Ski Boot Question! Help!

A snowHead

Hello folks.

So, my sob story starts like this... female skiier with a fair bit of experience under my belt, had years of problems with rented boots giving me cold toes, cramp and/or nasty bruised shins. Finally took the plunge and bought some boots all of my very own - have now skied on these for 2 weeks, with a third week just around the corner.

Week 1 on new boots: amazingly comfortable, all my problems seem to have disappeared, no bruises (which was the worst part). However the week in Les Arcs was so so cold, I think I saw -35C on the top one day and each day my feet got really really cold - numb toes situation. Rest of me wasn't too cold. Went into the local boot fitting shop and asked if they could help - they examined my boots, blew the hairdrier in them, and had me stand in them from hot to try and stretch them a bit. I was wearing one good pair of smartwool socks, so that wasn't the problem. Took them back to the shop back in the UK and got them to have a good look. they remolded them, and I took them home to wear some more. Went back in as they were still feeling too tight and the boot fitter took a thin slice out of the top of the liner (where it was pushing on the top of my foot). He said that the blood vessels on my foot are very high on the arch and close to the surface so are very easily compressed)

Should say, these boots seem tight even without doing up the toe clips, if I have the toe clip on the loosest setting it doesnt even hold, just wobbles around, so maybe I am prone to overtightening just to get some grip on the clip?

Week 2. (last year) much less cold, but still with the numb feet! although less so than previously and boots are much more comfortable for the adjustments made. But still with the numb toes... means I have to pull the darned boots off at lunch time and get some foot massage going - particularly on my left foot.

I've just treated myself to some heated thingies which I've had fitted to the custom liners in my boots (hotronics ones) - tried in the house the other day, cozy toes! but I did notice my left food feeling a little weird, too much compression still? looking forward to at least heating my numb toesies whilst their circulation just seems to be a problem!

So, the question (thanks for sticking with me) - any tips on further boot adjustments? things to do to the toe clips to make them grip without over tightening?

Thanks!
Hannah

A snowHead

I'm sure some of the experts will be along shortly to give some specialist advise but the first thing I'd say is you really don't need the buckles on the top of your foot done up tight. enough to stop it flapping about and getting in the way is plenty tight enough. The other thing is maybe you haven't given them time to settle in as if I'm understanding you right you've only done a few days before getting things tweaked and then another few days and tweaked again. Though it also could be the shell isn't the right one for your foot, I have to ask were the boots picked for you by a good boot fitter or did you pick the boots you wanted and get them them fitted?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks for your reply! the boots were chosen by a fitter, and to be fair they do address most of my problems!
I'm going to try more micro adjustment with the toe buckles, but the problem is it feels tight even when they're not done up (and they won't latch on the loosest setting because the buckle just flaps around!)

Hopefully they will just bed in in time, fingers crossed!

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Sounds like a bit of stretching of the toe might be needed the boot fitter should be able to do that.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The microadjust should sort the toe buckle as they have a reasonable ammount of travel in them, it sounds to me (I'm just another skier, not a boot fitter though so could be totally wrong!) like a bit of stretching of the toe might be needed the boot fitter should be able to do that. I think our resident boot fitting expert is away skiing at the moment but hopefully will get back to you when he gets back.

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I suffer from a similar problem caused by high arches. The only way I can prevent my toes going numb due to loss of circulation (not cold), is to leave the toe clips undone or clipped so loose that they tend to unhook through the day anyway. I've skiied like this for nearly 15 yrs with no problems. My bootfitter says that water will get in if the toe clips are undone, but this has never happened, on piste or off. If your boots fit well enough to stay dry this might be a simple solution. (The bootfitter did stretch them over the top of my arches, but to no effect).

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Hannah,

I have exactly the same problem with my front two clips. The boots are plenty tight enough with the clips undone. Clips work by camming - they need a little tension on them to hold - but the last thing I need is to make the boots any tighter. Microadjust doesn't really help - any tension on the buckles makes them tighter than I want.
So generally I ski with them undone. It's a bit of a pain, especially off-piste where they tend to accumulate piles of snow and flap about. ANd people keep helpfully telling me my clips are undone.... I've contemplated removing them but they are rivetted on so it would have to be a little permanent!

I'd welcome any advice too

J

After all it is free

I just ski with them almost undone, overtime it did ease.

you mint need a bit of height or width in the toe box, or some more relief above the instep, impossible to say without seeing them... one other thing to check, how is your ankle joint flexibility, a tight calf muscle can cause you to load up the ball of the foot and send the feet cold and numb

Help!!

Ski Boot Question! Help!

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