Running, jumping or braking puts loads through the foot that never appear when walking: contact lasts less time, the force going through it is greater, and it repeats thousands of times in a single session. That is why some problems only show up in training and vanish as soon as you stop, and why footwear that is fine for everyday use may not work for sport.
Sports podiatry is not a different treatment: it is the same foot seen in its movement. How it lands when you run, which area takes the load when you change direction, how the shoes you already use are behaving, and what has changed in recent weeks. Most load-related problems appear after a change —more kilometres, a different surface, new shoes or worn-out ones— and finding that change is half the work.
What is assessed
- Gait in motion, not just standing: the foot lands differently when you run.
- The areas taking most load, and those showing rubbing, blisters or a damaged nail.
- Sports footwear: shape, wear and whether it suits your foot and your sport.
- What changed in your training just before the problem appeared.
- Offloading measures, silicone orthoses or insoles when the load needs redistributing.
Does your foot bother you in training and you cannot tell whether it is the movement, the shoes or the load?
Book an appointmentFrequently asked questions
- When should running shoes be replaced?
- Not by the mileage on the box, but by their actual state — and that is visible by looking at them. Replace them when the midsole no longer springs back — press with your thumb and see whether it stays compressed — when the heel has collapsed to one side and the shoe no longer sits straight on a table, when the outsole pattern is worn smooth in the area you push off from, or when the heel lining is worn and the foot moves inside. Bring the pair you actually use: the wear pattern tells how you load the foot, and sometimes explains a symptom better than any examination.
- Can I use my everyday insoles for running?
- Sometimes yes and sometimes no, and it depends on two things: the shoe and the movement. A running shoe has a different internal volume and a different factory insole from a street shoe, so the first thing is to check that it fits without lifting the foot or leaving the heel loose. The second is that when running, the load passing through the foot is greater and arrives in less time, so offloading designed for walking may fall short — or be felt too much — when training. Bring both the shoes and the insoles you already have to the appointment: with the two in front of you it is quickly clear whether they work, whether they need adjusting, or whether something different is better for sport.
