Boot/foot comfort

[Rashika]

This description is right on target for Morton's Neuroma.
Numbness...
then tingles...
followed by serious pain.
After the shooting pain you can also feel like hot lava is filling the boot starting at the toes. (!!!)

I've had the exact same thing happen. I remember the day I felt hot lava filling my boot in the toe box. I sat down on the snow and removed the boots fast in desperation. It was difficult to get them back on, but at least I did prove to myself that there was no hot lava in there. My toes weren't even warm.

So if I'm right and you have Morton's neuroma, that means a nerve in the foot that leads to two toes is getting pinched by two bones in the ball-of-foot area. The bones collapse towards each other and they finally get close enough to pinch the nerve in between them. The nerve screams in pain, and you feel it. The numbness and tingles usually happen first before shooting pain.

If this pain goes on repeatedly, day after day, the nerve can get inflamed. Even if you get the problem fixed (see below), the inflammation needs to subside before you can go back to skiing without pain.

There's an easy fix for many skiers suffering with Morton's. Your bootfitter can attach a shim to the bottom of your custom footbed, somewhere in the ball-of-foot area. That shim will raise the two bones that are rubbing against each other and pinching that nerve. Raising the bones will keep them apart. It may take a few modifications to get the shim in the exact right spot and the right height to stop the pain. If the nerve is inflamed, it will hurt even after the fix. You'll need to wait for it to calm down before skiing pain-free.

Another issue may be that the toe box of the boot is too narrow at the ball-of-foot area. This also is easy to fix if you have a good bootfitter with the proper tools to widen the toe box. Be careful with widening though. When the ball-of-foot area is widened, the bootfitter may overcompensate and render your boots too wide. My suggestion is to try the shim fix first.

Yes exactly, and thats how I found this forum.
So I called into the ski shop yesterday ( I don't live there only visit on weekends) and picked up a couple of met pads and will experiment with the position over the next couple of days. Would b good to have them in position by next weekend skiing.
Did about 5 hours skiing today, including a lesson, and stopped twice to rest the feet out of boots and survived... Didn't quite make the hot lava stage! So resting out of boots definitely helps.

 

[fgor]

Yes exactly, and thats how I found this forum.
So I called into the ski shop yesterday ( I don't live there only visit on weekends) and picked up a couple of met pads and will experiment with the position over the next couple of days. Would b good to have them in position by next weekend skiing.
Did about 5 hours skiing today, including a lesson, and stopped twice to rest the feet out of boots and survived... Didn't quite make the hot lava stage! So resting out of boots definitely helps.

Good luck with them! Skiing with foot pain is so unpleasant yet so common :( I have a met pad on one of my ski boot insoles, I had a different nerve issue (mine stemming from an injury) that was also causing numbness of the third and fourth toes and pain and it did help!

 

[AJM]

Yes exactly, and thats how I found this forum.
So I called into the ski shop yesterday ( I don't live there only visit on weekends) and picked up a couple of met pads and will experiment with the position over the next couple of days. Would b good to have them in position by next weekend skiing.
Did about 5 hours skiing today, including a lesson, and stopped twice to rest the feet out of boots and survived... Didn't quite make the hot lava stage! So resting out of boots definitely helps.

I used to suffer with really bad foot pain in ski boots but once I went to a LV boot it went away thank goodness as it used to quite debilitating.

PS there is no way I could ever take my ski boots off during the day as much as I would love to, I would never be able to get them back on
Mine sit in the footwell of the car under the heater to get nice and warm then I put them on as soon as I arrive and there they stay for the whole day.

 

[Rashika]

We do the same with our boots on the drive up, makes it so nice to put on.
I just have to take them off, no option when the pain gets bad and I'm getting much better at putting my boots back on now, can even do it by myself ...sometimes lol!

 

[scandium]

I used to suffer with really bad foot pain in ski boots but once I went to a LV boot it went away thank goodness as it used to quite debilitating.

PS there is no way I could ever take my ski boots off during the day as much as I would love to, I would never be able to get them back on
Mine sit in the footwell of the car under the heater to get nice and warm then I put them on as soon as I arrive and there they stay for the whole day.

Mt Hutt has a couple of fireplaces that can be quite helpful if you need to take boots on and off! I often take my boots in the main building for that reason (also because I don’t have first tracks, but like the top carpark) and they warm up by the fireplace nicely.

 

[fgor]

PS there is no way I could ever take my ski boots off during the day as much as I would love to, I would never be able to get them back on
Mine sit in the footwell of the car under the heater to get nice and warm then I put them on as soon as I arrive and there they stay for the whole day.

Memorably, last year I took a day trip to Broken River with a friend who was visiting, we had quite a walk before getting to a little hut filled with skis and sitting down to put our boots and stuff on. It wasn't a vastly cold day but because my boots (the same redster sti 110 as yours!) had by then been outside for a good hour or more, it was IMPOSSIBLE to put them on I think we hung out in the little hut for a good 20+ minutes waiting for my boots to warm up to the point I could finally put them on!

 

[AJM]

Memorably, last year I took a day trip to Broken River with a friend who was visiting, we had quite a walk before getting to a little hut filled with skis and sitting down to put our boots and stuff on. It wasn't a vastly cold day but because my boots (the same redster sti 110 as yours!) had by then been outside for a good hour or more, it was IMPOSSIBLE to put them on I think we hung out in the little hut for a good 20+ minutes waiting for my boots to warm up to the point I could finally put them on!

