Foot Care Self-Education

Rob Conenello, a podiatrist who managed feet at the seven-day Sahara Race in Egypt, told me, “I would go daily to the athletes’ tents to help them prevent injury. The key is to educate the participants on how to tape themselves and care for small problems.”
     Self-education takes many forms. It’s getting your feet in the best shape and condition possible for the events you do. It’s getting inside your footwear. Literally. Buy a pair of shoes or boots and you’ll get the stock, standard insole. Depending on the manufacturer, it may be good, or it may be a basic, non-supporting piece of heavy cardboard. Take it out and see if it is worth keeping. Fortunately, footwear makers are learning that their buyers want overall quality—and that includes insoles. It’s checking for bad seams and stitching in the shoe. It’s knowing your foot type and researching reviews to find the best shoes. It’s knowing what makes for a well-fitting shoe.
     It’s finding what works best for your feet as Gordon Wright, Media Director, Primal Quest said, “I don’t have anything to add from my seven years of adventure racing but for one word: Injinji socks. I was always prone to blisters between my toes, and literally have not had one—in many, many miles—since I started wearing them.”
     It’s learning how your skin reacts to powders and lubricants to reduce friction. It’s learning how to tape your feet and patch a blister—in five different ways with different products. It’s learning how to trim your toenails. It’s learning how to strengthen your feet and ankles. It’s learning what words like proprioception and onychocryptosis mean and how they affect your feet.
     It’s continually learning about your feet and what they need to be happy and healthy.