Feet Pain In the Parks

[TinkSassy]

Body Glide is usually at specialty running stores only if you want a brick and mortar solution.

These are good places to have shoes professionally fitted for your arch and that will help as well. Try this exercise - I use it for my arches - lay a towel under your feet and then scrunch it with your toes. My doc showed me that and it loosens the foot up and relieves some of the pain. I also find that the arch issue will cause muscle knots in the calves that increase the pain so I spray my calves down with BioFreeze every night.

For blisters - I never had trouble at WDW but wore "cute shoes" in Las Vegas one day and had the problem you are talking about. I found Band-Aid blister thanks to a nice sales clerk - these are miracle bandages! I was using Moleskin but it just wasn't cutting it. These are awesome.

 

[FLchick415]

I've seen BodyGlide at Sports Authority near the running shoes.

 

[ttintagel]

All of the above advice is good; I also carry some moleskin with me in case of rubbing or sore spots.

I find it helpful to take regular breaks BEFORE I notice pain getting bad. That way, you can head it off at the pass.

 

[flickchick321]

I am all about SecondSkin. I have always had terrible issues getting blisters on the bottoms of my feet on any trip where I walk around a lot and usually spend the first 48 hours in agony. This spring, I used SecondSkin when I went to NYC and NO BLISTERS! I had purchased large SecondSkin patches and cut them into smaller pieces and just stuck them onto my trouble spots each morning. They don't move and no blisters!

 

[nettajean]

Ugh, I feel your pain.

In preparation of my upcoming trip (1st week of Nov), I have been on the hunt for some great shoes. I have been walking to and from work all summer (around 3 miles total) and had been in so much pain from the walking. And blisters! I swear every pair of shoes I own will give me a blister if I try walking for more than 10 minutes in them. I also have been experiencing some awful heel pain (planters fasciitis). So I've been very worried about walking around Disney for a week.

I have found two pairs that I LOVE! While I still have pain, the pain has been alleviated some.

First - Sanuk Yoga Sling 2. These are sandals made from a yoga mat. So squishy! The fabric that holds the sandal to your foot is so soft and I don't have to cramp my foot up to keep them on my feet. I walked to and from work the first day that I had them with no problems. In fact, I wanted to cry half way home because my feet felt so good (usually I want to cry half way home because of the pain). An NO blisters!

Second - Sketchers GOWalk (closest thing I found on their site to the shoes I bought are GOWalk 2 Golf). Sneaker type shoe. Super light weight and airy. Also no blisters, even right out of the box with no socks. They are cut low so there is nothing rubbing on your ankle bone.

I know that I'm still going to hurt, but at least I feel a little bit better prepared. Thanks to the person who recommended ice! I will be trying that tip.

 

[Bellamouse]

If you have the means (meaning, room on your credit card), I suggest trying Zappos. You can try a whole bunch of styles, at home - walk around in them - and then send back what you don't want. That's how I found the Keens. The reviews were amazing so I tried them out. I would never have stopped to try them in a store. But the reviews about the good arch support and the comfort made me give them a shot. So it helps to see all the reviews first. I tried many, many different pairs and just sent back all the ones I didn't want.

 

[Grmnshplvr]

I always end up with foot pain on our WDW trips and the one thing that helps my feet and with the heat is taking mid afternoon breaks. We get to the parks at rope drop and head back to the hotel at 1 until about 5 or so. Those are the worst hours of the day, during that time I switch from sneakers to flipflops or sandals. Wearing a different shoe for the rest of the day REALLY helps! Then at night I soaked them real good in the hot tub for a long time, at least 20 minutes...then cooled them off in the pool. It does help so much. YOu gotta baby them. My husband tracked our walking and we did 43 miles in 5 days at WDW!

 

[heidijanesmith]

I also have plantar fascititis and it is very painful after walking around all day at the parks. In the heat, I just can't handle tennis shoes and socks.

