Burning feet

Any ideas folks? After 8k the balls on my feet start to burn & it's flipping sore, tried a quick google & came up with Vaseline....tried today & did nothing! Another suggestion was Hilly twin layer socks?? Also tried loosening laces over the bridge of my feet but no joy.

Need to crack this as doing Race for Life 10k in a few weeks, any help gratefully received thanks image

Comments

  • Please dont tell me you are wearing Asics? I had the same problem as you and after researching, found so many Asics Nimbus wearers who experienced the same. Contacted Asics, givingthem links to all the complaints and they didnt want to know. Switched to New Balance and problem disappeared instantly. Sorry I cant come up with any suggestions, I tried all that you have. and more to no avail.

  • Nope I'm wearing Nike air pegasus but that's not to say it isn't the shoes! Thanks for the reply its worth considering a change of shoe image

  • I think at the end of the day it comes down to conditioning of the feet. You are pounding your balls of the feet on the pavement constantly so inevitably your body will send blood to that area it will get warm and feel like burning.

    I think the Asics thing is red herring, I had this with my Nimbus trainers and did the same google but I think this is mostly just the Nimbus being a popular trainer and a correlation with new runners or unconditioned runners.

    When I started upping my mileage and my feet got conditioned to the pounding, the burning went away.

  • If Pegasus has the same feelings as I had, then it is a little bit more acute than feet getting warm. I was in excruciating pain in specific areas on the sole of the foot and had to stop. I was already used to high mileage and have been running for 35+ years (not non stop as that would obviously explain the problem!). 

  • Pegasus, I have a similar problem and I think I've built up some hard skin on the balls of my feet. This  rubs against the softer skin and causes the burning sensation. I had to take my right shoe off 3 times during the Edinburgh marathon this weekend, it was unbearable. 

    the question now is whether I let my feet toughen up and leave them alone or get the pumice stone out! 

    For the record I'm in my third pair of saucony's. 

  • Hmmm I do have some hard skin but will it get worse if I take it off!! Im thinking my shoes are maybe too tight in width & causing the pain along with a pins n needles sensation. I've relaced my shoes missing the two holes at the bottom & will see if this helps on my next run, have an achy knee atm so resting it for a couple of days image

  • I really feel your pain Pegasus! I have had terrible burning pain in exactly the same place, particularly on my right foot. What follows is the exhaustive list of all the things I've tried and that may make a difference!

    1.  I used to run in Nike Pegasus too, as that was what was recommended to me by a local shop when I first started running. I've since swapped to a lower drop shoe (4mm or less) with a wider toe box. I also swapped down half a size as I think my foot was sliding about too much back and forward within the shoe, thus causing friction.

    2.  I concentrate on my running technique, trying to make sure I pick up my feet a bit more quickly than I used to, with the thought that this may cause less friction in this area (I am a forefoot striker).

    3.  I use a foot file and cracked heel cream on the ball of each foot, as I find it tends to get worse when I have a build up of hard skin in this area. 

    4.  I coat the balls of my feet with a layer of Bodyglide, topped with Vaseline then twinskin socks for every run.

    5.  The more you run the better it gets, it does seem your feet become better conditioned the more you run.

    I am now mostly pain-free on all my runs, although if my technique starts to slide it does tend to get hot around the balls of my feet. Good luck with it and I really hope you can find something that works for you.

  • booktrunkbooktrunk ✭✭✭

    Different sized shoes? Possibly mock to much in the shoe creating friction? Or a thicker pair of socks? 

  • "Please dont tell me you are wearing Asics? I had the same problem as you and after researching, found so many Asics Nimbus wearers who experienced the same. Contacted Asics, givingthem links to all the complaints and they didnt want to know. Switched to New Balance and problem disappeared instantly. Sorry I cant come up with any suggestions, I tried all that you have. and more to no avail."

    @Bob I had this problem with my Asics Nimbus. I put it down to a problem with excess soft padding. I have now changed to Brooks Pure Connect which I find an infinitely more congenial shoe. 

  • It is really odd Mercedes, but I am convinced there is a specific problem with the Nimbus. Asics must know this because there have been so many instances/complaints about it. 

  • Yes, you are right, it is very very odd. My brother also uses the Nimbus and he also has had this problem, though milder and more sporadic - eventually it disappeared (maybe as the padding compacted with ongoing use??).

    Having said this, my brother loves the Nimbus and has stuck to them. His theory is that they have a lot of padding to suit heavier runners and that they're not right for lighter people. The mushy padding seems to push back against your foot and rub on it whilst you run. Very strange! 

  • Thanks for all the suggestions folks, looks like a common problem! 

    Still resting my knee atm which is a blooming pest but will try my hilly twin socks next time I'm out, failing that I'm thinking new shoes may be needed.

