Arch hurts when skating, Why?

Question

Well I have Risport RF4 skates with MK21 blades. Beginner and I've broken into the boots for quite a while.

I bought the skates second-handed, so the blades are not fitted especially for me. I'm not sure if the position affects though.

I realise that after skating for around one hour and sometimes even lesser, my right foot will hurt, at the area of the arch. I'm Asian with relatively narrower foot than other Asians. Are Risport boots suitable?

I know that I'm asking about the arch, but I'm wondering the tongue should be felt on the shin. Sometimes it irritates me, and no, I'm NOT going to wear tights/stockings. My friend said that that was not normal. Is it lace bite if it kind of puts pressure at where the knot is tied?

I've a left knee injury, currently not skating. Could putting more weight on the right side be the reason? Pst. I want to get back to skating ASAP!

Please answer the questions that you know if you can!

whoa. THANKS GUYS. my mouse getting spoilt and you have no idea how tough it is to add detils. anyway, i'm not wearing tights because i'm only beginner with my father teaching. that doesn't affect.

well. hmm. i think my arch is rather high when relaxed but i'm not sure when skating. yeah.. my feet are quite comfortable if not for the pain at the arch area. what's punching out?

Answer 1

First, are the boots too broken down to give you the proper support? If the ankles are at all floppy - if they bend to the side at all when you hold the boot up, by its base, in front of you - then you need new boots, because these are too broken down to use.

Second, are your toes lying flat in the front of the boot, and is your foot lying flat? If it's not, your skates may be too narrow. You'd need to have them punched out by a reputable skate fitter, at a reputable skate shop/pro shop.

Third, it may be that the arch of the boot is too high for your foot. This happened to me. My skate fitter was able to lower the arch, and I felt much more comfortable afterwards.

It is possible that the position of the blade on the boot isn't right for you. I suspect that may be affecting your knee. A reputable skate fitter will be able to have you stand on the skates in front of him, off ice, and see how the blade should be positioned. He'll then move it to the right placement for you. That is, if your blade can be moved. I'm not sure if the RF4's blade can be removed and repositioned.

As for the tongue irritating your shin - while you don't necessarily have to wear tights or socks, you can put padding where the tongue is pressing. I use gel ankle sleeves, by Bunga, which I love, but there are lots of options for putting a bit of cushioning in the area that's a problem.

The Risport RF4 is a fine, beginner skate. The Risport brand does tend to have a wider toebox - the area around the ball of your foot - than other brands. Skate brands that tend to run more narrow than others include Harlick and Wifa.

Risport is a reputable boot company.

Answer 2

I had the exact same problem when I got my skates, it felt like my feet were being crushed after I'd skated for about half an hour. We relatively fixed the problem, though, by taking the sole's out of them and putting some in that had higher arches, which was my problem, I have very high arches. The soles that I had had very low support and my feet were literally being crushed.

I don't wear tights either, and my skates kill me when I don't wear my Bunga pads. They are basically the only thing that works, if you don't want to wear five pairs of socks.

I hope you recover soon and happy skating!

Answer 3

I wear tights/leggings, ad they keep you warm. All other skaters wear them, so you shouldn't be afraid to. I really recommend trying them. It's about twenty dollars for the whole set, of inside and outside tights. About the shin, if the boot is rubbing directly on the skin because you are not wearing tights, try tights. If you do wear socks under your boots though, try a moleskin patch. One of those first aid patches made of fuzzy material, and it should be in your First Aid kit. Also, try getting your boots inspected by someone who knows what they're doing. Try a skate shop, or a coach at your arena/rink, and Good Luck! By the way, I love getting best answers!

Answer 4

I am wondering why you rule out tights or support tights when all professional skaters wear them? They work as well under pants as they do with skirts as figure skaters wear them. I even knew a Olimpic speed skater that always wore them during practice, for added support. She won gold.

They make a lot more sense than whatever socks you are wearing now, which help bind up the instep and arch, causing the laces to bite.

Answer 5

As for the lace bite, I used to get that too when I was skating and it's from the pressure on your ankle. You can use a really good moisurizer lotion and work it into your ankle really well. This will keep it from getting dry. Overall, I wouldn't worry too much about it. As long as you take care of it, it will go away when you stop skating.

Answer 6

rf4's are a basic skates... and don't have a lot of support.
also i noticed when i skated with these a few years ago that if your feet are wide, the pain will stay with you till you no longer have the skates.
also try wearing pop-socks or tights underneath your trousers instead of socks as these are thiner and could help with wider feet and foot pains.

Answer 7

wear the tights!