4th week in and having foot trouble

[Wicket2017]

Any tips for sore feet? I’m pretty sure it’s the Royal Mail issue shoes, I have the anvil trainers. My feet don’t hurt while I’m working it’s after my shift when I have taken the shoes off, I can barely walk around barefoot as they are so painful. I have no blisters or anything it’s the arch of my foot and my ankles, I’m used to walking miles in my trainers and never have any trouble, when I’m off for a couple of days in a row the pain goes away but it comes straight back after a day on delivery. I’m loving the job so far but would love to get this issue sorted

[misstmac]

Someone suggested insoles to me. I don’t start for a couple of weeks yet so can’t say if it works or not but seems to be a popular opinion. Hopefully someone with experience will be along soon to give you some experienced advice

[twoloops]

Some/most do not get on with the cheap Royal Mail issue shoes/boot, you will have to buy & use your own shoe/trainer or quit.

[itinerant]

Sounds similar to the problem I had recently. I had a new pair of anvils a couple of months back and they caused me a lot of pain (previous pairs had been ok). There should have been 2 pairs of insoles provided (half size different as in my case the shoe was a 10 but one set of insoles was for 10.5 size so are smaller) as people have had issues with anvils before and they provided 2 pairs of insoles as a solution (should be a note inside the box explaining this). For some reason I had just 1 pair of insoles provided this time round (despite having the note about there being 2 pairs) and I worked out that they were the wrong ones causing my instep to press against the side which was causing a fair bit of pain in one foot after an hour or so on the job (was hobbling around for an hour after work after taking them off!). Someone else at work also had a new pair of anvils with just one set of insoles too so not sure whether this was a bad batch or not.

I sorted it by taking a pair of scissors and trimming the insoles down to size so it reduced the pressure against the sides of the shoe. Problem solved. You could contact RM for another pair of insoles or get yourself a different pair from elsewhere but cutting them down worked fine for me (I trimmed one side and the front of each insole down by a few millimeters). Also if you are wearing thick walking socks you could try wearing thinner ones as this also helped with the problem I had (again its the pressure against the shoe).

I think these shoes can also take a while to soften up from new which could be a factor for you.

The only problem I have now as not falling on my backside in the winter as the grip on the anvils is shocking As mattycash says the RM shoes arent the best.

[Wicket2017]

Mine were also missing the extra set of insoles despite the note about them in the box, maybe I will try some different insoles. I totally agree about the grip being rubbish, I’ve already slipped a couple of times in icy driveways, not looking forward to the snow that’s forecast this week. I would go back to my trainers but they have absolutely no grip at all

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I use these - £12 to £15 well spent

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71mLYV-OiDL._SL1500_.jpg

[Jacko29]

I used the magnum shoes which are comfy, definitely prefer them to the trainer type ones they give you. I got some plantar fasciitis insoles of Amazon for around £5.99 not had any problems since.

[Browe2691]

Being ex army and in particular an ex infantry soldier, I have a lot of experience in being on my feet and looking after them.

Check your feet as soon as you finish a shift, what you're looking for is, any white or pale spots on your feet or toes (numbness or cold spots of skin are also good indicators as white spots may depend on your skin tone). If these are present it's usually a good indicator of either bad circulation or your shoes being too tight.

If your arches are where the pain is worst, I would advise seeing a doctor as soon as possible, or alternatively go to a running shop where they have the sensor pads and computers that can tell if you have collapsed arches or other foot trouble. If this is the case it needs sorting as soon as possible, I know plenty of 40 year old infantry veterans who walk like 90 year old due to bad footwear. (army boots have been known to be abysmal at best in the past). If you are having trouble with your feet its 9 times out of ten down to bad footwear, so it's probably time to look elsewhere for better shoes.

While insoles work for some people they arent always great for someone doing a lot of walking, being plastic or rubber they will make your feet sweat more and probably result in blisters or what's known as "hot spots" (not quite a blister, but still really bloody painful) or more nasties like athletes foot or fungal infections... not a good look if you like wearing flip flops on the weekend.

Insoles also tend to shift around a lot if you haven't trimmed them down properly to fit inside your shoes, as every shoe can be different and every brand has variations in size and fit.

I would personally recommend Merrell shoes and walking boots. Bit expensive, but think of them as an investment and most outdoor shops selling them can give you great advice on what you're looking for (avoid blacks, as they just want to sell you whatever they can and get you out of the door so they can make the next sale). The soles and heels tend to be a bit more forgiving for somebody walking on tarmac or concrete all day, they have good arch support and you can even find some models with the "Arctic grip" feature for those icy winter walks.

Pros: great walking shoes and sometimes even in colours similar to royal mail shoes (if your manager doesn't approve of Nike air max etc)

Cons: somewhat expensive... but like I said think of them as a serious investment.

In short... invest in good footwear most foot problems will solve themselves... hope this helped!