If you’ve been spending more time at home because of COVID-19, you might be wearing shoes less often. Or if you’re working out at home, not wearing the right shoes or exercising barefoot could be causing foot problems.

Foot pain is pretty common. Research by the American Podiatric Medical Association found that 77 percent of people have had significant foot pain. During the current stay-at-home period, some foot problems like heel pain and nerve pain between the toes have become more common. This is because people aren’t wearing supportive shoes, according to Grace Torres-Hodges, a podiatrist from Florida.

Your feet have a lot of stuff going on, like bones, ligaments, and tendons. Foot pain can happen for lots of reasons, like injury, swelling, or problems with how your feet are built.

If you don’t have any foot problems, you might not feel any pain from walking barefoot at home. But if you’ve had foot injuries before, it’s not a good idea to go barefoot. Dr. Torres-Hodges suggests wearing supportive slippers or clean sneakers at home, and supportive sneakers during intense workouts. Most importantly, listen to your body. Pay attention to what feels normal for your feet, and if something feels off, see a podiatrist right away.

If your feet are bothering you, here are some common reasons for foot pain you should be aware of.

Fallen arch

Some people are born with flatter feet, while others get a condition called a fallen arch. This happens when the tendon that connects the calf muscle to the inside of the foot gets hurt, often from overuse or sports. You might feel pain in the arch of your foot or even in your ankle.

In severe cases, you might need surgery for a fallen arch. Sometimes, wearing special inserts in your shoes can help support your foot. But it’s important to see a podiatrist before things get worse with the tendon injury.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome

A fallen arch can sometimes lead to other problems, like tarsal tunnel syndrome. This is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist. It mainly causes heel pain, especially a burning feeling, because a nerve is squeezed on the inside of the ankle, explains Dr. Torres-Hodges. Some people’s feet may look like the arch is falling, but not all tarsal tunnel cases are linked to a fallen arch.

Orthotics, or special inserts for shoes, might help with tarsal tunnel, but they might not fix the problem, especially if you also have a fallen arch that needs surgery. “If there’s a tear in the tendon or a dislocation, that needs to be fixed first, sometimes with surgery,” says Dr. Torres-Hodges.

Cuboid syndrome

The cuboid is a bone in your foot, and this syndrome causes pain in the middle of the outer side of your foot (think: that little bony part near the pinky toe).

This pain can be linked to a fallen arch, says Dr. Torres-Hodges. “When someone’s foot collapses because of a fallen arch, it kind of squeezes the joints on the other side of the foot,” she says. This can also happen if you twist your ankle without shoes on.

Cuboid syndrome might seem like plantar fasciitis or an ankle sprain, Dr. Torres-Hodges says. But if the pain is on the outer side of the foot, that’s a big clue. Using orthotics may help keep your foot in the right position, but if you think you have this injury, it’s best to see a podiatrist to find out the right treatment.

Arthritis

In younger people who haven’t been injured before, arthritis isn’t common. But if you play sports all year without enough rest between seasons, you might wear down your joints. When you use your ligaments and tendons too much, it can change how your joints work, and they might not support your body well, according to Dr. Torres-Hodges.

If you’re a serious athlete, it’s really important to wear the right shoes. And taking enough breaks between sports seasons, long training sessions, or any activity you do is really important too.

Metatarsalgia

Heel pain can sometimes lead to metatarsalgia. When pain in other parts of your foot makes you change how you walk, it can cause the front of your foot to tense up, leading to pain in the knuckles of your feet, near the bottom of your smaller toes, explains Dr. Torres-Hodges. These joints might then swell up and become painful.

Wearing shoes with good cushioning can help prevent metatarsalgia, and your doctor might also recommend using special inserts called orthotics in your shoes. If you keep feeling pain near your toes, it’s important to see your podiatrist.

Turf toe

Turf toe is a type of metatarsalgia, according to Dr. Torres-Hodges. Basically, it’s arthritis in the big toe joint. The name comes from football players getting toe injuries when their cleats get stuck in the turf and bend the joint too far.

You might get turf toe from squeezing your feet into high heels, especially if the heel is taller than two and a half inches. When you wear shoes like this, your ankle pushes your foot forward, causing inflammation in the big toe joint.

Dr. Torres-Hodges says it’s okay to wear heels, but it’s best to wear higher heels only sometimes. This might help prevent turf toe. And if you’re worried about needing surgery later on, it’s a good idea to get it checked out.

Calluses

Even if you haven’t had other foot problems, you’ve probably had calluses before. “They form when the skin tries to protect itself from pressure,” says Dr. Torres-Hodges.

Calluses can show up anywhere on your foot, like the bottom, the knuckles, or the toes. They’re most common at the ball of the foot. Calluses are normal, but if the skin cracks and exposes the area underneath, it can cause more pressure and pain.

The best way to stop calluses is to reduce friction inside your shoes, and using orthotics might help with that. But, Dr. Torres-Hodges says, it’s important to find out why you’re getting calluses, which could be linked to how your foot is shaped.

Plantar fasciitis

According to Hillary Brenner, a foot doctor from New York and spokesperson for the APMA, heel pain is very common. “The plantar fascia is a thick band of tissue that runs from the heel to the toes on the bottom of your foot,” she explains.

Plantar fasciitis happens when this tissue gets swollen, usually because of pressure and strain on the heel. This can come from wearing shoes with high arches or doing activities like running. You might feel sharp pain in your heels, especially when you first get out of bed in the morning.

Dr. Brenner suggests wearing more supportive and wider shoes for a couple of days if you have sharp pain in your heels. “But if the pain doesn’t get better after that, and things like painkillers, ice, or soaking your feet don’t help, it’s time to see a doctor,” she says.