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Frosty the Snowman, exactly 30-40 seconds in ordeer to avoid the muscle spasm reflex and get a true stretch
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Frosty the Snowman wrote:
cathy, Note the length of time CEM, suggests. Most folks give it about 10 seconds and then pack in.


Yup - that's me. Count to 10 slowly & I think I've done well! Also, I realise when I do it my foot is naturally rotated outwards. When I straighten it and look ahead it feels as if my foot is pointing inwards. Good habits to get into - thanks Very Happy
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CEM wrote:
ssh, which is directly related to lack of flexion in the ankle.... if the Gastrocnemeus muscle is tight the heel will lift and the pressure will be transfered to the ball of the feet, this can be acentuated by the cuff angle of the boot. Boot balance is very important but a basic lack of flexion is the single most destructive force i encounter when fitting boots...but then again over 80% of people in the western developed world don't actually have the appropriate amount of flexion in the calf muscles and an extensor muscle group which is balanced to this Little Angel

CEM Being someone who's had their forward lean & ramp angle reduced I'm interested on ssh's possible balancing solution as Jayne's feet are fine for four hours before pain sets in. Would not a 'foot problem' have produced discomfort or pain well before then?

I realise that you have to see the persons feet etc before making a biomechanical diagnosis but I'm wondering if there's anything Jayne can do herself to check her posture to identify excessive forward lean etc?

I'm thinking along the lines telling us what the make & model of her boots are & the make of her bindings. A boot with a steep board angle combined with say a Rossi binding would increase the chances of it being a balance problem.

Even better still she could post a side on pic in her typical stance whilst in her boots & skis & we could see, for example, if her knees are waaay ahead of her feet?
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CEM, if I feel anything at all it's on the front of my legs - BUT my problem is one of over-balancing, not pain. And I do Pilates (including stretches held for a decent time). Have you noticed differences between men and women trying to do this? It just seems to me that since my weight is centred on my hips (oh, OK, bum!), keeping my CoG actually over my feet in the first place is the problem, not how much I can flex my ankle. I imagine men, with weight centred on their shoulders, might find it easier as their CoG is easier to get over their feet? Of course, I suppose one could be a factor of the other. Oh, and I've always been like this - kids at primary school could squat with their heels down and I never never could.
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eng_ch wrote:
Oh, and I've always been like this - kids at primary school could squat with their heels down and I never never could.


me too....

always could not flex ankles....

but then I could not standing jump about 3-4 inches until my fencing coach taught me how to use my ankles/calves to do so...
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I guess the bottom line for me is that my CoG makes me fall over before my legs in any way hurt which suggest to me it's a question of weight distribution on my body rather than a flexion problem? Puzzled
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I think the idea is if you can flex ankle then you don't fall....
I always struggled with that too... in order to squat my first move was to push knee forward then lift heel...
i know what you mean - because I used to do that...
now I seem to understand which bit of me to move... but the ankle still cannot flex that way - but I get pain in my whole lower leg....

hmmm - can you try lowering your butt FIRST - before bending lots of therest of you... - I think that is how I do it with my shoes on... if i don't think hard about how to move I still fall...
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little tiger wrote:
I think the idea is if you can flex ankle then you don't fall....


Wouldn't that mean you have to have more ankle flex if your CoG is lower? In other words, if your CoG is above hip level then you can also use hip flex to position your CoG over your feet so that you don't fall over? See, if I don't have to go right to the floor but just go to a "skiing" level, then I can flex my ankles enough to get my CoG several inches in front of my toes - but if I have to squat right down I fall backwards. I wonder if this ties into the different binding positioning etc on women's skis?

Mind you, I'm sure I'm talking total boswellox since I know sweet FA about anatomy wink
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as i understand it women also have different calf muscles and achilles....

so they are (in general) less flexible in that manner... (poor dorsiflexion).... they (generally) make this worse by wearing high heels etc(further shortens the achilles).....
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little tiger, ah well I've torn the ligaments in each ankle and can't wear heels for more than a couple of hours at a time anyway. Maybe those past injuries have something to do with it too (even though they were 19/20 years ago now)?
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yep... not helpful I'm guessing... I cannot wear heels either... and without these orthotics about 10mins is my walking limit....

