Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

One for the boyZ

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
PhillipStanton, assuming there is not a defined toe moulding in the footbed it should not be as problem.... if there is then you need to carefully heat the fron to the footbed and flatten it out prior to fitting the element.
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Top advice CEM. Oh and if you are putting them on a cork superfeet you need to be a bit careful as well or the footbed becomes unstable because it rocks around a bit on the wire. In this case grab yourself a dremmel and grind a small channel just wide enough to accommodate the cable.
snow report
 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?
dme, Why does this not happen with poly-plas foorbeds? wink
snow conditions
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
SMALLZOOKEEPER, Good point it does - bit more of a problem then though unless you have a dd block and then you can channel that
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
dme, if you are really smart... when putting an element onto the full kork then make a nice wooden block the same size as the element, heat the forefoot of the footbed and press the template into the top surface to create a handy element shaped depression Toofy Grin
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Quote:
...carefully heat the front of the footbed...

I presume careful application Mrs PhillipStanton's hairdryer will do the trick?

Also...I can bumble through with what you've said, but could I clarify this out of interest please?

Quote:
...poly-plas foorbeds...

Is that the Comforable ones (or whatever they're called?).

Quote:
...dd block...

What's one of those?
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
PhillipStanton, you will need a bit more power, paint stripping heat gun [carefully]

polyplas is the white / cream material that conform'able make their footbeds from

DD block is a double density stabilizer on the bottom of the footbed to give it stability, you should have either this or a lighter weight one know as a heel stabilizer...without either i would consider the footbed to be half finished

as for cutting through the footbed use a scalpel or new stanley knife blade
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Thanks all - much appreciated.
latest report
 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.
I bought some Alpenheat ones for Mrs lbt last year. Pretty succesful.
Arrived quickly and I liked that you could get bits and pieces.

http://www.alpenheat.com/shop_eu/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=30&osCsid=a206a46f195e54c7b5248b9d27efaa45
Note that these are just 'stick on' elements since she has nice insoles.
The fabric cover doesn't stay stuck too well though - I'll try different glue this year Smile
Batteries attached to boot strap and cutting the holes was easy and well described.

They've gone up 15E since last year - now £90 - reasonable price if you miss the S+R offer
ski holidays
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Kinda interesting, possibly useless for skiers:

Charge your insoles, sir?
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
comprex, interesting concept, would really depend on how shaped / structured they were as to how many people it would work well for, there are plans in the future for thermic to make a unit that the battery is so slim that it will fit under the footbed (in the arch area)...couple of seasons off yet i would think Toofy Grin
snow report
 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.
CEM, I imagine one with transformer coupling through the boot, perhaps in a dedicated Dynafit-style hole/slot, like an ultrasonic toothbrush.
snow report
 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
comprex wrote:
CEM, I imagine one with transformer coupling through the boot, perhaps in a dedicated Dynafit-style hole/slot, like an ultrasonic toothbrush.


and then there was a big bang as camilla the chalet girl pluged her ski boots in to the mains whilst standing in a pile of snow on the balcony Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
ski holidays
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
CEM, OK, so we don't get Sony to make the batteries.
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
comprex, I disagree, Sony batteries would be excellent for heating purposes, it would make it a single use item though wink
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Quote:

DD block is a double density stabilizer on the bottom of the footbed to give it stability, you should have either this or a lighter weight one know as a heel stabilizer...without either i would consider the footbed to be half finished


Interesting.

Recent conversations with racers abroad and bootfitters abroad indicate that - the trend (over the North Atlantic anyway) is to move away from fully posted or hard blocked footbeds. So the absolutely rigid kork, for example , is out of favour.

Even more interesting is that many of the fitters I know, if they use a DD sheet to manually build a DD block - they always thin the material under the arch, so whilst it's still supporting, it will allow some pronation to take place.

Personally, I've just got a heel stabiliser in mine, with nothing under the polyplas arch. I've know several fitters send footbeds out without either a DD block nor a heel stabiliser, but in my view, that's just not right.
latest report
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
veeeight,

interesting points, my thought would be that to have nothing to stabilise the heel would leave an unstable bed that rather than just allowing natural pronation of the foot would collapse over and not have any purpose at all. there is a lot of confusion about products like the Superfeet full kork and similar more rigid orthotics.... if made correctly then these products work by contolling calcaneal eversion, stabilising the foot from the heel and allowing a small degree of natural pronation. the problems with products of this nature or weight bearing made products comes when the products are badly made normally in an effort to give 'more support' the fitter supinates the foot and creates a product which is like standing with a golf ball under the arch. whatever product i build for skiing i look at several factors:
1 the skiers body weight
2 the skiers ability
3 how much skiing they are doing in the season
4 the amount of pronation / supination of the foot
5 the flexibility of the foot

taking all these factors into account i will decide which product to use [ i do favour the superfeet product as it is made non weight bearing] and then how much stability is left in the product, for example an instructor or advanced skier with a flexible foot i will leave a good amount of support on the medial side, if the same skier has a less mobile foot then i would remove specific areas of material to allow the foot to sit more comfortably. like wise a lighter weight intermediate skier i would use a softer product and remove material to offer a more subtle support.

if i am using a conformable product i make my own posting blocks, i use a combination of materials to achieve the results we want either soft / medium, soft/firm, medium/ firm, firm these options can be taylored to give soft or firm materials where i want them

the key is to control enough of the excess motion to help the foot function in the best possible way.

to provide a footbed without any type of stablility is to off your clients half a service Little Angel
ski holidays
 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?
CEM, excellent approach! And I agree, I like to see at least a heel stabilised footbed.

So if you were making a Conformable product, you would choose to windlass or not depending on those factors as well?
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
veeeight, when i do make them i vary the technique dependant on flexibility of the foot i like to position the foot where i want it to be rather than relying on a system which is designed to propel the foot forward.... do you stand in your ski boots with your toes straining up in the air Little Angel Little Angel

often i will make them semi weight bearing as you can eliminate some of the issues encumbant in weight bearing moulding

i should add to my previous post that if we have the time to do trials i may leave the orthotic 'strong' and reduce support a little at a time if it causes a problem
snow report
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
do you stand in your ski boots with your toes straining up in the air


CEM, actually, if you look at this candid pic. . . Embarassed
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
comprex, best guess is the person in the pic has a tight extensor hallusis longus Little Angel

do some excersise Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
On tibialis anterior?
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
comprex wrote:
On tibialis anterior?


which would pull up on its insertion on the medial cuneiform...inverting the foot but not lifting the toe in that way Little Angel Little Angel
snow report
 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.
I have those things, and like them, but I lost one of the battery packs off the back of my boots last year - the attachment is a bit flimsy. They were the cheap kind (where you take out the batteries and recharge them in a separate recharger) and were probably a false economy. I need new ones now - will look at the S & R link, thanks. I scarcely used them last year because it was not a cold winter - the previous winter, 2004/5, when it was minus 15 forever, convinced me to buy them. For anyone who gets cold feet, I think they are a great idea. Has anyone tried those heated gloves? I use the little tea bag things when it gets really cold but again, last year, it was scarcely necessary and I carried them round in my backpack unused for months. It was sometimes cold, but never cold enough to bother getting them out.
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy