aj``` wrote:
I can't do UA. At least, none that I found. Just entirely too much compression. At the moment, it's Balegas for me.
When it was at its height of pain, I once took a sharpy and traced out the pattern of pain on the bottom of my foot. I managed to trace out the anatomy of the nervous system in the soles of my feet. It looked a lot like this:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/...20C477A77374FCEF.png My dad is a doctor, and knows all the best ones in the city. I saw them all that knew anything about feet, bones, muscles, circulation, and nerves. I even saw a couple that were a little farther afield including an Endocrinologist and Rheumatologist. Interestingly, I spent a ton of time searching the internet way-back-when...I found several similar stories that felt like my own autobiography. Some of those also ended with, "after about 10 years, it just seemed to go away and life returned to a semi-normal state." I didn't really believe it then...but, here I am.
I tried the Balegas based on your reco a month or so back. I tried both the medium and the large. Very comfy, loved the plush cushioning---wish they would have worked out. But, the arch didn't work for me, still too much compression. The UA Charged Cotton (not 2.0, just the originals) have less compression that the Balegas, but less "cushion". Its not a great sock, and I don't expect that they will last very long...because it pills and sheds quite a bit.
But, hey...they've worked fine for 50 mile rides, and 11 mile runs. If I have to buy a bag-o-socks every other month for $20, so be it.
Likewise, I switched to a much larger shoe, from a 10-D to 11-4E, along with full custom orthotics (soft). All about getting a larger toe box. I also changed my lacing to allow for a loose lacing across the toe box, and tight across the instep. Again, changes designed to reduce the pressure across the width of my arch and forefoot.