  • Ran today & unfortunately foot pain still there after 45mins. I think I'll try New Balance 1080v4's they have cushioning & are available in a wider fit which I think may solve the problem. It's a hard pain to describe but not unlike the pain I feel after dancing in high heels on a night out! On the plus side my knee is fine image

  • Pegasus, I ran 8 miles yesterday on trails.  I had KT tape on my right foot for a mild case of plantar fasciitis and on the un-taped foot, guess what.....burning, grrrrrr image

    When I got back I had a very small blister just under the hard skin under the ball of my foot.  

    My conclusion was that it is a) relative to the hard skin and b) when I run on trails and due to the undulations I think my foot slips around more inside my shoe causing the friction which causes burning. 

    I plan to pop into my local running store to have a chat with them tomorrow. And I'm booked in with my sports massage lady on Tuesday so I'll have a chat with her about it to see if she can shed any light. 

    personally I don't want to remove the hard skin as I'm sure it's built up for a reason. 

     

  • so, 

    I bought some trail shoes yesterday and only did 5 miles in them last night, so not enough to build up any of this discomfort that we're having and therefore not a lot of use for working on eliminating the problem.  

    What I did do and have with me for 12 miles on the towpath tonight is buy some twinskin socks.  So experimentally I'll be back in my Saucony running shoes with the twin skin socks, no tape and a good distance.  

    Watch this space.... 

  • Its not easy to eliminnate the problem eh?! I'm standing in my new shoes & tbh they feel just the same as my nike, measured them & they are the same width so I think they'll go back! 

    I tried the twin socks on my Sunday run & problem still there, I hope they work for you image

  • Afternoon fellow hot footers! 

    Quick report after using the hilly twin skins...... So I didn't manage 12 miles, I ran out of time and could only manage 9.  Ran them pretty much at race pace (8.30 m/m) and  whilst I certainly felt like my feet were warm,  I didn't get a specific, burning hotspot.  

    I ran on the towpath which is a mixture of tarmac and hard pack, but mainly hardpack which I think transfers less heat into your feet than tarmac.  Or maybe that's nonsense - just what my mind believes! 

    In conclusion, I'm pleased with the twin skins and will continue to use them and see what happens.  

    Pegasus, sorry that you didn't have better luck with the twinskins, or perhaps I just had a lucky run? Not sure - I'll report back again if anything changes.  

  • Evening all, I managed another 6.5 hot foot free miles this eve in the twin skins. The problem appears to be going away so I have to say I'm pleased with the socks. 

    Pegasus, I re-read your OP and wondered if you had ever tried a sport specific anti-chafe cream/lotion thing to help combat the friction. Just thinking that there might be better  products out there than Vaseline? 

  • In my opinion it has nothing whatsoever to do with the type of shoes or how long you have been a runner. I get this problem only when its hot and doing a long run on road. The only things that might help is some talcum powder to absorb the sweat and proper running socks.  

  • rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭
    Pegasus3 - are they Pegasus 33 by any chance? I've had many Pegasus shoes, and I had the same problem as you've described, but only in 33's, and only in my right foot. This was the same for 3 different pairs of 33's. I didn't have the same problem in previous versions of this shoe, and the 34's seem to have a different midsole design. If it's 33's you're using, then you might just find it is the shoes and a change could help.
  • Hi everyone, 

    This burning feet problem is something I've experienced for years. It literally feels like my feet are on fire, but rarely do I actually get any blisters. It's usually an issue running on the track or on the road and tends be at it's worst the faster I'm running (3:00min/km in the half marathon). It's the movement of my foot in the shoe that seems to cause this. Things like thin socks and vasoline just seem to make this worse because even though they reduce friction they encourage additional sliding of the foot. 

    Interesting thing is that I found when racing 10km on the track in spikes I didn't get the burning. I believe this is a result of less friction from the shoe as it strikes the ground and I don't wear socks with spikes, so the movement of my foot in the shoe is reduced. I also did some steeple and found that with wet feet I didn't get it either. So an acute strategy i've used is to soak my feet when I get the burning sensation.

    The strategy I use in my half marathons and road sessions are to not wear socks. I find the skin of my forefoot naturally grips to the sole of the shoe and reduces movement and burning. However this almost guarantees you'll get blisters, so what I recommend is doing a couple of sessions in the shoes you'll be racing in to find out where they rub and then tape your feet up over those spots. It's also a great way to break in your shoes, the sole will then mold to your feet a little and the movement of your foot will be minimized. 

    In the vaporflys I found the heel to rub lots and cause bleeding without socks, so what I did is cut half my sock off to leave the ball of my foot exposed to grip the sole, while having some protection for my heel. I'll pop a picture up. 
    This really helped me and was an absolute game changer. If you've got any questions i'm on Instagram @jimicoleman and more than happy for anyone to message me with any questions<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6027274/uploads/editor/8r/k6h9jzu6xsjj.jpg" alt="">
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