u/nziffy

For reference I play football (soccer) at an amateur level, but it's my favourite hobby.

For around two years now, I have dealt with pain in the ball of my right foot when playing football. I always assumed it was perhaps because my left foot is bigger than my right, so to get boots which fit my left foot, the right boot was always a bit too big. Due to this, the ball of my right foot would be placed directly over a stud.

I couldn't say when it started exactly, but it will be mostly fine until I step at a certain angle and then it will be very painful and I'll subconsciously walk on the outside of my foot, further towards the pinky side. On the ball of the foot itself is where the pain is when playing, and sometimes even when walking normally, there is a 'crunchy' sensation in the ball of my right foot.

Generally, it isn't painful, but it feels uncomfortable, like something isn't right, so naturally I try to put less pressure on the ball. I went to see a podiatrist last year who gave me a first assessment which suggested it was because my right foot has a high arch. He then said the likely solution was a biomechanical test and subsequently custom orthotics, but this was very expensive so I decided to just get on with it. For the last season, it was fine and bearable until the last game where I stepped on the ball of my foot at a different angle and it feels crunchy again, and still feels strange and uncomfortable.

Day to day is fine, with no pain, but as I say it feels uncomfortable, and when I press hard behind the ball of my foot, towards the inside of my foot, that is quite painful, as well as when I press on the actual ball itself.

I am happy to potentially go back to a physio or podiatrist to get to the bottom of it but I want to have an idea of what to expect. I don't want to stop playing football if possible.