A Pain in the FOOT!!

Hi Guys,

I thought I would do a bit of a write up about my experiences with injury in particular foot related injury, and Achilles tendon injury and or pain.

Over the last two years I have been contending with Achilles pain and Plantar Fascia pain in the sole of my foot. At times this has prevented me from getting out hunting or has slowed me down while in the hills preventing me from pushing further over into the next catchment.

During this time, I have experimented with a number of different things to see if I can eliminate the discomfort. This experimentation has involved trialing different brands of boots and lots of rehabilitation to improve strength, foot stability and mechanics. A bit of a disclaimer here I am a physiotherapist so do know a thing or two about the management of such conditions, but it does not stop me from getting injured and does not seem to speed up the recovery process as these conditions can be inherently hard to treat due to the limited ability to unload the lower limb to let it repair.

I also tinkered around with dropping pack weight significantly and have invested in light weight gear. This certainty did help where I was able to get another day or so out of my hunting trip without the onset of pain. As we all know reducing pack weight certainty reduces the load through your lower limbs reducing pain and injury. This is a really good initiative and mindset shift. Not only does it allow us to cover more ground but also ensures longevity in hunting keeping us in the hills for longer as we get older and reducing injury and wear and tear on joints.

What I did find while playing around with different boots. Whether it be light weight boots or heavy rigid boots with lots of support and stability was how poor the insoles were. Either they were too hard or flat providing virtually no support for the natural arches of the foot and cushioning for larger loads on the way out with a pack full of meat.

In the end I found two items that provided consistent reduction in foot and Achilles pain. An orthotic insole and special orthotic heel cup provided me the most benefit over and above a very expensive boot. This I found is the most cost effective method to trial first before you discard a good boot which can be greatly improved by a quality orthotic insole.

The formthotic insoles in particular have a body of evidence behind them supporting their effectiveness in improving foot pain and mechanics. They can be heat molded with a hair drier at home to provide a custom fit to your foot. The orthotics are also shaped in a way to improve foot stability which I found certainty helped improved my ability to negotiate tricky terrain up in the tops.

The other product I found was a gel heel cup. This worked very well to improve Achilles and Plantar Fascia pain in the arch of the foot. The gel cup significantly reduces impact forces and due to it lifting your heel slightly it reduces the load on your Achilles tendon reducing irritation and therefore pain. The heel cup also worked great within a boot providing just enough lift without compromising the ability for the heel to sit correctly within the heel cup of the boot.

I just thought it might be of help to someone to share my experience with these very common injuries just in case others are also struggling with the same type of discomfort. Certainty for me it was a game changer and now I am pain free to enjoy multi day trips again.

Here are two links to the products I have found the most useful.

- Formthotics https://www.formthotics.com/the-diff.../#arch-support
- Heel Cups https://medi-dyne.com/collections/tu...-gel-heel-cups

Being a physio, I am happy to answer any questions regarding management of these issues should you need. If there was enough interest, I could also put together a bulk order and provide to forum members at a significantly reduced price if there were enough people keen. Maybe this post will gauge a bit of interest.

Thanks. Interesting to know.
I used the gel heel cups for years playing football as I was getting an intense sharp pain in the base of my heel. They certainly helped.
More recently Achilles pain has been a problem. Not a stretching as such, but more like a bruising. When the tendon in not tight the slightest touch can be very painful. I would be interested to try the formthotics (and get some for my wife as well) if you are planning on getting a bulk lot.

I have a pair of the pink foamorthotics and they are good when new but dont last that long.

I am looking for a suitable replacement that would last longer but would be keen on another pair price dependent until then.
Think they cost

I have planta fiscus and foot drop in my right foot and they made a good amount of difference.

Yes, they definitely do work. It has been an interesting process working things out first hand of what works and what doesn't. There are so many products out there that claim to do all kinds of wonderful things but do they actually work??
This has been an interesting trail and error process over two years of dealing with these issues personally and it is often the smaller cost effective measures which have the largest impact and you just have to find what works.
I have also found using these products with patients has enabled them to get back to doing the things they love faster as these injures can often be tricky to treat. So it has really helped to reinforce what works and what doesn't.

So many of the boots out there today have a huge price tag but they always seem to skimp on the insole which does not make sense. @Shearer I will keep you in mind should we have some interest maybe I could look into some pricing to give you guys some ideas.

Cheers

@199p Thats interesting I have always had a great run out of them. But I do have a designated pair for each of my boots and shoes that I wear often. Therefore, one pair is not being thrashed the whole time and they seem to last that way.
I believe the ones you have may be medium density foam. They also have high density foam model for heavier guys which may be of benefit with respect to lifespan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EFriz

@199p Thats interesting I have always had a great run out of them. But I do have a designated pair for each of my boots and shoes that I wear often. Therefore, one pair is not being thrashed the whole time and they seem to last that way.
I believe the ones you have may be medium density foam. They also have high density foam model for heavier guys which may be of benefit with respect to lifespan.

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Yes i think your correct

mine are just pink and I see on there website they have some that are pink on top and blue underneath will have to give these ones a jam. Will last better with a pack on too.

I have one pair and wear one pair of boots 99% of the time then get new ones, With my foot drop and other issues from a slipped disk i found shoes are too unstable.

