I’m having issues with my ski boots—specifically, the area between the base of my big toe and the base of my little toe (between the bunions) feels cramped.
By the end of the day, the outer edge of my foot gets red and painful, especially near the base of my little toe, see: https://imgur.com/a/RX2W83J
I took them to a boot fitter in NYC, and they made some adjustments but the problem still hasn’t been resolved.
Would it be worth trying another boot fitter? Could custom footbeds help by improving foot alignment and reducing pressure in that area?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Could be your stance thats the problem rather than the boots?
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?
@interskidient, I have had a similar issue. Resolved by custom footbeds to support the arch of my foot: this helps stop your foot sagging and spreading as the day wears on. And by heat-moulded shells and liners (Atomic Memory Fit). But it sounds like you need to find a new boot-fitter.
Could be your stance thats the problem rather than the boots?
That’s a good point—stance might be part of the issue. I’ve skied 10+ days after that photo was taken, and while it hurts during the day, I’ve been able to push through without stopping. It’s more of an ongoing discomfort than a sharp pain, as long as I don't ski more than ~4 days consecutively.
Do you think my skiing posture or technique could lead to this?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
fuzzydunlop wrote:
@interskidient, I have had a similar issue. Resolved by custom footbeds to support the arch of my foot: this helps stop your foot sagging and spreading as the day wears on. And by heat-moulded shells and liners (Atomic Memory Fit). But it sounds like you need to find a new boot-fitter.
Thanks for sharing your experience—this sounds very similar to what I’m dealing with! I haven’t tried custom footbeds yet, but your explanation about stopping the foot from sagging makes a lot of sense.
Living in NYC is very limiting in terms of good bootfitters, so I’m considering whether I should travel to a more ski-focused area to find someone with more expertise.
Did you notice an immediate difference with the custom footbeds, or was it more of a gradual improvement after skiing with them?
the very first thing you need is a custom footbed, without stabilizing the foot any other modifications are irrelevant.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@interskidient, What made the immediate difference was getting the shells moulded to my feet. The footbeds should keep your feet in the same position and the shell/liner is fitted in relation to that position. What was mild discomfort at the outset was, after a couple of days, pain that made me limp, particularly on one foot, even with footbeds. I went into a ski shop in Italy, explained the problem and they said come back this evening, we'll mould the shells and leave them over night. No discomfort the next day or since. I have two pairs of boots and have had them both moulded. They are snug without being painful and remain so all day. (Having boots that are too big can also make your feet hurt in a similar way).
Blister recommends Hickory and Tweed in Armonk, NY https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/hickory-tweed. I appreciate it's not in the city but only 40 miles or so out of town. https://hickoryandtweed.com. A good boot fitter should be able to help you.
After all it is free
After all it is free
NYC?
Go over to forums.alpinezone.com. There’s an on-going thread about where to find a good boot fitter.
Sounds to me your boots has the wrong shape if all the forces are concentrated on just one spot.
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If you read dozens and dozens of Cems past posts on here (he is a certified bootfitter ) you will see he mentions a lack of flexion in loads of posts over 15 years or more
This could be partly or the whole issue in your case as the foot will contort in the boot putting pressure and then pain on the exact area you point out ...via a lack of flexion in the lower leg chain.
Its very common and its the person in the boots not the tools .
What is also very common in response to your issue is attempting to buy a fix when all or part of the issue can be physically the persons lack of lower leg flexion ie a lack of specific training stretching etc
Some just dont get this as a possiblity or dont want to know about it others sensibly start ski specific stretching/training for the sport at hand .
Note...Footbeds wont fix a lack of flexion ....but you do need good footbeds anyway .
They can help to reduce the foot spreading by a varible amount ( say about a few mm or so )
Also the footbed may change the boot volume .
Same applies to ski specific stretching and training ....its a real need .
So doing both the physical stretching strenghtening training etc and footbeds is the right answer no matter what even if the boots are oversized as that is another seperate issue .
Pain can come from any number of reasons but this one is very common
Regarding footbeds ...imo bottom line use superfeet or find and pay a certified fitter....anything else is hit or miss selling as certified fitters are few .
The fitter mentioned above sorted the correct superfeet sizing which isnt always as one would think and then I later had a footbed made as I tested the reality over two months every season in a stepping stone method .
