How do you save your feet?

[ratherbe@disneyland]

I'm just wondering what everyone's "tricks" are for helping their feet/legs not hurt? When we went for 4 days in 2004, my feet were in so much pain by the last day I couldn't walk. We ended up spending most of the time just sitting on a bench watching people. And this year we are going for 5 DAYS! I know to take Advil, probably will have to live on it for those days...I have heard switching shoes helps? Anyone heard that? Any advice would be appreciated! TIA!

 

[bumbershoot]

I make sure I have different shoes so I can switch at least for each day. Sometimes I bring the other pair so I can switch during the day.

I don't like to take medicine for it b/c you're not healing the feet, you're just making it so you can't feel them, which could allow you to do MORE damage to them without realizing it.

But I do make sure to bring my arnica cream to soothe them and promote healing while I sleep.

Many people put BodyGlide on their feet to help prevent blisters...hasn't done much for me, though.

 

[liz2d2]

In a word: Crocs! They've gotten me through many trips with 0 blisters or foot pain at the end of the day!

 

[Snow Orange]

Alternating shoes and days. My DH especially cannot wear the same pair two days in a row. Drink a lot of water too. Helps make your whole self feel better (even if its not hot.)

 

[teatime]

In a word: Crocs! They've gotten me through many trips with 0 blisters or foot pain at the end of the day!

yep, a loose pair of crocs!! I wear very thick socks for the first several hours, then take them off by later afternoon, put them back on in the evenings. Croc's saved my feet every time ! oh and there great for water rides!

 

[MagicKisses2]

My feet always get hot and hurt after a day of walking around. I think I'll be getting crocks for the next trip.

 

[GreatDane]

Change to a fresh pair of socks midday, take the train from one side of the park to another.

 

[ratherbe@disneyland]

My problem isn't so much blisters, as it is each step sends a shooting pain up through my leg. This is usually after 3 or 4 days of walking though. I haven't tried the switching shoes, but may have to try it this trip. Are crocs those one shoes with the holes in them and are kind of mushy? lol just wanted to know if I was thinking of the right thing. Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[jory29]

I make sure I have different shoes so I can switch at least for each day. Sometimes I bring the other pair so I can switch during the day.

I don't like to take medicine for it b/c you're not healing the feet, you're just making it so you can't feel them, which could allow you to do MORE damage to them without realizing it.

But I do make sure to bring my arnica cream to soothe them and promote healing while I sleep.

Many people put BodyGlide on their feet to help prevent blisters...hasn't done much for me, though.

Bumbershoot, I believe Tylenol (acetaminophen) could block pain in that manner that you describe, you're right, but with Advil (ibuprofren) it has an anti-inflammatory property to it and could actually help to minimize damage, I would think. My feet/legs/shins/knees tend to do very poorly, and on the last trip, thanks to the DIS'ers on this board I took advil daily, and it literally worked miracles for me on our last trip.

 

[jory29]

My problem isn't so much blisters, as it is each step sends a shooting pain up through my leg. This is usually after 3 or 4 days of walking though. I haven't tried the switching shoes, but may have to try it this trip. Are crocs those one shoes with the holes in them and are kind of mushy? lol just wanted to know if I was thinking of the right thing. Thanks for all the suggestions!

Ouch!! That sounds like shin splints... I had that the trip before last, and finally, on the last day, I had walked it out so I felt better again. Next trip was advil, and wow, did it work well for me. No shin splints!!

 

[Lakewood]

Boots, preferably broken in ones.

 

[amyamya]

Someone posted before on this subject and suggested conditioning BEFORE you go and it's a great idea. Corpsebride (I think) said her mom wore a pedometer and they walked 8 miles a day! If you can walk around your neighborhood or extend your daily walk before you go, it would help. If you already run 5 miles a day, it's probably your shoes. New Balances with inserts, switched with some other comfort shoe halfday/early evening should help. I liked my Fit Flops in the am, switched to NBs or Crocs with socks at night. Some days I wear my NBs all day and wear my Fit Flops at night. One day I wore Malindi Crocs all day, but my feet got sweaty so I prefer Crocs with socks. Please don't laugh at me if you see me!

I mentioned this before, but the girls in their twenties with the four inch heels make me cringe. How you could wear shoes like that all day at DL??

 

[mechurchlady]

I rent an ECV and am trying to get one through SCAN. It is for people who cannot walk a mile or more a day cumulatively. I am disabled by the way and barely can make it into the parks without leaning on a wheelchair then renting a scooter in parks.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Stretch them out and exercise them before going with the shoes you will be wearing. Change the shoes at least daily. We average 12-17 miles/day two years ago. We were a bit sore but had no problem keeping the pace. The kids are commando's and we try and keep up.

