Heel bone digging into back of boot when flexing. Any other ladies had this issue?

[fgor]

Luckily my original boot fitters aren't too far from me (if not in the same city, in the same region - and on the way to the ski field) but this is still proving a difficult issue to solve. I got custom footbeds when I got the boots fit which has been lovely as it solved all the arch pain I often have in ski or skate boots. After no issues at all for my first 15-20 days of skiing, aside from fiddling with the buckles to dial in the fit, I started having an awful issue when flexing my ankles a lot - it felt like the back of the boot flexed forward against the bony back of my heel, quickly causing some pretty bad pain.

My boot fitter has seen far too much of me in the last couple of weeks! I have a bony protusion just to the outside of my heel (heel spur? not sure if it was there at the start of the season) and possibly my heel shape is bony in general, but this has been a pretty awful problem to solve. Things we've changed:
- modifying the forward lean angle to be more upright (did nothing, changed it back)
- adding hard shaped foam bits to the outside of the liner around the outside of the ankle/heel to better grip my ankle and heel, helped mildly
- shaping the back outside of the heel slightly (helped briefly, made skiing feel weird for a day or so because the pressures on my foot were mildly different)
- increasing the flex by adding a screw in the spine of the boot (helped a lot for one entire day, seemed to change where the pressure point on my heel was, weirdly though the pain was back the next time i skied. the idea being that in spring the plastic is softer - they also gave me a tool to adjust it myself in case it was too stiff)
- re heat molding the boot with some foam pad taped onto my foot where the pressure point was (maybe mildly helped)
- grinding out some of the area with the pressure points (helped a bit. now the boot bit into my achilles just above my heel bone instead + felt weird to ski again because my foot sitting in the boot felt wrong)
- putting foam shims in the front of the boot between the liner tongue and the hard shell - behind the top two buckles (fitter gave me the foam shims to take to the mountain and try with and without - definitely helped a bit - maybe getting there)
- changing the heel lifts to try to get my foot properly seated in the boot (latest change - now have the same foam shin shims to take with me to the mountain and try with/without, and two different heel lifts that go directly on the bottom of my footbed i can swap in/out - will see how this goes)

Anyway, I'm about to tear my hair out over this. This has started to make skiing thoroughly miserable. A couple of times lately I've gone all the way to the ski field and only done three or so runs. I thought we'd solved it after adding the screw in to stiffen the flex - I was able to have a very productive 3 hour private lesson the following day, where i got worked *hard* but had a great time and my boots didn't bother me too much - but when I went to ski again 5 days later, I was completely miserable. I'd gone to a new ski field but I couldn't even see most of it because I couldn't really ski at all so I spent most of my time just sitting in the snow. This is a complete mystery to me too because I had no issues at all for so long, I didn't even think about my boots aside from unbuckling/buckling on the lift and between runs, and I stopped having to do that as much as the liner broke in. As far as I can see, 3 things happened around the same time this problem started happening: ~15-20 days in the liners probably meant they are now fairly well broken in; taking more lessons encouraging me to FLEX AND EXTEND ANKLES/KNEES/HIPS (ankles!!!), and spring happening (warmer temperatures).

Ugh. This turned into more of a rant! Anyway, any other ladies had endless boot issues who actually managed to solve them in the end? really just after commiseration i think i'm very grateful to my fitter for persevering through all this but very frustrated at my feet!

tl;dr: new boots, fine for 15-20 days, now endless heel pain when i flex forward. yay!

also should add: boots are 22.5 atomic hawx ultra 115 s w. obviously i'm not overflexing them (nor am i horribly outclassed by them according to both my fitter and my instructor, the flex can be adjusted +/- 10 too).

 

[elemmac]

Bony heels suck. I went through many years with a bony protrusion on the back of both heels. I would wear through the back of running sneakers and snowboard boots (pre-ski years) well earlier than their expected lifespan. As I've gotten older, and I don't play regular team sports that require running, the bony bit that stuck out has seemed to retreat completely on one heel, and is now very minimal on the other.

But, if you're looking for commiseration...I can sympathize ten-fold.

As far as I can see, 3 things happened around the same time this problem started happening: ~15-20 days in the liners probably meant they are now fairly well broken in; taking more lessons encouraging me to FLEX AND EXTEND ANKLES/KNEES/HIPS (ankles!!!), and spring happening (warmer temperatures).

