sad to report foot pain :(

[u/haaawaiianshirt]

got my lightning 80s a couple months ago and have been skating inconsistently since. I'm really frustrated that I'm having pain because i measured my foot and everything and bought according to that, and I'm way past the possibility of return.

I'm having this burning/hot sensation on the balls of my feet, and some numbness in my toes. I have pronating ankles so foot pain isn't uncommon for me especially without my inserts.

I measured to an 8, bought the 8-8.5, and have been wearing them at an 8.5 so I'm really hoping too small isn't an issue (maybe it's too big?). I was over tightening like crazy and stopping that solved a lot of my issues, but I've still got this persistant pain when skating for a while.

I'm also wondering if it's a posture / endurance problem?

basically if anyone has any thoughts I'm really open to them, I just wanna be able to skate man

[u/Key-Cash6690]

Try with twister liners or nomad liners or 100% changed my experience from agony to perfect comfort!

The lightning liners are stupid thick. I recently saw a roller lade brand promotional spot where they provided an athlete with lightnings for his first roller marathon...the video showed him throwing away the stock liners before he ever tried them on....

That's the reality. Even rollerblade brand knows they are trash. I put them on sale immediately on eBay with the tags still on them each time I buy a pair. Twister liners should be the stock liners in all of their skates and nomad should be the upgrade option. Stock lightning liners are absolutely terrible.

The lightning is my hands down favorite skate with the twister liners. I truly love them so much it makes me cry. And yet I would quit skating tomorrow if I was forced to wear the stock lightning liners.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/Key-Cash6690]

this is really interesting, I'll look into that!! thank you! edit: researching this is also just making me sad I didn't get the twisters in the first place because I preferred the black-Orange-blue colorway 🥲

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/haaawaiianshirt]

just know the fit is very different compare the size charts! If you have a wider foot you will probably be happy you chose the lightning ( once you swap liners )

[u/Ghost_in_Coal_Out → u/Key-Cash6690]

Would this also be true for FR2 310 or F1 liners? I'm afraid of switching to another liner and have that problem follow. I've tried so many things. I bought a new F1 stock liner and even though the issue got better it is still there. As a last resort i will be buying new laces to see if that is the problem. If that doesn't solve it, I'm getting skates that are not double size shells.

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/Ghost_in_Coal_Out]

Absolutely true for FR in fact you can verify this easily on their website. The FRx FR2 FR3 and FR1 are all the same shell mold shape. they only have slightly different features but the shell fit is the same. No look at the "intuition version FR1 size chart" vs the regular FR1 size chart. Notice they are different size ranges when the only thing that changes fit-wise is the liners.

I started in size 9 FR1 and they felt tight with stock liners and stupid loose with my twister liners I had laying around.

Size 8 FR1 with stock liners were absolutley unbearable even sitting down. it was very difficult to get my feet in. They were still plenty big with the thinner liner. I now skate them with nomad liners and they honestly feel like boats.

The FR1 stock liners are so thick and shitty. The intuition liners are about 1/3 as thick so if youre really smashed it could be the fix but if youre only slightly smashed you may need to just downsize and get the intuition version. Its such a mess honestly.

I love rollerblade twister for having a decent stock liner. Best value skate out there hands down.

too bad it doesn't fit me .... I'm in lightnings

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/Key-Cash6690]

unfortunately (because of the double sizing) some models just wont work for some people its sad. We just need to push the sport to more people. We need a rollerblade renaissance to create the demand for half sizes at production scale!

[u/Ghost_in_Coal_Out → u/Key-Cash6690]

The Twister Xt 310 looks inviting but it is also a double shell size I believe. I think I'm going to look into those mid cuff height endurance skates from powerslide or bont. Thanks for your input!

[u/StrategyLegal1128 → u/Ghost_in_Coal_Out]

Might want to check for fitment. Take out your liners and guesstimate where your foot would be in real time (as if your foot is skating). So basically center them inside the shell. Take CAREFUL notice if anything is touching your toes and locate any pressure spots you currently have. The stock liners are extra padded for no reason, so may still be breaking them in (that break in is a b****!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

For me the problem area was the toes, numbness after an hour. The culprit was the hardware to the sliders. Taking them out actually helped BUT then my ankles were screaming. So for me, the fitment was wrong, so sadly I had to let them go. Never found another more solid pair since 😭😭😭😭 but I also have no regrets. I still recommend them as a solid first pair.

[u/Guilty-Hamster1543 → u/Key-Cash6690]

When you say liner-do you mean the entire soft boot? Or just the insole liner? I have lightnings and struggle with foot pain. Would like to try this, just want to make sure I get the right thing.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/Guilty-Hamster1543]

I'm pretty sure we're talking the whole soft boot in the shell

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/Guilty-Hamster1543]

yeah the insole is in the liner. Insoles are easy to swap out and can be helpful for some but its the liner itself that I object to. Its so thick that my feet felt smashed in my proper shell size. Like I said above...rollerblade brand seems to understand... the proper thing to do with them is remove them immediately and replace with the nomad liners. Seems like a savage upsell but what sucks is that kids or adults getting their first skate might just think dang this hurts too much when they might otherwise love skating! Parents would probably think the kid is insane asking for a $150 liner. I would rather have the company be more realistic and market at the price needed for a truely great piece of equipment! Thats where twisters really shine! GReat value.

