Remedy for aching feet?

Does anybody have any tips or advice on managing or relieving generalized achiness in feet after playing a couple of fairly strenuous sets?

It's getting frustrating that at 42 years old I seem to not be able to play multiple matches in a day in a tournament situaton without just really feeling it in all areas of both feet.

There's no injury and I'm maybe 10-15 lbs overweight which doesn't help of course, and wear quality shoes that I wear the toes out of long before the padding would become ineffective I would think.

Ibuprofen helps a bit but just wondering if there are some simple or obvious things that others here do that help with what I would think is a fairly common problem.

I've had the same problem and I'm 52. Two things I've done that helped me are:

1) When you're not playing tennis, walk in bare feet as much as you can, and go for short runs in bare feet or minimalist shoes (the ones that look like water socks). Your feet will get tougher. Just don't land on your heels. You have to use forefoot running form.

2) When you're playing tennis, go the opposite direction. Wear very cushioned shoes. Personally, I'm wearing the Adidas Crazylight Boost 2016. It's a basketball shoe with thick full length Boost. No tennis shoe I've tried matches them for cushioning. You don't have to go that extreme, but it works for me. Prince T22's or Babolat SFX are probably cushioned enough if you insist on a tennis shoe.

There's a 3rd thing you can try, which worked for me in the past:

3) Try a supportive contoured insole like Superfeet or Sof Sole FIT. It's the closest thing to getting a custom orthotic that's contoured to your feet, but it's much cheaper and lighter weight. I don't use them anymore because I think I've strengthened my feet enough with #1, that it's no longer necessary.

Ramon said:

I've had the same problem and I'm 52. Two things I've done that helped me are:

1) When you're not playing tennis, walk in bare feet as much as you can, and go for short runs in bare feet or minimalist shoes (the ones that look like water socks). Your feet will get tougher. Just don't land on your heels. You have to use forefoot running form.

2) When you're playing tennis, go the opposite direction. Wear very cushioned shoes. Personally, I'm wearing the Adidas Crazylight Boost 2016. It's a basketball shoe with thick full length Boost. No tennis shoe I've tried matches them for cushioning. You don't have to go that extreme, but it works for me. Prince T22's or Babolat SFX are probably cushioned enough if you insist on a tennis shoe.

There's a 3rd thing you can try, which worked for me in the past:

3) Try a supportive contoured insole like Superfeet or Sof Sole FIT. It's the closest thing to getting a custom orthotic that's contoured to your feet, but it's much cheaper and lighter weight. I don't use them anymore because I think I've strengthened my feet enough with #1, that it's no longer necessary.

Click to expand...

Ramon, thank you very much for this detailed and thoughtful advice.
I've been pretty lucky to avoid injuries thus far in my playing life but I'm realizing that the "routine maintenance" work will need to step up quite a bit from here on if I'm to continue playing as often and competitively as I'd like.
I do really appreciate you taking the time to write your response and have already begun Phase I: Barefoot Around House.

I've had success also taking my shoes off and walking barefoot, when possible. I'll walk around in the grass barefoot.

Ramon said:

2) When you're playing tennis, go the opposite direction. Wear very cushioned shoes. Personally, I'm wearing the Adidas Crazylight Boost 2016. It's a basketball shoe with thick full length Boost. No tennis shoe I've tried matches them for cushioning. You don't have to go that extreme, but it works for me. Prince T22's or Babolat SFX are probably cushioned enough if you insist on a tennis shoe.

There's a 3rd thing you can try, which worked for me in the past:

3) Try a supportive contoured insole like Superfeet or Sof Sole FIT. It's the closest thing to getting a custom orthotic that's contoured to your feet, but it's much cheaper and lighter weight. I don't use them anymore because I think I've strengthened my feet enough with #1, that it's no longer necessary.

Click to expand...

Barefoot around the house sounds like a good suggestion. Could also do the same at the beach or at the park (on the grass). But not on the pavement.