I can see all three things here amplifying the issue. If your liners are broken in, you're probably going all the way to the plastic on your heel, where you previously had extra cushion. If it's anything like the bony heel I had, your new movements flexing your ankles are probably driving your heel back more into the plastic. And then the warm temperatures might be making your boot just a smidge softer which amplifies both reasons 1 and 2.

It sounds like your boot fitter has already done a decent amount of boot modification to try to relieve the pain...maybe it's time to think about replacing the liner. Something like an Intuition or foam injected liner may cushion and form around your heel better than the stock liner.

My other thought would be to get a gel pad that you can wear under your ski socks or one that can stick to the back of the shell outside of the liner. I've seen them for skating (hockey or figure)....with a quick search, something like this.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll find something that works soon enough.

 

[Jilly]

My DH had problems with bones and his ankles. He used a donut shaped adhesive pad from Dr. Scholl's. Not sure if it was a for a bunion or not. But basically you need some extra padding back there.

 

[liquidfeet]

Don't worry about bothering your bootfitter. Most people don't go back for adjustments. Some go back a lot, like you (and me). For the bootfitter it evens out in the end. Clearly he wants you to be happy and able to ski. He's invested a lot of time in you which means he's now committed to seeing this thing through and doing what's best for you. Go back and talk to him. And take him a bottle of rum.

 

[mustski]

Did you have heel lifts all along? I ask because although I need heel lifts due to bone inhibited dorsiflexion, in my Dalbello Kryzmas they pushed me too high in the heel pocket and it caused me a myriad of fit problems. I skied in pain for two season and nothing worked until I took them out. It makes sense that you would notice this issue in spring as the flex of the boot would be softer. I would try skiing without the heel lifts because if you have good ankle flexion you probably don't need them.

 

[liquidfeet]

I got a heel spur (or whatever you call it) once from boots too high in volume. My heel traveled up and down and rubbed against the back of the boot. I didn't notice the movement; I was a new-ish skier.

A protrusion on the back of my heel developed over the first part of the season after I bought those boots. It was as hard as bone and stuck out enough to finally be obvious. I added the Dr. Scholls donut thing around it, then used wool in there for custom-designed padding (as in ballet shoes). I put other kids of unique padding around that lump for the whole season to relieve the pressure and delete the pain. I don't remember if I went back to the bootfitter. Nothing I did worked.

Later I found out that the forward lean on that boot was too much for my anatomy, the length was too long for my foot, and the volume was too high over the instep for my flat foot. I think it was the length and volume that allowed the heel to move. I did not know these things as a newish skier, and I trusted this very well respected bootfitter. Over the summer the protrusion disappeared (miracle! I had thought it was permanent...) and I got new boots from a new bootfitter early next season because the pain had been too much; I didn't want that thing to regrow.

My point is that the protrusion might go down if you can remove the pressure, and you might need a summer off to let it heal. Or more modifications to your boot. If you have "air up there" above your instep, the boot board beneath your foot can be raised/thickened to eliminate it.

Your heel should NEVER raise up, or wobble side-to-side, or move fore-aft. Of all the horrid things that a boot can allow inside it, this is one of the most awful because it screws up your control over your skis and hurts if a lump develops. Check this out as you ski. Focus intensely on your heel and how the pressure beneath it feels. That pressure will not change AT ALL if the heel is firmly seated in the heel pocket of the boot as it should be. But if your heel travels even a tiny bit up and down, the pressure will change, which means the heel is rubbing against the sides of the heel pocket.

The heel must fit snugly and not move at all. Yours is probably moving which is causing that lump to develop.

 

[fgor]

It sounds like your boot fitter has already done a decent amount of boot modification to try to relieve the pain...maybe it's time to think about replacing the liner. Something like an Intuition or foam injected liner may cushion and form around your heel better than the stock liner.

I agree, in fact on the day I originally got my boots fitted, my fitter commented that I might look into replacing the liner with an aftermarket liner (I know they sell zipfits, not sure what else) down the track. I think that's probably a matter of when, not if, but I'm trying to push that cost a bit further down the track haha!

Did you have heel lifts all along? I ask because although I need heel lifts due to bone inhibited dorsiflexion, in my Dalbello Kryzmas they pushed me too high in the heel pocket and it caused me a myriad of fit problems. I skied in pain for two season and nothing worked until I took them out. It makes sense that you would notice this issue in spring as the flex of the boot would be softer. I would try skiing without the heel lifts because if you have good ankle flexion you probably don't need them.

