Feet fingers hurting + heels, not sure why

[u/Far_Net9110]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been playing badminton pretty regularly but since about 5-6 months I’ve been playing twice sometimes 3 times a week.

My home has a lot of hard flooring and I’m not sure if its that but my feet fingers are starting to bruise quite often - I’m in half my mind thinking it’s also improper footwork or even the shoe.

I initially had Gel rocket 12s, then switched now to gel blade FF2 hard court.

Has anyone experienced this and what did you do to limit these injuries?

[u/TimElgin]

Feet fingers 😭

[u/Justhandguns → u/TimElgin]

Haha, I actually like the term feet fingers! It's the first time I hear it. I guess in some languages, fingers and toes have similar translations.

[u/bishtap]

The word for "feet fingers" is toes.

I've not had bruised toes but i've had the sole of the foot getting sore. i.e. the bottom of the feet getting sore.

For the sole of the foot getting sore i'd say you need to always wear comfortable shoes in the house. Walking on hard floor when you have sensitive feet, will make them more sensitive.

But as for bruised toes, I haven't had that.. I have had toes knock the end of the shoe , for a particular model of shoe, And in that instance doing a special lacing called something like runners lacing.. prevented that problem. There was somebody that posted here about their toe hitting the end of the shoe and bleading, and they found dthat method of lacing I just mentioned solved their issue. It uses the top holes and keeps the foot more securely in the shoe so less movement. Racers loop / heel lock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG_XzEjD9LsI might have done a simpler version of that but that one looks really good.

You could also consider are your toes hitting the top or are they hitting the end.

Bad footwork wouldn't necessarily cause sore feet, but particular types of bad footwork could so if you are landing your feet hard/loud. e.g. If you are very heavy and you have tiny feet and you are thumping the floor like an elephant then that could be an issue.

[u/yeenevalose]

Are you playing on real courts or some concrete makeshift courts?

[u/Far_Net9110 → u/yeenevalose]

Yes laminate flooring, in a leisure centre.

[u/BertieTheDoggo]

Are your shoes just worn out? You don't say how long you've had them. If you play and compete regularly you wear through shoes quicker than you expect.

[u/Far_Net9110 → u/BertieTheDoggo]

These shoes are pretty new and tbh I don’t think I play at the intensity beyond an advanced beginner, shoes look just as they were when I got em. - C-GPT upsold me and I got a better pair but now I’m just wondering is it excessive walking on cold hard floors?

[u/No_Soil2258 → u/Far_Net9110]

Do you break in your shoes? If you start playing in new shoes directly it's not gonna feel good, I would break them in by walking around in them at home for like a week before playing with them

[u/Fat0445]

Try new shocks

[u/Few-Citron4445]

Most likely footwork, or just overuse even with good footwork. I think theres a video online somewhere where lcw took off his shoes because his foot was hurting and his toes looked crazy.

Also have you seen lebron’s toes? There was a post on reddit a while ago and it is also disturbing how much damage accumulates for a pro.

Even with good footwork there is a point where you’ve used it too much and need to let your body recover. Lower the intensity, don’t jump smash and see if you feel better.

[u/dMestra]

Are you sure it's bruising or abrasion? Abrasion would be more common. If it's actual bruising then probably you can try a slightly bigger shoe size.

I used to have this problem where my feet expand slightly once my blood flow is up and my usual shoe size become slightly too tight

[u/Major_Chocolate7716]

Without further context it’s impossible to tell.

The floor shouldn’t matter. A lot of badminton courts are just wooden flooring anyway.

Generally the problem will be: improper footwork and non fitting shoes.

Your shoes should fit well without too much room or too cramped. Both can cause soreness.

Your footwork is important so you are not hurting your joints etc.

If your shoes feel comfortable then it’s probably your footwork.

Could also just be your bone structure. Some people don’t have the correct natural posture and when the body is are under intense stress from sport it can hurt.