New Boots - much pain!

[daniwrites]

Hi Divas - seeking some advice / perspective.
I got back into skiing 3 seasons ago after a several year hiatus, and got fitted for boots at Surefoot. Had the Nordica Speedmachine with 85 flex and had them adjusted a few times to help with ankle pain. They were fine for a season or so but quickly became much too soft for me and my style. Additionally, my heel didn’t stay in place so I constantly found myself pushing my heel back as I skied and tightening buckles as much as possible to try to keep the foot in place. I have a foot that’s not technically flat but becomes so as I stand, with skinny ankles and heels.

I recently (March 3rd) went to a master bootfitter who comes highly recommended, and was fitted. After trying a few boots, we settled on the Lange RX 110. He trimmed the surefoot foot insole I had and adjusted it a bit with more material. The next day was a rare powder day in VT, and I experienced pain while skiing. Ankles, toes way too jammed, pressure on the heel, etc. I thought maybe because of the conditions and not being as proficient in powder, that’s why I was in more pain than usual. I wanted to cry at times with how much pain I felt, and had to constantly take breaks. Even walking around hurt.

Went back to bootfitter and got some adjustments. I then skied the next day, and while the boots felt way better than the day prior, I was still experiencing a bit of pain. Went again and got more adjustments. He adjusted ankle pockets on the shell, gave me more room my the big toe, stretched the liner, and did some more fixes to my surefoot insole. They felt great in the shop and kept them on a bit of time there.

I just skied again yesterday, and I’m still experiencing pain in spots. The Ankles, my little toes, and the shins most noticeably. I don’t think it’s shin bang as the boots are pretty tight around the shin, but I feel very tender and sore on the side of my shins (not head on), and super tender by the tendons of the inner ankles. I still feel heel pressure on both feet especially the right. I was able to ski 15 runs yesterday but, I stopped before I wanted to due to the discomfort in my feet. I’ve also been so sore in both feet, which I really wasn’t experiencing with my other boots.

I have a trip planned out west soon and plan on skiing for 7 days which I’ve done successfully last season and the season prior with no issues. I’d be devastated if I had to take days off due to foot pain.

I am going to go again for adjustments next week, but could it be possible these are not the right boots? I know they still need to be broken in as well, but when would you make the call that the boots aren’t the right fit for your foot? Have any of you had a similar experience? Wondering if he would even fit me with new boots if that’s the case.

Thank you if you’ve read this far!

 

[Jilly]

Seriously - map out your pain spots. Even use a sharpie before you go. I only had to do 2 trips, but will have another coming soon for some pain I'm having with new boots. Describe exactly what is going on. Also maybe mention your concern that this might not be the right boot.

 

[Iwannaski]

Do you stretch and warm up your muscles before skiing? Are you clenching your toes at all? Is it boot banging against your foot pain (which you should mark with a sharpie like Jilly said) or is it soft tissue pain (which may have to do with strength and flexibility)?

My worst foot pain came when my boots were too big, believe it or not, which doesn’t sound like your issue, but I thought it might be worth mentioning. Especially since you mentioned that your foot goes FLAT when you stand. This is similar to my foot. Even with my current boots, I had to make the argument that I should be in a smaller size than an experienced bootfitter wanted to put me in. I used a stock superfeet insole for a few skis and then got a custom to hold my arch up. And now the boots are AMAZING when I’m skiing, but I had to fight for them, and if they were bigger, I can imagine I’d have some of the same issues.

Here’s a quick check. Slide your liner out, and put your BIGGER foot into the empty shell. Stand up, slide your toes forward until you feel the front of your boot. How many fingers can you fit in between your heel and your shell?

 

[Iwannaski]

Also, I’m obsessed with this series, and found it completely helpful before having my boots fit.

Bootorials - Ski boot tutorials.

