Foot pain when skating

[allegro 0]

Hey folks,

Thanks for all your help in my topic about getting pants - I appreciate it and I appreciate that folks are happy to take their time to help an out-of-shape newcomer.

When I first started skating I had a pair of Bauer skates that I got for $20 off clearance online - they were in what I thought was my size (12D) and they did okay for my first few times. It became apparent pretty quickly, though, that they weren't a great fit - a bit of info on my dimensions. I am 6'5-6'6", currently around 320 lbs and wear a size 13 street shoe. I went in for a new pair of skates at my LHS and they quickly advised me that I'd need to get a reasonably high-end model of skate to provide the stiffness needed for my weight (which is no problem for me). I ended up with a pair of CCM Tacks 692s size 10.5E. I put a pair of shock doctor insoles in for extra comfort, got 'em baked up and sharpened, and have hit the ice for about 4-5 sessions of one to two hours since then.

I am having discomfort problems, though, which is disappointing having spent ~$200 and a fair amount of trips (I live 40 minutes from any hockey store except Play It Again, which, surprise, doesn't usually have much in bigfoot sizes) to try and get them set.

The pain comes after only about 10-15 minutes on the ice and is hard to describe - basically there's a sharp pressure feeling on the sides of both feet - it is not localized or a "hot spot" but seems to be all over the sides of the feet.

When I take my skates off and put my street shoes on, it goes away instantly and feels much more comfortable.

I went in and spoke to the LHS about the problem and they offered to re-bake the skates but mentioned it might just be a break-in problem, or that my feet/body is not strong enough to support my weight on skates. That certainly seems plausible to me.

The problem is that I really can't physically stand to skate for more than 10-15 minutes at a time without having to give my feet a break - my feet get sore and painful long before I get physically tired or my legs get sore, so it's really inhibiting my ability to practice and get a good work out going - and of course, I'm concerned about how I will do with a full game!

I'm curious if anyone has any ideas or suggestions. I have no idea what the shape of my feet are like - I've never been fitted for any kind of footwear before and almost always wear sneakers all the time so all the talk about "this skate is better for a high arch or wide toe" doesn't really help me when I don't know what mine is. :)

Any ideas? Any thoughts? I don't have a problem with "playing through it" and trying to get my feet conditioned or more in shape or whatever, but I want to know that that's what's going on and that it's not simply an equipment issue.

My LHS folks are nice but I'm not sure that they are going to be nearly as much help as you guys. Compounded with the fact that they only carry a few brands in the store, I'm not sure what to do.

Drive to BC and go to a bigger hockey store? B)

[TheBert 0]

Do you have a high arch or a foot with a lot of volume?

[allegro 0]

Hi TheBert - Thanks for trying to help. I have absolutely no idea. I don't know how I would measure either of those things and what "high" or "a lot" quantifies to.

I am not trying to be unhelpful - I know this is the kind of thing that affects how a skate fits - but I really don't know the best way to figure this stuff out. Take pictures and post them? :P

[tsanga 0]

Take some pictures, like here.

The guys on this forum are insanely helpful.

[TheBert 0]

Hi TheBert - Thanks for trying to help. I have absolutely no idea. I don't know how I would measure either of those things and what "high" or "a lot" quantifies to.

I am not trying to be unhelpful - I know this is the kind of thing that affects how a skate fits - but I really don't know the best way to figure this stuff out. Take pictures and post them? :P

Here's a good start to reading up on this: http://www.modsquadhockey.com/forums/index...showtopic=16706

Especially the bit about laying a pencil across the laces to see if a boot is high-volume enough for you

[Jarick 5]

I get a similar pain on the sides of my feet when over-tightening my skates. Because of the stiffness of the boot, it pushes the sides of your feet in and you get cramps.

Here's how I lace up, per Laura Stamm's Power Skating book:

1. Tighten the laces near the toe fairly tight (maybe 2nd or 3rd from the toe).

2. Tighten the middle laces until I can JUST feel the pressure on the sides of my feet. Any tighter and they WILL cramp up.

3. Tighten as much as I can near the heel (2nd or 3rd from the heel on up). This locks the heel in place so your foot doesn't slide around.

