Foot Cramps!

[TaBalie]

Hi!

I am 30 years old, female... I skated competitively until I was about 13 then dropped it completely. Since graduating from college, I have been trying to get back into it, but I have been very inconsistent. However, this summer, I decided to really commit to skating again!

So, I got a new pair of boots (Graf Edmonton Specials)... Overkill of course, but I like stiff boots (or so I thought LOL)... I knew it would take some time to break them in, but the foot cramps are KILLING ME.

I feel like I have the right size boot... But after 5 minutes on the ice my feet are just cramping all over... I am not getting any blisters or rubbing on ankle bones, etc. When I unlace and remove the boot the cramp goes away immediately. I feel if I go for just 10 minutes every day, eventually my feet will get used to skating again, but is there anything I can do to speed up the process?

I am excited to take lessons again, but want to feel comfortable skating for at least 30 minutes without wanting to cut my feet off LOL :)

Any advice? Or is it just about baby steps and patience?

Thanks!

Natalie :)

http://www.ILoveTaB.com

[luna_skater]

I just got new skates at the beginning of June, and experienced some cramping as well. I would skate through it to an extent. If it got too painful, I would skate off and unlace them, let my feet stretch out for a few minutes, then lace up and get back on again. I'd say it took me about 5 sessions on the ice to get comfortable in my skates.

[Isk8NYC]

Me! Me! Pick Me! This is the most agonizing feeling. You just keep trying to get the cramps out of your foot.


It can be caused by wearing improper footwear before skating, like the stupid high heels I wore back in the day. You really have to stretch your hamstrings and arches to warm up your feet before skating.

But, my guess is that you have the same curse I just escaped from: improperly-fitted boots. The cramping starts on your arch and instep, right? Go back to the pro shop and tell them that you're getting these cramps. They can stretch or punch out that area without changing the heel fit.

Do it soon. It's not a break-in problem and it won't go away. Eventually, the cramps will be so painful, they'll bring tears to your eyes. (Another reason to carry tissues!)

[TaBalie]

Thanks for your responses!

I will pay attention tomorrow where the cramping starts. I feel like suddenly they just cramp all over though--I had similar cramps when I started skiing again after a 5 year break, I almost felt like my foot was "tensing" up in the boot... But I will definitely have the fitter take a look again. I also looked up some different ways of lacing. I have not "heat-molded" them yet, I think that might help as well.

Thanks again! :)

[phoenix]

Put on damp socks & wear the boots around the house while you're watching tv (ie, not walking around too much). Lace them as tightly as if you were skating. Your feet need to get used to being smooshed into skates again. I always get foot cramps if I've been off the ice for even a week. It gets better (provided you have confirmed that your fit is correct).

[nerd_on_ice]

Ah, foot cramps. :frus:

When I get foot cramps (much less frequently than I used to, thank goodness), they always come from:
(a) squinching my toes up inside my boots--I have to concentrate to keep from doing this, but avoiding it keeps the cramps away and makes me skate better.
and
(b) wearing/walking around in dress shoes for too long during the day. I've become one of those women who wears running shoes with her professional clothes. The "What Not To Wear" ladies would kill me, but it's a risk I'm willing to take.

Good luck and congrats on getting back on the ice! :bow:

[JulieN]

My Graf dance boots cramps my feet sometimes too, as did my old Riedell boots. I've had 3 pairs of SP-Teri boots and none of them cramp my feet. I think it's because I have very flat feet and the SP-Teri accommodates that better.

[Casey]

I have Graf Edmonton Specials as well (well for a few more weeks anyways), and had the exact same problem at first. I bought new insoles from a vendor I found online called Sole, which heat mold to your foot and then harden so that they are not spongy (works very well for skating). This worked very well for about 2 months and then my feet started cramping again. I put the original Graf insoles back in and since then have not had a problem with cramping, though I've had other problems with the boots. I do hope your luck with them is better than mine!

A workaround that I used to do is to not tighten the skates too tight over the top of the foot, but then tighten them tight around the ankles. It's funny because while I could get away with this when they were new, the padding has since compressed and now I can't get them tight enough in that area no matter how tight I tie the laces! Well, at least I don't have cramping problems anymore. :P

[TaBalie]

Thanks again everyone!

I actually had SP-Teri Super Teri's before (I bought them as an adult when I started skating again) but they were always torture chambers -- blisters, cutting, and of course cramping, etc. I have wide feet, and my SP-Teri's were 6C, and my new Graf boots are 5.5 M--and the Grafs feel wider and more comfortable. Because my SP-Teri's never became comfortable after 4+ years, I am too scared to try them again.

I just have to be patient I think, because I am pretty sure my problem is tensing/squeezing my feet/toes after being off the ice for so long... I am going to try a bunch of things (heat-molding, a double-check by the fitter, orthotics, different lacing, etc).

Thanks for all the advice, and happy skating! :)

[JulieN]

I actually had SP-Teri Super Teri's before (I bought them as an adult when I started skating again) but they were always torture chambers -- blisters, cutting, and of course cramping, etc. I have wide feet, and my SP-Teri's were 6C, and my new Graf boots are 5.5 M--and the Grafs feel wider and more comfortable. Because my SP-Teri's never became comfortable after 4+ years, I am too scared to try them again.


