Now about my feet!

[Bicyclette]

OK - I posted about my hands - now I have a foot question. My feet are always sore the morning after a ride - doesn't matter how much or how little the ride - they WILL be sore... and stiff. They don't hurt immediately following a ride - it's always the next morning - and after I move around for awhile they're ok. Any ideas on what causes this? I sure didn't think I was putting that much pressure on my feet - BUT - I did just recently read that as we age we lose fat in the bottoms of our feet ( of all the places to naturally lose fat doesn't it figure it would be our feet!!) so maybe I just don't have fat enough feet

[mimitabby]

Do you use bike shoes?
While you are pedalling, focus on pulling for a while instead of pushing.
(you can't do that if you don't have something like pedal clips)
ease the pressure off the soles of your feet.
also, have you tried wool socks?

[tulip]

Regular sneakers have soft soles, and the pedal can put alot of pressure on your feet. Cycling shoes have stiffer soles, even the ones designed to walk in.

[Kano]

What they're saying about shoes -- even without the pedals, bike shoes made a WORLD of difference for my feet, which have more than enough fat on them to share, if I could!

Karen in Boise

[CorsairMac]

I always try and flex my feet inside my shoes when I'm riding:

I'll curl my toes under and then splay them out as far apart as my shoes allow. I have real problems with my feet also, and it seems to be worse this year than last but that seems to help. Sometimes after a really long ride, I'll stretch and flex my feet just like I do my calf and thigh muscles. You might also try massageing your feet after a ride - see if that helps any.

[emjae]

I have round callous buildup right there at the ball of the left foot which would burn after pedalling a long distance. I bought a pair of bike shoes by Specialized which eased the burning sensation. These shoes have a wide toe box, which allows me to flex my toes and the firm sole helps prevent pressure building up. That being said, I noticed on Sunday's ride that after about 34 miles, I was getting that burning sensation again right at the bottom of the ball (left foot). Stopping and removing shoes and socks and massaging the foot a few minutes solved the problem. I also noticed the socks were wet, so another lesson learned: use a sock that doesn't sweat. I also bought a gel pad (Dr. Scholl') to use under that part of the foot, but haven't tried it out yet. I am interested in hearing what adjustments you make and whether they solve the problem, and what "experiences of the sole" others have had.