Now if you get this pain and you're tightening the laces fairly loose, you need a wider skate.

[Rustpot 1]

I've actually been having a very similar problem. Started on some hand-me-down Bauer 13's, bought some CCM Vector 6 in 11.5E that fit well. After being on the skates for a few minutes, I just get an aching pain in my foot, to the point where I'd like to take a knee or get off the ice and sit on the bench for ~a minute to stop the aching.

Never heard the foot not being strong enough. I know my ankles aren't up to skating and I tape them to help in side stability.

I only notice the pain when the activity I'm doing is just skating. Open skate, warmup laps, etc. Whenever I play I don't feel a thing, I attribute it to increased blood flow and slight adrenaline increase.

I've done two things to counteract the pain. First, I'd skate until the pain began, then sit on the bench and loosen the skate through the mid foot. That gives almost immediate alleviation of some of the pain, but not all.

Recently, I've begun skipping an eyelet. It took a few skates to dial in exactly which eyelet to skip, but I've settled on the one that works for me. What it's doing is not allowing me to pull the laces as tight across that area, meaning the boot isn't pulled as tight to the sides of the foot. This is allowing my foot to flatten more when my weight it on it, making my foot get fatigued less easily. This hasn't fixed the problem, just increased my comfort while skating.

Basically, the skate isn't flat and wide enough on the sole, it starts to curve up and squeezes my foot.

One issue that has arisen is that I'm loosing my heel lock. With my foot not being held as tight in the midfoot, it's allowing my foot to slide forward slightly.

I have a low-medium arch, and SuperFeet insoles were trying to force too much arch onto my foot. My skates feel better having gotten rid of them. I have a regular heel and a significantly wider mid-through-forefoot. My toes fill the box side to side and I get a slight blister on the outside of my big toe and the side of the ball.

I'm waiting for the One75 to come out. I'm hoping the 11.5-12EE will fit well volume wise and I can take advantage of a fully thermoformable boot to get the mid foot fitting well and not causing my foot to conform to the boot, causing the pain.

Edit: I can't start out with loose laces, like Jarick advises. I just feel like my foot is sloppy, and I'd rather yank hard than try to gingerly lace and end up with a loose skate. I know I need a custom skate to fit properly(D heel, F toes), but I have about $50 to spend right now.

[allegro 0]

OK, here are some pictures I took. I hope they're helpful (harder than it sounds to take pictures of your own feet!!) and that I don't burn anyone's eyeballs out. :D

http://reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0662.jpg

http://reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0663.jpg

http://reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0664.jpg

http://reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0665.jpg

http://reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0667.jpg

[shifter 0]

It seems like the width can be the issue. These are some suggestions from me. You can:

1) willing to sell your skates right now and buy a new pair in a wider width probably a EEE?

2) Get them stretched

3) loosen laces

4) My last option would be the custom fitting route. It may be expenssive but it will help. You could also get orthotics too (custom)

These are some suggestions not exact answers, hope this helps

[Rustpot 1]

1) willing to sell your skates right now and buy a new pair in a wider width probably a EEE?

2) Get them stretched

3) loosen laces

4) My last option would be the custom fitting route. It may be expenssive but it will help. You could also get orthotics too (custom)

1: Have never seen skates above E (EE is equivalent in NBH) unless custom, but then you're opening up the heel and the foot toward the heel of the arch, which in allegro's (and my) case, a D width would actually fit well.

2: Stretching can only help to a certain degree. My LHS has said that a solution could be to fold the arch of the skate out to get more width for the mid/fore foot, but there's no guarentee that will solve the problem and not destroy the boot.

3: Loosening the laces only alleviates the pressure on the side of the foot, but in my case can cause an overall lack of tightness in the skate, leading once again to poor fit.

4: Probably the best (and most expensive) bet.

Allegro- you definitely have a low to no arch, and very high volume, especially in your ankles. You've probably gone up to a 13 street shoe to accomodate a size 11 foot in a size 13 width. Are your 10.5 E CCM's ankles wrapping all the way? In other words, when you lace up the ankle, are the laces wrapping the tongue, or going straight from eyelet to eyelet? Or is the tongue completely out of the skate?

