Boot/foot comfort

[AJM]

It went great! The bootfitter was really helpful and after looking at the boots and scanning my feet decided that new footbeds would be the best start so they are installed now and ready to try out at Dobson this Saturday, woohoo.
Feels a bit different/higher in my heels, I think that could be the issue, too much pressure coming on the balls of my feet,which is what the scan showed.
he said we could also adjust the inside base of the boot if needed so other stuff to try if this isn't quite right still
Anyway, time will tell...I'm feeling hopeful.

Brilliant !!! Make sure you let us know how it goes xx

 

[Rashika]

Definitely!

 

[Rashika]

Brilliant !!! Make sure you let us know how it goes xx

And it went well!
Intially I skied for about three hours and feet started to get a bit tingly and sore ( argghhh I thought!) so lunchbreak and boots off for a little bit. Then back into it and I got through to 3.45 and my feet weren't sore!! Tired yes but kinda what I expect but not the intense pain I had had all season. I think the new footbeds took the morning to settle in and I felt really good in the afternoon. I'm so relieved to say the least, and I think I skied so much better for it, had so really good smooth and confident runs.

Big yay and big thanks to gnomes

 

[AJM]

And it went well!
Intially I skied for about three hours and feet started to get a bit tingly and sore ( argghhh I thought!) so lunchbreak and boots off for a little bit. Then back into it and I got through to 3.45 and my feet weren't sore!! Tired yes but kinda what I expect but not the intense pain I had had all season. I think the new footbeds took the morning to settle in and I felt really good in the afternoon. I'm so relieved to say the least, and I think I skied so much better for it, had so really good smooth and confident runs.

Big yay and big thanks to gnomes

Yippeeeee !!! Thats so good to hear, boots are so important and Gnomes are fantastic. Mine are in there at the moment having a couple of tweaks.

 

[Rashika]

Oh and tried out some demo skis; rossignol and dynastar actually liked both, especially for the hardish snow we had in the morning. I think I’m just too easy to please so anything seems to make me happy! AJM: I actually hired the k2 mindbenders at turoa as well, and liked them as well… yeah too easy! Makes for hard decision next year when I will probably need new skis.

 

[Bostonerin]

I'm having a similar issue with my new boots, although with 12 outings now they are much more worn in.

That pain is actually what brought me here and although I haven't been able to sort it out yet I'm definitely going back to the shop to see if we can do more. I have custom footbeds but my toes basically go numb after an hour (now, it was more like 15 mins in the beginning) then tingly then the pain starts and I have to remove my boot as I basically can't stand, worse on my right foot than my left. I can manage about 2 hours now before I have to stop.
It's frustrating cos I feel the boot fits me well, I have no sharp spots and a snug fit all round, I can wiggle my toes comfortablly, but not too much, and not hitting the end. I suspect it's the beginning of Morton's so I want to see what can be done, besides me having to stop after 2 hours.
Oh and if I rest the feet for about 15mins I can put the boots back on no problem, the toes seem to recover and I can ski again for another hour or two, then have to rest again.
And I have never had this pain in any other shoes, only ski boots. I tried some stretchy metatarsal pads on Wednesday but that did not last long, was just as bad if not worse than before.
I'm enjoying the skiing but not this pain!

This sounds like me. First run today and my foot was numb after 10 turns. Boots are fine when not popped into binding and feel good in the store so it’s so hard to tell what adjustments to make.

 

[Jilly]

Tell them exactly that.

 

[RandomSkier]

It's a boot problem. Well fitting boots do not cause pain. Well fitting boots do not need "breaking in" to feel good; they already feel pretty darn good and breaking in is just the icing on the cake.

 

[scandium]

This sounds like me. First run today and my foot was numb after 10 turns. Boots are fine when not popped into binding and feel good in the store so it’s so hard to tell what adjustments to make.

Do you have footbeds? Did they get you to click into a binding in the store and look at what your legs/feet do in that position? Go back and tell them about the numbness, they should be able to troubleshoot with you...

 

[lisamamot]

I agree it sounds like a boot issue, but I do believe new boots require a break in period. If you go for a performance fit, they will feel very tight, and you could have initial numbness. If you do enough tweaks so they are fully comfortable before you ever ski them, you may have over-corrected and by the time they pack they may be too loose.