that is my physios analysis of my ankles - I tore the ligaments too much from too many accidents... they no longer work properly as ankles....
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spyderjon, yes i fully agree that it is a possiblilty, but just becasue it takes time to come on does not rule out flexion issues...... there is one other possible idea, the clue was when Jayne says that taking the boots off or lossening them make the problem go away for the rest of the day, it could well be an interdigital neuroma, if the foot is compressed for some time this can come on like someone is sticking a knife in your foot, take the boot or shoe off, releive the pressure and the whole thing settles down for what can be minutes , hours or in many cases days.

certainly the boot details would be useful but not as useful as seeing the foot and boots in the flesh IME people always 'stand nice for photos' it is the same story, we can talk abpout lots of options but without seeing every thing we are all guessing at best...... besides this flex discussion is good and the squat test has been fun Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Toofy Grin


eng_ch, your pain in the front of the shin is the extensor muscle group that is too tight, of course ther is a COG influence but the number of people i have assessed who can do this test is split pretty much 50-50 with regard to men V women
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thanks for all the advice...
CEM - I certainly have inflexible calf muscles... am having some physio on my knee at the mo and the physio mentioned how tight my calf muscles are (couldnt do her wobble board coz my calves wont let the board go back far enough!). After she told me this I wondered if I am lifting my heel and putting too much weight on the ball of my foot.
I have found the problem worst when I am skiing something I find challenging - i.e. ice or heavy powder - Wonder if then I am trying even harder to put weight forward etc.

Easiski - interesting that even the professionals have weird problems!! Will try some new sox as well!

Will also look at the other options mentioned.... and where the podiatrist suggested is.... Thanks very much
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This is probably the most important thread on snowheads! SSh, please can we stick with real terminology. Boot balancing sounds too disney and a little Voodoo. wink Your current situation with Jeff is interesting, however pleasebe careful, many site vistors maybe left feeling short changed if they don`t recieve similar attention. Boot Balancing as you call it, should be viewed as a remedy or as fine tuning. To a progressing skier to whom skiing is a pastime, correct fit and flex will offer greater rewards than ramp angles.

Colin, this deserves a thread on it`s own, get to work my boy. wink
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I had similar problems to jayne durham - seems it was due to lack of ankle flex as CEM has suggested. I had assumed it was a slight lack of volume in that area of the boot. However, I went into Profeet last season and the bootfitter did a footbed which built up the heel a bit and created a little more space under the balls of my feet. Seems to be much better now. Between seasons, I've been working on getting a bit more flexibility - doing calf stretches etc.
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jayne durham, I have had that problem and find that backing off the buckle nearest the ankle (2nd from top) a turn does the trick. It can become astonishingly agonising very quickly if you don't do something about it, can't it?
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CEM wrote:
ssh, which is directly related to lack of flexion in the ankle.... if the Gastrocnemeus muscle is tight the heel will lift and the pressure will be transfered to the ball of the feet, this can be acentuated by the cuff angle of the boot. Boot balance is very important but a basic lack of flexion is the single most destructive force i encounter when fitting boots...but then again over 80% of people in the western developed world don't actually have the appropriate amount of flexion in the calf muscles and an extensor muscle group which is balanced to this Little Angel
Yes, but this isn't the only reason. The size and shape of the foot (especially when compared to the body) makes a difference with this, as well. Again, though, it takes an expert and experienced specialist to work these things out right. It's not just how the shell fits the foot, but how the boot "fits" the complete body (including the foot).
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SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote:
This is probably the most important thread on snowheads! ssh, please can we stick with real terminology. Boot balancing sounds too disney and a little Voodoo. wink Your current situation with Jeff is interesting, however pleasebe careful, many site vistors maybe left feeling short changed if they don`t recieve similar attention. Boot Balancing as you call it, should be viewed as a remedy or as fine tuning. To a progressing skier to whom skiing is a pastime, correct fit and flex will offer greater rewards than ramp angles.
Actually, I'm happy to call it whatever you want, but disagree pretty strongly that fit/flex is sufficient for anyone, especially for a "progressing skier." More expert athletes have far more skill and capability in making the necessary adjustments to account for balance problems when standing in neutral in the boots (cuff neutral; with no pressure fore/aft or side/side). If the skier is not truly balance neutral in that boot position, the boot isn't right for him or her, and needs to either be modified until it is or abandoned for a boot that more closely addresses the individual skier's physical characteristics.