When ppl talk about cushioned shoes, they are often talking about the insole cushioning rather than mid-sole cushioning. Latter is probably more important. Which do you speak of? Best shoe that I've been using since the late 90s is a x-trainer, the Nike Air Monarch. Comes in wide widths. I have been using this shoe for tennis, badminton and volleyball. It has better support and cushioning than any tennis, badminton or volleyball shoe that I've tried. Even better than shoes that cost twice as much. In this case, the superior cushioning I mentioned refers to both mid-sole and insole cushioning.

Have used Superfeet Green insoles with some success. But, I prefer to go with a 3/4 orthotic insole rather than a full-length. With the 3/4 insole, I can put them into my shoes w/o removing the OEM insole (which I like very much on the Air Monarch shoes). If you use a full insole, you usually need to removing the OEM insole. I have been using Dr Scholl's CustomFit orthotic insoles (it is a semi-custom insole).

Soak your feet in warm water and epsom salt for 10 to 20 min. Massage your feet where they hurt. Roll your feet over a tennis ball or wood dowel rod when sitting when you think of it. Stand in some sand or pea gravel and wiggle your feet enough to feel the pressure points being stimulated, it may hurt a little at first, but that means your feet need the attention. Some people use sandals that have a pebbled surface under your feet which mimic the same concept. Lose some weight if you can.

I'm older too, and frustrated that my feet give out and force me to quit after only 2 or 3 hours of play while everyone else can play all day.

SystemicAnomaly said:

Barefoot around the house sounds like a good suggestion. Could also do the same at the beach or at the park (on the grass). But not on the pavement.

When ppl talk about cushioned shoes, they are often talking about the insole cushioning rather than mid-sole cushioning. Latter is probably more important. Which do you speak of? Best shoe that I've been using since the late 90s is a x-trainer, the Nike Air Monarch. Comes in wide widths. I have been using this shoe for tennis, badminton and volleyball. It has better support and cushioning than any tennis, badminton or volleyball shoe that I've tried. Even better than shoes that cost twice as much. In this case, the superior cushioning I mentioned refers to both mid-sole and insole cushioning.

Have used Superfeet Green insoles with some success. But, I prefer to go with a 3/4 orthotic insole rather than a full-length. With the 3/4 insole, I can put them into my shoes w/o removing the OEM insole (which I like very much on the Air Monarch shoes). If you use a full insole, you usually need to removing the OEM insole. I have been using Dr Scholl's CustomFit orthotic insoles (it is a semi-custom insole).

Click to expand...

If you look up Chris McDougall and barefoot running, you'll get the full perspective of running barefoot, even if it's on pavement. I've done it with minimal shoes and never had a problem. Good barefoot running style is mandatory. I'll admit it's not everyone's cup of tea. I actually don't do it anymore because I have other time soakers in my life and no longer have foot problems.

The Air Monarch is actually another good example of a well cushioned shoe. It's not for me because it's too big and ugly LOL. Most of the people on this forum don't like well cushioned shoes. They like shoes that help you move around really fast and turn on a dime, but you can't have that kind of performance and optimal cushioning at the same time.

I never tried Dr. Scholl's insole, but if they are the contoured orthotic kind that gives you support, that's probably the type I'm talking about. I'm not talking about the thick cushioned gel stuff because I think that's a function of the midsole. The barefoot philosophy, though, is to avoid supportive insoles because your feet don't get stronger. That's why I don't wear them anymore. My feet no longer need them, but when they were weaker the insoles helped.

Ramon said:

If you look up Chris McDougall and barefoot running, you'll get the full perspective of running barefoot, even if it's on pavement. I've done it with minimal shoes and never had a problem. Good barefoot running style is mandatory. I'll admit it's not everyone's cup of tea. I actually don't do it anymore because I have other time soakers in my life and no longer have foot problems.

The Air Monarch is actually another good example of a well cushioned shoe. It's not for me because it's too big and ugly LOL. Most of the people on this forum don't like well cushioned shoes. They like shoes that help you move around really fast and turn on a dime, but you can't have that kind of performance and optimal cushioning at the same time.

