into my mind. You indicated that you have appointments scheduled to be checked out, but they're a few weeks away; and you want a temporary solution to try out before then. Rather than localized lace-bite pads, I'd suggest a full-length tongue liner. I've given instructions previously here: Reply #6 in https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...nths-lts-adult-w-no-jumps.92275/#post-2982817.

The full-length liner will spread out the force exerted by the laces over a wider area. And it may help lock in your heel with less needed pressure to begin with. In your instance, I'd recommend that you start out with a thinner foam than what I recommended in the cited post: start with 1/8" thick foam, then up it to 1/4" thick if needed. Good Luck!

I'll check this out thank you!!

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Good to know! What lace pattern ended up helping?

Lacing the hooks from over to under and tying half-knots at the flex notch and between the lower hooks, so the tongue bends forward more easily at the flex notch instead of being pushed down onto the instep.
My boots are just doubles-rated though, so the tongue is more flexible than yours!

 

[Flying Feijoa]

OP: Lace bite also popped into my mind. You indicated that you have appointments scheduled to be checked out, but they're a few weeks away; and you want a temporary solution to try out before then. Rather than localized lace-bite pads, I'd suggest a full-length tongue liner. I've given instructions previously here: Reply #6 in https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...nths-lts-adult-w-no-jumps.92275/#post-2982817.

The full-length liner will spread out the force exerted by the laces over a wider area. And it may help lock in your heel with less needed pressure to begin with. In your instance, I'd recommend that you start out with a thinner foam than what I recommended in the cited post: start with 1/8" thick foam, then up it to 1/4" thick if needed. Good Luck!

Thank you for this suggestion too! I use ankle sleeves as the tongue padding is skimpy on my boots, but the gel thins out fast and this looks like it might be cheaper/more durable.