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Boot & footbed fitting process with ankle problem

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm thinking of investing in boots for the first time, so am ignorant of the process. I will take expert advice in a shop of course, but I like to research first rather than go somewhere completely green and be totally at the mercy of a sales assistant!

Due to an injury (4 yrs ago & NOT a skiing one!) I have been left with an ankle problem. When non weight-bearing it looks 100% straight and normal, but when I stand up it looks as if I am rolling my foot inwards - the ankle bone has a definite 'lean' to the inside (think it's called 'pronation') and I find it aches after a long day. It doesn't seem to cause arch drop, or not a lot - but I do have very high arches. When clamped into rental ski boots I so far haven't had a problem with it - no pain afterwards - so I am assuming it gets held in a favourable. supported position. (I also have hammer toes so need a generous toe area in boots).

My questions

- when they fit you for heat moulding boot liners/footbeds, do they normally do it with you standing? If so might that mean that they were fitted so the ankle sits in its 'rolled inwards' position? MIght that cause a problem?

- should they be fitted when I am seated - or would that cause problems because your feet alter position when standing?

- Would the liner end up too tight over my hammer toes? How can this be avoided?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
NewSkier,

there are a few things that can be done to minimise the discomfort [remove it all together ]

footbeds should either be made non weight bearing or in a weightbearing / semi weight bearing position with the foot postioned as close to it's neutral [best ] position, if well made the footbed will hold the foot in or very near to this [correct] position.
the liners will be moulded with you standing, but padding over the ankle bone and a toe cap on your foot during this process will help to give a little extra space in the problem areas.

the shell can be stretched in the ankle region and over the toes should it be required...a good shop will have the tools to do this if needed

hope this helps a bit
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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?
NewSkier, a bootfitter will explain properly but I have had footbeds made at Snow and Rock and then Profeet. You are standing but with knees bent and they sort of line your knee up straight in line with the middle of your foot so that your ankle is not rolled inwards. It anything is too tight you say and get it stretched! Don't know where you are but Profeet in London are very good and CEM has had rave reviews, Smallzooker in Chamonix too. I'm sure they will be along soon. Good luck.

edit: CEM beat me to it!
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Thanks that's reassuring as it is important the ankle is treated correctly for the best end result, but being new to this I know nothing about it! Do you get footbeds made 1st, and then use them to hold the ankle/foot correctly while the liner is moulded?

As for location, London is rather a long way - I will most likely be going to Ellis Brigham, Castleford as that's where I will be trying to keep up & improve my new found skills before next year's trip(s) away, or possibly Snow/Rock in Sheffield's dry slope SkiVillage (I work near there, but no way do I fancy skiing there!!). I think it is important to go somewhere I can easily return to with subsequent queries/problems rather than travel specially to another part of the country.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
NewSkier, Where you go? I'd rather take the time and go to a proper bootfitter, rather than go to EB or S&R irrespective of convienience. Bicester or Leamington Spa, surely is worth the effort to get a decent fit.

You don't put the footbeds in the boot when you heat the Liner as the heat would also effect the Footbed, causing it to distort and loose it's shape.
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 bloxy
bloxy
Guest
My experience of S&R and their Sidas system is very poor, I had my footbeds done in the USA and it was a much more involved process that produced a completely stable footbed that was fully posted (that is they build up under the arch and heel then grind it flat so that the footbed will sit completely flat and stable with no rocking). After this season I will be changing to a proper orthotic instead.

My wife had a more severe problem which was never full solved by a ski shop footbed and she had proper orthototics constructed by a podiatrist after a full examination and analysis.

If you have that severe a pronation on one foot then I would not trust correction to a boot fitter, I would seek the help of a podiatrist. I can recommend the France-Shelton clinic, 390 Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, Telephone: 0121-384-324 http://www.footfix.co.uk

Once you have proper orthotics (which you can use in all of your shoes). Then You can go get fitted for boots using those orthotics. I think Lockwoods work with France Shelton.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
bloxy, He makes the best Orthotics in the world, Patric Shelton that is.
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 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 for the advice, but justifiying the cost of professional services/orthotics concerns me. I don't actually get pain skiing using rental boots, but if I get my own I wnt them to be a good fit of course. I am a nervous novice who will be going abroad only 1-2 times a year due to pressures of finance and the fact that my dearly beloved is not a skier, so I go with friends instead. My only other skiing will be at Cas where I hope to go often enough to keep up and indeed improve my skills so real snow time is not wasted! My aim before next season is to get beyond doing snowplough turns and move towards more parallel turns, increasing my confidence level at the same time.

I rang EB at Cas and was impressed with the response. Unprompted I was given the name of the staff member who is most expereinced at dealing with specific foot problems and was told I could make an appointment to see him and to allow 2-3 hours. I was told cost would be around £50-70 for footbeds and £200-ish for boots. Also they said if I had problems they would keep on trying to sort them out without further charge.

Think I might opt for this in the first instance and maybe in the future consider the professional services approach if it seems necessary.
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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.
Standard costs, timings and service there. Seems to all be in order. Athough we have every shop in Cham making the same claims and offering that service schedule. I would ask any Bootfitter to tell me; How many bones there were in each foot? A flex rating of 100 tells me what? And what the smell of a Rose looks like? The last question, breaking the now tense atmoshpere created by intimidating the 'BOOTFITTER' with these questions.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
LOL - any other good questions to 'innocently' pose???

Out of interest I spoke to a guy at S&R too for comparison. He first suggested that if I had any ankle problem I should see a doctor so I told him "been there, done that, got his blessing to ski!. Then he said well they might be able to make a suitable footbed and heat mould boots around my ankle's shape when standing on it. He said bottom of the range boots would be best as they are softest but that I should go back in October really because their stocks are running low for this season now, so I'd have less choice and the new stock comes in Oct. Hmm! Didn't seem to keen to get my business - and won't get it!

This was at the Sheffield ski village which looks a bit of a dump! I was quite surprised by the access to it - the road goes for quite a way through a narrow, very run down industrial area and I am not surprised that permission for the addition of an indoor slope hasn't been given if the access were to remain the same. I didn't fancy trying my skills on the Dendix one bit, tho the bar looked nice!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Well I have bought some! I went to EB Castleford as they had a sale starting. The whole experience was positive and pleasant - the fitter spent a lot of time carefully aligning my ankle and I now have boots with custom footbeds and when I bend my knee it is directly over my foot instead of about 6" to the inside for £200 total! I tried them out and suddenly I can turn left!
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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.
NewSkier, good news then.
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 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
Yes good indeed. If anyone's interested I got Nordica Womens GTS 8 - Salomon Siam crushed my little toe on one foot and caused a large red patch to appear on my bad ankle within the 15 mins trial time.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
NewSkier, the plans for Sheffield included upgrading the whole area, including the access. That's why it's frustrating that they have been turned down.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
bloxy,

I have a mangled feet... they are just weird...

I had great success with the podiatrist at SIDAS itself in Grenoble... not that far from the Grenoble airport and a train ride from Grenoble itself....

You get a qualified podiatrist whom specialises in ski boot stuff...

All around not bad at all - and a much better solution than anything else so far...

In making my insoles she assessed

1)leg/foot structure in

lying legs bent
lying legs straight
sitting legs supported straight
sitting legs hanging
standing
standing flexed

2)and watched me walk...

3) assessed walking orthotics built by podiatrist at home for walking and running


then the usual boot fiitting type stuff as well... took lots of time... but the results are very good

certainly better than my bootfitting experiences
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