Tight/Large Calves cause me agony in Ski Boots!!

[NProcter]

Hello Fellow Divas!
I went Skiing for the first time in March of this year and was in pain for weeks after.
Day 1 Of the trip I could barely walk to the ski lift from the boot shop so that was not a good start. I was in pain immediately and trying not to let my family/spouse down I tried to continue all day but I cannot describe the pain I was in. Unfortunately the damage was done and Day 2 , despite a boot change, I managed one blue run and had to give up. By Day 3 (last day) I was determined to try again, I had pain relief and spent a good hour in boot fitters finally getting some boots that seemed an improvement although still very difficult as I was already hurt. I managed the whole day and did enjoy parts and with regular breaks and sheer determination to not disappoint people I got through it.
We have booked to go again in January and I will not go through that again. I have started a fitness plan already!
THE PROBLEM: My calves are large and very tight. Apparently (found this out yesterday) most boots are made to fit 13-14" inch calves as standard. Mine are 17"!!!!I am 5"3, 140 pounds so not overweight I just have unnaturally large calves! According to this article for every x amount your calves are bigger than 14" the boot pushes you x amount forward hence further straining your calf and Achilles. My calf was squeezed and piling out of the top of the cuff and felt as if cramping constantly as I was on my toes- my heel would not sit flat as calf would not fit in boot. PLEASE HELP
Any advice or similar issues you've overcome please share with me, I really want to enjoy skiing!
Thank you

 

[Pequenita]

You're renting boots, right? My recommendation: buy a pair.

 

[Jilly]

You need to look at boots that will accommodate that calf. And they are out there in the women's specific boots. I can think of a Salomon and Atomic model that have the top of the boot slightly "belled out". If you're still renting, then look at buying from a reputable boot fitter - NOT a big box store or on line. You need a expert!

As you've found out, if you're feet/legs hurt - you're not skiing!!

 

[bounceswoosh]

My boot fitter handled this for me in two ways: he put me in a women's boot with a very low cuff, and then he replaced the stock liner on that boot with a back country liner that also had a lower cuff. Result: my first ever pain-free boot. In fact, they're so comfortable that I forget to take them off when I get to the car ... until I try to get in!

This specific solution may not be what works for you, but my point is that a creative boot fitter will work miracles.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Wait, I thought of a third thing. My boots are the three-buckle style, so I don't need to crank down the buckle on my calf to get control. This may not be as relevant to you when you're starting out.

 

[RachelV]

I have regular sized calves that are hilariously inflexible and ski boots make them turn into searing balls of pain if I don't keep on top of stretching. Stretch #2 here is what makes ski boots tolerable for me. It's just the regular calf stretch that everyone knows, but you bend your knee so you stretch the lower calf muscle / achilles area:

Worth a try! If you're aware that your calves are very inflexible I'd be really surprised if this didn't at least improve the pain you're having.

I also have moderate heel lifts in my boots to reduce the angle my ankles are flexed at a little bit. I know people have strong feelings about heel lifts and fore/aft balance and all that, but without them I basically can't ski without being in pain.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Stretching and increase in flexibility are SO important.
In terms of boot>calf fit, this is not an unusual problem - and one that is addressed by quite a few models of boots.
Example:
https://www.skinet.com/ski/gear/salomon-x-pro-90-w-2014
"This may be the Holy Grail for female skiers who have perpetually experienced cuff fit issues. Testers gave it unanimous double thumbs up for the flared-out liner shape that mates with an adjustable calf feature to tailor fit for average-to-wide calves straight out-of-the-box. " (article continues)

 

[Dtrick924]

Newbie here with a suggestion. I have large calves and very short legs (5'1", 150 lbs) making it difficult to find boots that fit properly without my feet and legs going numb. I discovered Strolz boots https://strolzboots.com/model.htm at Strand's Ski Shop in Worcester, MA. https://www.strandsskishop.com/
I have the black SWM model.

They were very expensive boots (I actually lucked out on the price because someone else had returned the model I eventually bought) but I have been wearing them for the past two seasons and they are worth every penny. No more sore spots on my ankles or shins and my feet stay warmer because my circulation isn't compromised by a too tight boot or slopping around in a too large boot that fits over my calf.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

And many, many others - at a lower price point - can be modified to accommodate this rather common issue.

 

[Jilly]

From the OP's original post she is in the UK. So a US shop isn't going to help her much. Although that boot is available in Europe.

NProctor - read about boot fitting in the gearpedia section before you go try on anything!!

