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Help required - problems with trainers...
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Hi
I took up running recently after several years of a break. I was measured for trainers and am a flat footed over pronator. Run4it are being patient with me but I have now had three different brands of supportive shoes - and all give me blisters on my arches after only a couple of km's of running. I have tried blister socks; compeeds, vaseline etc but nothing seems to help. I have read on forums that the right shoes shouldnt give me blisters but my feet seem to be so flat that any arch support seems to irritate them. Any ideas? Run4it did say neautral shoes can be adapted with insoles, has anyone tried that? Any advice would be appreciated as this problem is taking all the fun out of running! Am supposed to be doing Loch Ness 10km next weekend but not sure I will be able to if I dont get this sorted!
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Comments
Have you considered just running in neutral shoes? Why not do that and if you don't immediately get other problmes, stick with them. Or even, start the conversion to minimalist shoes and barefoot-style running - I did that and my feet have muscled up and I now actually have an arch as indicated by the wet foot test...
I too am (or was) flat-footed and was always told I was an overpronator when I went to get running shoes (although that wasn't what the wear pattern on my running shoes indicated).
If you've eliminated all other causes, and the shoes otherwise fit well, it'll be the pronation of your foot fighting (therefore rubbing) against the support of the shoe. This is probably something you are unlikely to be able to avoid in a support/motion control shoe, as by design they are in some way trying to force your foot in a different position.
Some people can manage running in neutral shoes with an orthotic (off the shelf, or custom), but some of us find that the blisters are just as bad. It might be wise to at least take the advice of a podiatrist or specialist physio if this is the route you want to try. Orthotics can be a minefield, and a good pod or physio should be able to tweak orthotics to minimise if not elimiate the blistering.
As Debra says, you could try running in neutral shoes without anything else...if you build up slowly, and depending on your gait and footstrike you might find that you suffer no further issues with blisters or otherwise. Just be aware of the differences between aching from increasing training, and niggles which are the start of an injury (should always be the case anyway). Depending on your biomechanics and what exactly your feet do, a trip to a physio for some advice on strengthening exercises to prevent these kind of injuries might be something you would want to consider.
In short, it's really a case of doing what you are already doing and trying different things to see if that works for you.
One thing that I've found in preventing blisters is keeping my feet really dry helps. I tend to start forming blisters once my feet start to get hot and damp. I use an antiperspirant on my feet before taping or using a silicone based lubricant with the thinnest, wickiest socks possible (I find vaseline and body glide don't really hang around long enough to do the job, whereas the silicone based lubricants seem to last better - but are more expensive). It hasn't eliminated my blistering, but has helped.
Hi, thank you so both so much for your advice. I'm taking it all in! Wouldn't have considered using neutral shoes but def worth considering for future. Was back in Run4It on Sunday and they took back my Nike's and I have now got Saucony Omni 11's. They are more of a moderate support shoe and apparently the arch support isnt so severe. Ive been out twice in them and they seem okay! Left foot anyway. Still got blister on right foot but that started with old trainers so really need to let that heal and then see.........Thanks again for your help! cxx
Good luck!