That's very interesting. I also have wide feet. My Graf dance boots are 5L, but my 2 pairs of SP-Teri's are 7B/A (combination width -- B near the ball and A at the heel). My third pair of SP-Teri's are customs that I bought used and I'm still wearing those. Unless the SP-Teri sizes have changed (I bought those stock boots in the early 90's), I think the SP-Teri "B" width is about the same as the Graf "L".

[Chico]

I got new boots back in January. I had arch pain for the first week. I also skated and ignored it, well tried. =-) No pain anymore, maybe things will get better here quick. My coach told me at the time that arch pain wasn't uncommon for the first week or so. Good luck.

[samba]

Hi TaBalie

I get foot cramps when I skate in the evening but not in the morning, I think my feet have started to spread by the evening.

Try keeping to morning skating until your boots are broken in.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Grace

[Mrs Redboots]

Hi TaBalie

I get foot cramps when I skate in the evening but not in the morning, I think my feet have started to spread by the evening.I'm the other way round - I get far worse cramps when my feet are cold!

I suggest leaving your laces much looser over your actual feet, then tightening them round your ankle.

[TaBalie]

I think the SP-Teri "B" width is about the same as the Graf "L".

Does "L" mean wide? That is so wierd as it is the opposite of my experience! I compared my SP boots to my Graf boots this week before the blades were put on and the Graf boot (5.5Med) was wider and longer than the SP-Teri 6C!

I have been using the blade I ended my original career on (an MK Phantom), and that hung over the front and and back of my SP-Teri boot (terrible mounting, but I was trying to make it work)... The MK Phantom fits the Graf fine, with no overhang at all...

Anyway, I don't have a lot of control when I go skating since there are only a few long general sessions (and I don't want to start lessons until these boots stop killling me ;P)... But tonight I am going to go from 7:15-9pm... Skate for ten minutes (or until the cramps become unbearable), rest (with feet out of boots) for ten, and repeat until the whole session is over. Fortunately I am in Sun Valley, Idaho where it is a beautiful outfoor rink --perfect for people watching! ;)

[flo]

I've had foot cramps with each new pair. What feels great is to sit in the penalty box, or wherever there are benches, take of the skate and put your foot flat against the boards.

[Moto Guzzi]

I have new boots, and the only place they hurt is on the bottom of my feet. I have to keep taking them off and rubbing my poor feet every 15 minutes. At first, I thought maybe it was because of my new orthotics so I took them out and have been wearing them in my shoes. They don't hurt at all in my shoes, but my boots are another story!

[samba]

I'm the other way round - I get far worse cramps when my feet are cold!

I suggest leaving your laces much looser over your actual feet, then tightening them round your ankle.

Good advice, and don't forget, it's right foot first eh Annabel :lol:

[TaBalie]

Thanks again, I am overwhelmed my how welcoming and helpful this forum is!

I will let you guys know what ends up working...

:)

[Jumper]

I have Grafs and also did not heatmolded them and also had arch-pain-turning-into-cramps problem.

I changes original Graf insoles to Jackson insoles but still had the problem. Jackson's just feel better, softer. After skating in boots for about 2 weeks everything turned out to be fine. I think it is because the boots finally molded themselves to my feet and they also openned a bit in arch and heel area. Now I feel secure in them and without pain. I think you may choose to heatmold your boots to speed up the process. Anyway, these boots were designed to be heated. My boot fitter suggested not to heat them because he thought they will last me longer this way. I'm pretty hard on boots.

I also found out that the best way to lace boots if you have flexy arches is next: start somewhat snag (but not tight!) around toes (if I do it loose I get blisters on my toes); lace arch area without preassure on it; do tight lacing on the first and second hook (do not forget to twist laces before the fist hook); somewhat looser last two hooks for better ankle bent. Do not forget to push you heel all the way back into heel cup because in Grafs you can slide out there into toes easily , especially in the new Grafs. (I even thought first that for some reason my skates became shorter :frus: After break-in it is easier to get and stay in the heel and lacing gets also very easy. I love my Grafs. I hope after break-in you will be also happy in them.

[PattyP]

I suggest leaving your laces much looser over your actual feet, then tightening them round your ankle.

This is what has always helped me in those first few weeks of breaking in new boots.

I've always had cramping in my feet when the boots were new, but it goes away for me pretty quickly. What Annabel suggested is the only thing that brought me any relief other than time.

[AnnM]

I agree with the loose on top/tight around the ankle school of thought. I got new boots about two months ago and was experiencing cramping as well, near the ball/arch area. Three weeks ago, while taking a short break in my lesson to un-cramp my feet, my coach said that she thought I was lacing too tightly across the top of the foot. She relaced them for me and showed me how to check if they were too tight. She ran her finger up and down the top part of my foot, over the laces, to see if the laces would move. The laces did move in that area, and the rest of my lesson was problem free. I've been using that trick ever since to make sure I haven't laced too tightly and have had much less cramping, if any at all.

[techskater]

Another possibility is diet related. If you have alcohol or a lot of sodium in your diet in the previous meal to skating, it's possible your feet are swelling due to water retention.

[Mrs Redboots]

Good advice, and don't forget, it's right foot first eh Annabel :lol:Absolutely NOT, unless you want to fall over before you even get on the ice.... Left, Right, is the way it goes..... ;)