Before I went to Las Vegas, I got some new shoes and because of it, I knew I was going to get some foot pain.

You know what I mean?

You get some new shoes, you are excited to wear them but your feet and lower legs ache for a few days you get them.

As you know, I live up in Canada and when I go to the USA, I make sure to get some new shoes.  In the USA, there is a lot more of a selection for shoes and the prices are drastically cheaper than in Canada.  Plus, it is a nice treat for when I have to go on a trip.

Like I was saying, the last trip I did, I was off to Las Vegas and I got these shoes:

The above shoes, I got because:

• they were comfortable
• had a lower heel than my other shoes
• have a very soft sole
• were very light

I knew they would be great for training clients in plus they are a little loud in color, which I like.

Since they were new shoes, I knew my feet and lower legs would need some time to adjust to them.  I know in the past what has happened is my feet and lower leg hurt after I get new shoes.  A few times, when I have not done the tips below, it has lead to plantar fasciitis.

Over time, I have worked out a system that I can do in order to decrease the pain and speed up the adjustment.

Let me share with you what I do.

Foot Pain Tip #1 – Self Massage My Calves

The largest muscle that is connected to your feet is your claves.  When you change shoes, your calves are stressed in different ways.  This stress leads to a change in work they do, greater stress on new areas of the calf, shortening of the calf and trigger points in the calf.

The number one thing that I do is self massage my calves.

How I do it is, I will take my fingers, thumb or heel of my palm and press it into the calf, move it up and down, side to side or circles.  This leads to a decrease in the tension in the calf and helps with circulation in the calf, plus it feels good.

Foot Pain Tip #2 – Stretch Out My Calf

The next thing I will do is frequently stretch out my calf muscles.

I will stretch it in the morning after moving around a little, at the middle of the day and in the evening before bed.  This ends up countering the shortening that occurs in the calf from wearing new shoes.

Here is a video that shows the calf stretch, you can use a wall instead of a tree:

Foot Pain Tip #3 – Stretch Out My Feet

I have a dog and he has all kinds of dog toys.  The ones that I like the best are the dog balls he has.  These are great for the feet.

I will sit down and while I am watching TV, I will run the ball under my feet in order to stretch out my feet.

With the new shoes, my feet tighten up and rolling the ball under my feet helps stretch them out.

Foot Pain Tip #4 – Rest My Feet

I try to rest my feet.

I will try not to go for a 3 hour walk in the new shoes.  I will go for a 15 or 30 minute walk in them and then switch back to my old shoes or I will take a break and get off my feet.

This helps break my feet and body into the new shoes.

Foot Pain Wrap Up

I hope this gave you some idea on what you can do when it comes to the foot pain you get when you wear new shoes.  I know I get it and I know other people get it as well.

The tips are simple and easy to do.  Plus they are not just good for when you have new shoes, they are also good for general foot health.

Make sure you take a minute to self massage your calves out, stop to take a stretch, stretch out your feet and give your feet a rest.

I know if you do these simple things, they transition to new shoes will be easier and your feet will be happier.

Make sure to pick up a copy of my Effective Plantar Fasciitis Exercise Program to help you with your plantar fasciitis and foot pain.

That is it.

Have  a great day.

Rick Kaselj, MS

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