I had them from day 1, removed them for a while and complained about my boots being a little looser around the ankles. Then remembered about the heel lifts, put them back in, and that solved (ish) the problem :P That was all prior to this heel problem emerging though. I have bone inhibited dorsiflexion on one side due to an injury unfortunately, I used to have good dorsiflexion and I might get it back one day but for now it's not very good. (The injury is "only" about a year old. Joints take a long time to fully come right!)

I got a heel spur (or whatever you call it) once from boots too high in volume. My heel traveled up and down and rubbed against the back of the boot. I didn't notice the movement; I was a new-ish skier.

A protrusion on the back of my heel developed over the first part of the season after I bought those boots. It was as hard as bone and stuck out enough to finally be obvious. I added the Dr. Scholls donut thing around it, then used wool in there for custom-designed padding (as in ballet shoes). I put other kids of unique padding around that lump for the whole season to relieve the pressure and delete the pain. I don't remember if I went back to the bootfitter. Nothing I did worked.

Later I found out that the forward lean on that boot was too much for my anatomy, the length was too long for my foot, and the volume was too high over the instep for my flat foot. I think it was the length and volume that allowed the heel to move. I did not know these things as a newish skier, and I trusted this very well respected bootfitter. Over the summer the protrusion disappeared (miracle! I had thought it was permanent...) and I got new boots from a new bootfitter early next season because the pain had been too much; I didn't want that thing to regrow.

My point is that the protrusion might go down if you can remove the pressure, and you might need a summer off to let it heal. Or more modifications to your boot. If you have "air up there" above your instep, the boot board beneath your foot can be raised/thickened to eliminate it.

Your heel should NEVER raise up, or wobble side-to-side, or move fore-aft. Of all the horrid things that a boot can allow inside it, this is one of the most awful because it screws up your control over your skis and hurts if a lump develops. Check this out as you ski. Focus intensely on your heel and how the pressure beneath it feels. That pressure will not change AT ALL if the heel is firmly seated in the heel pocket of the boot as it should be. But if your heel travels even a tiny bit up and down, the pressure will change, which means the heel is rubbing against the sides of the heel pocket.

The heel must fit snugly and not move at all. Yours is probably moving which is causing that lump to develop.

That's interesting that you found the forward lean was too much for your anatomy, I wonder if I should have another go at changing mine back? I have the forward lean set to the default at 15 degrees, it was briefly changed to 13 but made no difference at all so I had it set back. But I wonder if it might make a different combined with all the other changes... we're just trying not to change *too* many things at once, haha.

The latest change the fitter did is aiming to remove a little more space in the boot by putting something else under the footbed, so I will see how that goes on the weekend when I next ski. I don't feel like my heel is moving fore-aft at all, or even slipping side to side, there is a little bit of lateral room though the foam on the outside of the liner might have improved that a little.

I still have pain-free boots if I'm just standing around in them, it's only when I actually go to ski and try to flex my ankle/knee/hip joints and it feels like the back of the ski boot drives downward into my heel where the achilles joins onto it. I'm definitely hoping that bony bump goes down a bit over the off season!

 

[liquidfeet]

....I have bone inhibited dorsiflexion
....the heel lifts, put them back in
.... I have the forward lean set to the default at 15 degrees, it was briefly changed to 13 but made no difference at all so I had it set back.
....putting something else under the footbed
....I don't feel like my heel is moving fore-aft at all, or even slipping side to side, there is a little bit of lateral room though the foam on the outside of the liner might have improved that a little.
....when I actually go to ski and try to flex my ankle/knee/hip joints and it feels like the back of the ski boot drives downward into my heel where the achilles joins onto it. I'm definitely hoping that bony bump goes down a bit over the off season!
....I will see how that goes on the weekend when I next ski.
....I might look into replacing the liner with an aftermarket liner (I know they sell zipfits
....there is a little bit of lateral room

Bootfitting is complicated. And getting the right boot is expensive. Pain forces skiers to keep working on this until they get the right boot. That journey unfortunately costs $$.

heel lift
The bootfitter probably put the heel lift in to deal with your limited dorsiflexion. Limited dorsiflexion needs less forward lean so your shin can contact the tongue without dorsiflexing. So definitely change the forward lean back to its most upright setting. Your skis will obey your commands better.

