Yep. I worked steel decks for two years on ships and found superfeet to be life savers. Fixed my feet, knees and lower back. If the $35 dollar insoles and stretching don't work, talk to your Dr.

First off, lest there be any confusion, I am not a Doc, a PA or a foot expert. I have walked far less than many on this board. I'm a new 18D who, knowing that joints tend to be injured in this line of work, spends a bit of time thinking about these things. I haven't seen your foot, how you walk, etc and this in no way constitutes a diagnosis. As with all things, consider the source.

1. Get off the road/sidewalk if you can. Trails/cross country require greater mobility in your feet and ankles and, over time, will strengthen your entire foot. Walking on asphalt both requires less movement in your foot and transmits greater energy back through your body/joints. Plus, you get the illusion of moving fast (no obstacles).

2. Dude, I thought I was poetically inclined. "Darker than Hell. . . Beset on both sides. . . that kills me.

Seriously, sounds like a nerve injury, created by ligaments shifting in your foot from a bad stride. As they shift back, the pain goes away. If it becomes constant, consider tarsal tunnel compression syndrome (carpal tunnel for the feet), wherein repetative motion elicits pain.

Rucking shouldnt be a pain free experience; all the advice is how to mitigate what pain there is. It isnt natural to walk great distances with a lot of weight (oh, don't train with greater than 50-55 pounds). So, when it hurts, you should expect that. If your hands dont swell up, your shoulders and feet hurt, then you might not be doing it right.

Have fun and go talk to a podiatrist if this keeps up.

Books,

Thanks for the insight and sharing your knowledge.

Anyone in the Bragg area know any direct sales of Superfeet. I don't mind internet sales, but prefer person to person if possible.

Thanks ahead of time.

Patriot Outfitters in Spring Lake
General Jacksons on Yadkin...

Thanks Cric

If you have a choice between running/walking on concrete or asphalt, choose the asphalt.
It will make a big difference.

If your home is built on a concrete slab, wear shoes while in the house.
Most carpet padding is woefully insufficient.

If it's plantar fasciitis, it'll take a year to heal. Not fun.

If you have the option, when walking/standing on concrete (or tile-covered concrete) for long periods, wear a pair of Wolverine Trappeur Hikers.
They've done much to save my feet/ankles/knees/hips/back.
(They come in 6" and 8" heights, I prefer the 8").

I can't help it anymore. I've been writing papers non-stop for four years now. It does it all on its own.

I certainly appreciate the advice. There is a superfeet vendor 5min away from my apartment. I'm going to invest heartily on good foot products and start training on cross-country courses more often. Another problem may be my hobbie. I play raquetball for hours at a time, several days a week. The stress caused by fast-shifts, quick sprints, and other aggressive movements tightened my feet as well.

I think that your advice, coupled with the moderation of my court play, and regular periods of stretching will help to relax my lower extremities. Thanks again.

Thank you Books

Another vote for the Sole foot beds.

I had a pair that I forgot about and just recently put them into my shoes. My knees, legs and feet feel much better now while rucking.

For a little background I'm at 70lbs dry weight with the Soles in a pair of Salomon XA Pro 3d's*. With my old inserts I felt like 70lbs was pushing it and not in a good way. With the Soles I feel like I could get in another 10lbs maybe.

Another great advantage of the Sole is that it is heat moldable to your feet but not at the cost of a true custom footbed from an ortho.

The only disadvantage to the Soles is the material next to your foot is very rough. I like to run, ruck and workout without socks because my Salomon's are so comfortable. Now blisters and hot spots are a serious issue for me. But this is minor in comparison to the positives listed above.

Link for the Soles:
http://www2.yoursole.com/why_sole/

*I'll be sending a pair of Jungles out soon to Clark's to have them tricked out and will probably buy another pair of Sole's for those as well.

If by this you mean that you're regularly rucking 70lbs dry, you might want to start putting your med files aside for your retirement disability claim now.

Agreed.

How many times have we told people to stick with the program, as directed?

TR

Hey guys, this is an interesting thread that is kinda in my lane, so I thought I would comment on this insole issue. I don't do any rucking of the sorts you hardcore guys do, but I am under a ruck almost every day working for Kifaru. I've pretty much used all the insoles mentioned in this thread, but none of them come close to the comfort of the custom footbeds from Lathrop and Sons. These things are not cheap by any means, but when you think about it, everything that has to do with walking, running, and carrying heavy loads, starts with the feet. If the feet go, you're pretty much done. I figure you can't really put a price on keeping your feet happy. The guys at Lathrop and Sons are great to deal with, and are podiatrists by trade. They import the Hanwag boots (I use the SF model), and build their own custom footbeds. These guys know about feet, trust me on that. Here's a link to their footbeds:

http://lathropandsons.com/catalog/pr...products_id/46

I used Oregon Aero insoles at the 2005 Battan March, and paid the price dearly with tore up feet after the 26 miles. The problem I had with them was no arch support (they are flat). Also, the surface seemed a little slippery, which caused a lot of friction. I've had good luck with the green Superfeet, which I have found to be about the best off the shelf insoles. I have them in a couple of my boots/shoes that I have for everyday use. When it comes time to hike and ruck over long distances, I only use the Lathrop footbeds. I have a set in my Vasque trail runners, and in my Hanwag SF boots. IMHO they are the Cadillac of insoles. Give the guys at Lathrop a call (618-544-8782), and they can answer any technical questions you may have on feet, boots, and insoles. Ask for Stephen or Dusty.

Mel

Mel, good to see you here again!

Mel:

Good to hear from you.

Holy cow, Batman, $155 for a set of insoles???:eek:

Wow. And Ouch!

TR

Hey Razor & Reaper, how you guys doing? I know what you mean about the price of those insoles, but it is the best $155.00 I've spent (twice!) in awhile. You gotta put it in perspective though. It's all about priorities, as you know, there are many guys that will drop that much easily in one night at a tittie bar:D.

Mel