In 1927, Dr. Dudley Joy Morton described a syndrome where the first metatarsal is shorter than the second. Also known as a "Greek foot", the most obvious indication is that the second toe is longer than the first. Ballet dancers often hear the term "Morton's Toe" when they're fitted for pointe shoes, as it presents a problem distributing weight within the toe box.
It seems I have a slight case of this. Men rarely dance en pointe, but there are some other effects. One is that more of the weight is carried on the head of the second metatarsal rather than the first, which reduces lateral stability of the foot. This happens both flat and in demi-pointe.
Much like putting a shim under the leg of an unstable table, there are shoe inserts available that add a bit of thickness under the head of the first metatarsal (the "ball" of the foot). The suggestion I've received is to put a few layers of moleskin in my slippers at that point. I tried that last night, sticking one layer to my foot rather than the inside of the slipper. I'm not sure it made a difference, but my legs were already quite tired by the time class started. I did learn something about where the moleskin needs to be placed. I'll give it another try Saturday, with two layers.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are encouraged! It doesn't matter whether you're a total newbie asking a question or a professional offering advice; I want to hear from you.
That said, Blogger sometimes quarantines comments for reasons I can't explain. If your comment doesn't show up immediately it may be waiting for approval. I'll approve almost anything relevant, but I have to notice it first! Spam will be trashed, of course.