Jack

 

[avalon451]

Someone posted before on this subject and suggested conditioning BEFORE you go and it's a great idea. Corpsebride (I think) said her mom wore a pedometer and they walked 8 miles a day! If you can walk around your neighborhood or extend your daily walk before you go, it would help. If you already run 5 miles a day, it's probably your shoes. New Balances with inserts, switched with some other comfort shoe halfday/early evening should help. I liked my Fit Flops in the am, switched to NBs or Crocs with socks at night. Some days I wear my NBs all day and wear my Fit Flops at night. One day I wore Malindi Crocs all day, but my feet got sweaty so I prefer Crocs with socks. Please don't laugh at me if you see me!

I mentioned this before, but the girls in their twenties with the four inch heels make me cringe. How you could wear shoes like that all day at DL??

I read this, too, I think in the Unofficial Guide to DL. They said to start walking daily, 6 weeks before you go, especially if you don't already exercise... but even if you do, walking is a specific exercise. It doesn't have to be a huge long hike, but if you start slow and build up a little, it will really strengthen your feet and legs for your trip. Helped me a lot last October. Stretching is wonderful, too, both before your trip, and before and after your day in the parks. Doing leg extensions and that foot stretch thing, where you lie on your back with a hand towel folded around the bottom of your foot, and pull it gently toward you... stretches the achilles tendons, etc. and helps with plantar fascietis (sp? whatever it is, I have it ) .

I think it's pretty important to wear shoes that give good support, but also that you're used to and have broken in. After I broke my foot, the podiatrist told me to wear New Balance tennies with Superfeet insoles, because I have real high arches. They're great! But I wear them constantly, so I'm used to them. I think if you tried to wear athletic shoes when you're not used to them, you wouldn't find them comfortable.

Personally, I couldn't get away with Crocs; there's not enough support in them for my feet.

 

[LavenderPeach]

When we went on our big WDW trip (our only WDW trip so far), we switched between 2 pairs of shoes, alternating every day. We also brought foot soak powder and sat on the edge of the bathtub with our feet soaking after a long day at the parks. That seemed to help some. We also went to REI before our trip and bought hiking socks. They are thicker than regular socks and have a little bit of extra padding in the heal/toe areas and the best part is they wick away moisture to help from getting blisters. We were still tired by day 9 but we were still able to function and walk around fine.

 

[disney-inspired]

I would suggest in addition to broken-in, alternating shoes to soak them in hot water (i.e. jacuzzi) at the end of the day.

Also when you sit, eating or just resting, elevate your feet. It helps quite a bit.

 

[Sherry E]

I use several things for several ailments, including plantar fasciitis and a disc problem in my back that can cause tremendous pain in my whole lower half:

- I wear New Balance shoes religiously (good for people with plantar fasciitis)

- I use arch support inserts in the NB shoes

- I swear by the Band-Aid Blister Protect and Blister Block/Heal products. Those have saved my blister-prone feet on many occasions.

- I take Motrin for the anti-inflammatory properties and also because it helps when my back and leg pain start up

- I use this pain-relieving gel called Synovium, which can be applied to ankles or knees or feet

- I always take baby powder with me to put on my feet if they are perspiring too much

- Not that I am advocating taking drugs, but if you have any leftover muscle relaxers in your medicine cabinet from a previous ailment, it is not a bad idea to bring those with you to take at night before you go to sleep. They do a world of good at helping your muscles calm down and let you rest.

- I always bring some nice, cooling and soothing peppermint foot lotion or gel with me - the kind they sell at the Body Shop rocks! Give yourself a good foot rub with that lotion before bed and they will feel a lot better.

Now, the next day when you wake up, you will probably feel extremely sore all over for a short while and barely be able to get out of the bed. I take my Motrin, get in a hot shower, put on the gear for a day in DLR and push through whatever pain is nagging. Eventually it goes away. I sometimes find that too much 'resting' when I am in pain has a counter-intuitive effect. I am actually better if I keep moving through the pain until it stops - barring any episodes where I simply cannot move at all! I had a really bad time with pain in December 2007, and that was hard to push through, but in 2008, on both of my DLR trips I pushed through it because if I stopped to rest too much that made it harder to get up and move. Eventually it went away.

 

[LavenderPeach]

- I always bring some nice, cooling and soothing peppermint foot lotion or gel with me - the kind they sell at the Body Shop rocks!

I love that peppermint foot stuff from the Body Shop! I like the lotion and also the crystal things you sprinkle into the water (can't think of what it's called now).

 

[Sherry E]

I love that peppermint foot stuff from the Body Shop! I like the lotion and also the crystal things you sprinkle into the water (can't think of what it's called now).

Is that the Peppermint Foot Soak, or am I thinking of the wrong thing? In any case, Peppermint foot products from the Body Shop (lotion, gel, soak, etc.) - Every girls should have some of that in her 'beauty drawer' (or in my case, a beauty cabinet).