There was a time not that long ago when I would have agreed with you, but that time is past. If a skier isn't getting skilled analysis of stance and physiology/morphology prior to buying boots it's possible (some would say likely) that the ability of the boots to provide what they need to for solid skiing is purely a matter of chance.

I am not willing to relegate "progressing skiers" to that level of performance when there is so much more that is possible if they get the right kind of attention from an expert.
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spyderjon wrote:
CEM wrote:
ssh, which is directly related to lack of flexion in the ankle.... if the Gastrocnemeus muscle is tight the heel will lift and the pressure will be transfered to the ball of the feet, this can be acentuated by the cuff angle of the boot. Boot balance is very important but a basic lack of flexion is the single most destructive force i encounter when fitting boots...but then again over 80% of people in the western developed world don't actually have the appropriate amount of flexion in the calf muscles and an extensor muscle group which is balanced to this Little Angel

CEM Being someone who's had their forward lean & ramp angle reduced I'm interested on ssh's possible balancing solution as Jayne's feet are fine for four hours before pain sets in. Would not a 'foot problem' have produced discomfort or pain well before then?

I realise that you have to see the persons feet etc before making a biomechanical diagnosis but I'm wondering if there's anything Jayne can do herself to check her posture to identify excessive forward lean etc?

I'm thinking along the lines telling us what the make & model of her boots are & the make of her bindings. A boot with a steep board angle combined with say a Rossi binding would increase the chances of it being a balance problem.

Even better still she could post a side on pic in her typical stance whilst in her boots & skis & we could see, for example, if her knees are waaay ahead of her feet?
This would be a great start, spyderjon. The question is what kind of balance is she in when at cuff neutral? Where is her knee relative to her toes? When she flexes forward, what direction do her knees move? From the side, what position are the joints in? Are any of them flexed more or less than the others?
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SMALLZOOKEEPER wrote:
This is probably the most important thread on snowheads! SSh, please can we stick with real terminology. Boot balancing sounds too disney and a little Voodoo. wink Your current situation with Jeff is interesting, however pleasebe careful, many site vistors maybe left feeling short changed if they don`t recieve similar attention. Boot Balancing as you call it, should be viewed as a remedy or as fine tuning. To a progressing skier to whom skiing is a pastime, correct fit and flex will offer greater rewards than ramp angles.


Sorry SZK but I disagree & so does a dozen or so of the US's leading instructors who at ESA '06 all agreed that some of the biggest benificiaries of having their kit correctly 'dialled in' were intermediate level skiers, as opposed to higher level performers who, as ssh says, have the awareness to make technique adjustments as needed.

I had made an appointment to have my 'alignment' checked on the evening after the first day of skiing at ESA however my instructor (a certain M.Bell) on the slope earlier in the day suggested I might have a problem & that I should see Bud Heishman to check me over & also review the video footage that was taken of me.

I'm a progressing skier to whom skiing is a pastime & my boots fitted me correctly in all respects. However it transpired that my skis did not run flat when I thought they were. In addition I had too much forward lean which meant that I had a tendancy to sit back to stay in balance. I didn't know this myself at the time as I had assumed that as my boots fitted correctly that all technique issues were all down to me. Having my boots altered so that my skis were actually flat when I wanted them to be & having the angle changed so that I could stand in a effort free neutrally balanced stance seemed pretty logical to me & was certainly not voodoo. I could feel the difference standing still & the improvement was immediately noticeable on the slope with far easier slow speed turn initiation to the right & no longer feeling as though I'd go over the handlebars etc.

There seems to be a wide gulf between what's available to skiers in the US versus the UK in this field. I've heard it say that UK skiers won't pay the cost of being properly 'balanced/aligned' (typically $100 - $150 in the US) however if UK skiers have never been offered the service or even been made aware of what it is & it's benefits how can they make an informed decision?

Yes obviously the boot fit/flex has to be right first but then if a buyer's physiology means that when skis are attached to the boots that the skis are not flat or that they're leaning way too far forward or backwards etc then I think that they are being short changed. However, I not saying that any corrective work should be done for free just that customers should be made aware that additional alignment work may/will be required.

