Practical advice

Skin preparation

• No foot baths before sport;
• Apply the protections, to prevent blisters, in the most sensitive areas of the foot;
• Apply a moisturizer and anti-heating on the foot, especially in areas of friction (heel and finger tips), to prevent the formation of blisters and localized hyperkeratosis.

Nails preparation

• The repetitive micro trauma and/or improper cutting of the nail, can cause hematoma under fingernail. Then the nails should be cut short, straight and without corners

Advice on shoes

• Do not use new shoes on the day of sporting competition and do not use a size larger than specified  because there is a risk of blisters;
• Do not use socks made of synthetic fibers, but only in natural fibers especially in white cotton;
• Use a antiperspirant spray inside the shoes, to prevent maceration and fungal growth;
• A good shoe and a good insole, can make the difference: faster movements, better placing and right timing. Obviously if the biomechanical podalic attitude and the global posture, are optimized, there is a substantial energetic saving.

The directions suggested by the Scientific Societies in Sport Podiatry, the Italian SIPS (www.sipsonline.it) & the American AAPMS, lists the 3 Tests to determine the proper control of foot movement in sport:

1) Good rigidity in the back of the shoe, especially in the medial part of the foot, when there is a tendency to hyperpronation, tested, as shown in the picture. Shoes with soft back of the shoes, were marked with 1, with back of the shoes rigid, were marked with 5.

2) Right degree of torsion that should not be neither too rigid or too soft, as shown in the figure. Shoes that are too soft or too hard have been marked with 1, with the right degree of torsion with 5.

3) Exact location of the line of anterior flexion, which must correspond to the natural podalic line of the metatarsophalangeal joints, as shown in the picture . Shoes that are unfit, were marked with 1.

Advice on shoe insole

• The use of insoles in your shoes must be gradually (a few hours or permanent use) to allow the body to adapt to the new setting of the feet;
• It is possible that during the early days the use of insole create articular /muscle pain that will disappear after about two weeks, otherwise you should immediately contact the podiatrist;
• Use the insole with appropriate shoes: not deformed, comfortable, back counterfort and with sole not worn.