Sports Podiatrist Ashgrove | Foot, Ankle & Lower Limb Injuries

Written and reviewed by Peter Charles, Sports Podiatrist — Shoes Feet Gear, 148 Boundary Rd, Bardon.

Shoes Feet Gear is the sports podiatry clinic closest to Ashgrove. Located at 148 Boundary Road, Bardon — less than five minutes from Ashgrove — our sports podiatrists treat foot, ankle and lower limb injuries in hockey players, rugby players, runners, netballers and school sport athletes from across the Ashgrove community. We see Ashgrove athletes every week, and we understand the specific sports, clubs and schools that drive injury patterns in this area.

Book an Assessment at our Bardon Clinic →

The Ashgrove Sporting Community

Ashgrove has one of the strongest local sporting communities in Brisbane’s inner west. The suburb is home to Norths Hockey Club — one of Queensland’s largest and most successful hockey clubs — and GPS Rugby Club, which fields junior and senior rugby union teams across the Brisbane competition. Marist College Ashgrove runs one of the most competitive GPS school sport programs in Queensland, with strong participation in rugby union, hockey, cross-country, athletics and swimming.

This combination of club sport and school sport creates the high training loads and multi-team commitments that are the most consistent driver of overuse injury in the junior athletes we treat. A child playing GPS school rugby and GPS Rugby Club simultaneously, while also doing cross-country for Marist, is carrying a training load that most adults would find demanding. We see the consequences of that load regularly in our clinic.

Norths Hockey Club Athletes

We treat a significant number of Norths Hockey players at our Bardon clinic, from junior development squads through to senior and masters competition. Hockey is a sport with a distinctive injury profile — the low body position, rapid lateral movement, and hard synthetic turf surface create specific demands on the foot, ankle, knee and lower limb that differ from running or field sports.

Common injuries in hockey players we treat include ankle sprains from rapid direction changes, plantar fasciitis aggravated by hard turf surfaces, shin splints and bone stress injuries from high training volumes, and knee pain from the sustained low body position required in field play. Junior hockey players are also at significant risk of Sever’s disease during growth spurts, particularly during the winter season when training loads peak.

Hockey shoe and cleat selection is an area where we provide specific advice — the right footwear for synthetic turf can make a meaningful difference to injury risk and comfort across a long season. Learn more about hockey injuries and treatment.

GPS Rugby Club and School Rugby Athletes

GPS Rugby Club is based in Ashgrove and fields teams from under-6 through to senior grade. Many of our junior rugby patients begin at GPS Rugby Club before transitioning into the GPS school rugby competition at Marist College Ashgrove or other GPS schools. The overlap between club and school rugby — with training sessions for both programs running simultaneously mid-week and games on weekends — creates the kind of cumulative weekly load that drives overuse injury in adolescent athletes.

Rugby union injuries we treat in Ashgrove athletes include ankle sprains (the most common rugby injury), Lisfranc injuries from contact, plantar fasciitis aggravated by rugby boot shank flexibility, Sever’s disease in junior players, Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints and knee pain. Rugby boot selection is a specific area of expertise — the right boot for a junior player with heel pain or a history of ankle sprains is very different from a standard retail recommendation. Learn more about rugby union injuries and treatment.

Marist College Ashgrove School Sport

Marist College Ashgrove is one of the GPS schools with the highest participation in school sport, and we treat a significant number of Marist athletes across rugby, hockey, cross-country and athletics. The GPS school sport calendar creates predictable injury risk periods — the start of the rugby season in late February and March, the cross-country season in the middle of the year, and the athletics season in the second half of the year each bring characteristic injury presentations.

Junior athletes at Marist and other Ashgrove schools who are managing both school sport and club sport commitments are at the highest risk of overuse injury, particularly during growth spurts when bones and tendons are most vulnerable. Learn more about school sport injuries in Brisbane and overuse injuries in teenage athletes.

Runners in Ashgrove

Ashgrove and the surrounding suburbs of Bardon, Red Hill and Paddington have a strong running community, with many local runners using the Enoggera Creek trail network, Ashgrove Avenue and the surrounding hills for training. Hill running creates specific demands on the Achilles tendon, calf and plantar fascia that differ from flat road running, and we see a characteristic pattern of injuries in local hill runners that reflects this terrain.

We treat recreational runners, competitive club runners and triathletes from Ashgrove across the full range of running injuries — plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, shin splints, stress fractures, knee pain and hip injuries. Running gait analysis and footwear advice are a core part of what we do, and our retail store means we can assess your gait and fit you with the right shoe in the same appointment. Learn more about running injuries and treatment.

Common Injuries We Treat for Ashgrove Athletes

Ankle sprains and chronic ankle instability — the most common injury across hockey, rugby and field sports. We assess ankle stability, provide strapping and orthotic support, and guide rehabilitation to reduce recurrence risk. Learn more.

Plantar fasciitis and heel pain — common in runners and field sport athletes, particularly those training on hard surfaces or in footwear with inadequate support. Learn more.

Achilles tendinopathy — a significant problem in rugby, hockey and running athletes managing high training loads. Accurate diagnosis and a correctly graded strengthening program are the keys to recovery. Learn more.

Shin splints and bone stress injuries — common at the start of the rugby and hockey seasons when training loads increase rapidly. Learn more.

Sever’s disease — the most common cause of heel pain in junior athletes aged 9–13. Particularly prevalent in junior hockey and rugby players during the winter season. Learn more.

Knee pain — patellofemoral pain and patellar tendinopathy are common in adolescent athletes, particularly during growth spurts. Learn more.

Prescription Orthotics for Ashgrove Athletes

We manufacture prescription orthotics on-site at our Bardon clinic using 3D scanning, CAD design and CNC milling — which means we can often fit orthotics in the same appointment or within a day or two, rather than the weeks of waiting typical of labs that outsource manufacturing. For athletes mid-season who need support quickly, this is a significant advantage.

Orthotics are not appropriate for every injury — we only recommend them when foot mechanics are a genuine driver of the problem. When they are indicated, having them manufactured and fitted on-site means any adjustments can be made immediately at no extra cost. Learn more about prescription orthotics.

Getting to Our Bardon Clinic from Ashgrove

Our clinic at 148 Boundary Road, Bardon is less than five minutes by car from Ashgrove via Waterworks Road or Boundary Road. There is parking available on-site. We are also accessible by bus from Ashgrove via the Waterworks Road corridor.

We offer appointments Monday through Saturday. For athletes with school or training commitments, we have early morning and after-school appointment times available.

Book an Assessment at our Bardon Clinic →

Or call us on (07) 3367 8667.