In terms of value of the £'000's I've spent on skiing the $150 I spent on being 'balanced' is right up there with the cost of the actual boots/fitting/footbeds etc.
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spyderjon, this a subject that gets different view all over the globe.

a couple of key points to consider is the boot selection in the first place, i have not been in to too many boot shops in the states those i have been in were mostly offering balance assessment, but not in one did i see a fitter do a simple test to determine the available ROM at the ankle joint, if the fitter does not know that how can they make an informed boot choice.

from what i have Read Jeff Bergamnn is a little bit of an exception to the rule, and fair play to him for doing the job right.

there are times i will compromise on fit [marginally] in order to get a more upright boot or something with a reduced ramp angle.

balance services are available in the UK [not in many places] but they are available, no one here grinds boot soles,
1 it is very permanent: your legs and feet change
2 there are better methods IMO of obtaining best balance in a ski boot [ internal boot wedging and base board work sorts over 90% of the problems i see.

now you make a very good point about people in the UK not being willing to pay for these services.... i think this is vastly down to percetion of it as something for racers.

something i do find amazing is more and more boot manufactures are supplying their womens boots with heel lifts in the box [ if not in the boot] i must say i would prefer to see them supply the boots with more bits that can be taken out rather than lots of junk to put in.

Balance / alignment call it what you will is also somehting that is done as an aftermarket service and as such will alway remain something that people feel is being pushed on them which may or may not be required, the key point is that if people are aware of this then they can make their own choices.

Another point i must make is i have been around this industry we call mski since before the first wave of skier alignment hit the UK back in the 90's every man and his dog was offering alignment services some were good, others were dangerous, it seems to be a subject that revolves and is either in fashion or not depending on the season the country and the fitter [or what they have been taught]
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CEM wrote:
.......2 there are better methods IMO of obtaining best balance in a ski boot [ internal boot wedging and base board work sorts over 90% of the problems i see......


Doesn't this then mean that one's foot is then 'skewed' in the boot?
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spyderjon,
Quote:

Doesn't this then mean that one's foot is then 'skewed' in the boot?


no , what is means is that we balance the boot to yor foot and strongest position, using the footbed and a sereis of wedges we adjust the base of the boot to suit you, every boot is different internally eg. base board 1 degree inverted, you require 2.5 degrees increase so we add a 1.5 degree wedge, similar is done with fore aft as well, take a look at www.footfoundation.com to see what i mean Little Angel
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CEM ok so you've now convinced me that you can do the work without planing wink

Are the shims bonded to the zeppa/how secure are the shims, for example if you pull out the liner & zeppa for drying etc do they shims come out seperately? Can they inadvertently move in the boot?
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CEM

your site suggests that skiing and walking use very different foot functions...
yet if I understand David McPhail's birdcage stuff properly then given the correct hip placement the foot does in fact "strike" at the heel and then proceed to pronate etc just as it does when walking... ie this part of the mechanics are the same...

can you help with my understanding re this stuff please?
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You wouldn't believe what went into my new boots today.

Bits taken out, wedges put in, and all types of strange goings on with footbeds and liners
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little tiger wrote:
CEM

your site suggests that skiing and walking use very different foot functions...
yet if I understand David McPhail's birdcage stuff properly then given the correct hip placement the foot does in fact "strike" at the heel and then proceed to pronate etc just as it does when walking... ie this part of the mechanics are the same...

can you help with my understanding re this stuff please?
You've got it right, LT, but not everyone agrees with how it works, and few have done the level of research that MacPhail did. Even though he did it with Steve Podborski, a lot of people poo-pooed the research because the results went contrary to much of the accepted thinking.
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OH I would....

I think I am currently up to my fourth pair of footbeds made by "expert bootfitters" so far none really work.... the worst was the sorefoot bungles that actually GIVE me foot cramps badly.... the most recent made at ESA at Snowbird do not allow me to get an outside edge on my right foot....

I'm going back to my walking orthotics and some simple tweaking of the forward lean on boot unless someone comes up with any other piece of genius....