I never tried Dr. Scholl's insole, but if they are the contoured orthotic kind that gives you support, that's probably the type I'm talking about. I'm not talking about the thick cushioned gel stuff because I think that's a function of the midsole. The barefoot philosophy, though, is to avoid supportive insoles because your feet don't get stronger. That's why I don't wear them anymore. My feet no longer need them, but when they were weaker the insoles helped.

Click to expand...

Still don't regard the Air Monarch as ugly, Eye of the beholder, I guess. A bit wider than most shoes but that gives them more lateral stability IMO. A lot of popular/elite tennis shoes are too narrow for some of us. The Nike x-trainers come in a generous D+ or 4E width. Never had any problem with moving quickly or directional changes with these shoes either. Trust me, those qualities at a premium when it comes to movement on the badminton court -- explosive footwork needed with possibly more directional changes than tennis. I've played competitively in both sports with those shoes.

Yeah, the DS CustomFit orthotic insole is contoured for heel stabilization and some arch support. Also had a metatarsal bump IIRC. 3/4 length as previously mentioned. I referred to it as semi-custom because they come in a variety lengths and degrees of arch support. They use footmapping technolgy (hardware & software) to determine best fit for the user.

However, this footmapping is a static "picture" of your foot pressure. A poor man's orthotic (at $50). Not really customized dynamically as a true orthotic would probably be. The DS orthotic insoles are mostly designed for individual foot structure. True custom orthotics should take both more of the function as well as the structure of the feet into account.

Ask a ballet dancer. That is their area of expertise.

I've noticed that w/o my orthotic insoles my feet pronate way too much. Not sure that this can be corrected with additional barefoot walking. Will try more barefoot after my hip replacement (hopefully within the next month).

Oh man I went through this.
It was a few things, I had really ramped up my playing to 5 days a week and the feet were not happy, I also have really tight calves and arches that contribute to the problem

1. Massage and arch stretching prior to playing ... this made a huge difference, you want that arch flexy and ready to play
2. Good insoles with appropriate arch support. I like the Superfeet brand because they are slim and fit in shoes well and have great arch support
3. Change shoes regularly ... I find that 3 months max on a pair of shoes or their support starts giving out
4. Heat therapy ... I use homemade heating pads (tube socks filled with rice) to warm up my achilles and arch prior to playing ... magic
5. Massage, foam roll and stretch the calf muscles (which pull on all the ligaments in the foot!)
6. Heel raises and heel drops ... one is more strengthening, the other is more lengthening/stretching 3X a day every day

Barricade Boost.
Please spend the $120 and see if it makes a difference.
Post results here.

Roll a frozen water bottle with the bottoms of your feet. A foot strengthening exercise is to pick up marbles with your toes.

Please excuse the rambling fact flow -

For years, I went the direction of buying and using cushioning in my tennis shoes and wore them around also. The shoes with the thick cushioning often did not flex especially at the area of the big toe and ball of the foot. Diagnosed by a physical therapist for a plantar fasciitis complaint, I had lost range of motion in the large joint at the base of the big toe (ball of the foot). I lost motion in my foot but I had played tennis for over 30 years! The big toe joint is often the site foot trouble. I also had some bouts of plantar fasciitis.

I looked into minimalist shoes and bought some for my walk around shoes. They have much more flexibility in that big toe area and I can now stretch that joint using my body weight. The stretch suggested by the physical therapist was to pull my big toe up and back. It took too much force to move my big toe. Read some books on minimalist shoes.

The physical therapist had said that I had modified my walk because of the lost of flexibility at the ball of the foot. My feet then rotated out instead of the joint allowing the front of the foot to flex up and track more straight. If you look at people walking toward you on a city sidewalk you can see the large variety in how the feet of many point out while the feet of many younger people track more straight and parallel.

My feet track much more parallel now after reducing the use of shoes with thick cushioning that have stiff soles that don't allow my big toe to flex.

My son is playing volleyball on sand. He says that foot size tends to decrease for people after starting to play in sand. I guess that results from the arch height increasing. My feet grew from 12 to 14 over the last several years, probably because my arch height decreased.......

