There’s a good chance that you, yes you, take feet for granted. If you’re a pickleball junkie and can’t seem to take more than a day or two off of pickleball, then it’s even more important to take care of the feet while they’re healthy.
Many people sustain significant or small injuries over time and while they might complete physio exercises to heal the foot (see what I did there?), once it feels better the exercising and stretching tends to drop off.
As I’ve been told, maintaining these exercises should be an ongoing occurrence. For those of you who know me, you know why I’m emphasizing this topic - if you want to play pickleball for years to come, it’s time to start taking care of the little piggies.
Socks
Whether you’re competing in tournaments, or playing pickleball consistently and for multiple hours at a time, having proper athletic socks is a must. This is coming from someone who only wore typical “athletic”, cotton socks for the first 7 years of my paddle/racquet sport journey.
When I first started in pickleball, I was only playing a few hours a week and a bit of tennis as well, but was still mostly involved in soccer. Soccer socks are long and designed to cover shin pads, not to mention will give you a horrible leg tan.
But the socks I wore had nothing to do with compression or were designed to help reduce friction and potential blisters.
Fast forward to the present day and I’m more aware of the differences between cotton socks and athletic compression socks, maybe the most noticeable difference is lack of friction that a compression sock prevents.
A tighter sock will prevent the sock from moving as the foot moves naturally within the shoe. I also better understand the importance of compression, which allows blood to flow during activity to reduce swelling and potential pain.
These socks are actually designed to be worn for long periods at a time too, so for you tournament players you can wear compression socks all day long - the same pair or multiple. I like dry feet and will replace socks quite often during a tournament.
Shoes
So, in 2015 I joined a ladies tennis team. At my first practice a player from the team one level above mine walked up to me and said she didn’t feel comfortable practicing with me because I was wearing running shoes.
Looking down at my feet, I did recognize how silly it was to not be wearing court shoes, but I just wasn’t familiar with court sports and hadn’t even thought twice about buying myself a pair.
Since then, I’ve worn many different types and brands of indoor and outdoor court shoes, some being: Adidas, K-Swiss, Nike, HEAD, Yonex, Asics and the list goes on even more.
Regardless of the brand though, what I’ve come to understand is that the court shoe is designed to work with the way a person moves around the court for hours at a time.
The construction of a court shoe is built to withstand repetitive lateral movement, toe dragging and compression through the lower body, as the legs dip and rise through various shots. In my opinion, the most important component is the stiff and supportive heel counter which helps stabilize the ankle.
The thicker outsole that wraps around the bottom is usually specific to a court surface. So, a soft, gummy outsole is most suitable for indoor hardwood or rubber surfaces whereas an outdoor court shoe has a stiffer rubber outsole meant for synthetic, or, hardcourt surfaces.
Overall, a good court shoe should provide a mix of flexibility, heel and arch support, breathability, durability and some shock absorption.
If you’re thinking about buying - something that I considered when buying my first pair is that some brands will make a wider fitting shoe and others have a narrow fit. Be sure to try on a few so you can feel out what will work best for your feet.
Compression Sleeves
Most compression sleeves are designed to support the ankles but will cover most of the foot as well. Similar to the compression socks, the ankle sleeve promotes more blood flow and oxygen and is aimed to increase energy.
A sleeve will help reduce swelling, pain and plantar fasciitis and will absorb some impact. Compression sleeves won’t break the bank and with proper care they can be worn for many months before needing to be replaced.
Tape
If you’ve ever sprained an ankle, inversion (rolling inside) or eversion (rolling outside) you’re more than likely prone to spraining it again in the future. The first time you need or decide to tape your ankle, it’s probably worth seeing a physiotherapist or medical professional to have it done.
They’ll more than likely use softer athletic wrap as the base layer and then athletic tape on top - and what you end up with is a firmly tucked in foot. You should not be able to move the ankle laterally.
Alternatively, some people will apply kinesiology tape as a way to support weak joints, however, even though kin tape might help take away a bit of pain and stabilize an injury, it won’t support a weak ankle like a brace.
Rolling & Stretching
The simple act of rolling your foot on a tennis or lacrosse ball relieves the tension of ligaments and muscles of the foot. This exercise can and should be done daily especially if you have experienced plantar fasciitis.
Start the exercise in a standing position, press down to create pressure on the foot and start to slowly roll the ball back and forth along the length of the foot.
Do this for a couple of minutes at a time and multiple times a day to help keep the feet loose. Implementing a simple foot stretch after pickleball is only going to benefit you in the long run.
Spend some time cooling down the entire body, and be sure to include the toes and feet. Toe extensions, curls and stretching the entire foot are just some basics.
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