raised footbed
He put something under the footbed to raise your foot up to the ceiling of the boot, which should help reduce up-down movement of the heel. Should. All of that movement, all of it, should go.

still painful
But something is allowing your heel to move or the pain would not be on-off-on-off as you make turns.

how/when it hurts
You "try to flex your ankles" when you ski. That must mean you unflex them, then flex them, then unflex, then flex. When you do this movement, you say, the "achilles joins onto" the back of the ski boot. Which must mean that it moves against the back of the boot, then moves away, then moves against it, then moves away. You don't think your heel is moving fore-aft or slipping side to side. It may be moving up and down. Or it may be moving fore-aft and you are not aware of it. This movement of the heel inside the boot needs to totally stop.

lateral space around the heel
You do say there is some lateral space around your heels. You are thinking of new liners to solve this. Those liners are going to be expensive. This fix means you'll be putting somewhat compressible stuff inside a too-big shell to fill it up and stop the movement. It might work, sortof. But it's going to cost you. But a new liner is probably not the best fix for a loose heel due to the shell's heel pocket width. A loose heel is serious business. Ask me how I know

what to do???
Since this is the end of the season, my suggestion is to keep messing with what you've got, hoping for some relief and noting what helps. Watch the lump on your heel to see if it goes down over summer. Save some money (!!), then buy new boots with a low volume shell and a much narrower heel next season when the new stock arrives in the shop. --- Now, before he disappears for summer, talk to your bootfitter about this option in order to evaluate whether you think he recognizes the need to put you in a properly fitting shell, and to find out if the shop even orders narrower heeled lower volume boots in the first place. Also find out how much zipfits are, and if they have other options how much those are. Also worth a try -- maybe now they have the boots that would fit you correctly in the back, and can give you a big discount since they will be old stock next season. Consider discussing this option with him now.

a note on boot flex
What's the flex on your boots? How far forward are you able to flex them - a tiny bit, a medium bit, or a lot? You say you have limited dorsiflexion due to injury. Stiffer boots will match your dorsiflexion and not hurt your skiing one whit. Boots with significant cuff flex reduce and slow down the transfer of your shin movements to the shovels of the skis. Boot flex needs to be soft for beginners whose movements are unpredictable and not always worthy of being transferred to the skis. Plus, new skiers are not used to ski boots, so flexible cuffs allow thems to move more like they do in street shoes thus adding to the comfort level. Soft flex is an accommodation to unfamiliarity with skiing. Stiffer boots transfer the skier's commands faster and more accurately to the skis. So keep this in mind if you buy new boots next season. 70-80 flex boots tend to be very soft. 90-110 boots tend to be medium. Above that tend to be stiff. But there are big variations in those numbers manufacturer to manufacturer.

 

[Jilly]

Everything that Liquidfeet says. Also is there anything along the spine of the shell that could be protruding/moving when you flex?

 

[Jilly]

@liquidfeet, she says she's in the Atomic Hawk Ultra 115. I'm in the Prime at 100. So stiff boot.

 

[MissySki]

Doesn’t the Atomic Hawk Ultra 115 have a very thin lightweight liner? I tried this boot on last season when looking for a hybrid boot for AT (if I’m thinking of the correct boot), and the fitter mentioned that the liner is super light for touring versus the typical downhill liner and I agreed when putting it on. He was suggesting I try the lower flex of the same boot because it has a regular liner so it’s a little heavier than the 115 but the liner lasts longer, all depending what it’s used for. I know some poeple with the boot who love it, but have replaced the liners due to packing out quickly as well as being really cold. Might just be that it’s packed out in that spot where there already wasn’t as much padding as you’d usually expect in a downhill boot. If that’s the case it could be that an aftermarket liner would be beneficial.

 

[elemmac]

Doesn’t the Atomic Hawk Ultra 115 have a very thin lightweight liner? I tried this boot on last season when looking for a hybrid boot for AT (if I’m thinking of the correct boot), and the fitter mentioned that the liner is super light for touring versus the typical downhill liner and I agreed when putting it on.

I think there's two versions of the Hawk Ultra...the regular one, then the touring one. I could be wrong on this though. Super convenient that they name everything so similar

Regardless of it's the same boot or not, it's not uncommon for a stock liner to be made super light and for them to wear out quickly. Especially if you have bony protrusions that will only accelerate the break-in in certain areas.

