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New ski boots - hurting feet

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
First ski boots woop woop!! Very Happy

I assume it's normal for them not be comfortable at first as they will need to be worn in. I just wore them for the first time at Skiplex and the bottoms of my feet, the arches, were hurting. I am incredibly flat footed so had to have the footbeds specially moulded to my feet - is this why they are hurting? Because my feet are actually in the 'correct' position, and that it's just odd?
My instructors think it's normal, and say it'll wear off? Will walking around the house in them help? Do they have to be in the shell for this, or can I just walk around in the liners?

Thank you!!! Smile
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Welcome to snowHeads!! snowHead

Before anyone else asks, where did you get them fitted? Can make a huge difference. I'm no expert (there are several on here though, CEM always gives good advice and knows his stuff) but understood that the footbed is supposed to support the arch rather than force it into some other position.

Difficult to say if it'll wear off without knowing the exact level/position of pain. Liners definitely bed in so can take some time to get used to, my boots are a lot looser now than when I got them a few seasons ago. The best way to wear into them is to ski though, rather than walking, you're in a different position when you ski so the foot is located differently and it's really the best way to know if they still hurt or not.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Ski Bartlett in Uxbridge - it was done of I proper machine, like a genuine professional orthotic machine, rather than them being just footbeds having been heated and me standing on them!

I have to admit, I have been needing to wear orthotics since the age of 6 and was basically really poo-poo at remembering too, and even still I have no clue where my custom made orthotics are, which explains why at the age of 18, I have the knee's of an 80 year old! Everything rolls in - ankles, knees, hips - the works! Literally, a picture of how flat-footed I am would make a great marketing campaign for an orthotic/insole company!! Laughing

The pain wasn't horrendous, like I could carry on skiing, but it felt like more of strain on the arch of my feet - quite like when I eventually remember my in-shoe ones haha!

I ski at Skiplex twice a week, so I will hopefully be able to judge by the end of next week, or the week after, whether it is an issue or not! (I'm not really sure how long boots take to break in to be honest though!) I don't know if this would mean anything either, but my fitter was muttering things about how a boot should be for it's purpose and my boot is a 'ski instructor boot' if that would make a difference or not? Flex: 110 and something to do with width??
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Insoles should obviate the foot problems you describe, if that doesn't clear after several uses then a refitting/adjustment would be appropriate ('breaking in' of ski boots shouldn't really be necessary these days, or at worst just a minor getting used to). Without knowing your ability and height/weight etc, I would wonder if that flex rating is a bit strong - if these are your first boots I'm assuming you're not yet 'expert' and unless you're a pretty heavy build then flex rating of 80-95 might be more typical. Too stiff a flex might contribute to feet issues, though probably not the root cause here. Hope that helps, heaven is having good boots!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Irrev wrote:
Insoles should obviate the foot problems you describe, if that doesn't clear after several uses then a refitting/adjustment would be appropriate ('breaking in' of ski boots shouldn't really be necessary these days, or at worst just a minor getting used to). Without knowing your ability and height/weight etc, I would wonder if that flex rating is a bit strong - if these are your first boots I'm assuming you're not yet 'expert' and unless you're a pretty heavy build then flex rating of 80-95 might be more typical. Too stiff a flex might contribute to feet issues, though probably not the root cause here. Hope that helps, heaven is having good boots!


PS As a reference point, I'm an instructor and my boots are 110 flex ...
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Yeah, it's hard - ski bartlett had a amazing reviews and what not, and I went under recommendation of a lot of instructors!

