We started with talking about outdoor sports, and now we’re going to talk a bit about indoor sports, or sports played on synthetic courts, such as tennis and basketball.
Both tennis and basketball are characterized by extremely rapid stop-and-go’s and rapid lateral movements. While great for fitness and a lot of fun, it presents exceptional stress on your feet from the repetitions of these movements, especially your big toe. Most athletes in sports like these are more prone to traumatic injury such as sprains, strains & fractures. Nevertheless, athletes who do not take proper care of their feet and shoes are still just as likely to develop deformities such as bunions. If you are an athlete, you know the last thing you want is to have to undergo painful, or even painless bunion surgery.
The best way to take care of your feet is to be sure to build up generalized fitness (strength, flexibility & nutrition), drinking lots of water, and wearing the right shoes. Certain synthetic surfaces are kinder to feet, such as clay & crushed stone (they allow more sliding), while asphalt, concrete, rubber & carpet courts are not. They key to good indoor sports shoes is shock absorption via cushioning, reinforced toes, wiggle room in the toe box, padding at the ball of the foot, sturdy sides, and a low well-cushioned heel that is firm on the outside. Basketball shoes specifically need to have a higher top, to allow for the extra ankle support essential to your feet. Lastly, don’t forget to change your shoes after 70-75hrs of active wear, and you should be free from the pain of searching for bunion and hammertoe cures.