@fgor - I think it's important to know or at least think about if the boot is causing your bony protrusion (like @liquidfeet describes), or if this is something that you have always had and need to work around. If it's the former, then new boots might be the best way to go. If you think it's always been there, then I would keep working with the boots you have, new liners, punch/grind more or try adding extra gel padding to that spot.

 

[fgor]

Bootfitting is complicated. And getting the right boot is expensive. Pain forces skiers to keep working on this until they get the right boot. That journey unfortunately costs $$.

...

what to do???
Since this is the end of the season, my suggestion is to keep messing with what you've got, hoping for some relief and noting what helps. Watch the lump on your heel to see if it goes down over summer. Save some money (!!), then buy new boots with a low volume shell and a much narrower heel next season when the new stock arrives in the shop. --- Now, before he disappears for summer, talk to your bootfitter about this option in order to evaluate whether you think he recognizes the need to put you in a properly fitting shell, and to find out if the shop even orders narrower heeled lower volume boots in the first place. Also find out how much zipfits are, and if they have other options how much those are. Also worth a try -- maybe now they have the boots that would fit you correctly in the back, and can give you a big discount since they will be old stock next season. Consider discussing this option with him now.

a note on boot flex
What's the flex on your boots? How far forward are you able to flex them - a tiny bit, a medium bit, or a lot? You say you have limited dorsiflexion due to injury. Stiffer boots will match your dorsiflexion and not hurt your skiing one whit. Boots with significant cuff flex reduce and slow down the transfer of your shin movements to the shovels of the skis. Boot flex needs to be soft for beginners whose movements are unpredictable and not always worthy of being transferred to the skis. Plus, new skiers are not used to ski boots, so flexible cuffs allow thems to move more like they do in street shoes thus adding to the comfort level. Soft flex is an accommodation to unfamiliarity with skiing. Stiffer boots transfer the skier's commands faster and more accurately to the skis. So keep this in mind if you buy new boots next season. 70-80 flex boots tend to be very soft. 90-110 boots tend to be medium. Above that tend to be stiff. But there are big variations in those numbers manufacturer to manufacturer.

Thank you so much for your detailed response!! It's true, bootfitting seems incredibly complicated! Getting it right is clearly some sort of black magic. I'm under quite a lot of pressure to fix this before the end of the season because i have an overseas trip booked over new years - including skiing 5+ days in whistler - I absolutely cannot fly all the way to canada from new zealand only to be sidelined by my boots, so I'm hoping i can get this adequately solved by the end of the season!! I will get a 2-3 month break between the end of the season and that trip though, so hopefully that will help too.

Zipfits look to be around NZD$500-600. More than half as much as a new boot :P I can ask more about them next time I'm there. In terms of getting different boots - I'm concerned I'm out of options, as my boot size is not common here and shops don't tend to have any left over (or order many in to start with) - they have a lot of leftover 23.5 but not 22.5 especially in a narrow fit! My current boots are a size 22.5 LV fit. They're a "98mm" last but technically at this size it's 90mm, as per the bottom of the boot They were noticeably narrower in the heel/ankle than some Lange RX LV boots I tried on at the same time. In a different store a couple of weeks earlier, I'd tried on (in a 23.5) the atomic hawx ultra and the tecnica mach1 LV, and the atomic seemed the narrowest out of those too. I'm not even sure what else I'd try :(

The boots are pretty stiff - 115 (though this is atomic numbers and apparently they tend to be softer than the number suggests) - so at least that isn't the problem. I was concerned about the stiffness when I first got them but I think they've worked out fine in that aspect.

Everything that Liquidfeet says. Also is there anything along the spine of the shell that could be protruding/moving when you flex?

Nothing specific that I've noticed - it feels like the whole spine of the boot is flexing into my heel. I've drawn a terrible diagram to try to explain how it feels haha.

I think there's two versions of the Hawk Ultra...the regular one, then the touring one. I could be wrong on this though. Super convenient that they name everything so similar

Regardless of it's the same boot or not, it's not uncommon for a stock liner to be made super light and for them to wear out quickly. Especially if you have bony protrusions that will only accelerate the break-in in certain areas.

@fgor - I think it's important to know or at least think about if the boot is causing your bony protrusion (like @liquidfeet describes), or if this is something that you have always had and need to work around. If it's the former, then new boots might be the best way to go. If you think it's always been there, then I would keep working with the boots you have, new liners, punch/grind more or try adding extra gel padding to that spot.

