In terms of excitement, rollerblading is one of the best sports you can play. Additionally, it comes with health benefits that aren’t found in other types of exercise or sports.
As with any physical activity, rollerblading can cause foot aches and pains. Oftentimes, rollerbladers claim to have foot pain after skating. It’s quite common, but thankfully, there’s a solution.
In most cases, skaters with flat feet do not experience any pain at first when rollerblading. As the activity intensifies, skaters with flat feet may experience pain. In other words, if you begin rollerblading more vigorously, you will experience that.
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To begin with, what does it mean to have flat feet?
If you have flat feet, your inner arches are not curved. Therefore, a person with flat feet doesn’t have a foot arch. Most people have slightly curved feet, but people with flat feet do not. I mean, it’s flat as a pancake.
People with flat feet have their entire soles touching the floor when they stand. In most cases, it is painless, but it has the potential to cause other problems as well.
With flat feet, your feet turn inward, causing stress and piling up pressure on other parts of your body. As a result, people with flat feet who skate regularly later in life may have foot pain. Their feet tend to move inward to support their body weight. The process is known as pronation.
As a result of the sport’s rigorous nature, flat feet can cause ankle, knee, and leg problems. It is possible that you have a condition known as plantar fasciitis, which is characterized by pain and inflammation of the ligaments.
In addition, you may develop other foot problems, such as tendonitis, arthritis, bunions, and hammertoes.
How Rollerblading Affects Flat Feet
Many people suffer from flat feet, which is a condition in which the arch of the foot is collapsed, and the foot appears to be flat when standing. This can cause pain and difficulty walking.
While there are many treatments available for flat feet, such as orthotics or surgery, the problem can be serious enough to require medical attention.
Symptoms of Flat Feet and Foot Pain
The majority of people with flat feet do not experience any symptoms and are able to rollerblade effectively.
It is possible, however, for some people with flat feet to experience foot pain, usually around the arches and heel.
As rollerblading increases, it worsens. In addition, the ankles may be swollen for some people.
What causes rollerblading foot pain
1. Lacing that is too tight
If your skate boots have tight laces, you can experience tongue bite or lace bite.
Having tight laces around your feet causes sharp pain in the tendon of your foot. You may feel pain at the front of your ankle or the top of your foot.
2. Boots that don’t fit properly
Blisters can occur if skate boots are too tight or too small. You may feel uncomfortable, and your performance may suffer as a result.
When skates are too big or large, they will not hold up in one place. As a result, your feet will keep sliding around in the skate.
If your skate boots are too tight or too small, they will limit blood flow to your toes, causing irritation to the skin on your feet.
3. Unable to break-in
You may feel uncomfortable at first when wearing new skates. There is a possibility that the liners will be stiff and cause some discomfort to you, reducing the pleasure of your ride.
4. There is vibration
Foot pain can result from rollerblades with a lot of road vibrations.
This is more likely to occur among long-distance skaters than for short-distance skaters.
5. The medical condition
It is likely that skating will cause you some problems if you have had a medical condition in the past. Osteoarthritis, for example, causes joints and cartilage to stiffen, resulting in weak ankles and bones.
If you have this condition, you are more likely to experience foot pain when you skate because your ankles are less supported, and you are less likely to balance.
6. Insufficient warm-ups
Without warm-ups, new skaters are likely to experience foot pain after their first skating session. New activities can cause muscles and joints to react differently.
In case your muscles and joints aren’t stretched before skating, you’ll experience foot pain. There will be equal damage to your tendons and cartilages.
7. An overstretching of the muscles
Despite the fact that skating is a fun sport, you shouldn’t skate faster than you can. It means not overstretching your muscles.
Because your feet muscles aren’t fully developed when you’re a beginner, skating for longer hours can strain them.
8. Style of skating
It is unlikely you will develop foot pain if your skating style is simple. However, If you skate aggressively or strenuously, you will likely experience foot pain.
There are many variations of foot pain
1. Pain in the ankles
Since your ankles support your entire body weight, ankle pain is the most common injury experienced by skaters.
In the case of pain or weak ankles, you may wobble while skating because more pressure will be absorbed by your underfoot.
2. Ball of Foot pain
One of the most common foot complaints is pain on the ball of the foot. This type of pain can be caused by many things, such as skates that do not fit properly, a bunion, or a neuroma.
If you are experiencing pain on the ball of your foot, it is important to find out what is causing it and how to best treat it.
3. Bunions
A bunion is another type of foot pain that is common. It is characterized by a bump on the big toe joint.
In this condition, a sac under the skin enlarges, resulting in swelling.
4. Heel
It is common for skaters to experience heel issues. Depending on where it is located, you might experience this pain on the front, the back, or the bottom of your heel.
5. Corns and Calluses
The skates rub on the skin, causing corns and calluses. Corns are a cone-shaped, thick patch of skin commonly found on top of or in between a skater’s toes. On the sole of your foot, a callus is a thick layer of skin that spreads evenly.
Calluses and corns cause foot pain because they place pressure on nerves.
Tips for Reducing Foot Pain
1. Use arch supports if needed
Rollerblading is a great way to get around, but if you’re experiencing foot pain, using arch supports can help.
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases recommends using arch supports if you have flat feet or high arches.
