Fiery Feet

RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter
Issue No. 404 - 07/30/09: Fiery Feet
ISSN 1536-4143


What's the matter? You're on a long ride. After several hours your feet start feeling hot and uncomfortable. This isn't the first time it's happened. Standing on hills makes it worse. You start looking for a roadside stream in which to douse your sizzling dogs.

"Hot foot" is a common malady on rides that last 3 hours or more, so it affects century riders, tourers and roadies who just like going long. The primary cause is the tendency of feet to swell during long rides. This increases pressure inside the shoes, which, in turn, compresses nerves. The result is a burning sensation in the ball of the foot perhaps accompanied by tingling or numb toes.

Here's help. Consider these 6 ways to put out the fire:

---Avoid snug-fitting shoes. You may never suffer hot foot if your shoes allow normal swelling without becoming restrictive. When buying new shoes, wear your riding socks so you can get an accurate fit. Do it late in the day when feet tend to be fatter. Most shoes come in half sizes. If you're on the fence opt for the larger pair.

---Loosen straps. Even if your shoes fit perfectly, they may begin feeling tight as a ride wears on. As soon as you sense it happening, loosen the straps and/or laces. In the typical road shoe with 3 straps, it's mainly the top one nearest your ankle that makes the shoe feel secure during pedaling (like an old-fashion toe strap). You can keep it snug because it has the least effect on forefoot pressure. The lower straps can be loosened a lot without harming pedaling efficiency.

---Wear thinner socks. This, perhaps in conjunction with thinner insoles or no insoles at all, will make shoes roomier and allow feet to swell without compressing nerves.

---Move cleats rearward. This has been the salvation for many long-distance riders. The idea is to reduce direct pressure on the ball of the foot by moving it in front of the pedal axle. For most riders, simply sliding the cleats to the rear of the sole slots will do the job. Others, however, need to drill new cleat-mounting holes to get back far enough for this trick to work. Downside: Moving cleats rearward can cause feet to hit the front wheel when pedaling through very slow, sharp turns.

---Spread the metatarsal bones. You can do this with custom cycling orthotics that feature a small dome just behind the metatarsal heads. This bump spreads the bones to prevent pressure on the nerves that run between them. There are also over-the-counter options such as the Specialized BG Footbeds designed by Andy Pruitt, Ed.D., author of the Medical Guide for Cyclists eBook.

---Make an emergency dome. If you're on a tour and suffering, check the foot-care section of a pharmacy. You may find "metatarsal buttons" that you can stick to your insoles. If not, you'll see a number of foam or moleskin products that you can adapt. Remember, the insole buildup goes in the center, just behind the metatarsal heads in the depression adjacent to the ball of the foot. This is about one-third of the distance from your toes to your heel.

(Adapted from Coach Fred's Solutions to 150 Road Cycling Challenges)

alipunga lang yan, bruce. mag hugas ka kasi ng paa

it's a known phenomenon...at certain speed air friction can produce heat...bagalan mo lang ng konti, brus.

Sakin lang nangyayare to???

hindi pa ako nakaka-ride ng lampas isang oras dere-derecho..

di kaya epekto ng gout?

try putting another insole or cork inside your shoes (as opposed to the one stated above). the problem with this is you have to loosen your shoes a tad, and it somewhow compromises the stiffness of the shoes coz it becomes more cushioned. i do this with my mtb shoes, not with my road shoes (para matigas talaga). nangyayari sakin i think hindi fiery feet-naninigas yung talampakan ko, parang cramps. that's why i sometimes loosen my shoes. and it happens at the start of a ride. oh, and it happens to me more often when using road shoes. i think kasi mas matigas. and try stretching and/or massaging your feet more before a ride. might help a bit.

not exactly like what happens to you-pero problema pa rin sa paa. hehehehe.

la lang.

The ball of my left foot near its toe is the one that gets swollen when I have gout. Thing is, I get fiery feet on both my feet. Maybe the shoe's "cut" doesn't match with my feet. I've had a different model before but this problem was "minimal" before. Maybe I need wide shoes?

shoes needs to breath

Mesh po at top ng shoes. In fact, most of it's material is mesh. The bottom of the shoe has 2 holes too.