Yeah, there are two versions! I have the normal version, not the XTD (touring) version. I don't think the hawx ultra line are known for having super thick liners anyway haha. The very back of the liner actually has a sort of thin fabric strip and no padding at all for about half a cm. So I get pretty much direct contact with the boot shell

I went back and tried to find some old photos of my feet. It looks like they've always been a bit bony and that protusion may have been there in some small aspect - I also ice skate so it wouldnt be surprising - but it's definitely bigger than it was.

The heel bumps look really big in recent photos, I might be doomed in ski boots XD

 

[liquidfeet]

That lump is big. Maybe the solution is to stop skiing to give that lump a rest so that it can go down. You could see a podiatrist to get a good idea of what it is made of and whether it will go down on its own or not.

Once the lump is down you can find out by skiing again if your current boots fit well given the adjustments you've had done to them. Hopefully they won't irritate the spot this time. Can you figure out the dates of when each of the adjustments were done to your boots? When did you buy the boot? When did you get the custom footbed? When did the fitter raise the boot board? What else has he done and when did each of those things get done? Your goal might be to figure out how significant the changes have been that were done after the lump got so big. In hope that they will mean the boot, once the lump is down, will not cause it to form again.

Given the info on which boot you're in, I'm starting to think a new liner may be part of the solution.

I'm assuming the lump is inflamed. Is it? Is it hot or red? Do you feel pain in street shoes?

One more question. Could something else besides the ski boot be making this lump form? Your ice skates?

You are being very thorough in trying to figure this thing out. You'll get it solved, but it may take time.

 

[Jilly]

If you don't get this together...my boot fitter is in Whistler. He doesn't really sell boots, but works out of one of the shops. Let me know and I'll give you his contact info.

 

[elemmac]

Zipfits look to be around NZD$500-600. More than half as much as a new boot :P I can ask more about them next time I'm there. In terms of getting different boots - I'm concerned I'm out of options, as my boot size is not common here and shops don't tend to have any left over (or order many in to start with) - they have a lot of leftover 23.5 but not 22.5 especially in a narrow fit! My current boots are a size 22.5 LV fit. They're a "98mm" last but technically at this size it's 90mm, as per the bottom of the boot They were noticeably narrower in the heel/ankle than some Lange RX LV boots I tried on at the same time. In a different store a couple of weeks earlier, I'd tried on (in a 23.5) the atomic hawx ultra and the tecnica mach1 LV, and the atomic seemed the narrowest out of those too. I'm not even sure what else I'd try :(

I'd agree asking about Zipfits or Intuition liners would be the best next step. Sounds like you've been through a lot to get into the boots that you are in now, and if you were really happy with them prior to 15-20 days, I would think they are the right fit.

The very back of the liner actually has a sort of thin fabric strip and no padding at all for about half a cm. So I get pretty much direct contact with the boot shell

Ouch! That bump looks a lot like mine did at it's worst. I cannot imagine skiing with it directly pushed up against the hard shell. Do you have similar pain in your ice skates?

 

[mustski]

I'd agree asking about Zipfits or Intuition liners would be the best next step. Sounds like you've been through a lot to get into the boots that you are in now, and if you were really happy with them prior to 15-20 days, I would think they are the right fit.

Not intuitions. They won't help with this, but zip fits might. If ... and it's a big if ... the boots are the right fit, a liner like zip fits or boot docs could get spacing correct around the bump. I say it's a big if because 15-20 days is about the right amount of timer liners to pack in enough to reveal that a boot shell is actually the wrong fit. A too big shell would allow movement and create a rubbing effect that could result in swelling an area that was already a problem. What size is your boot and what size is your street shoe? @liquidfeet has a good side by side comparison method , but I don't recall the specifics.

 

[fgor]

That lump is big. Maybe the solution is to stop skiing to give that lump a rest so that it can go down. You could see a podiatrist to get a good idea of what it is made of and whether it will go down on its own or not.

Once the lump is down you can find out by skiing again if your current boots fit well given the adjustments you've had done to them. Hopefully they won't irritate the spot this time. Can you figure out the dates of when each of the adjustments were done to your boots? When did you buy the boot? When did you get the custom footbed? When did the fitter raise the boot board? What else has he done and when did each of those things get done? Your goal might be to figure out how significant the changes have been that were done after the lump got so big. In hope that they will mean the boot, once the lump is down, will not cause it to form again.

