Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes [Paperback]

John Vonhof (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2004

A complete source of information about proper foot care for the runner, hiker, adventure racer, or any athlete. Readers will lear to be proactive in preventing foot problems through proper techniques, reactive with treatments when problems develop, and what supplies and resources are available.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From heels to toes, products to pathology, resources to rehabilitation, this book has it all. An essential guide... -- Runner's World, July, 2000 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

An avid runner and fastpacker for more than 27 years, John Vonhof treats athletes' feet during ultramarathons and adventure races. He combines the technical training of his work as a paramedic, orthopedic technician , and emergency-room technician with his passion to help athletes with their foot problems. John has traveled world-wide to train athletes, their crews, and medical personnel about proper foot-care techniques. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 341 pages
• Publisher: Wilderness Pr; 3rd edition (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089997354X
• ISBN-13: 978-0899973548
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,375,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fixing Your Feet is a must Read, October 8, 2001

By 

Don D Mann (Virginia Beach, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fixing Your Feet: Prevention & Treatments for Athletes (Paperback)

Fixing Your Feet is a must for any long or ultra-distance runner, hiker, triathlete or adventure racer. Your chances of successful training and racing will be greatly improved after having read Fixing your Feet.

John Vonhof's experience, research and work on preventive maintenance and treatment for foot problems has been a real gift for athletes and others who are on their feet for long periods of time in adverse conditions. In ultra distance running and adventure racing, it is often the feet that are the first to break down. John's work has provided us with a complete manual on proper foot care. This book has made it possible for so many long and ultra-distance athletes to be able to put in the high mileage needed to be able to complete long races without being disabled due to foot problems. So many an athlete can give credit to their training and racing successes to John for his work.

John discusses in detail, the steps needed to prevent foot problems and describes in laymen's terms how to treat foot problems that do occur. His explanation on the biomechanics of the foot is very easy to understand and clearly shows how your feet are prone to certain problems. He talks of hot spots, blisters, plantar fascitis, tendonitis and other common foot problems associated with shoe, boot and sock selection and proper fitting.

With ultra-endurance sports becoming so popular, John's work filled a huge void. I highly recommend this book to any athlete who spends much time on their feet.

Don Mann
Race Director for
The BEAST of the EAST
The Mega Dose
The Odyssey Double and Triple Iron
The Expedition British Virgin Island Adventure Race
and "Race to the Pole" (9000-mile race, Ecuador to the North Pole)

Don is a retired Navy SEAL and has competed in well over 1000 endurance competitions over the past 25 years.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must have for people who are on their feet., February 11, 2005

By 

L. Rossman "SnoLepard" (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes (Paperback)

I heartily recommend you go to the library or a bookstore and find a copy of John Vonhof's fantastic book, "Fixing Your Feet." Anyone who hikes would find this book helpful. He talks about every product known to footcare, as well as techniques used by ultra trail runners, and eco-race runners, etc.
Try putting contractor grade (the cloth kind) duct tape on your heels before you hike. Other people have really good luck with vaseline on their feet before hiking or trail running. I use some stuff called Hydropel which works wonders. I bought four tubes for my PCT thruhike this year. I've had good success on my training hikes with it.

The bottom line is to remove the friction. Spenco Second Skin is another good product for this, but duct tape is a whole lot cheaper, if it works for you. Just like vaseline is a lot cheaper than Hydropel.

In "Fixing Your Feet" Vonhof talks about a gazillion different ways to tape up your feet as preventitive measures.

Also, tincture of Benzoin is used as a skin toughener. Some just use alcohol. At any rate there are two pages of products listed as skin tougheners in "Fixing Your Feet."

One last thing. Vonhof, who seems like a really nice guy based on e-mail contact I've had with him, publishes a free footcare e-zine each month. Anyone can subscribe to it, and past issues are archived. Go to;

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FixingYourFeetEzine/

I hope this helps, and that you get the problems taken care of so you can enjoy your trips. And if you really want to help your feet forget the 65 pound pack!

Happy Trails!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fixing Your Feet by John Vonhof, August 6, 2004

By 

Denise Jones (Lone Pine, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes (Paperback)

No matter what your sport, if you use your feet for it, this is the book for you! John Vonhof's 3rd edition of "Fixing Your Feet" is the most comprehensive yet. All one has to do is look at the contents in the outline to know how well organized and informational it is. It's easy to find the supplies for foot care too because he has already done the research and lists the contact information.
It covers every aspect for foot care including blister prevention and treatment, types of types of socks, lubricants, shoe fit, biomechanics that can contribute to problems, foot injuries and so much more. Whether you are a runner, backpacker, adventure racer or weekend walker, this book covers it all.


Denise Jones
The Badwater Blister Queen