They also suggest using them if you overpronate (roll your feet inward too much when you walk) or supinate (roll your feet outward too much when you walk).
2. Cheap skates should be avoided
The most common cause of foot pain is the construction of skate boots. You should therefore check the type of skates you are purchasing.
Don’t buy skates that are constructed from cheap materials. There is a good chance that they will cause you problems and affect your skating performance. Make sure that the wheel frames and the boots are made of the right material.
If you want to skate comfortably and perform well, use a skate boot with a plastic all-around frame. These shoes provide better control, are solid, and do not cause foot pain.
3. Make sure your frames are not made of carbon, glass, or aluminum
Skates with high performance frames are usually made of carbon, glass, or aluminum. In spite of their agility and speed, these skates transmit a lot of road vibration, causing foot pain.
In order to reduce road vibration, you must avoid skate frames that transmit vibration from the road. What is the solution? Choose standard skates with nylon fabrics or plastic uppers. Their aim is to minimize vibrations as much as possible.
Another option is to get skates with anti-vibration systems. Having this feature will minimize the discomfort caused by vibration. A disadvantage of skates with this feature is that they are usually quite pricey.
4. Make sure your skates are properly fitted
As we explained earlier, tight skates contribute to foot pain. If you want to avoid foot pain and other problems, be sure your skates fit properly. It should be tight, but not so tight that it causes you discomfort.
It is a good idea to try different skate brands and sizes before purchasing to ensure that you are ordering the right size. Depending on the manufacturer, skate boots can run larger or smaller than regular shoe sizes.
Skates should barely touch your toes when standing, but not so tight that they affect your arches. Most skates loosen up while you are wearing them. So the primary thing to do is to buy them so that your toes increase to the end.
5. Don’t wear loose skates
It’s hard to control loose skates when you’re wearing them to skate since they don’t stay in one place. Despite tightening the latching system, you may still find it hard to control your movement, which may result in a fall.
As always, you must size up properly and tighten each fit system without feeling uncomfortable.
6. Ensure that your skates are properly laced
Lacing up should be tight enough to provide optimal support, but not so tight that it places pressure on your foot, Achilles tendon, and ankle.
7. Be sure to wear thick socks
In the event that your skates don’t fit properly, even if they are of the right size, the next option is to wear thick socks. Besides providing additional ankle support and padding, they also prevent blisters and keep your feet dry.
Unless your skates fit properly, you should wear thin socks. However, if they don’t, you should wear thick socks.
8. Break-In
It may be uncomfortable at first to wear new skates because they are not accustomed to your feet. Therefore, you need to be patient. It is not uncommon for people to start skating with their new skates without breaking them in.
It takes some time for new skates to break in, regardless of how perfectly fit they are. In order to maximize comfort and efficiency, you need to get used to the skates on your feet.
You can avoid this problem by wearing your new skates for a short time and then taking them off. Repeating this every day will help you break in smoothly.
9. Warm up Your Body
As with any physical activity, rollerblading requires warming up. The process of rollerblading is rigorous and requires a lot of effort. Since it will work up your whole body, you’ll end up in pain if your muscles aren’t toned up, particularly in the calf and foot muscles.
You’ll have so much more fun skating after you do these prewarming exercises.
10. Skate only on smooth surfaces
When skating on smooth surfaces, you are less likely to experience foot pain because there is less vibration.
11. Skate Responsibly
You don’t need to go a hundred miles and do all kinds of power tricks if you aren’t up to it. Don’t rush. Skate your own pace.
When you are not feeling well, don’t skate at all, rather than indulging yourself and hurting yourself, causing foot pain, etc. By taking things easy and basic, you will find skating much more exciting.
12. Visit a Podiatrist
A podiatrist can diagnose and treat skaters with flat feet and foot pain. Typically, they use orthotics to lift the foot and give it the cushion that they need. Furthermore, they employ other methods to alleviate the pain as well.
Depending on your needs, they may recommend inserts that can get your foot precisely shaped and aligned.
Rollerblade Sizing Guide
It is crucial that you size your rollerblades properly when you are buying them. The right skates will enhance your comfort, provide better support, and boost your performance. In contrast, improperly sized skate boots are likely to cause you pain and impede your ability to skate.
In most cases, rollerblades are sized like normal shoes. In some cases, this may differ due to the fact that some brands tend to produce skates that run on a size or two bigger than regular shoe sizes.
However, As a convenience, most popular skate brands make their skates fit similar to shoe brands.
Check if the skates barely touch the front of the skate when you first put them on. As long as they are, then everything will be fine. If your toes are curled or crunched, it may indicate that they are too small and could result in foot pain. Therefore, you should try a different size of skate.
You should know that rollerblades need time to break in. It may take some time for them to assume the shape of your feet for a more comfortable fit and better performance.
Squatting on your skates will give you a better idea of how the skates will fit once broken in. Once you are in this position, your toes will extend forward.
When you are in this position, you will be able to get a better idea of how the skates will fit once they have been broken in.
Conclusion
There are three major causes of foot pain in rollerblading: improperly fitted skates, medical conditions, and strenuous skate style. Now that you have read this article, hopefully you will be able to fix your foot pain without any further complications.
Here’s everything you need to know about ensuring a convenient, smooth, and painless skating session.