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fuzzydunlop wrote:
@interskidient, What made the immediate difference was getting the shells moulded to my feet. The footbeds should keep your feet in the same position and the shell/liner is fitted in relation to that position. What was mild discomfort at the outset was, after a couple of days, pain that made me limp, particularly on one foot, even with footbeds. I went into a ski shop in Italy, explained the problem and they said come back this evening, we'll mould the shells and leave them over night. No discomfort the next day or since. I have two pairs of boots and have had them both moulded. They are snug without being painful and remain so all day. (Having boots that are too big can also make your feet hurt in a similar way).
Blister recommends Hickory and Tweed in Armonk, NY https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/hickory-tweed. I appreciate it's not in the city but only 40 miles or so out of town. https://hickoryandtweed.com. A good boot fitter should be able to help you.
Thanks for sharing more details and for recommending the place in NY! I really appreciate it. Do you mind also sharing the name of the shop you went to in Italy? It sounds like they did a great job with your boots
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Tirol 164 wrote:
If you read dozens and dozens of Cems past posts on here (he is a certified bootfitter ) you will see he mentions a lack of flexion in loads of posts over 15 years or more
This could be partly or the whole issue in your case as the foot will contort in the boot putting pressure and then pain on the exact area you point out ...via a lack of flexion in the lower leg chain.
Its very common and its the person in the boots not the tools .
What is also very common in response to your issue is attempting to buy a fix when all or part of the issue can be physically the persons lack of lower leg flexion ie a lack of specific training stretching etc
Some just dont get this as a possiblity or dont want to know about it others sensibly start ski specific stretching/training for the sport at hand .
Note...Footbeds wont fix a lack of flexion ....but you do need good footbeds anyway .
They can help to reduce the foot spreading by a varible amount ( say about a few mm or so )
Also the footbed may change the boot volume .
Same applies to ski specific stretching and training ....its a real need .
So doing both the physical stretching strenghtening training etc and footbeds is the right answer no matter what even if the boots are oversized as that is another seperate issue .
Pain can come from any number of reasons but this one is very common
Regarding footbeds ...imo bottom line use superfeet or find and pay a certified fitter....anything else is hit or miss selling as certified fitters are few .
The fitter mentioned above sorted the correct superfeet sizing which isnt always as one would think and then I later had a footbed made as I tested the reality over two months every season in a stepping stone method .
Thanks for the detailed explanation—it makes a lot of sense, and I suspect my lack of flexion is part of the issue. I’ve been doing yoga exercises like these: http://youtube.com/v/fPzqHk_L_iQ, and they seem to help, but I’m still early in the process.
Do you have other exercise recommendations for ankle flexion or the lower leg? How long does it typically take to see improvement on the slopes with lifelong stiffness? I also saw a CEM post suggesting heel lifts as a possible solution.
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.
@interskidient, The shop was https://cellesport.com/en: I went there (with my own boots bought earlier in the UK) because we were staying just around the corner (the boots, which had seemed fine in the shop had, over several days, become increasingly uncomfortable). The second pair of boots I got moulded at my local ski shop in Inverness, Scotland. I can only speak for Atomic boots, because for the past few seasons I have used Atomic Hawx (I imagine other manufacturers have similar fitting options). Any Atomic dealer should be able to do this for your Atomic boots - they call it Memory Fit http://youtube.com/v/F72CyAV9cUA. This is not a plug for Atomic (although I like their equipment), next time I buy a pair of boots I will start from scratch and may end up with a different brand.
What I would say is that a good boot-fitter will guide you through all of this. Skiers seeking the highest levels of performance will put up with degrees of discomfort for short periods of time from their boots. But if your boots hurt all the time something is wrong and my understanding is that this is, for most people, avoidable.
I hope you are able to get the result you're looking for: good luck.
And it makes sense to also consider your mobility if you think that may be contributing to your foot pain.
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
Only a handful of people "if that" are in the know on this forum ...and previously they have pointed out how critical it is to train the Anterior Tibialis .
Which is telling in itself regarding the herd.
Most skiers wont even know where or what the Anterior Tibialis is let alone spend months training the AT and lower leg flexion .
I believe someone said the AT could be the most overlooked muscle thats needed in skiing also this follows in ....snowboarding and surfing .
Pushing the Yoga sessions is very positive but you need very specific lower leg flexion training as well .
Whatever your doing think about doing it better as you progress or perhaps train stretch more often as "consistancy is the key over months"
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