Demo - there are small muscles that spread the toes. Four years ago, I could hardly get any spread and could not feel those muscles activate after so many years with tight shoe 'toe boxes'. My big toe tilts toward the next toe, I believe because of my shoes. Now I can spread my toes apart and feel the muscles. I activate those foot muscles and others frequently.

The point of my rambling story is to say that foot posture and pain is a complicated subject and there are many possible issues interacting. I'm not young and that is also a big factor for me. Try some minimalist shoes as your walk around shoes. I'd recommend New Balance they also have a wide range of available sizes at various widths. (Note - Most minimalist shoes don't have the separated toes.)

See a Dr and get a diagnosis of what specifically is causing pain in your feet. Request a posture evaluation and physical therapy if it might help your specific problem.

Chas Tennis said:

Please excuse the rambling fact flow -

For years, I went the direction of buying and using cushioning in my tennis shoes and wore them around also. The shoes with the thick cushioning often did not flex especially at the area of the big toe and ball of the foot. Diagnosed by a physical therapist for a plantar fasciitis complaint, I had lost range of motion in the large joint at the base of the big toe (ball of the foot). I lost motion in my foot but I had played tennis for over 30 years! The big toe joint is often the site foot trouble. I also had some bouts of plantar fasciitis.

I looked into minimalist shoes and bought some for my walk around shoes. They have much more flexibility in that big toe area and I can now stretch that joint using my body weight. The stretch suggested by the physical therapist was to pull my big toe up and back. It took too much force to move my big toe. Read some books on minimalist shoes.

The physical therapist had said that I had modified my walk because of the lost of flexibility at the ball of the foot. My feet rotated out instead of the joint allowing the foot to flex up and track more straight. If you look at people walking toward you on a city sidewalk you can see the large variety in how the feet of many point out while the feet of many younger people track more straight and parallel.

My feet track much more parallel now after reducing the use of shoes with thick cushioning that have stiff soles that don't allow my big toe to flex.

My son is playing volleyball on sand. He says that foot size tends to decrease for people after starting to play in sand. I guess that results from the arch increasing. My feet grew from 12 to 14 over the last several years, probably because my arch decreased.......

Demo - there are small muscles that spread the toes. I could hardly get any spread and could not feel those muscles activate after so many years with tight shoe toe boxes. My big toe tilts toward the next toe, I believe because of my shoes. Now I can spread my toes apart and feel the muscles. I activate those muscles frequently.

The point of my rambling story is to say that foot posture and pain is a complicated subject and there are many possible issues interacting. I'm not young and that is also a big factor for me. Try some minimalist shoes as your walk around shoes. I'd recommend New Balance they also have a wide range of available sizes at various widths. (Most minimalist shoes don't have the separated toes.)

See a Dr and get a diagnosis of what specifically is causing pain in your feet. Request a posture evaluation and physical therapy if it might help your specific problem.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. I'm a fan of minimalist shoes too, as you can see from my earlier post. I do make one notable exception, and that's for tennis. I have good forefoot running form when I run in minimalist shoes, but for some reason, I can't do that for tennis, probably because I don't have time to think about how I run when I play tennis and it's tough to combat 50+ years of bad running style. Wearing minimalist shoes with bad running form is probably the worst thing you can do. The highly cushioned shoes I wear for tennis are basically there as a crutch to offset my bad running form when I play tennis.

So, for the few hours that I play tennis during the week I'm wearing cushioned shoes that all minimalists despise. The rest of the time I wear flat shoes to work, go barefoot at home, and wear minimalist type shoes for the gym.

I tried minimalist shoes for tennis indoors. The floor was a rubber, maybe between 1/16" and 1/8" thick? I added a dense but thinner sole liner to the New Balance Minimus shoe. I was worried about using them but they worked well indoors with a thin sole liner.

I don't know what I will use for outdoor concrete courts.

I am recovering from shoulder surgery and have not played in over a year. Conditioning my legs after so long off is my worry now.