I hear ya !!! I sometimes think I'm going to pop an eyeball out with the strain if they aren't warmed up first I'd love to see a video of me putting them on complete with facial expressions and grunting/swearing

 

[Rashika]

I hear ya !!! I sometimes think I'm going to pop an eyeball out with the strain if they aren't warmed up first I'd love to see a video of me putting them on complete with facial expressions and grunting/swearing

Currently even with them warm, my better half still helps me to get them on, new boots and all, but I surprised him yesterday by putting them on ALL BY MYSELF! I think I even did it twice.
lol it’s a bit of a standing joke between us.

 

[Rashika]

So wish me luck! Currently walking around in my ski boots at home with met pads fitted ( after a couple of trials to see where to put them) and to see if they help with the toe pain

 

[liquidfeet]

Good luck, @Rashika !

Pre-formed met pads may work. They also may be too thick, too thin, too wide or too narrow for your particular needs.

Bootfitters have a substance they can stick to the bottom of your footbed that they can mold to a size that feels good when you stand on it. They can control the diameter, and the thickness of the pad they make.
It sticks to the bottom of your footbed.

If the pre-formed met pads you've got don't work, or feel bad, you might consider going to a bootfitter to get custom ones made. The substance bootfitters use is like plasticine. However, plasticene never cures; it's always malleable. The substance bootfitters use cures to a firm shape that won't change over time.

If you are into DIY, you can use multiple layers of duct tape on the bottom of your footbeds.
I've used all these options. No harm comes from exploring all options.

 

[Rashika]

Good luck, @Rashika !

Pre-formed met pads may work. They also may be too thick, too thin, too wide or too narrow for your particular needs.

Bootfitters have a substance they can stick to the bottom of your footbed that they can mold to a size that feels good when you stand on it. They can control the diameter, and the thickness of the pad they make.
It sticks to the bottom of your footbed.

If the pre-formed met pads you've got don't work, or feel bad, you might consider going to a bootfitter to get custom ones made. The substance bootfitters use is like plasticine. However, plasticene never cures; it's always malleable. The substance bootfitters use cures to a firm shape that won't change over time.

If you are into DIY, you can use multiple layers of duct tape on the bottom of your footbeds.
I've used all these options. No harm comes from exploring all options.

Thanks for that, I may have to see if I can find a good bootfitter here that is able do that, ( suggestions frim the kiwis here?) as I don't think these pads are going to work. I tried a few different positions last night but still got the numbness going on, didn't want to push it too far. The right underside of my foot still has some numbness even now, a day later.
Arrrggghh it's so annoying really!

 

[AJM]

Thanks for that, I may have to see if I can find a good bootfitter here that is able do that, ( suggestions frim the kiwis here?) as I don't think these pads are going to work. I tried a few different positions last night but still got the numbness going on, didn't want to push it too far. The right underside of my foot still has some numbness even now, a day later.
Arrrggghh it's so annoying really!

Gnomes, Gnomes, Gnomes !! In Darfield, arguably the best bootfitters in the country and right on your doorstep x

 

[Rashika]

Gnomes, Gnomes, Gnomes !! In Darfield, arguably the best bootfitters in the country and right on your doorstep x

Lol yeah I should take it to them, usually I go to big Al's in methven for stuff I need.
Do they do the plasticine thing that was mentioned?

 

[Rashika]

Ok gnomes appointment made, luckily I get to work from home occasionally so fingers crossed they can help

 

[AJM]

Ok gnomes appointment made, luckily I get to work from home occasionally so fingers crossed they can help

Excellent, they'll get you sorted

 

[fgor]

Seconding gnomes, they're great Ally did the bulk of my bootfitting there but Leith did some custom insoles for my ice skates after i asked if it was possible, she chatted about the differences between an ice skating insole and a ski insole while doing them and they turned out great.

I had a lot of problems with my feet and boots and went back multiple times, they're VERY patient at gnomes which is much appreciated

I'm not sure about the plasticine stuff though, couldn't say, but you can ask them!

 

[Jilly]

@Rashika - did your original boot fitter make you a foot bed. These are hard plastic or cork. You would have had a stand on a machine to get the contours of your feet. These are not Superfeet or Doctor Scholls. Not sure the exchange rate for NZ, but my foot beds cost me $400 Cdn.

 

[Rashika]

@Rashika - did your original boot fitter make you a foot bed. These are hard plastic or cork. You would have had a stand on a machine to get the contours of your feet. These are not Superfeet or Doctor Scholls. Not sure the exchange rate for NZ, but my foot beds cost me $400 Cdn.

Yes I have custom footbeds made for the boots I had last year (which were second hand and too big for me so that's why new boots this year.) Not sure of the brand of footbeds though, but I think they were a good quality.
It's a bit hard for me to get back to that shop as I don't live in the town which is close to the skifield, but the owner has been really good with helping when I have been able to get there. We have adjusted the boot buckles as the top one was too tight (I have heavy calves as well which does not help in a ski boot!)
Hopefully gnomes can help today

 

[AJM]

Yes I have custom footbeds made for the boots I had last year (which were second hand and too big for me so that's why new boots this year.) Not sure of the brand of footbeds though, but I think they were a good quality.
It's a bit hard for me to get back to that shop as I don't live in the town which is close to the skifield, but the owner has been really good with helping when I have been able to get there. We have adjusted the boot buckles as the top one was too tight (I have heavy calves as well which does not help in a ski boot!)
Hopefully gnomes can help today

How did it go today ?

 

[Rashika]

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.