Overuse injuries
Regular exercise has immense benefits for your health, but too much too soon can lead to overuse injuries. Caused by repetitive stress and trauma, these injuries might start as minor pain that can worsen over time if left unaddressed.
Tight footwear
Wearing too-tight shoes sets you up for all kinds of foot problems, including top-of-foot pain. When you walk or stand in tight shoes, excess pressure is applied to the top of your foot, resulting in inflammation and discomfort of the tendons.
Unsupportive footwear
The standard insoles inside of your favorite footwear might lack adequate arch support. Foot fatigue, ankle pain, and hip problems are telltale signs that your current insoles aren’t cutting it. Unsupportive footwear also contributes to top-of-foot pain, as muscles work harder to help you remain stable, causing discomfort to top-of-foot tendons1.
Stress fractures
Stress fractures are overuse injuries that occur with repetitive motion that stresses certain bones, creating tiny cracks that don’t get a chance to heal. While they can occur anywhere in the foot, the metatarsal bones (which connect the toes to the ankle) are common sites2. You use metatarsal bones to “push off” when running or walking.
Extensor tendonitis
Isolated top-of-foot pain could be a sign of extensor tendonitis, or strain of the muscles and tendons on top of your foot. The pain might be worse when you flex your foot.