 

[Dtrick924]

Oops. Didn't see that the OP was from the UK. Best of luck finding comfortable boots and a good boot fitter. Being uncomfortable while skiing is no fun at all.

 

[Pequenita]

NProctor - read about boot fitting in the gearpedia section before you go try on anything!!

Also, I think recognizing the distinction between trying on boots to rent/hire for a trip vs. actual bootfitting for the purpose of buying boots may be helpful. One is not receiving a true "bootfitting" if you're a rental shop. Just want to make sure we're all on the same page.

 

[2ski2moro]

Rental boots are a nightmare, especially the unisex ones.

I have narrow ankles AND huge calf muscles AND short legs. At first, it seemed like an insurmountable problem to me, but I found boots that I love. (They are a high-end Salomon, but they don't make that particular model anymore.) BTW, I have custom insoles. Like RachelV, my heel is raised a bit, too.

 

[SaraJ]

NProcter - I think I saw in the meltdown thread that you're planning on looking for boots before you ski next. That's a great idea! I also saw that you skied a couple of times at Chill Factore - from that, I'm guessing that you're in the north of England. Sooo... Boot fitting recommendations: I go to Colin at Solutions4Feet in Bicester. However, if that is too much of a trek for you, then I asked Colin once for a recommendation up North and he suggested Graham at Rivington Alpine ( https://www.rivingtonalpine.co.uk ) I've never been there so I have no personal experience of their service, but, if Colin is recommending them they will know what they're doing.

Also,

my heel would not sit flat as calf would not fit in boot

I had a knee injury and operation a few years ago. Afterwards, I also couldn't get my heel to sit flat in the boot. This was due to my calf muscle being incredibly tight. As an interim measure, we put heel lifts in my boots, but the long term solution was calf stretches.

Good luck!

 

[callmijane]

Agree agree agree on the recs for Salomons. I have big calves too, and the only boots I could find after trying on every boot in every shop in Colorado Springs was a low-end Salomon boot at Sports Authority- the Irony Breeze which is now the Divine 4.

 

[skibum4ever]

I've got large tight calves which are well accommodated in a Tecnica Attiva boot. It's white and blue and a very common sight in the slopes.

 

[Lacey Ballard]

Agree agree agree on the recs for Salomons. I have big calves too, and the only boots I could find after trying on every boot in every shop in Colorado Springs was a low-end Salomon boot at Sports Authority- the Irony Breeze which is now the Divine 4.

Hey Callmijane! I will be going skiing for the 3rd time next month. I have big calves too and do not want to endure the painful rental boot experience again. I googled the Salomon Irony Breeze you recommended and they look comfortable and affordable. I live in the heart of Kansas so am nowhere near a boot fitter and plan to order a pair online. I wear a size 9 women's shoe. The mondo chart shows I should wear a size 26 ski boot. Did this pair of ski boots run true to your street shoe size? I've found an affordable pair that are 25.5 and a pair that are 26.5. What would be your suggestion based on your experience with this boot? Thanks!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I wear a size 9 women's shoe. The mondo chart shows I should wear a size 26 ski boot. Did this pair of ski boots run true to your street shoe size?

Most of the street shoe-to-boot size charts from most manufacturers are, well, inaccurate, to put it nicely. Example: I wear a bona fide size 11 shoe, 26.0 ski boot.
In a number of brands, including Salomon.

This is just a critical factor in how well you will be able to ski. If the boots are too big, you will NOT be able to control your skis. Like having a lot of play in a sloppy steering wheel and column. And, after the purchase-fact, there's only so much stop gap that can be done to snug them up. MUCH easier to make a small boot bigger.

Buckles CAN be moved. You might be well served by this brand, ultimately, but just random guessing size based on their (ridiculous) charts is pretty much a waste of money.

 

[callmijane]

Kind of. I wear a women's 8, which corresponds to a 25. However, due to my high arch, I ended up in a 25.5. Is there anywhere you can go to try boots on (not the specific boot, but perhaps something in the Salomon line)? And MaineSkiLady is right, it's better to have a smaller boot- I was in agony for most of last season and the first half of this season due to undiagnosed boot pain (long story) because of a too-large boot. Bootfitters can punch out a shell, but there's very little they can do for a too big boot.

 

[Lacey Ballard]

I may be able to make a trip to Wichita or Kansas City (both are a couple hours away) to try on a Salomon and I will definitely do that if I get the chance. It does help to know however, that this boot in particular is somewhat concurrent with the mondo sizing chart. And now I know to err on the snugger side than the too loose side of the spectrum as well. Thank you both for that info!