I'm 5ft6in, and about 10st 4lbs!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
What's you ski experience/ability Kat?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Hi @ImcalledKat, I've skiied at Skiplex quite a lot and also occaisionally suffer with arch pain in my boots (also properly fitted at Ski Bartlett). I also wear orthotics when I remember!
I've found on snow that I can sometimes suffer at the start of the day, but this seems to happen more often at Skiplex. In my case it is usually directly because of tensing my feet when skiing (trying to grip with my toes!) Wiggling my toes or making an effort to point my big toes up for a while usually sorts me out. Obviously this is much easier to do when skiing on snow or at Hemel when you can just stop. I suspect the reason I suffer more often at Skiplex is because I immediately spend 10+ mins actively skiing as soon as I hit the slope, so no breaks or button lift to wiggle toes on.
Your problem may well be different, but worth checking if you are tensing your feet....
Can you wear your boots (not skiing) without pain? I broke mine in doing the ironing Smile
Incidentally, I purchased boots initially because the ill fitting (for my feet) Salomen boots at Skiplex triggered my foot pain in the first place.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Urr, I've actually only been skiing on snow twice - Black in a US resort and mainly reds and a couple blacks in France (they're different grading systems, right?)
But at skiplex I'm as follows: "Skier can demonstrate high performance parrell turns of varying radii. Skier can perform short radius parrell turns while demonstarting effective rotational seperation and can effectively use ski poles while performing smooth parrellel turns of varying radii."

Buying the ski boots are prior to me going out to Canada for three months on an instructor course, and because I have an unlimited pass at skiplex until the end of September!
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Tubaski, yeah I could definitely relate to te tensing of my feet so that might be it! Skiing at Skiplex is a lot harder than snow anyway! Time will tell - I have only worn my boots once!!! Hahahaha!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I did the summer pass last year, made a real difference to my skiing! Haven't bothered this year because the limited summer opening hours at Chiswick make it difficult to get slots I can make (and perhaps went a bitt OTT last year with summer pass at Skiplex and mnthly passes at Hemel too!)
Good luck with the course.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Thank you! I'm at the Reading branch - just a walk down the road for me luckily!
Thank you!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
P.S. Calf stretches! Arch pain can be the result of tight calves (which can be the result of lots of skiing...).
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Ok, so the flex isn't miles off - you're at a level where you can gauge the flex suitability then?! And that's ok for you? Maybe harder to judge on a roller, rather than on snow; maybe worth trying other boots if poss, inc flex 100, maybe also other slope surfaces. Good idea to get this sorted well in advance of your course - at worst you'd have to rent boots. I don't think the brand and model of boot was mentioned?? (My daughter and I both had significant difficulties with one brand a few years back, and are now quite 'fussy')! Keep up those nice parallels meantime anyway!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Rossignol Alltrack Pro 110 Smile
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Should be ok. Some good pointers above about warm-ups and cool-downs/stretches, stance may also be a factor ('sitting back', maybe due to the ski surface?), possibly related to tensing your feet - good stance, ankle flex, pressure of front shins etc all helpful. Sometimes jump/rebound type turns can loosen up the body to become more fluid and flowing. Sounds easy! Keep experimenting as I mentioned, it does pay dividends!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
ImcalledKat wrote:
- it was done of I proper machine, like a genuine professional orthotic machine, rather than them being just footbeds having been heated and me standing on them!


define "genuine professional orthotic machine" there are loads of ways of producing orthotic insoles available, most ski shop methods are weightbearing cast and a few use semi or non weight bearing methods, the position of your foot during the casting process is key to the comfort of an orthotic, this combined with flexibility of the foot and ankle and all the tendons/muscles contained within

arch irritation is often caused by a thick band of muscle (flexor halluis longus) and the plantar fascia under the foot being loaded as you flex, if this doesn't ease off after a couple of sessions then you need to have a relief cutting into the orthotic to take the load off this area.

the likelihood is it will wear off, but if it doesn't, with the flat footed problems and always needed orthotics that you describe it may be that the particular product is not suited to your foot

hope that helps
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Update: after consultation with many many youtube videos and another skier, it appears I had adopted a "control pants" approach to fastening my boots rather than a "glove" - hardly surprising with me! However, this is just walking around the house, and although I can feel a considerable difference, I know it's not the same as skiing - so off I pop to skiplex tonight and will see then!
Thanks all!
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Sorted now?! Have you tried at the Bracknell slope, being near you? Smile
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