Toe maintenance
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90% of my toes work almost exactly as they should. 10% of my toes are so bad that I can't think straight. |
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tc pro's have a tensioned band running the length of shoe to give more edging power. So, a shoe like that could be fit to your foot looser with less loss of performance perhaps. Down-turned shoes, and even Miura's, can't be doing your feet any favors. |
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See that is a dilemma, I should have mentioned in my OP that my shoe choice isn't really up for dramatic change. |
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nicelegs wrote:See that is a dilemma, I should have mentioned in my OP that my shoe choice isn't really up for dramatic change. I'd rather sit online and spray all day about what I used to climb than be relegated to chuffer n00b bulk shoes on weakmo warmup routes. I'll rephrase my long OP. My shoes aren't overly tight. I can't reasonably get looser ones. I like to climb 12a/b vertical sport routes and 12a ish trad routes. I'd like to climb 13's once again in both disciplines if I can get my free time and toe sorted out. What can I do other than quitting climbing or switching to clown shoes can I do to keep my toe happy after my next injection of cortisone?Have you tried a stiffer shoe? Some years ago I had a big toe issue and climbed pretty exclusively in galileos, which i sized comfortably (read: snug but not pressure inducing) and saw little to no impact on the grades I was climbing but the toe stayed un-pissed. Scarpa made (might still make) some good, stiff, fairly downturned shoes (feroce's i think?) that might satisfy a similar bill. You might also look into the stonelands, they're designed to be a flat foot (less smashing) shoe and still edge well. |
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frankstoneline wrote: Have you tried a stiffer shoe? Some years ago I had a big toe issue and climbed pretty exclusively in galileos, which i sized comfortably (read: snug but not pressure inducing) and saw little to no impact on the grades I was climbing but the toe stayed un-pissed. Scarpa made (might still make) some good, stiff, fairly downturned shoes (feroce's i think?) that might satisfy a similar bill. You might also look into the stonelands, they're designed to be a flat foot (less smashing) shoe and still edge well.It is about time to do some shopping. I was just going to get new Miura's but I could look at others. La Sportiva and Scarpa seem to be the best for my foot. |
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nicelegs wrote: It is about time to do some shopping. I was just going to get new Miura's but I could look at others. La Sportiva and Scarpa seem to be the best for my foot.I have a pair of scarpa feroce's which may be the best technical edging shoe i've had the pleasure of owning, and they maintain a heel which doesnt mash my foot forward, such that a comfortable fit remains comfortable. I was a pretty die-hard miura guy (if you havent given em a shot, a pair of the velcros might be enough change, i feel like they have a slightly roomier toe box and better edging support) |
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Nicelegs, do you have bunions? What part of the toe hurts? It could be related to the tapering toe box of most modern footwear, which definitely includes climbing shoes. A place to start would be to walk around barefoot as much as possible, and get some toe spreaders to help with alignment and blood flow. Agreed, climbing shoes are terrible for the human foot but like you said, can't expect to climb hard by resoling some clown shoes with sticky rubber. |
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Is the Feroce a Velcro Miura? I have only climbed in Miura Lace and like them a lot. Is the Velcro stiffer? |
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nicelegs wrote:Is the Feroce a Velcro Miura? I have only climbed in Miura Lace and like them a lot. Is the Velcro stiffer? I do like the idea of a roomier toe box. Does the downturn flatten out? I rarely climb consistently overhung routes (too weak for rifle), and I don't want to suffer with a downturn on Devils Head and Shelf. Mitch, the only bunion on my feet is a Taylors Bunion on the same foot as the bad big toe. A Taylors Bunion is on the little toe side. Mine occasionally will be sore but hasn't given me a moments thought in years. It sure looks like I could use a spreader there but I actually don't know anyone with 10+ years experience whose feet don't look like they need a spreader. As far as bunions and mashing goes, my fiance's feet look way worse than mine (in a cute way of course) and she never seems to have the foot pain I have.The feroce is similar to the velcro miura in shape (it will flatten some) but seemed to be stiffer than the velcro miura to me. My only velcro miura experiences have been brief, but they certainly felt stiffer than the lace version to me (I've owned several pairs of the laces). |
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RC.com has a thread covering some toe issues. It is, most likely, not related to what you have, but perhaps some ideas regarding the shoes might be worth considering |
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Have you considered seeing a podiatrist? If you do see one, don't mention the previous diagnosis of turf toe. Let him give a diagnosis without the suggestion of another doctor's diagnosis. |
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You haven't actually said where your injury is located. Edit: because "my big toe" is generic. |
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If you can't get a solid diagnosis, it's hard to give much advice, but a certain man comes to mind; |
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Aerili, it's the most distal joint on the right big toe. I don't think that is the 1st mtp but I've been wrong before. |
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Hi, I am a Podiatrist and have been climbing for over 40 years. You need to get an accurate diagnosis, to determine the best treatment. It is obvious that the cortisone injections helped, but it is not advisable to repeat them too often. The xray that was posted has the first MTP circled. Is the pain in that region? This is a complicated joint with two small bones underneath that can be problematic. |
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I have had the same problem for years now as a result of my right foot being more than a half size bigger than my left. I've been using a shoe stretcher to keep the right shoe stretched out(width and length) and it has been working pretty well for the last year or so BUT I still have the pain, its just not as bad. Most of my old shoes just sit around now and collect dust while I use the loosest fitting shoes I own which are stiff edging shoes(scarpa force). |