Oh My Aching Feet!
By Terryl Jones
S omeone catches me quietly after class, they look around to see if anyone is within earshot, then they whisper the question almost guiltily. “My feet hurt so bad, is there anything I can do? They look at me with pleading eyes. Should I buy a new pair of shoes? It is the shoes isn’t it?” Well maybe it is and maybe it isn’t.
U nderstanding what causes the feet to hurt helps you understand how to remedy the issue. We will deal with the shoes first. For both men and ladies, the ideal dance shoe becomes part of the foot. They are extremely flexible and bend easily. Therefore sole is very thin so as not to interfere with the flexing of the foot. In ladies shoes the heel cup and straps should keep the foot securely in the shoes so that during spins the foot and shoe turn together and stop together. The heel is welded to a steel shank in the arch allowing the heels to support weight in them. This contrasts to ladies street shoes that usually have fragile heels which causes the lady to ALWAYS keep her weight forward on the ball of the foot. The supported heel means that the lady can use her entire foot rather than just the toes. The straps should be as tight as comfortable but not cut into the skin anywhere.
So the first problem is often a poor fitting shoe. Ladies – the tendency is to buy a “pretty” shoe. There are quite a few “pretty” shoes on the market that just do not provide the support. If the heel is wobbling or you have the straps cutting into the skin to keep the shoes from moving around as you try to dance….. the shoe is DEFINITELY either the wrong size, the wrong shoe, or broken down. Many brands of shoes carry similar styles, some running narrower or wider. A certain style from one company may be too wide/narrow, but be just right from a different company. If you have a hard to fit foot, you should try several different brands of shoes. The shoe should fit securely, a bit tighter than street shoes. You want to have the shoe move with the foot, but not have the foot move around inside the shoe. Remember that leather will stretch more than other materials and allow for the adjustments. As far a padding underneath the foot itself, the shoe does not have very much for the very reason it will interfere with the flexibility of the shoe. A pair of Dr. Scholls pads help. Ladies they sell some that fit under just the balls of the feet. As a side note ladies, it is ok and even preferable to have your sandals run shorter than street shoes. Sometimes the toes may even be in contact with the floor, this allows the toes to grip the floor better.
After ruling out poor fitting shoes the next thing to make note is the type of floor. In clubs the floor (either wooden or tile) is laid on top of concrete. This is hard on the entire body, not just the feet. Hard floors are destructive on the joints, hips and spine also. A good floor for dancing is a “floating” or “sprung” floor. A “floating” floor is raised off the concrete several inches and is just sitting upon widely spaced supports. This allows the floor to give under the body, thus lessening the stress on the feet and body. (Those that have been to Lets Dance note the ramps to the floors, both rooms have “floating” floors.)
Lastly your feet hurt because of you! Any muscles that have not been worked will get stiff and sore when you start working them out. You expect it when you go to the gym, you work the muscle and it gets sore Many people are pleased to be a little tender because they know they were productive. Your feet have many muscles. Just sitting at a desk or walking does not work them. When you are dancing those muscles are getting worked and stretched much more than normal. They are also attached to the muscles of the ankles and legs so those muscles will also become tight. So to feel better soak your feet or take a hot bath. There are two great products on the market: Footherapy and Batherapy. They are basically a mineral soak – they work. (Side story: I KNOW Batherapy works because when my dog and I were training for a marathon I used it. My dog hated baths but he would lay in the tub and soak in this stuff! ) Take time to massage the the muscles out with a sports creme. A foot roller is great for working the bottom of the foot, but you need to use hands to work the toes, the top of the foot and the ankle. Stretching out after dancing is wise. Take the time to stretch at least the feet, ankles and calves. Very likely you will feel the tightness all the way up your legs, hips and lower back. If you have spent a lot of time on your feet, they are probably a little swollen so propping them up will help.
Poor technique can also contribute to or even cause injury or pain. Since we are talking about feet I am not going to get into the issue of how poor technique could hurt your partner. Other than getting your feet stepped on, the poor technique that causes foot pain is usually your own. I also do not have the space to get into all the bad habits that would cause pain or injury. A general description will have to do. Ideally the bones of the leg are lined up on top of the part of the foot that is carrying the weight. All the joints of the foot, ankle and leg should bend, straighten and transfer weight without sacrificing that alignment. Any misalignment will cause micro trauma that can cause the flare up of an old injury, cause a new injury or just plain hurt. To avoid this you need two things: a good teacher that knows anatomy and physics of movement and good self analysis. Your shoes can also be a valuable sign, if they are wearing out unevenly you should book some time with a knowledgeable teacher. Be aware that in street dances such as salsa or swing many of the “popular” teachers are just someone that has some cool steps but very little training in body mechanics and movement. If you are hurting find a teacher that is a “technician” and have them take a look at you.
