Roller skating is one of the most exciting sports to do. Apart from the fun it brings, it has healthful benefits, which you can’t find in other sports and exercises.
Like any physical activity, roller skating can cause you some foot pains and aches. Many roller skaters often complain that they experience foot pain after skating sessions. This is quite common, but thankfully, there is a way to fix it!
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Roller skating with flat feet is a pretty common experience, and most times, skaters don’t experience any pain at first. Skaters with flat feet may start to experience pain when the activity gets intense. That is if you start to roller skate more vigorously.
But first, What Does It Mean to Have Flat Feet?
You have flat feet when the arches on the inside of your feet are uncurved. In other words, a person with flat feet has no arch on the bottom of their feet. Where most person’s feet are slightly curved, a person with flat feet has none. It’s utterly flat.
A person with flat feet has his/her entire soles of the feet touch the floor when they stand up. Usually, it’s a painless condition but may be adverse, causing other issues.
When you have flat feet, the feet turn inward, causing stress and piling up pressure on other parts of the body. That is why regular skaters with flat feet develop foot pain and other feet issues in the course of skating later in life. Their body weight tends to rest on the inward movement of their feet. This is called pronation.
Due to the sport’s rigorous nature, flat feet may contribute to health problems in your ankles, knees, and even legs. You may have a condition known as plantar fasciitis, which causes pain and inflammation of the ligament.
You may also develop other issues with your feet, such as tendonitis, arthritis, bunions, hammertoes, etc.
Symptoms of Flat Feet and Foot Pain
Most people with flat feet experience no symptoms and can go about roller skating effectively.
However, some people with flat feet experience foot pain, usually around the arches and heel. It gets worse with an increase in activities like roller skating. Also, people may experience swelling along the ankle.
Causes of Foot Pain In Roller Skating
Tight Lacing
Wearing skate boots with tight laces result in lace or tongue bite. Tight lacing builds up pressure around the feet and causes the tendon of your foot sharp pain. The pain can occur on the top of the foot to the front of the ankle.
Unfitting Skate Boots
Wearing skate boots that are too tight or too small can cause foot pain, resulting in blisters. This can make you uncomfortable and affect your performance.
Skates that are too big or large don’t hold up in one place. That is, your feet will keep sliding forth and back in the skate. Skate boots that are too small or tight will limit blood flow on your toes and rub your skin, causing foot pain.
Not Able to Breaking-In
It’s normal to feel uncomfortable when you are wearing your new skates for the first time. The liners may be stiff and rub your feet, causing you some discomfort and making your ride less pleasurable.
Vibration
Roller skates that transmit a lot of road vibration will cause foot pain. Skaters who engage in long-distance skating will likely experience this more than short distance skaters.
Medical condition
If you have a prior medical condition, the chances are that skating will cause you some issues. Conditions like osteoarthritis are characterized by stiffness and pain around the joints and cartilage, resulting in weak bones and ankles.
Skaters suffering from this condition will have less ankle support and balance, meaning that they will more likely experience foot pain whenever they skate.
Lack of Warm-Ups
Skaters who are new to skating will likely experience foot pain after their first skating session if they don’t engage in warm-ups. The muscles and joints are very sensitive and may react differently if they are exposed to new activities.
If the muscles and the joints are not stretched before indulging skating, you will experience foot pain. Your tendons and cartilages will be equally affected.
Overstretching of the Muscles
In as much as skating is a fun sport, you should only skate according to your pace. That means not overstretching your muscles and ankles.
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As beginners, your muscles may not be fully developed to skate, so skating for longer hours will mean putting your feet muscles at risk.
Skating Style
If your skating style is simple, the chances of developing foot pain are slim. However, if involved in aggressive or strenuous skating, you will more likely experience foot pain.
Variations of Foot Pain
Ankle Pain
Ankle pain is the most common injury experienced by skaters, and that’s because your ankles support the entire body weight.
If you have ankle pain or weak ankles, you will wobble on skates and cause your underfoot to absorb more pressure.
Bunions
Bunions are another common type of foot pain. It’s characterised by a bump on the first joint of the big toe. It’s caused by swelling of a sac of fluid under the skin.
Heel
Heel issues are common for skaters. This pain can be experienced on the front, back, or the heel’s bottom.
Corns and Calluses
The rubbing pressure on the skin by the skates causes corns and calluses. Corns are a cone-shaped, thick patch of skin commonly found on top of or in between a skater’s toes. A callus is a thick piece of skin that evenly spreads on the sole.
Corns and calluses cause pressure on the nerves that cause foot pain.
Tips for Reducing Foot Pain
Avoid Cheap Skates
Most foot pains arise from the skate boots’ construction. So it’s only proper that you check the type of skates that you are purchasing.
Most importantly, avoid buying skates with cheap construction. They will likely cause you issues and affect your skating performance. Check the wheel frames and the material used for the boots.
