Skateboarding, an exhilarating blend of sport and art, often comes with its share of aches and pains. As someone who’s nursed their fair share of skateboarding-related foot injuries, I can attest that the pursuit of perfecting tricks and pushing limits can take a toll on your feet. It’s crucial to understand why skateboarding can hurt your feet to help you minimize risks and keep you rolling longer.
Skateboarding injuries are a common experience, especially for beginners who haven’t developed a comfortable stance or technique. But even seasoned skaters face challenges such as high-impact landings, improper footwear, and other unforeseen events. This article will explore seven common reasons why skateboarding can hurt your feet and ankles and provide some tips to help you prevent these issues.
1. The Impact of Skateboarding
Skateboarding often involves jumping down stairs, gaps, and drops. While landing perfectly can minimize the impact on your feet, most skaters experience countless failed attempts before mastering a trick. Falling properly can help reduce the severity of injuries, but your feet still bear a significant amount of responsibility during falls and landings. The bigger the drop, the greater the impact on your feet, potentially causing bruises, tears, sprains, and even fractures.
To mitigate this impact, it’s beneficial to practice new tricks on flat ground until you have them down. This will build confidence, reduce the number of attempts, and help prevent serious injuries when you move to more challenging obstacles.
2. The Importance of Proper Skateboarding Footwear
Proper footwear is essential for skateboarding. Although skate shoes come in different models, their fundamental design is consistent: flat, flexible, slightly bulky, and with grippy soles. This design is intentional for several reasons. The flat sole of the shoe provides a comfortable and stable platform for your foot on the relatively flat surface of the skateboard, providing comfort and balance during your skate sessions.
a vulc and cupsole skate shoe
Flexibility is also key, allowing the rider to manipulate the board for flip tricks, spins, and pops. This is why skate shoes are often made with suede, canvas, and mesh, materials that are durable yet flexible. The bulkiness of skate shoes is also essential, providing additional protection from the constant impact and wear. Finally, the grippy rubber soles are crucial for securing your footing during tricks and landings. While you don’t need a specific brand, choosing skate shoes over flimsy running shoes or high-top basketball shoes is a far safer choice.
3. The Problem With Tight Skate Shoes
While proper skate shoes are crucial, how you wear them is equally important. Like in most sports, your skate shoes should be snug but not overly tight, allowing for a comfortable fit without slippage. Tying your shoes too tightly may feel secure, but it can lead to issues like bunions and blisters, as experienced by many skaters who prefer a very tight fit.
Etnies veer skate shoes on a skateboard
It’s best to try on a few pairs of shoes, tie them normally, and choose a pair that allows your foot room to breathe while still providing a secure fit. This will help you avoid foot problems caused by overly tight shoes and allow you to skate more comfortably for longer.
4. The Agony of Landing Primo
Landing primo, when you land with your feet on the side of the board, can be very painful and is a common cause of injuries. This often happens when a trick rotation isn’t complete, causing your entire body weight to land on the thinnest part of the board instead of the regular platform. Even a simple primo landing on flat ground can be harmful.
Primo landings occur most frequently when the board’s rotation is too slow, but you still commit to landing the trick. The pain is amplified when you land with full force but on the edge of the board, directly impacting the soles of your feet. While every skater knows the pain of primo, it’s a mishap that you want to avoid as much as possible.
5. The Peril of Ankle Rolls
Ankle rolls are a common and frustrating injury in skateboarding. These can happen to anyone regardless of skill level. Ankle rolls occur most frequently when your lead foot overshoots the board while the other foot remains on, forcing your ankle to roll forward. The moving skateboard, stopped by the trucks, can cause further injury to your ankle and foot.
The side of the foot is usually affected, which can lead to a Jones fracture. To minimize the risk of ankle rolls, practice falling safely, kick the board away when an attempt feels sketchy, and try to master your tricks as much as possible on flat ground before trying them on gaps or stairs.
6. The Dreaded Ankle Smackers
Ankle smackers are another common and dreaded experience for skateboarders. These happen when you don’t commit to a trick, allowing the board to complete its spin without you. The spinning board can then rock back into your ankle or shin. This is the reason many older skaters used to wear pants while skating – for the protection.
While ankle smackers can cause severe pain and bruising, most skaters usually only get minor bruising or discoloration. However, they can still be disruptive and cause discomfort.
7. The Importance of Rest and Recovery
Skateboarding requires immense dedication, but it’s essential to listen to your body and rest when needed. Nagging, minor injuries that don’t seem to improve may indicate that you need to slow down and let your body recover. Skateboarding is a physically demanding sport that puts a lot of strain on your muscles, especially as you progress and push your limits.
Taking time off to allow your body to heal is crucial for long-term health and performance. The board will be there for you tomorrow, so it’s wise to let your feet and muscles rest and repair.
In conclusion, skateboarding, while thrilling and rewarding, comes with risks to your feet and ankles. Understanding the causes of these injuries—from high-impact landings and improper footwear to primo landings and ankle rolls—is crucial for prevention. By taking care with your technique, equipment, and rest, you can minimize the risk of injury and keep skating for years to come.
Christopher Michael