I resisted a performance fit boot for years as I wanted the comfy from day one experience; I had never struggled to get my boots on/off, nor had that "can't wait to get them off" feeling I heard so many lament about. They fit perfectly right out of the box! I was slightly smug about the comfort of my boots, and curious why people would put themselves in anything that made them struggle so. Over the seasons I was using my buckles more and more to both hold my foot in place and to increase the flex....hmmm, perhaps immediate comfort has drawbacks?

Last season I took the plunge and went to a performance fit boot. The fitter put me in the same boot model, but higher flex and one size down. The first few days were actually quite miserable as the numbness was significant when skiing. I popped back to the shop several times over those days, and with a bump for my big toe and some board grinding, along with the packing, they settled in. I now understand the struggle to get them on and off, and while I look forward to taking them off, luckily that is not due to active discomfort.

For me, boots will continue to come along with a set of trade-offs. For now I am enjoying the control of a performance fit, but I do miss the ease of my old ones and being a BSL buddy with my daughter!

 

[MissySki]

I agree with @lisamamot as that has been my experience with sizing down to a performance fit. Not a chance for me that a boot won’t ever need a break in period. My fitter starts with the tweaks we know will be needed in any boot for me, which is shaping the boot to my wider forefoot. After that he tells me to ski them for 8-10 days and then come back with any problematic spots. My current boots fit so well to start that it was very minor tweaks needed after that time.. but yes there were some discomforts over that first few days to work through.

The thing for me also is that the first few days of each season I tend to struggle with a bit of cramping and tingling, but then it goes away after that. It’s like my feet need to be trained back into being in such a confined space after 6 months of flip flops and bare feet.. which I suppose I cannot blame them for that.

 

[Jilly]

This sounds like me. First run today and my foot was numb after 10 turns. Boots are fine when not popped into binding and feel good in the store so it’s so hard to tell what adjustments to make.

Ok. First runs of the season. Your feet are used to flip flops, not hard plastic. Give it a few days I don't remember my boots hurting as much as they did yesterday or this morning!!

 

[brooksnow]

It’s like my feet need to be trained back into being in such a confined space after 6 months of flip flops and bare feet.. which I suppose I cannot blame them for that.

This. Even sneakers are a rude awakening after the comfort of summer sandals.

For the first few days of the season I find I have to actively think about relaxing my feet, especially the toes. I tend to try to grip the snow with my toes which does absolutely nothing for my skiing and makes my feet and calves cramp.

I also have to remember to clip my toenails before my first run of the season. If my toenails are not ridiculously ugly short they smash uncomfortably. Toenail clippers and an emery board are permanent items in my ski bag.

 

[AJM]

I also have to remember to clip my toenails before my first run of the season. If my toenails are not ridiculously ugly short they smash uncomfortably. Toenail clippers and an emery board are permanent items in my ski bag.

I second that !! I clip mine as short as I can possibly go.

 

[mustski]

Another thought for those who deal with numbing, tingling etc… ski a few ruins with your boots a bit loose. Ski easy runs so it’s not an issue. This gets circulation going in your foot and then you can tighten the boots up. I need to do that every time I ski or I will get a bad pain in my forefeet, both of them though it’s far worse in my neuroma foot

 

[AJM]

Another thought for those who deal with numbing, tingling etc… ski a few ruins with your boots a bit loose. Ski easy runs so it’s not an issue. This gets circulation going in your foot and then you can tighten the boots up. I need to do that every time I ski or I will get a bad pain in my forefeet, both of them though it’s far worse in my neuroma foot

I love this tip, I have a few months before I can put in to practise though

 

[contesstant]

Yep, first several days of the season the feet are not happy to be crammed into ski boots!

 

[brooksnow]

Another thought for those who deal with numbing, tingling etc… ski a few ruins with your boots a bit loose.

Absolutely. I always ski my first run with my boots loosely tight (if that makes sense) then tighten them up a notch. It feels like it takes a run for my feet to settle into my boots, warm up the liner, or whatever. Also keeping my boots in walk mode for the first lift ride is more comfortable for my calves.