Bottom of Foot Pain

[tangentgirl]

Thanks ladies!

I'm going to rule out stress fractures for the moment - if it still hurt today I might think that was it, but it's fine now. Plus that sounds awful and if it is that maybe I can just wish it away. (I've decided that my family crest should feature an ostrich with its head in the sand.)

I got my shoes in 2006, and I have been contemplating a stiffer shoe. I hadn't thought about cleat placement for a long time, but that is a fixable culprit if it is. I could start there.

[TREKSTRONG]

I'm going to rule out stress fractures for the moment - if it still hurt today I might think that was it, but it's fine now. Plus that sounds awful and if it is that maybe I can just wish it away. (I've decided that my family crest should feature an ostrich with its head in the sand.)

I got my shoes in 2006, and I have been contemplating a stiffer shoe. I hadn't thought about cleat placement for a long time, but that is a fixable culprit if it is. I could start there.

I agree, always start with the easiest fix first! The body is so complicated and the mechanics of how our body works can be so different from one person to the next. As Owlie stated your cleat may be off center, not stiff enough, too old ... etc. But what's really cool it that you get to come to this forum and get lot's of input about what you might consider as your next step to resolving the issue.

... and as the moderator mentioned, you should always check with your doctor first as this is only a forum of cyclists with lot's of experience to share and my no means experts when it comes to giving medical advice, unless of course you are a cyclist who just happens to be a doctor too!

[Ered_Lithui]

If your shoes are five years old, new insoles may help.

[pll]

Insoles may help, but perhaps the pain is a consequence of the longer ride: as we get tired, we frequently engage other muscles to do the work, and that can lead to "new" pains. The shoes you are using look very flexible, so maybe as you got tired you started moving slightly different (e.g., dropping your left heel a bit more) and that stressed the ball of your foot more than normal.

I used to get some pain in the ball of my feet with SPDs and mountain bike shoes, but I have switched since to stiffer Sidi shoes (with good arch support) and Look Keo pedals. No more foot pain.