Bootorials covers everything ski boots. From how to customize your fit to all the concepts of boot fitting. Learn all you need to know to be a better skier!

patriotfootbeds.com

 

[MissySki]

This boot is a bit stiffer than your last pair. Do you feel like you are backseat at all? Some of the areas you are mentioning like toes and shins can be in more pain if you are too backseat and your foot gets shoved forward a bit. This can especially happen in powder as your first day was in, it definitely pushes me back more since I'm not great in 3D snow either. I got stiffer boots last season and it took me longer than I would have expected to fully make friends with them.

Outside of this.. I've had many boot sagas in the past unfortunately and did have a bootfitter long ago where I went through a ton of pain and they just could not fix it. They had a fit guarantee and ended up putting me in a different boot eventually. However, it was after every option of fixes was exhausted and I had skied them well past a break in period. It doesn't hurt to ask your fitter to explain why these are the boot for you seeing as how you are in so much pain though. Perhaps hearing their rationale (if they have one) would help alleviate your concerns of more break in being needed versus it being the wrong boot for your foot (if that is the case). It at least gets the conversation going too. Do they believe more breaking in needs to happen?

When I get new boots my fitter has me ski them 8-10 days before doing any tweaks, for breaking in. He does some work upfront for shaping the forefoot to the widest part of my feet because this is always needed and I can't ski my sized boot without that being done first without excruciating pain. I went through at least 3 fitters, several pairs of boots, and years of pain before finding him, and I won't go to anyone else now. Sometimes it's the fitter and not the boot that is the issue too. Talk to them and advocate for yourself if something just isn't working.

 

[sorcamc]

you say he added material to insole you already had. I wonder if the vertical height of the insole is too much and thats why your heel and ankle and even toes are experiencing a lot of pressure? Like maybe your foot is too high in the boot? Can you pull out the insole and just put a stock/cheap one in and see?

 

[sorcamc]

Also, on stiffer boots, I do think your shins hurt more because you are pushing against a harder "obstacle". I feel like my shins are always a bit tender after skiing, but I dont mind it

 

[daniwrites]

Seriously - map out your pain spots. Even use a sharpie before you go. I only had to do 2 trips, but will have another coming soon for some pain I'm having with new boots. Describe exactly what is going on. Also maybe mention your concern that this might not be the right boot.

Good idea - thank you! I wrote down notes as things were fresh in my mind, but I'll try to get in another day of skiing before I see him so I can map out the pain points.

 

[daniwrites]

This boot is a bit stiffer than your last pair. Do you feel like you are backseat at all? Some of the areas you are mentioning like toes and shins can be in more pain if you are too backseat and your foot gets shoved forward a bit. This can especially happen in powder as your first day was in, it definitely pushes me back more since I'm not great in 3D snow either. I got stiffer boots last season and it took me longer than I would have expected to fully make friends with them.

I definitely was in the backseat powder day a bit! I do feel way more connected to my skis though in these boots than my Nordicas, and they're much more responsive. Turns are snappy, and I feel much more in control in the bumps, so I am hoping with a few more tweaks + break-in they'll be the perfect fit.

you say he added material to insole you already had. I wonder if the vertical height of the insole is too much and thats why your heel and ankle and even toes are experiencing a lot of pressure? Like maybe your foot is too high in the boot? Can you pull out the insole and just put a stock/cheap one in and see?

I had a note to ask him about this because I was wondering the same thing!

Do you stretch and warm up your muscles before skiing? Are you clenching your toes at all? Is it boot banging against your foot pain (which you should mark with a sharpie like Jilly said) or is it soft tissue pain (which may have to do with strength and flexibility)?


Here’s a quick check. Slide your liner out, and put your BIGGER foot into the empty shell. Stand up, slide your toes forward until you feel the front of your boot. How many fingers can you fit in between your heel and your shell?

I need to be better about stretching. I stretch and warm up, I would say 30% of the time. Toes aren't clenching, and it feels equal boot banging + soft tissue pain. I know I need to work on my ankle flexibility, especially on my left foot so I have been doing various ROM exercises 3x a week for that.

