The Foot Detective

t's not always the fascia. Sometimes it's the nerve — and the nerve doesn't lie. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions in injured runners. The foot burns. The arch tingles. It gets worse at rest, not on first steps. And yet it gets handed a plantar fasciitis diagnosis and a night splint, and sent on its way. In this episode, we follow the tibial nerve into the tarsal tu...

In Case 006: The Inside Job , Sole Trace investigates the quiet culprit behind medial ankle pain and a collapsing arch: tibialis posterior tendinopathy . It rarely storms in. It creeps—dull ache behind the inside ankle after long runs, morning stiffness that “warms out,” and an arch that looks flatter than it did last season. This episode flips the usual script: the arch isn’t the villain—it’s the...

In Case 005: The Phantom of the Ankle , Sole Trace investigates the injury that never truly leaves the scene — chronic ankle instability . It doesn’t announce itself with a bang. It whispers: a roll here, a near-miss there… until one day you step off a kerb and the ankle decides, not today . This episode exposes why repeated sprains aren’t “weak ankles” or bad luck, but often a rehab debt left unp...

In Case 004: The Murder of the Metatarsal , Sole Trace investigates the forefoot case that starts as a whisper… then turns into a sharp, match-snap pain under load. Is it “just metatarsalgia,” or is a metatarsal being quietly overloaded toward a stress reaction / stress fracture ? This episode follows the clues: one-finger focal pain , swelling that wasn’t there last week, pain that escalates afte...

In Case 003 , Sole Trace investigates the forefoot culprit that feels like a pebble in your shoe —but never is: Morton’s Neuroma . This episode follows the nerve’s calling cards—burning pain, tingling, numbness, and that electric “zing” between the toes—then rounds up the main suspects: narrow toe boxes, speedwork and hill spikes, stiff forefoot mechanics, and the squeeze of swelling and load. Sol...

In Case 002 , Sole Trace investigates the notorious “drawing pin” heel pain known as Plantar Fasciitis — and reveals why it’s often not true inflammation, but a load tolerance problem (plantar fasciopathy). Follow the clues: first-step morning pain, the deceptive “warms up” phase, and the delayed next-day flare that catches runners out. This episode rounds up the main suspects — sudden load spikes...

In Case 001 , Sole Trace opens the file on one of running’s most common repeat offenders: Achilles “tendonitis.” Spoiler — it’s rarely a simple inflammation story. More often it’s tendinopathy : a tendon that’s been quietly falling behind the demands you’re placing on it… until it starts leaving clues. This episode investigates the main suspects, uncovers the motive ( capacity vs demand ), and out...

The Foot Detective Podcast is where foot pain gets treated like a case file — not a guessing game. Hosted by Sole Trace , each episode investigates the clues behind common foot and lower-limb problems: plantar heel pain, Achilles issues, shin pain, tendon trouble, nerve symptoms, toe stiffness, overload injuries, and the weird “why does it hurt there?” mysteries runners live with. Expect clear, ev...