Given the info on which boot you're in, I'm starting to think a new liner may be part of the solution.

I'm assuming the lump is inflamed. Is it? Is it hot or red? Do you feel pain in street shoes?

One more question. Could something else besides the ski boot be making this lump form? Your ice skates?

You are being very thorough in trying to figure this thing out. You'll get it solved, but it may take time.

Thank you! So our ski season has less than 10 days left (two weekends) so unfortunately I really do need to hustle to get it sorted before it ends, as it will be extremely expensive and frustrating to be trying to solve this in Whistler :S fingers crossed the break before whistler helps!

I got my boots and the custom footbeds + small heel lifts at the same time at the start of the season (replacing some 23.5, 102mm last boots which were miles too big), and everything else has happened one after another in the last few weeks, by which point I had noticed that lump on my heel. Basically it must have gotten worse in the 2.5-3 months or so that i was skiing pain free? So every other change has happened after I noticed that bump - hopefully that means it might not form again if it goes away after the season!

It looks inflamed and red after skiing, but it's not painful to the touch at all. No pain in any shoes at all except for flexing my ankle in ski boots!

Entirely possible the ice skates have some part to play - my ice skates fit much more snugly around my heel (have some quite aggressive padding at the sides of the heel/ankle) but cause me a lot of arch pain (don't have custom insoles for them :( ), and they were new-to-me in April. However I only ice skate once a week for about 45 minutes. I have no heel pain at all in figure ice skates! I think they just fit differently. @elemmac

In fact I've found a photo of my old (left) vs new (right) skates here, from when I got them

If you don't get this together...my boot fitter is in Whistler. He doesn't really sell boots, but works out of one of the shops. Let me know and I'll give you his contact info.

Yes, that would be fantastic to have a back-up solution!

Not intuitions. They won't help with this, but zip fits might. If ... and it's a big if ... the boots are the right fit, a liner like zip fits or boot docs could get spacing correct around the bump. I say it's a big if because 15-20 days is about the right amount of timer liners to pack in enough to reveal that a boot shell is actually the wrong fit. A too big shell would allow movement and create a rubbing effect that could result in swelling an area that was already a problem. What size is your boot and what size is your street shoe? @liquidfeet has a good side by side comparison method , but I don't recall the specifics.

Yeah, it *feels* like the shape of the boot shell just doesn't match my heel haha. But that's probably because my heel has become all mutant :P The heels of the shell could probably stand to be a tad narrower but it is what it is I think. My street size is NZ 6 (or EU 37-38) and my boot is a 22.5 LV (atomic hawx ultra - "98mm" quoted last, 90mm last at that length as per the bottom of the boot).

 

[liquidfeet]

See if you can find wide sticky-back velcro in a roll at a cloth store, one that sells cloth and dress patterns and thread and sewing machines and such. You can cut pieces of the velcro to shape and stick them on the outside of your current liner around the lump. Your goal will be two-fold:

1. to relieve the pressure by padding around the lump.
2. and/or to stop the movement of your heel.

Achieving either of these may involve sticking velcro to the left and right sides of the lump since you think there's space there anyway, or on the rear of the heel area, above and below your lump. Or both. You'll have to figure what works with trial and error. This solution will be cheaper than Zipfits, and YOU will be in control of where the shims go.

I've used that wide sticky-back velcro extensively on my liners. When you buy it, you'll find the velcro in two matched strips, one made of fuzzy cloth and one with little rigid plastic hookie things. They will be stuck to each other velcro-style and rolled up in the box. I pull them apart and use only the fuzzy cloth part. I cut shapes that I think will work and stick them on the outside of my liners. The sticky glue holds very well.

If you don't like where you put a piece of the velcro, you can pull hard and take it off. Wide velcro lends itself to being cut with scissors into whatever shapes you want it in. And you can stick a second layer on top of the first. I'm speaking from experience. Give this a try.

 

[elemmac]

Not intuitions. They won't help with this, but zip fits might. If ... and it's a big if ... the boots are the right fit, a liner like zip fits or boot docs could get spacing correct around the bump.

Why not Intuitions? They’re designed to be heat molded around every bump and contour on your foot. They’ll be thicker than what she has now, adding extra padding in the heel. To me, that seems like a completely viable solution.