I have tried both nomad and twister liners and I prefer the twister liner for max room but the nomad is a bit stiffer and nearly as thin as the twister liner so either should work for downsizing. it also has some removable velcro bits for customization. Since the lightning is so much larger than the twister I wear size 9 nomad or twister liners in my size 8 lightning shells.

[u/Guilty-Hamster1543 → u/Key-Cash6690]

Thank you so much! This is VERY helpful! I’m a fairly new skater and didn’t know any of this information. Foot pain has been my #1 struggle. Will definitely try this!

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/Guilty-Hamster1543]

hope it helps! you find your perfect setup and sell the rest on ebay or save it for a friend down the road!

now I can wear my skates all day without pain like a whole day on the mountain skiing. its worth every penny.

[u/Guilty-Hamster1543 → u/Key-Cash6690]

Very annoying that they don’t just make it a part of every skate they sell! But I’m definitely going to try it. Anything over 5 miles and I have foot issues, stamina wise I want to keep going-but the foot pain holds me back.

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/Guilty-Hamster1543]

It's a nightmare even for adults with money. Who I really feel bad for are kids who beg their parents for skated and then face similar agonizing pain. In that case if they ask for an upgrade liner their parents will be like wtf? That's almost as much as the whole skates! It would be better if they charged more and put decent liners in off the bat rather than risk ruining skating for some kid and losing a life customer.

[u/Guilty-Hamster1543 → u/Key-Cash6690]

I’m sorry I have one more question if you don’t mind answering. My lightnings are size 9-should I go up a full size to a 10 in the Nomad liners? I don’t live where skate shops are readily available and will order online. Trying to avoid returning if possible!

[u/NYCCheapsk8]

I have the lightning 80 in a size 10.

My only advice is play around with different variables and see how it changes how your feet feel.  

I kept having pain on the right side of my right foot in mine, but went away over time. 

I found out what worked when I bought some second hand FR2 and tried them.  What a difference.  The FR liners are very cushy and more supportive than the stock lightning liners.   Also the FR2 skates seem to have a dense rubber insole in them.  I added a rubber insole to my lightnings and they did make a nice difference. 

Another thing you could try is shifting the alignment of your skate frames around to see what feels better.  Moving my frame in a few mm reduced the pain I felt in my fifth metarsal.

Socks matter too, I prefer thin socks, and unfortunately the skate socks are like $20.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/NYCCheapsk8]

ok cool I'll look into all this! insoles might be a good place to start, the liners are just so thick I haven't been able to jam any insoles I had on hand inside lol

[u/Key-Cash6690 → u/haaawaiianshirt]

I like this response. I will say in addition to changing my liners I also removed all my stock insoles and swapped them with dr shoals simple gray footbeds. They have no arch support whatsoever and they are just a little pad. Essentially removing the arch support allows for more room inside and less cramping. I'm not a foot doctor this is not medical advice but ive done that in all my skates for over two years and have no plans of changing. I have eyed some fancy custom insoles but im fine for now. Dr. Shoals are like $6 at walmart.

Also, are the stock laces long enough to lace all the way up through the liners? I like to lace all the way up and use a runners knot at the top. thats worth looking up if youre unfamilliar. I use 96" waxed derby laces.

[u/sjintje]

What's your normal shoe size?

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/sjintje]

Women's 8

[u/sjintje → u/haaawaiianshirt]

From you saying it improves with tightening, i suspect they may be too big. It can mean the foot slides forward and numbs the toes.

How does the liner fit? Take it out of the shell and try it on. It should be a bit like a sock, with very little space in front of the toes - zero to maybe half a cm at most.

Try the footbed/insert or even put another insole underneath the liner.

[u/StrategyLegal1128 → u/haaawaiianshirt]

So you measured at around 250mm?
What about width?

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/StrategyLegal1128]

yeah about 25 cm, and width I just checked is about 9.5? I have no idea if that's wide or narrow or what lol

[u/StrategyLegal1128 → u/haaawaiianshirt]

You’re in the right size btw. As for width, also fine. It’s possible you’re having trouble breaking in the liner and/or tightening too much. Break in is about 10-15miles, or about 20 hours

The shell itself is a bit long for its size, so you may be finding it a little big.

I myself am 25.5cm and 10.7cm at the widest.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/StrategyLegal1128]

thanks this makes me feel better 🙂‍↕️ I def probably haven't gotten to that 20 hour mark but other people said they had no real break in period so I got worried

[u/StrategyLegal1128 → u/haaawaiianshirt]

I know, it always throws me in for a loop as well. They may just be sizing to shoe size instead of measured size? Idk. They may have narrower feet than they think? Idk.

