Boot buckle tightness?

A snowHead

Anyone have any views on how you work out how to tight to clamp the buckles on your boots?

I had boots fitted by Precision 2 seasons ago, I have the bottom 2 buckles as loose as they will go, and have recently started doing some indoor skiing.

I found my calfs felt a little sore, after the two hours, it's not muscle stiffness, so I'm wondering if I have the top 2 buckles too tight??

Just wondering if I start to loosen them, how loose do I go??

cheers,

greg

A snowHead

As I understand it, it's your ankles you need to worry about. If you can significantly pull your heel up from your boot, it's too loose, if you're losing sensation in your toes, it's too tight. Not that I would profess to be an expert (beyond regular pins&needles/rubber ankles. Confused

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

gregh, When leaning gently in to the cuff you should be able to slide two fingers (side by side, not in-line) down the back of your boot.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I have quite narrow ankles and slim feet (hence the Rossi boots) and I found that I do need to have the buckles pretty tight. Had to move the top two to the closer position. Can wear them all day with no discomfort though, but this year I will be looking at my ankle flex to see if the boots are obstructing this.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

gregh, it might be your stance? I think it's quite hard to overtighten buckles without immediately knowing about it. That's what I find anyway...

You'll need to Register first of course.

gregh, this is another 'each to their own' discussion. Uh-oh. Wink

There are two main camps and most people probably sit in the middle, not like snowboarders. NehNeh

Many years ago when I first started boot fitting I had training from Conformable (for their injection moulded liners) and a couple of the boot manufacturers. They normally come to the same conclusion when you are fitting a boot, which is 'finger tight'. IE. It takes a little force to get the buckle down and a touch more to get the buckle to release, all acheivable with a finger, so you don't have to use your whole hand to force the buckle closed.

I have changed the way I buckle down my boots for the first time in many years last winter. In the past I have always had them buckled as hard as possible, I would have to unclip them as soon as I was stationary. Which is the secong camp by the way, buckled down until you can't feel your feet, or close to it anyway.

Then I tried taking my own advice Shocked

and loosened them all off. I found I was getting much more ankle flex and far less cramp. Very Happy

Most skiers actually fall somewhere inbetween this. You also see lots of skiers stopping to tighten their boots after a few runs or lunch or something like that. As the boot gets into it's skiing shape etc.

Like David Murdoch said you would know about if they are over tight, but not necassarily if they are too tight. Test it and see? It could well be something else that is causing the pain.

Were the boots OK before you started skiing indoor? (Sounded like you skied 2 years in them without any problems)
What is the total time you have now skied in them?
Have you had calf implants? Puzzled

It could easily be from a slight change in stance or technique...

Could it not also (I've never skied inside before Embarassed

) be from riding the magic carpet thing? Just a thought...

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

hiya,

cheers for the reply, I've always had what I thought were stiff calves after skiing, so I'm now questioning if it is muscle stiffness or the buckle slightly too tight...I defo need more than a finger to shut the top two buckles, hence my thinking of slightly too tight.

Leeds Xscape has pomas, not carpets!

I'll try loosening them this weekend I reckon and see what happens!

regards,

greg

After all it is free

gregh, good work.

Also think about some simple pre & post stretching of the calves then. Stand with your toes on a stair and lower your heals up and down so that nearly all of the work comes from your calves.

You can also strengthen your calves like this by building up reps and doing the exercise above one foot at a time. Also by adding weight, steady yourself with one hand and in the opposite hand (to the leg you are working on) hold something heavy. Dumb bell, small child, whatever... :twisited:

Don't go doing too much before you ski at the weekend otherwise you'll probably end up with the original pain and a brand new pain from an excercise recommended by a non-qualified snowHead

off the internet. Wink

Help!!

Boot buckle tightness?

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