As you may recall, recently I have been experiencing issues with my feet cramping during or right after a workout.  I tried to self diagnose and thought that maybe it was my shoes.  Lucky me, my friends at Tad Hughes Custom Fit Studio recommended trying some custom insoles to make my shoes work for me.

A little background – Tad Hughes Custom is best known as a professional bike fitter.  I have personally been fit there on my road bike, and it may be the most valuable investment a cyclist can make.  Discomfort leads to injury and reduces the enjoyment of riding your bike… being professionally fit also increases your efficiency and power output.  It gives you both freedom from pain and an edge on the competition.

So what am I doing going to a bike fitter for my feet?  It turns out that THC also specialized in custom footbeds to relieve pain for triathletes, runners, hikers, walkers…. just about anyone with two feet.  Although I am an avid runner, perhaps after my consultation today, THC can add “crossfitters” to that list!

Crossfit is hard on your feet.  While there is a running aspect to the different workouts involved, your feet also need to survive a level of pounding (box jumps), agility (burpees), flexibility (rope climbs), and stability (Olympic lifting). Many folks in the world of crossfit respond to this with a different pair of shoes for each activity… running shoes, cross shoes, and weightlifting shoes. For some, this may not be feasible.

Will Tad Hughes’ custom footbeds be able to transform the limited selection of “crossfit-specific” shoes out there to a custom experience for all foot types?  We shall find out soon 🙂  My appointment is tonight and I’ll definitely be reporting back about my experience and results!