As for the fit, I think they're the right size shell. I can fit one finger + ever so slightly another between the heel & shell

Also, on stiffer boots, I do think your shins hurt more because you are pushing against a harder "obstacle". I feel like my shins are always a bit tender after skiing, but I dont mind it

This makes sense! I don't mind some soreness either, and I do notice as of now, most of what I was feeling this morning has subsided.


Thank you everyone for your responses thus far. Will keep you posted as I work to break these in more.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

This will probably sound silly, but I ski in the Lange RX 110 and even after 5 seasons I've "occasionally" booted up incorrectly when in a hurry. It is easy to accidentally get one or both sides of the tongue of the boot outside of the shell piece that holds the tongue. This equals shin pain. When it has happened to me, it usually takes 2 or 3 runs for me to think, "geez, my shins are uncomfortable - uh, duh, you've done it wrong." I'm not suggesting you've done this - just something to be aware of.

 

[sorcamc]

I definitely was in the backseat powder day a bit! I do feel way more connected to my skis though in these boots than my Nordicas, and they're much more responsive. Turns are snappy, and I feel much more in control in the bumps, so I am hoping with a few more tweaks + break-in they'll be the perfect fit.

I had a note to ask him about this because I was wondering the same thing!


I need to be better about stretching. I stretch and warm up, I would say 30% of the time. Toes aren't clenching, and it feels equal boot banging + soft tissue pain. I know I need to work on my ankle flexibility, especially on my left foot so I have been doing various ROM exercises 3x a week for that.

As for the fit, I think they're the right size shell. I can fit one finger + ever so slightly another between the heel & shell

This makes sense! I don't mind some soreness either, and I do notice as of now, most of what I was feeling this morning has subsided.


Thank you everyone for your responses thus far. Will keep you posted as I work to break these in more.

is it possible you are in a low volume version of that boot?

 

[daniwrites]

This will probably sound silly, but I ski in the Lange RX 110 and even after 5 seasons I've "occasionally" booted up incorrectly when in a hurry. It is easy to accidentally get one or both sides of the tongue of the boot outside of the shell piece that holds the tongue. This equals shin pain. When it has happened to me, it usually takes 2 or 3 runs for me to think, "geez, my shins are uncomfortable - uh, duh, you've done it wrong." I'm not suggesting you've done this - just something to be aware of.

I noticed this yesterday morning as I booted up! Going to be more cognizant of this moving forward.

is it possible you are in a low volume version of that boot?

Just checked to double-confirm, it's not the LV version ( the boot I have has a 100mm last).

 

[daniwrites]

Wanted to update this thread. Since posting, I went back to the bootfitter and had a few adjustments.
A heel lift put in, and he punched out the ankle & big toe area. Things are feeling MUCH better and can ski all day without pain.

One thing I do notice though, is after a day of skiing my inner right thigh is super sore as well as the area right beneath my pelvic bone (right side only). I seldom ever felt any leg soreness after a day of skiing, and especially not in these areas before I got these boots. Could this also be related to the fit? I will go back to the bootfitter but likely won't be able to until next season. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this after new boots. Also not counting out that it could be related to my form/technique as well.

 

[scandium]

Have

Wanted to update this thread. Since posting, I went back to the bootfitter and had a few adjustments.
A heel lift put in, and he punched out the ankle & big toe area. Things are feeling MUCH better and can ski all day without pain.

One thing I do notice though, is after a day of skiing my inner right thigh is super sore as well as the area right beneath my pelvic bone (right side only). I seldom ever felt any leg soreness after a day of skiing, and especially not in these areas before I got these boots. Could this also be related to the fit? I will go back to the bootfitter but likely won't be able to until next season. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this after new boots. Also not counting out that it could be related to my form/technique as well.

Have you had any lessons? Often better fitting boots unmask other issues going on with technique which may actually be the root cause of the pain, unless you've moved from a previously well-fitting pair and nothing else changed.

 

[Jilly]

I agree with @scandium. The bootfitter has changed something, probably for the better, in your stance and alignment. You could be more centred and didn't know you were off kilter before.

Get a pro to look at you skiing.

 

[daniwrites]

Great advice! Will prioritize some ski lessons the top of next season