My podiatrist recommended Reef Fanning flip flops as they have amazing arch support, cushioning and help with excess moisture. I use Body Glide on the bottom of my feet, put it on x2 a day.

At night I roll the bottom of my feet on a tennis ball. It helps with stretching and relieves the pain.

I always carry moleskin in my bag, pre cut into different size strips, but have not had to use it since I started with these flip flops.

 

[DVCMikey]

I actually just recently bought a pair of skecher sneakers that have memory foam in them. they are really comfortable. I would tell you to take a look for a brand you like that has the memory foam, they are really soft and feel great on your feet

 

[Dannek]

Lots of good advice in the thread...

My girlfriend got blisters the first few time we went to WDW even though she had sneakers that she thought were comfortable.

After reading these forums on the subject, she got herself a pair of Sketchers Go Walk 2 slip in shoes and a pair of Croc sandals. She has had no issues since. She alternates between the two during the summer, and has a third pair of Sketcher Go Walk 2 slip in's that are one size bigger that her others, that she uses with socks in the colder months.

 

[ktlm]

I am very blister prone. I used to blister every time I got a new pair of shoes until they were broken in. I used to blister every single WDW or DL trip. Then, I discovered Body Glide (from these boards). I put it all over my feet in the morning before hitting the parks- I have not had even one blister in the parks since the first day I started using it 6 years ago (We go to WDW and to DL each annually). I use it any time I am going to be walking a lot- no blisters. I also started using it when I got a new pair of shoes- no blisters.


As far as shoes, when I first started using the Body Glide, I would wear tennis shoes with moisture wicking socks from Walmart. The socks did make a difference and I would recommend them if you are going that route. But, I'm not really a tennis shoes girl- I only wear them for working out and WDW. 3 or 4 years ago I discovered some shoes called Bernie Mev. They come in several styles and multiple colors (I'm a fan of the silver) and I usually wear the Comfi (open toe) and the Cuddly or Charm(closed toe) in the parks. They also have a sandal called the Cindy that I wore in DL this summer. To my surprise, I could wear them in the parks from open to close and my feet and legs weren't hurting and weren't even tired at the end of the day. That was absolutely unheard of for me. I have not worn anything else to WDW or DL since. I think it is probably because they are very lightweight, so they don't weigh you down at all (that also makes them easy to pack) . If you buy a pair, you need to wear them about 2 or 3 hours one day to get them stretched out and conforming to your feet. After that, you are good to go for a full day at WDW.

They come in kid sizes too, and once DD, 8, found that out (a year or maybe 2 ago) and got a pair she has not worn anything else at DL or WDW either.

 

[RllngRckBrw]

I have really bad plantar fashiatis (spelling) it is when the muscles tighten and then you get this excruciating heel pain. It is really bad. I have to keep stopping and stretching my foot arch to try and relieve the pain. But that is off point. However for blisters and such (and for my other issue) I would carry in my bag a second pair of comfortable shoes. So for example I wore my sneakers and then had in my bag a pair of Keens that are kind of like crocs. So I would switch out my shoes every couple of hours so that if my foot was starting to feel irritated I could switch and then it would relieve that area and no blister would form. It was well worth it to carry the second pair of shoes because I never experienced any blisters for the entire time we were there. The foot pain do to the other thing I had to live with unless someone has advice there!.

I have plantar faciatis too. I have seen tons of insoles and other "cures" I haven't found many that have worked. I found that stretches and time work best for me. I have been battling with it for a year and it has gotten better but it does flare up from time to time. The one thing that has helped me was I found shoes with memory foam in them and that has seemed to help. I seem to now be at a point that if I don't jar my heel, I seem to be ok.

 

[mickey1968]

I know exactly how you feel OP! On one of my trips I was in so much pain by about half-way through my trip that I didn't know what to do. One late night (after a MNSSHP much less) I didn't get a seat on the bus. I was practically crying and mentally willing a younger woman I was standing next to to give me her seat. She finally did about half way to the hotel. I think maybe I might have let out a few wimpers from the pain! I ended up sleeping with my feet elevated that night and coated down in Blue Stuff (a topical pain reliever) and more than the recommended dose of Aleve morning and night.

