Ball of Foot Pain (Metatarsalgia)

Pain under the ball of the foot (Metatarsalgia) is a common complaint with women wearing high heels and fashion shoes. Pain in this area of the foot may also occur when wearing hard shoes without any cushioning inside, such as work boots.

Metatarsalgia Symptoms

Metatarsalgia is often described as a burning sensation in the ball of the foot, often combined with excess callous forming. The pain worsens when wearing high heels or tight fashion shoes for longer periods of time.

What causes Ball of Foot Pain?

Ball of Foot Pain (Metatarsalgia) occurs when the metatarsals (forefoot bones) drop and the surrounding ligaments weaken. The entire forefoot structure collapses, in turn leading to excess pressure and friction under the ball of the foot. The key reason for this problem is that when wearing high heels most of our bodyweight is resting on the forefoot area.

Ball of Foot Pain with normal shoes

Ball of Foot pain is not just limited to women wearing high heels. It can also occur when wearing normal footwear, especially during long walks or standing or longer periods of time. This type of ball-of-foot pain is usually caused by excessive pronation and can be treated with a full-length orthotic such as podiatry designed Footminders Comfort, which features a metatarsal raise to help alleviate the pressure and friction in the ball of the foot.

Recommended orthotics for Ball of Foot pain: Footminders Catwalk insoles for ladies fashion shoes or Footminders Comfort insoles for other footwear.

Treatment and relief

For high heel wearers there's now a great new product on the market called Footminders Catwalk. Footminders Catwalk Orthotic Insoles restore biomechanical balance by supporting the arch, as well as the metatarsal bones.

This means that your bodyweight is distributed more evenly over the entire foot, instead of just on the forefoot. In turn, Catwalk insoles prevent excessive pressure and friction in the ball of the foot. As a result there's a reduction of foot pain and the associated burning sensation - especially with longer periods of standing or walking.

For ladies who wear high heels, we recommend the Footminders Catwalk Orthotic Insoles.