My feet hurt.

[TrainingDummy]

When doing drills, my feet start to really hurt LONG before my thighs do. And I mean, like 10 minutes into the drill. Thanks to genetics I have flat feet so I have podiatric insoles in my shoes that I also use when I fence. Problem is, they work fine for walking and running but the abnormal locomotion of fencing just kills the arches of my feet. I really dread doing footwork drills even though I know how important they are because my feet often still hurt the next day. Anyone else gone through anything like this?

[vooter]

I also have flat feet, but I don't wear any kind of orthopedic inserts in any of my shoes, and my feet are fine when I fence. So you might want to try fencing without the insoles--as you mentioned, the footwork in fencing might actually make the insoles counterproductive and, obviously, painful....

Gary

[Phincer]

My son has high arches and his feet hurt as well. Went to the podiatrist, ordered orthotics....but the podiatrist didn't use his usual supplier, he called a place in the northeast that does inserts for the more unusual sports. He asked them about fencers and they said "oh yeah, we do those all the time".

Take you fencing shoes in to your podiatrist and tell him your original inserts aren't doing the trick.

[TrainingDummy]

Originally Posted by Phincer

My son has high arches and his feet hurt as well. Went to the podiatrist, ordered orthotics....but the podiatrist didn't use his usual supplier, he called a place in the northeast that does inserts for the more unusual sports. He asked them about fencers and they said "oh yeah, we do those all the time".

Take you fencing shoes in to your podiatrist and tell him your original inserts aren't doing the trick.

Thanks... I think I will.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

normal orthotics are designed for heel to toe walking........... and the stuff fencers do often doesn't qualify.

if my feet are hurting during a tournament, i'll do a bit of exaggerated heel to toe walking, and my feet will (temporarily) feel better.

[electricepeeist]

I also have flat feet. I had my orthotics made by a doctor who knows I fence. It's destroyed 3 pairs of orthotics so far. I still have pain, (mostly because I don't do my exercises to prevent it), but my legs are definitely in much better shape than before I got orthotics -- they used to swell up and I'd barely make it through drills, now I just have to be a little careful and make sure I stretch. My feet hurt after a lot of jumping/footwork/running because of all the pounding on the orthotics, but I'd much rather have temporary, non-dangerous pain than completely ruin my feet and knees avoiding it. Assuming your situation is similar to mine, I'd recommend keeping your orthotics. If they're professionally made (opposed to from a drugstore), you might want to ask the person who made them if there's any way of changing them so they don't hurt as much.