For optimal comfort and performance, purchase a skate boot with an all-round plastic frame. They offer better control, solid, and causes less foot pain.
Avoid Carbon, Glass, and Aluminum Frames
High-performance skates usually come with either carbon, glass, or aluminum frames. While these skates are praised for their agility and speed, they transmit a lot of road vibration, which may cause foot pain and discomfort.
You need to avoid skate frames that transmit road vibration as much as possible. Our solution? Purchase standard skates with nylon fabric uppers or plastic. They will curtail vibration to the minimum.
RELATED: Best Roller Skates for Wide Flat Feet
Another solution is to get skates with Anti-Vibration System. This feature will minimize the discomfort from vibration. The downside of skates with this feature is that they tend to be expensive.
Wear Properly Fitting Skates
Like we earlier explained, tight skates are one of the architects of foot pain. So to prevent foot pain and other related issues, make sure your skates fit right. They should be tight, but not so tight to the extent that it will cause you some discomfort.
Before purchasing, try different skate sizes and brands to be sure you are ordering the right size. Different manufacturers design their skate boots to run on bigger or smaller sizes than regular shoe sizes, so you will have to size up properly.
Your toes should barely touch the end of the skate when standing, but it shouldn’t be so tight that it affects 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.
Avoid Wearing Loose Skates
Loose skates don’t stay in one place, making them hard to control when wearing them to skate. And even if you tighten the latching system, you may still find it tough controlling your movement, which may result in you falling.
The key is still to size up properly and tighten each fit system without allowing it to discomfort you.
Lace-Up Your Skates Properly
It would be best if you laced up tight enough to provide optimal support, but not tight to place pressure on the top of your foot, Achilles tendon, and your ankle.
Wear Thick Socks
If your skates don’t fit properly, even if they are of the right size, wearing thick socks is the next option. They provide additional ankle support and padding, keep your feet dry, and aid in preventing blisters.
If your skates fit, you should wear socks with a thin thickness, but if they don’t fit properly, as we mentioned, you should wear thick socks.
Break-In
New skates can be uncomfortable at first because they are not used to your feet. So you have to be patient. Many people kickstart their skating activity with their new skates without breaking in.
No matter how impeccably fit the new skates are, it will take some time to break in. The skates need to get used to your feet to maximize comfort and efficiency.
All you need to do to avoid this issue is to wear your new skates for short periods and then take them off. Doing this repeatedly every day will help you break-in seamlessly.
Engage In Some Warm-Up Exercises
Roller skating is like any physical activity; you should prep yourself before engaging in any skating session. Roller skating is rigorous and will take a lot from you. It will work up your entire muscles, so if your muscles aren’t toned up, especially your calf and feet muscles, you will end up with pain.
Skating will be so much more fun once you engage in these pre-warm-up exercises.
Limit Skating to Smooth Surfaces
Smooth surfaces produce less vibration when skating, and when there is less vibration, you are less likely going to experience foot pain.
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Skate Responsibly
Skate simply; there’s no need going a hundred miles and doing all kinds of power tricks when you are clearly not up for it. Skate at your own pace.
If you don’t feel alright skating, then don’t skate at all, rather than indulging and hurting yourself in the process, developing foot pain and all that. You will find skating much more exciting when you learn to take things easy and basic.
Visit a Podiatrist
Skaters with flat feet and foot pain should consult a podiatrist for further diagnosis and treatment. Typically, they use orthotics to lift the foot and give it the cushion that they need. They also employ other methods to alleviate the pain.
They could recommend some inserts that will shape and align your foot precisely.
Sizing Guide for Roller Skates
When it comes to the buying process, sizing your roller skates adequately is crucial. Properly fitted skates will enhance comfort, provide better support, and boost performance. In contrast, improperly sized skate boots will cause foot pain and hinder your performance.
Most roller skates run in standard sizes as your regular shoe. However, there might be variations because some brands tend to manufacture skates that run on a size or two bigger than regular shoe sizes. However, most popular brands make their skates fit the same as shoe brands for convenience.
If you discover that the skates are too snug when you first try them on, check if they are barely touching the skate’s front. If they are, that means you will be okay. If your toes are crunched or curled, it’s an indication that they are too small and may cause foot pain. That means you should try other skate sizes.
You should know that roller skates take time to break-in. You may need to wear them regularly to assume the shape of your feet for a more comfortable fit and enhance performance.
To get a better idea of how your skates will fit once broken in, put your skates on, and assume a squatting position. Once in this position, you will feel your toes extend to the front of the skate. While in this position, you will get a better indication of how the skates will fit once broken in.
Conclusion
Improperly fitting skates, prior medical conditions, and strenuous skating style are the three major causes of foot pain in roller skating. Hopefully, with this article, you can now fix your foot pain without any complications.
We have provided all the tips you need to ensure your skating session is convenient, smooth, and painless.
