UKC

I've just bought a new pair of approach shoes - scarpa zen pro - which I like for their sole stiffness. However, having just taken them for a walk over the hills I developed a sort of hot/numb feeling in the ball area of my left foot. The right foot was fine. This was a problem I encountered a few years ago when buying approach shoes and finding that the stiffer types gave me this type of pain (same foot) after an hour or so's use. (Sold a few of these pairs on here).

Anyway, I bought the zens having had them before in the original version and not getting any problems. Will my foot/leg have changed over that period of time to cause this pain? (I do currently have a problem with the calf muscle on that leg which is being treated with specific stretches.)

In reply to toasted:

When you say 'ball' do you mean the ball of your big toe? Plantar fasciitis causes pain under the heel. Usually when first standing/walking (eg in the morning) and after longer activities on your feet.

If you are talking about pain under the heel then sometimes tight calves can lead to plantar fasciitis. The foot pronates more to make up for the tightness in the calf muscles, which can increase stress to the plantar fascia muscle leading to heel pain. If anything a stiff sole between the heel and balls of your feet would actually better support the plantar fascia. Maybe focus on stretching more before and after walking if this is the case.

In reply to Mr. Lee:

Thanks for the reply.

The pain is localised to the ball area of my foot - I mean the area of contact with ground just before the toes. This pain only seems to occur with stiffer soled shoes - a softer pair of approach shoes ( evolve bolt) didn't create the problem. However, the bolts just aren't right for some uk conditions that I come across.

I'll try some stretches before walking to see if this helps. Also hoping that the zens will soften up a bit with use.

In reply to toasted:
For me it's a friction thing. Part of my thought is the stiffer soles make the foot slide about more as they don't give/flex as the foot is used to and this causes excessive friction between the foot and the insole.

If your not used to stiffer soles, then your feet may have to get used to them? Are your feet moving a lot inside?

I've had the ball of the foot affected with new stiffer footwear in the past and this has always cleared up when I built up the use of them slowly. When it's happened to me, I wore them with laces tightened up tighter than normal and for an hour or two max. Then built up time used and after a few days/weeks I could wear then all day and slacker ( I usually have shoes fairly slack unless particularly needed for what I'm doing).

In reply to toasted:

Hi, I also have (newish) scarpa zen pros and find them stiff underfoot - I get that numb feeling on the sole, although it seems to be lessening as I use them more. I also get that numb feeling, eventually, with my ski-touring boots. I don't think it is plantar fasciitis - I've had that, diagnosed by a podiatrist, and it felt quite different, much more real pain and further back, in the arch close to the heel. I've always thought of that numb sole of the foot feeling as something I just had to suck up.

In reply to Cathy:

Ah well, this sounds like me. Guess I just have to grit my teeth for a while!

In reply to toasted:

Google Metatarselagia, this is a something of a blanket term for pain in the sole/forefoot. Lots of causes, If I use shoes where the width is wrong I can get it, at worst like a hot poker in the sole! I think because you're mashing the tendons in the foot?

Steve