I am just struggling too much with footbeds made by bootfitters that provide no real correction/support despite all the promises... funnily enough the best boot adjustments so far were all made by my ski instructor (who also picked the leg length discrepancy and associated issues all missed by the bootfitters... it just took me 3 years to decide to go to the podiatrist who confirmed the instructors long held belief that this was my issue.... the physio is pretty sure that my other problems are related)
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ssh wrote:
little tiger wrote:
CEM

your site suggests that skiing and walking use very different foot functions...
yet if I understand David McPhail's birdcage stuff properly then given the correct hip placement the foot does in fact "strike" at the heel and then proceed to pronate etc just as it does when walking... ie this part of the mechanics are the same...

can you help with my understanding re this stuff please?
You've got it right, LT, but not everyone agrees with how it works, and few have done the level of research that MacPhail did. Even though he did it with Steve Podborski, a lot of people poo-pooed the research because the results went contrary to much of the accepted thinking.


yeah Rick and i went through this a few years ago on the ILE thread (I think mark 2 version but maybe the first) ... it matched what my instructor had taught me .... and that is why I had been interested in David M's stuff until gonz chased him out....

David was really helpful by email but i was living where access to a decent physio/podiatrist/bootfitter team was always going to be an issue for me - and given my dodgy feet/leg/hip/back I was going to need all that....

I can't weight the ball of my right foot at all doing David's little experiment... with my orthotics IIRC I can just get there... with all footbeds also no go....
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CEM wrote:
spyderjon,
Quote:

Doesn't this then mean that one's foot is then 'skewed' in the boot?


no , what is means is that we balance the boot to yor foot and strongest position, using the footbed and a sereis of wedges we adjust the base of the boot to suit you, every boot is different internally eg. base board 1 degree inverted, you require 2.5 degrees increase so we add a 1.5 degree wedge, similar is done with fore aft as well, take a look at www.footfoundation.com to see what i mean Little Angel
I have heard from some that there have been very positive results from this approach, but it is also fair to say that there are also those who feel that this approach may negatively impact foot dynamics. However, I am all for getting skiers aware of their options for adjusting the boots to more accurately align them.
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ssh - my ski instructor said that tilting my foot in the boot would then leave the cuff/shin interaction slightly out of wack (IIRC this was a while back)... he says I can do it as a temporary thing but i need too much shim really to consider it as a permanent solution... - that is just from the two of us playing with temporary shimming....
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little tiger wrote:
ssh - my ski instructor said that tilting my foot in the boot would then leave the cuff/shin interaction slightly out of wack (IIRC this was a while back)... he says I can do it as a temporary thing but i need too much shim really to consider it as a permanent solution... - that is just from the two of us playing with temporary shimming....
I can see that. Also, if you consider the issues with the structure of the foot (the "tripod" that David describes in his paper), and consider the ways that the biofeedback works for those tendons, putting the foot at an angle different from the true under-foot angle may actually cause the opposite of what you want. For example, shimming the outside of the forefoot may cause the foot to respond inappropriately and apply pressure to the wrong part of the foot as a result. These are the kinds of things that are very complicated, and require an operational understanding of the foot's tendons and nerves together with how they are designed to work and the implications of immobility in a ski boot.
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yep... these are the things that cause me grief I gather.... with twisted foot, dodgy leg, funny hip, different leg length and feet that do not work properly in the arch and ankles I have too many issues all together.... 'tis hard enough with walking(where there is more research) in skiing it seems there is little research and mostly only trial and error (smoke and mirrors?)

I am thinking it would also affect how the ankle would hinge... because the 2 ankles would now hinge in different places in the boots? (assuming both feet don't have same shimming which mine don't)
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ssh wrote:
CEM wrote:
spyderjon,
Quote:

Doesn't this then mean that one's foot is then 'skewed' in the boot?


no , what is means is that we balance the boot to yor foot and strongest position, using the footbed and a sereis of wedges we adjust the base of the boot to suit you, every boot is different internally eg. base board 1 degree inverted, you require 2.5 degrees increase so we add a 1.5 degree wedge, similar is done with fore aft as well, take a look at www.footfoundation.com to see what i mean Little Angel
I have heard from some that there have been very positive results from this approach, but it is also fair to say that there are also those who feel that this approach may negatively impact foot dynamics. However, I am all for getting skiers aware of their options for adjusting the boots to more accurately align them.


It is a lot easier to try out this method than boot sole planing. If you don't like the results just take out the wedges.

