 Poster: A snowHead
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Please stay with my whilst I regale my story of my balls - I think I have burning balls!
Yesterday, skied for the first time in my new ski boots for about 4, 5 hours. Already during the second, third runs I felt pain in a spot that I didn't realise existed, but that I now suspect is the infamous burning ball that I have heard so much about - a painful tingling spot in the middle of my feet between arch and heel is the best I can describe it. Loosening them somewhat did relieve some of the problem.
Maybe it's too early to pass judgment on what's going on - my last pair of skiboots took about 5-10 days to 'break in my feet' so to speak - but I am slightly worried at this point that I spent lots of money on boots that are wrong for my feet... They're Falcon Guns by the way, so medium-narrow with low volume, and chosen after lots of trying - shell fitting etc was perfect.
My initial suspicion is that the boots are slightly too narrow at the front of my foot and therefore compressing the widest bit of my feet somehwat, and forcing the bones in a slightly awkward position which puts strain on the spot in question (I say this because I could see slight pressure points on the widest part of my feet and there was slight numbness in the little toes of left foot - looks like my left foot is wider then right foot as well! - and when I squeeze the foot at the pressure points to simulate the compression, it seems to confirm this suspision).
I suspect that for customising the boots, I might be looking at insoles to give me slightly better arch support (which I need and which may also narrow my feet slightly) as well as possibly blowing out the boots at pressure points.
I also have read comments that this might have to do with fore-aft balance, as well as ankle flex. I should say the the Gun are very snug at the ankle, holding it in place nice and firmly. Any tests I could do here to see whether ankle flex is an issue?
Thanks for any advice on things to try - would be much appreciated! I hope to give them a few more tries before looking at customising footbed and boot itself....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hi skibomb, a couple of questions...
1. Where did you get them?
2. What footbeds are in them?
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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?
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Wear The Fox Hat, Thanks for responding. No footbeds yet other than the standard liner, which is a CustomFit liner. Bought at shop with very little bootfitting expertise - nevisport. I've had a hell of a time trying to find a shop with the combination of decent expertise and the right boots....
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skibomb, ok, first thing would be to look at getting footbeds. Take a look at the current ones - you'll probably find they are pretty close to a 3mm thick piece of material that provides about as much support as a 32A bra on Jordan.
Spend about £30 on some Superfeet or Conformables, and your feet will be better supported and held in the boot. That would be my first suggestion.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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skibomb, I'm sure that someone who knows what they're on about will be long shortly. In the meantime, as a fellow sufferer, I'll offer my experience, FWIW. I seem to remember reading somewhere (here?) that burning feet can be caused by the boots reducing the blood flow (presumably to the affected area), which can happen even if they're not fantastically tight. I found that undoing the 2nd (ankle) clip half a turn sorted it out, even though I wasn't aware of any pinching in that area. The boot seemed to be perfectly tight enough after loosening the clip.
Probably complete balls (of the feet), not the cause at all, totally the wrong thing to do, I'll live to regret it and so on.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Wear The Fox Hat, Thx. I know what you mean - my performas used to have a bit of 'carpet' in them - looked like nothing more than a bit of fabric. I don't remember the Guns having anything else in them though... I will have a look tonight.
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richmond, Balls or not, your thoughts are appreciated. 
I will have to experiment with different tightness settings indeed. The fact that there is numbness in outer little toes also suggest that there might be a circulation issue instead of or as well as compression. I guess pinpointing the source of circulation problems isn't always easy.
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I have to say that my boots have never made my balls sore. 
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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.
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Do not modify your boots before getting a custom footbed made. You must support your arch and to consilidate the fit before tweaking and making things worse.
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I had a lady in the shop once asking if we could help her husband because he had big balls! 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, and did you?
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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.
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Turns out the Guns don't have an insole in them, just the original footboard. Suppose, I will have to try some insoles to see if they improve matters.
SMALLZOOKEEPER, in your experience, can burning balls be caused by feet being squeezed by slightly narrow boots?
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skibomb, I would say, no. "Burning Balls" are most often caused by inflexibility (or cutting up chillis before using the toilet!) By that i mean the achilles can be tight. Is the person concearned a bit stocky, powerful build? If so it's likely to be this. All the tendons arount the lower leg will be tight, therfore in the flex position the pulling on the achilles will cause downward force around the metatarsals, couple this will the excessive stetching of the tendon that runs along the sole of the foot, a burning sensation can arise. Another symptom that may point to this is callousing around the Metatarsals, is there any callous?
This is a little subjective and my my expierence, probable. Without the feet in my hands it would be difficult to say.
Michelle's Gray has/had a similar problem.  [/b]
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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skibomb, If you get down south, go see CEM at Bicester or book a trip to Chamonix and kill two birds with one stone  ...unless anyone has a scottish recommendation
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A trip to Chamonix would be pleasant. I will be in that general area in March - a bit late in the season to get my boots sorted - so Scotland might be preferable at this point
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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?
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I think CEM recommended some Scotttish bootfitters for something about 6 weeks ago - so I'd guess at about pg 10/11 on the equipment forum.
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