[TheBert 0]

He's probably looking for a skate with wide ankles too.

[allegro 0]

Here's the pics of the skate on:

http://www.reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0668.jpg

http://www.reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0669.jpg

http://www.reasoncenter.com/hockey/DSCF0670.jpg

I noticed when putting the skate on this time that I definitely can feel pressure on the widest part of the foot at the front - I hadn't noticed that in particular before. Interesting stuff.

[TBLfan 25]

you need a skate with more volume.

[shifter 0]

flexlite, rbks, grafs(some models) are deep boots.

[allegro 0]

OK - so - do you think the 692s are salvageable or is it time to move on?

If it is time to move on, I think I'm going to have to drive to get anywhere on this as the LHS just doesn't have the kind of selection I'm going to need in looking for a skate. Sounds like a drive to Seattle...

[TheBert 0]

I'm with TBL and shifter. From the pictures, the Tacks are clearly not deep enough for you so it's not just a matter of width but of depth as well. Look up some Nike Flexlites, RBKs or 709 Grafs.

[TBLfan 25]

you definitely need new skates. Please search for the pencil test, depth is a BIG issue with your current skates.

[shifter 0]

hmmm..I also have a question about the pencil test. I just did it like 5 minutes ago and i seem to have failed it by a little bit off will this affect the boot?

[Rustpot 1]

Failing the pencil test means your flex point is forward of the boot's "natural" flex area. You'll cause more torque on the boot's quarters causing additional wear and tear than originally anticipated by the makers.

[AnthonyJTa 0]

Failing the pencil test means your flex point is forward of the boot's "natural" flex area. You'll cause more torque on the boot's quarters causing additional wear and tear than originally anticipated by the makers.

which is why one of my RBK boots is twisted outwards toward the top of the boot.

Allegro, I most certainly feel your pain. My old D-width RBK's fit like that, not deep enough, and certainly not wide enough. I swapped from D width to E width, and it's helped a LOT, but not to the extent of my thick foot/ankles. I'm a pretty big guy, so the 9K's are an improvement, but not the answer. I've been eyeing the Easton Stealth S11's... great fit in Regular width, perfect in Wides.

[HkY_GuY 2]

i had a simillar problem the pain was more in the toe area on sides i was feeling to tight , tried some 10.5EE and they where perfect but that was from bauer XX

to NBH XXV.

[allegro 0]

OK, so I'll definitely need to get out of town on this.

I'm in the US. I really don't want to go back to my LHS on skates as they are the ones that fit me with the Tacks.

Seattle is about 3 hours, Vancouver BC about 5. I can't imagine buying skates in BC though as the currency difference will kill me - but it might be good to hit the bigger stores in BC to have more to try on, then come home and order online.

Anyone have any plan of action recommendations? I'm happy to buy in Seattle but I'd want to almost "make an appointment" as driving for 3+ hours one way to find out they're too busy to help me would be a huge waste of time.. Anyone know MSH members that work or have connections with Seattle shops that can help me out? Or should I just strike it north to The Hockey Shop or another BC store(?), try everything I can on, and come back home and order 'em?

[Andoy 5]

I live out in Vancouver. If you do decide to head up here give Larry's Sports in North Van a try. These guys know what they're doing and gave me a deal last time I bought skates from them.

[jeffw 1]

I'm with TBL and shifter. From the pictures, the Tacks are clearly not deep enough for you so it's not just a matter of width but of depth as well. Look up some Nike Flexlites, RBKs or 709 Grafs.

I'm thinking the Flexlite might not be supportive enough given his weight (6'5-6'6", currently around 320) and beginner status. How about Bauer Supreme 8090's? Overkill?

[dez 0]

hi I had the same problem as you do even though I'm not having such a big foot. Tack is too shallow. RBK last is pretty much Tack.

I would recommend you Nike Flexlite, the New Vapor series or Bauer 8090 (if you can still find one). They are the one that I owned and fit.

When I was using Tack, my foot pain kills me between shift, but it rarely happens now since I switched.