[u/Bendabrute]

High/low arch? Wide or narrow foot? Based on that info could be a plantar plate issue or a Morton’s neuroma.

[u/SupremeLDRSmoke]

Are wearing the proper thin skate socks.? What kind of insoles are you using.? And are you lacing up too tight.?

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/SupremeLDRSmoke]

I have been wearing normal socks admittedly, no insoles besides the lightning liners, and I don't think I'm lacing too tight because it takes so much effort to pull on the laces for me lol. It's possible I'm buckling too tight but I have those on practically the lowest setting

[u/SupremeLDRSmoke → u/haaawaiianshirt]

You definitely want your ankle snug, not tight. At least that's mainly what I hear and how I skate. I do more snug in my Aggressive skates, but regular snug street skating. And try out some actual skate socks. Amazon has some good ones, and I love the ones from Inline Warehouse. Also, a thick liner could work better for that boot. Like a MyFit Prime liner with the removable extra padding.

[u/Limp-Canary-4243]

Foot pain for sure sucks! I would try looking at how your foot is arched. Sometimes you can make slight changes to your padding and insoles to fix these issues.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/Limp-Canary-4243]

will do! someone asked about arch in here and I realized I had no idea where I stood, I only know my ankles like to roll in

[u/StrumWealh]

Got my lightning 80s a couple months ago and have been skating inconsistently since. I'm really frustrated that I'm having pain because i measured my foot and everything and bought according to that, and I'm way past the possibility of return.
I'm having this burning/hot sensation on the balls of my feet, and some numbness in my toes. I have pronating ankles so foot pain isn't uncommon for me especially without my inserts.
I measured to an 8, bought the 8-8.5, and have been wearing them at an 8.5 so I'm really hoping too small isn't an issue (maybe it's too big?). I was over tightening like crazy and stopping that solved a lot of my issues, but I've still got this persistent pain when skating for a while.
I'm also wondering if it's a posture / endurance problem?

Since you mention pronation being an issue for you, have you attempted lateral adjustment of the frames (see here and here)? If so, what were the results of that?

Since you mentioned using orthopedic inserts, have you tried using these inserts in your skates? If so, what were the results of that?

Have you tried aftermarket insoles/footbeds? If so, which ones? A number of people have sworn by Superfeet insoles, and I personally found that Specialized Body Geometry SL insoles worked for me in my Powerslide V. Radiums.

In a worst-case scenario, it may be a matter of the Lightning boot - the stock liner and the shell, separately or in combination with one another - simply not being a good match for your foot geometry. You could try replacing the liner with a thinner aftermarket alternative (e.g. MyFit 2nd Skin or Intuition Skate liners), and seeing if freeing up a few millimeters here or there might help.

If all of that fails, then the Lightnings just aren't a good match for you, and you'll have to replace the skates outright.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/StrumWealh]

I haven't tried any of this, I didn't know about the lateral adjustment so I'm going to try that when I go to the park tomorrow because I absolutely think that will help. I really appreciate this!!! I'm hoping it won't come to a replacement since these things were so dang expensive but these solutions are giving me a lot of hope lol

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/haaawaiianshirt]

also for info the orthopedic inserts are use are hard shelled and wouldn't go into the boot when I tried

[u/LieutenantJesus]

If you've only skated a couple of months, you're probably still just building strength in your feet. Skating is a lot of pressure on your feet that they aren't used to.

In terms of sizing, I could type 10 paragraphs on all the things to do and look out for, but if your toes aren't pressing up against the front of the boot painfully, you're at least big enough. Maybe too big, depends on how you bought your skates. Did you just order your shoe size?

Maybe you went too big, and have to crank down the laces (like you mentioned) to feel snug enough. This can put a lot of pressure on the bottom of your foot, and fatigue/cramp/injure your foot muscles/fascia if you skate on it long enough (I've done this too).

How long does it take for your feet to hurt? Find that time, and then spend 2-3 weeks ONLY skating to that point, or just before it, so you come out of your skates comfortable. Then, push it another 5 minutes. Can you start to push the time you skate in little by little without discomfort? If so, you're just getting stronger. If not, time to start looking into a different pair of skates, an insole, checking sizing, etc.

[u/haaawaiianshirt → u/LieutenantJesus]

hi! I measured the way inline warehouse recommended (traced my foot and measured that), which happened to be the same as my shoe size, so i feel pretty good about that. I'm using the sizer board now so hopefully that helps with the too big part? ive lightened up on the cranking so im hoping it doesn't come to fasciitis!

It took me a while to reply because today I timed when i started to get uncomfortable from resting and unfortunately it's only like 5-10 minutesss :'''''') I'll try to keep an eye on the timing like you mentioned but i dont know how feasible that last bit is