Hack Toe, Turf Toe, Hallux Rigidus or Arthritis. Call it what you want, it’s the pain felt when pushing out of the hack and overbending your big toe.
This is what has gradually happened to me over time to the point where it was quite bothersome to not just push out of the hack but also to walk in soft running shoes. My solution to this was to make my shoe more rigid to minimize my big toe flex. After experimenting with shoe insoles, I found a carbon fibre insole on Amazon that claimed to do the job. For $48 I thought why not give it a try. I ordered them and found them to be exactly what I was looking for. They fit the entire inside of the shoe and are only 1mm thick. Perfect! They do not make my feet feel tight in my shoe but since they are completely flat, the manufacturer’s instructions suggest the insole that came with the shoe be put on top of the carbon fibre insole. I use a “Sole” insole on top because of its molded shape to maintain arch support.
Back to the curling rink. I’ve used this configuration for two games and the difference is like night and day. I can kick out of the hack at any speed and I would never know my toe was injured. This allows me to concentrate on my shot instead of grimacing from the pain when I push out of the hack. I have heard through talking with a few other players that they have the same problem. This worked for me and I hope that this works for you as well should you decide to try it.
John Rydzkowski
From Amazon:
- Vejesime carbon fiber insoles. $48.35 Make sure you get the proper measurement (approximately ¼ to ½ an inch shorter than the insole in your shoe). They do not flex when you try to insert them in your shoe so they can’t be too big.
- “Sole insoles”. They have a variety of thicknesses so depending on how your curling shoe fits you should select accordingly. (I use the medium ones which are about ½ cm thick) $65.
