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My new boots - advice please - thanks

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
As you know, I bought new ski boots just over a week ago. I have been wearing them around the house like the girl in the shop said to do. At the time, I didn't buy insoles/footbeds and she told me just to see how I got on with "breaking" them in first.

When I was wearing them in the house, I could only wear them for about 20 minutes or so before my toes started to become numb. When I was not wearing them i.e. at work, I could feel the arches of my feet and the bottom of my foot quite sore. I can also feel the bone at the side of my foot quite sore too.

Today, I went to Xscape at Braehead and the boots were making my toes numb. After skiing, I went back to Ellis Brigham and explained all these symptoms (sore bone at the side, sore arches and sore sole of foot when not wearing boots and numbness in toes when wearing boots). She said that I should really buy a customised footbed for the arch pain which could alleviate the toe numbness and shell stretching for the bone at the side of the foot.

What I really want to know is:

I know that footbeds/insoles will help with the arch/sole pain, but will they alleviate the pain at the side of the foot caused by the bone (this is hard to explain - if you start at the heel and run your finger along the outside of your foot, about halfway along you come to the start of a bone - this is the bone that I am talking about) or should I have the shell stretched also.

Thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
jb1970, The bone you are referring to is the base of the fifth metatarsal. This will need some shell stretching to accomodate it, whilst you're at it get them to check the oil levels too Toofy Grin
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
LARGEZOOKEEPER, Could pressure on this bone be causing my toes to go numb?
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jb1970, Sorry to hear about your numb toes Sad

I may not be the best person to offer advice on this having only had two weeks skiing, but I did buy some boots in Les 2 Alpes about two weeks ago and during the fitting was worried about my toes touching the ends of the boots as I stood in the ski shop. I asked whether I should walk around in the new boots just like you have been doing and was told this was not a good idea as your foot will only adopt the correct position in the boot when you adopt the skiing position - in other words your toes may well touch the ends of the boots when you walk but when you lean forward in the boot as if skiing, the foot moves back and should not cause you any discomfort. As I said before I am no expert on this and it may have no bearing on your toes going numb, but it's interesting that you have been given advice to walk around in the boots as I got very different advice. Puzzled Hope this helps.
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jb1970, You have very obviously got special feet, Please go and see a specialist bootfitter in person to resolve your special problems.
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jb1970, what boots did you end up buying? Reason I ask is that I had this same issue with Salomon XWave9 boots in size 27.5- too much pressure at 5th metatarsal, along with cramping of toes 3, 4 and 5 on each foot. Although the boot was "fitted" and deemed to be the correct length and shape for my foot, I never felt happy with it even after 4 or 5 weeks skiing. But the Tecnicas that I just bought in the same size are a completely different kettle of fish. Good close fit but no pressure points at all and I can wear them for hours. It may just be that the boot shape doesn't suit your foot shape as well as it should.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
petemillis, I've bought Nordica Speedmachine 8 boots. I took them back to the shop yesterday and the girl said that we should try customised footbeds (which, according to most people on here, I should have anyway). She also said that, with regard to the pressure point at the 5th metatarsal, she could shell stretch the boots.
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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!
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=21067&highlight= - I had what sounds like the same problem, in the same boots.

They fit like a dream now, I don't even need to unclip them off the slope - they stretched around the outside front of my foot, then my footbeds were ground down a little to allow the outside ball of my foot to not be pinned down - this had them nearly sorted, just left a slight tingle in my little toe - then a trip to the zoo fixed that by stretching a little more room out.

Good luck! Don't be disheartened that they don't fit now, they will soon Smile
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toiletduckuk, Thanks very much for your very helpful and reassuring post. I have no doubt that the boots are the correct size, they just need a little manipulation with the shell and, of course, I need some footbeds.
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I once had to go up a shell size to accomodate footbeds as the foot bed itself took up more room than the standard insole. The shop that advised me I didn't need footbeds in the first place ended up footing (pun intended) the cost of the new shell.
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DB, I suppose as they had given you duff advice in the first place, they wouldn't have had a foot to stand on had they not stumped up the cost of the bigger shell.
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DB, So, do footbeds take up more space than the standard insoles - does that mean I might have to go up a size?
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jb1970 wrote:
DB, So, do footbeds take up more space than the standard insoles - does that mean I might have to go up a size?


You may need to as normal insoles usually resemble a bit of cardboard while proper footbeds are more substanial (thicker).

On the other hand (or foot) a footbed may support your arch and reduce the foot lengthening by eliminating the collasping of the arch.

note - I am not a boot fitter (just a victim Wink )

PS Don't assume you will have a problem just be aware of the footbed thickness and if it is a problem say something.
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