When I first started dancing ballet, I quickly become accustomed to the occasional foot pain and soreness. Even without spending hours in class performing yet another sequence of relevés on pointe, foot discomfort is a commonly felt wrench in the day-to day-lives of dancers and non-dancers alike.
For this reason, I thought, who better than to ask professional ballet dancers with much more knowledge and experience than I about the ways to soothe sore and battered feet?
I messaged with Kate Inoue, company dancer for the Los Angeles Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Madison Rayn Abeo to learn more about their foot care routines, which feature everything from myofascial release sticks to compressive massage boots and much more.
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This popular gadget features all the same percussive therapy power as the full-size Theragun, but packed into a more compact version that can make it easier to target smaller areas like the arches of the feet, tops of the ankles and the calves. It reaches 16 mm into the muscle and features advanced sound insulation for an ultra-quiet performance. Users can choose from three attachments and three speeds.
Another tip from Inoue if percussive massagers don't work for you is simply laying on the ground and placing your legs up against a wall to reduce pressure or swelling in the feet.
We found this highly rated pair of compression boots that feature three operation modes and three intensities combined with 10 professional massage programs that mimic the real feeling of human hands. These rechargeable, cordless boots claim to reduce leg and foot swelling, relieve pain and improve circulation with regular use.