Learn About Foot Conditions

Misleading sunshine combined with gale force winds, icy mornings leading to mild afternoons and plunging into cold nights, you’ve got to love the British winter. One part of you that probably doesn’t love it at all is your feet. Finding the perfect footwear is hard at the best of times but when the weather is being as marvellously temperamental as only Blighty can deliver, it becomes trickier than ever. Insoles are a great year-round companion (of course we’d say that) but don’t be afraid to switch it up as we head into spring, or back into winter, depending on what the weather feels like today.

Hallux Limitus may sound complicated, but to put it in slightly simpler terms, it’s the early stages of what eventually becomes arthritis of the big toe or Hallux Rigidus. The condition directly affects the functionality of the joint of the big toe and, as the name suggests, limits the toe’s range of motion.

Hurting heels? You might be suffering from Heel Spurs, in fact you may be suffering from more than that! These bony outgrowths, caused by strain on the muscles of the foot, can be triggered by other, more painful conditions. While around half of all Heel Spurs will do a pretty good job of hurting all by themselves, for those placed under the foot this may also be a sign of Plantar Fasciitis, just as those placed at the back of the heel may be pointing to a case of Achilles Tendonitis. It's worth knowing that Heel Spurs don't cause either of these conditions, but that the reverse can be true.

When we place our feet on the ground, the foot will roll to compensate for the movement and the pressure being placed on the foot and ankle. For some people, it rolls just the right amount.

A plantar fibroma is a knot of tissue embedded in the plantar fascia – the band of tissue which connects the heel and the toes. The plantar fascia acts as a shock absorber for your foot, taking the impact your foot feels whenever you walk or run.

Foot drop (also known as drop foot) is a muscular weakness or paralysis which makes it difficult for you to lift the front part of your foot. It’s not a disease, but a sign of an underlying condition. It can be temporary, or it can be permanent. Because it’s not a disease itself, there are a number of different variables to it.

Bone Spurs, also known as Osteophytes, are bony growths that form next to the joints and can be found all around the body, not just the foot. As we at Shoe Insoles are all about foot health, we’ve already to filled you in and are always ready to help you out with Heel Spurs (or Calcaneal Spurs), but we can help you with other bone spurs, too.

High arches (also known as cavus foot or pes cavus) are where your arch is arched higher than normal. It’s the opposite of flat feet, much less common and much more problematic. High arches place more strain and pressure on your metatarsal area (the part of your foot between the ankle and the toes.

Runner’s Knee, also known as patellofemoral knee pain, is the name given to a pain and discomfort originating in the knee joint. Like those tricky little bones that cause Sesamoiditis in your foot, your knee is also one big Sesamoid, a bone that isn’t directly connected to other bones, but held in place exclusively by tendons and muscles, both of which are far more vulnerable to injury.