I use a DIY version in my boots.
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rjs wrote:
ssh wrote:
CEM wrote:
spyderjon,
Quote:

Doesn't this then mean that one's foot is then 'skewed' in the boot?


no , what is means is that we balance the boot to yor foot and strongest position, using the footbed and a sereis of wedges we adjust the base of the boot to suit you, every boot is different internally eg. base board 1 degree inverted, you require 2.5 degrees increase so we add a 1.5 degree wedge, similar is done with fore aft as well, take a look at www.footfoundation.com to see what i mean Little Angel
I have heard from some that there have been very positive results from this approach, but it is also fair to say that there are also those who feel that this approach may negatively impact foot dynamics. However, I am all for getting skiers aware of their options for adjusting the boots to more accurately align them.
It is a lot easier to try out this method than boot sole planing. If you don't like the results just take out the wedges.

I use a DIY version in my boots.
True. The issue, however, is that our bodies are so capable of compensating that it's often not really clear if we've improved matters or not. Just because it "feels better" doesn't mean it is better. This is an area of challenge for many, since what they perceive is not actually what is happening ("But, I am already doing that!" "No, as a matter of fact, you're not!").

So, those who have done something in their boots may be pleased with the results, but may actually be limiting their movements and the use of their feet, ankles, and legs as a result, if what was done does not work in cooperation with the foot's design. Here's a very recent example: Anyone remember the old cork SuperFeet footbeds being formed exactly to the shape of the foot with no gaps and no softening of the material under the arch? The footbed held the foot immobile, and in so doing, eliminated the use of the arch and its dynamics to both manage pressure and naturally pronate onto the inside edge. I used them. I tolerated the pain because they were supposed to help me ski better. And, they did, actually. But, in so doing, they did not allow me to use my feet the way that they are designed to work, so I didn't ski as well as I could have skied.
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spyderjon wrote:

CEM Being someone who's had their forward lean & ramp angle reduced I'm interested on ssh's possible balancing solution as Jayne's feet are fine for four hours before pain sets in. Would not a 'foot problem' have produced discomfort or pain well before then?


Actually, it would take bolide a few hours to develop the nasties
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little tiger, i am struggling to see what you are talking about on my site, we use different orthotics due to the fact that your foot bends whilst you walk, the ones we use in ski boots are a bit more rigid under the forefoot,[ if you bend them every step they will eventually snap, the ones for dsaily use are designed to bend]

the motion of pronation is the same in walking , runnign, skiing is the same it is just reduced in differing ways. when i a ski boot if you allow the arch to collapse too much [not control enough pronation] then the foot will move in the shell, if the foot moves in the shell then how on earth can you stretch the boot to accomodate a bunion or a boney prominence.... if the foot is moving the stretch / grind etc would need to move along the length of the elongation

as i described a while back when we make an orthotic i look at the foot, the ability the flexibility or of the foot the usage etc etc. i do favour the superfeet kork ssh, they do now have a soft cushion under the arch, this is one product that is completely mis understood by many instructors and bootfitters [especially those who used the old version but not the new] the most common belief is that it locks the foot...... the only thing that locks is the mid tarsal joint as the forefoot is pronated against the rearfoot to find sub talar neutral whilst constructing the product.

i have probably missed questions and points that need explaining...work is hectic at present, but just keep asking or arguing amongst yourselves..... Toofy Grin Toofy Grin Toofy Grin
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is a 10DD unusually large?
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jayne durham wrote:
Dont know if this is an equipment or a technique issue...

I got new boots last season... with custom made insoles.
They appear to be a great fit and are very comfortable for the first few hours.... But after about 4 hours I start to get agonising pain - seems to be under the balls of my feet. If I undo my boots and ski like that.... it eases (but that isnt terribly safe!) and if I undo, lift my foot a bit, and sit down for 5-10 mins it eases (but that holds up the rest of the party!)

Any ideas? Is it something I am doing technique-wise or do I have a foot problem?

Anyone else had similar and any ideas how to solve - Have a hunch new boots/insoles is not the answer.. I'm convinced they are a good fit - not too big and not too small.

Thanks


This is just an idea but based on what your description your shell may actually be too big (too high volume over the arch area) and you are overcompensating by tightening and flattening your foot.

You should be able to ski on boots completely undone which again makes me wonder if the shell is too large?
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