Anyway, my last trip was soooo much better. I had finally found several pairs of good, comfortable shoes! One pair were the Skechers Go Walks that several people have mentioned. Love those. At home I wear them barefoot, but at Disney I wore some low cut moisture wicking socks. I agree they are not the most fashionable, but boy are they comfy! I also found some Teva sandals and a cheaper knock-off version of the Teva's from Kohl's. Both were very comfortable and much cuter, but great support.

As for the heat, I become miserable when the temps get much more than the upper 80s and any humidity at all. My trip in May was warm but the humidity hadn't set in yet. One of the little mister fans helped alot, but I think I will stick with fall and holiday trips from now on. But even at Halloween it can be 85+.

 

[MikesTooLz]

get these crocs and for added protection where a pair of socks with them. The socks should also help keep your feet dry. Standing in lines here in the florida heat my crocs would quickly fill up with sweat and actualy make it very easy for my foot to slip out of them almost as if you were to step on a wet slippery floor. Having the socks on prevents that issue from happening.
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B008JEJLYU


These crocs are just amazing. They call them Duet Sport clogs and they are incredibly comfortable. Because of the added spongy padding that is added to the bottom of them, it is almost like walking on clouds.

 

[MikesTooLz]

oops, accidental double post...
if a moderator see's this please delete.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I use to get horrible foot pain at the parks too. What fixed it was

1. Taking breaks mid day. Going to the pool. Putting my feet up. Resting for a couple hours of the day.

2. Bringing at least 2 pairs of comfortable shoes to switch back and fourth. Even the most comfy shoes can become oppressive tyrants after a full day or two of walking the parks. Switching half way through the day pretty much made my trips "a walk in the park". Lol. Sorry that was dumb.

 

[disney world dreamer]

first if you are wearing flat tennis shoes and have flat feet thats not a good idea.
you need a good athletic walking/running SNEAKER with good arch support not flat tennis shoes.

personally i'm the exact opposite cuz i under pronate which makes the outsides of my feet hit the ground much more than the inside of my feet so flat cushiony shoes are better for me.

no matter what shoes you wear you are bound to get sore feet though so a trick i picked up back in 2007 is vicks vapor rub.
each morning i put a layer of that all over my feet.
its not the nicest thing in the world cuz it does make for a weird smell especially when sweating and it makes your feet feel a bit hotter and more moist BUT let me tell you it certainly works!!!
i don't get blisters.
my feet are just a TAD sore vs crippling pain.
and it also makes my feet incredibly soft vs tore up by the end of the trip.

i will never go without vicks vapor rub on my feet.
i've used it on 10 trips now.

oh and i also take 4 200mg ibuprofen pills before heading to the parks and after i return from the parks which helps a lot as well.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

We just got back a few weeks ago and let me tell you, my feet have never ever hurt as bad as they did this time.. I have a great pair of Tennis shoes and are not old at all but broke in. I wore them about 2 days and couldn't take it anymore so I brought out the ole trusty flip flops and for the life of me I cant remember the name of them but are made out of Yoga mat. From that point on there was no more sore feet. I will look at them and post when I can. They felt like heaven on my feet.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Okay they are called Sanuk Yoga Mat flip flops. I swear to you I have never ever had anything feel so amazing on my feet. I wear them all the time and on my 2nd pair. I don't know for the life of me what I was thinking and wearing Tennis Shoes. I promise that will never happen again.
Here you go.
http://www.sanuk.com/womens-sandals/yoga-mat/SWS2908.html

 

[practicallyperfect77]

I agree with other posters on moisture wicking socks, bringing a couple pair to switch on and off. In addition, I am a HUGE fan on peppermint and wintergreen oils or even just peppermint lotion. I tend to go open to close, but would rub my feet and ankles every night and it definitely seemed to help. I had 0 foot pain on my last trip in Dec.