Question: Arch pain - not plantar fasciitis

[Jimaka21]

For that past season or two, I get a stabbing pain in my arch. It is much worse on one foot than the other but neither feels right. I have no pain in my heel so I'm not thinking it is PF.
And, I only feel this pain when I ski. I have gone to a professional boot fitter and and custom insoles made.
I've tried skiing barefoot and it helps a little but not entirely.
Has anyone else experienced this and found a solution? I"m desperate - I don't want to give up skiing.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

My son just went through this, but it was with street shoes. Culprit wound up being the insole. (He hadn't used his customs. ) Does this happen ONLY in ski boots? If so, I'm suspicious of the insoles.....have you tried to replace them with something else (say, a stock-type) just to see if they feel different?

 

[Jimaka21]

My son just went through this, but it was with street shoes. Culprit wound up being the insole. (He hadn't used his customs. ) Does this happen ONLY in ski boots? If so, I'm suspicious of the insoles.....have you tried to replace them with something else (say, a stock-type) just to see if they feel different?

I used the stock ones, then smart feet, then went to the custom insoles. :(

 

[bounceswoosh]

I can't really endorse this or say if it's any good for what's going on, but my friend has been fighting foot pain for years. She recently had a horrifically painful treatment involving needles in the foot. She said it sucked during and after - but it did actually help.

 

[Jilly]

What kind of custom insoles and who made them? I'm suspecting the insoles too. They maybe too high, or too low in the arch.

 

[pinto]

How tight is that buckle over the instep?

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I'm now suspicious of the boot itself. A boot that doesn't quite match up with your instep and foot volume can cause real pain.

 

[snow addict]

I had problems with custom made insoles once, I ended up pulling them out and putting back the ones that came with the boots. The custom insoles pushed my arches too high and it was really painful to keep weight over the balls of my feet, even if I completely opened the buckle over instep, because the pressure was from below, not above. On the other hand, if your problem persists despite changing insoles maybe the boot volume is not sufficient. By "barefoot skiing", do you mean skiing without socks? If it helps even little than it could well be insufficient volume...

 

[2ski2moro]

Get back to the boot fitter.

For me, the insoles helped eliminate the pain. When the boots were buckled, they pushed on the top of my foot (flattening the bottom of the foot). The insole should prevent the collapse of the arch and prevent the pain. Hope this helps.

 

[tinymoose]

Yeah, I would have guessed the insoles too but maybe folks are right that it's the boots themselves? When I had the Superfeet Kork custom footbeds I used to get pain in my arches (kinda like a charley horse) the first few days of skiing every season b/c the arches of the footbeds were too high and wouldn't let my arches relax naturally. It's b/c they were molded unweighted, which is not at all where your feet are when you're standing on them and skiing.

 

[Jimaka21]

What kind of custom insoles and who made them? I'm suspecting the insoles too. They maybe too high, or too low in the arch.

Westboro Ski & Tennis - they are custom boot fitters in Mass. I've gone back and he made an adjustment. The problem is they feel fine in the shop - its when i'm on an incline actually skiing that I feel it.

 

[volklgirl]

If it's only when you're on an incline, I'd suspect the boots themselves are likely too big, allowing your foot to slide forward, past the where the insole arch and your foot arch lines up, , or maybe they're too soft, allowing the plastic over the instep to deform, pressing down in the instep and irritating the arches......or something like that. Possibly you need ankle pads to keep your feet from rolling to the inside compressing the arches?

What happens if you put your insoles in street shoes and stand on an incline?

 

[Jimaka21]

If it's only when you're on an incline, I'd suspect the boots themselves are likely too big, allowing your foot to slide forward, past the where the insole arch and your foot arch lines up, , or maybe they're too soft, allowing the plastic over the instep to deform, pressing down in the instep and irritating the arches......or something like that. Possibly you need ankle pads to keep your feet from rolling to the inside compressing the arches?

What happens if you put your insoles in street shoes and stand on an incline?

 

[Jimaka21]

It doesn't hurt being on an incline in Street shoes even with the custom insoles. I did go buy a new pair of boots and the fitter thought I should stick with the smart feet instead. They are much softer than my Langes and so far I have no arch pain. I only skied two days and took it easy so time will tell. His theory is that my boot/insole combo was too snug. The person who made my insoles thought I had too much room to flex and strain. I guess I will see.

 

[RedinChicago]

That almost sounds like what it feels like when my arch supports are out of place. Ouch! is an understatement

 

[altagirl]

DH had an issue where he bought new boots and kept complaining about how uncomfortable they were with the custom insoles. I kept urging him to take them back, but he skied day after day, complaining of pain and figuring they'd "break in". It got to the point where his feet hurt on a daily basis, not just when he was skiing, and he want to the doctor for that (and this is someone who never goes to the doctor!). He finally took the ski boots back for help and the foot board that is underneath the footbed was actually broken in half and not laying straight - it was doubled up in a spot and created such an issue from skiing on it like that he had issues for nearly a year, even in street shoes.

If something feels truly WRONG, don't try to tough it out.