Well this is a timely post!

I've been using Formthotics for almost 15 years - got my first set when I moved to Dunedin and discovered how hilly it is to ride a bike around. When I got started back into hunting a few years back now the Formthotics came with me for boot fittings.

I was just rummaging around some stuff (looking for my Mercator that's vanished after reading the pointy knife thread) and found the bag from the last set I bought - took a picture to get some more of the physio I acquired them from previously.

They've certainly helped to minimise the issues I had with pronated ankles and misaligned knees over the years. I'm keen to participate in a group buy as keeping them in good nick is important - hunting boot use is tough on them for sure.

Good write-up thanks @EFriz. Couple of questions - do you take out the boot’s own insole, or leave it in? If the latter, do you need to go up half a size in boot? Also, do you need to get the right type, ie. to suit pronation / supination, etc.?

@mopheadrob I take the original insoles out so no need to go up a boot size keeping it nice and easy. No need to get the right type for pronation or supination as these ones are universal keeping things again very simple. Cheers

being a cheap sort...the thought that immediately sprung to mind was to rasp down some jandle rubber into shape or closed cell foam mat,normally I wear lace up rubber gummies,a pair ofthe gel innersoles out of john bull boats makes a huge difference...I BELIEVE the John Bull have some of the best innersoles out there,for a work boot they crap all over blundstones if you spend day on feet...driving its not such a big deal but standing on concrete the difference is HUGE.
as I often step out of truck onto stones and roll ankle...a makeshift wobble board makes a huge difference,mine is piece of 8" plank about 24" long and a 3" pipe 12" long....place plank across pipe and balance on it,to begin with in a doorway so can hold on,within days down to 1 finger on wall for balance and after 2 weeks can brush teeth while balancing and touch nothing...WARNING....yo uwill really feel it in muscles for first few weeks and if you go off balance the plank can scoot out FAST so be careful till you get hang of it...soft/deep carpet slows the roll down a lot and helps.

Yup, me too. Plantar fasciitis in my left foot was referred by my GP, diagnosed by Waikato Podiatry (excellent consultant there), with orthotic insoles provided by Orthotic House. Both in Hamilton. I was given tendon stretching exercises which definitely helped, just got to remember to do them.

The condition is exceptionally painful - first thing in the morning for me as I get out of bed - but pleased to say almost completely resolved now. I wear the insoles in my gumboots, hiking boots (Meindl Guffart) and cross-trainers (Salomon). It is very important to take the insoles with you when fitting new footwear as you will usually need a wide fitting boot/shoe.

I wear gumboots and Meindls most of time and wear out a pair of insoles in around 6 months. A phone call and new ones are provided free of charge.

I recommend getting this condition looked at professionally, because the extent of support required needs to be assessed properly. Many sufferers need custom insoles made up for them to correct pronation for example, and then a gradual easing of support as foot form and tendon condition improves.

Yep I’ve got it bad in both heels , pain starts as soon as I get out of bed in the morning , the wife got these things they look like a half a sock made out of silicon gel from chemist warehouse that goes around your heal for about $15 , they are giving me some relief and not expensive .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by EFriz

Hi Guys,

- Formthotics https://www.formthotics.com/the-diff.../#arch-support

Being a physio, I am happy to answer any questions regarding management of these issues should you need. If there was enough interest, I could also put together a bulk order and provide to forum members at a significantly reduced price if there were enough people keen. Maybe this post will gauge a bit of interest.

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@EFriz my wife works at Formthotics. Manufactured in Christchurch. The make a mix of medical (custom fitted by physio, podiatrists and Dr) and consumer products available in retail stores. If you want a consumer product that isn't available at your stockist, they should be able to order it in easily for you from the Formthotics.

The medical formthotics are only available if you see a Dr, physio or podiatrist and these will be fitted for your injury or issue. When i have had some made up i have taken in my runners and boots and had separate one made up for each specific shoe.
They typically take a couple weeks use to wear in and mould to your foot/foot adjusting to the formthotics. This can be sped up if the medical professional has one of Formthotics custom orthotic heater.

Cheers
Paddy

I had it bad about seven years ago after a nine hour Kaimai trip – physio gave up on me after a few months and told me to get orthotic supports from an expert – being a cheapo – I got a set from a boot retailer and provided rapid relief – I bought high arch supports from Rebel Sports for all shoes and boots
Feet steadily improved – lots of walking – joined a gym – lots of work on treadmills – climbing the Mount became easy
Gave up on the Gym when Covid first turned up – lack of exercise for a year or so and the old body started to fade away
Wife is a gym junky and talked me into going back just before the new Covid – a session with a trainer and he ended up putting me on a stair climbing machine for cardio exercise – wanted to see my heart rate go over 120 – its like running up a steep hill – next day I am back to a serious case of plantar fasciitis – feet ripped apart again
Anti-inflammatories and consulting with Dr Jo on YouTube each day and doing her exercise routine – getting better rapidly and back to the Park again to do gentle trap lines
Don’t mess with your feet – PF is painful and difficult to manage – I swear by orthotic supports

We should form a PF club. Mine was diagnosed (both feet) immediately following last lockdown and the set my podiatrist made up for me are still going strong.