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Anyone ever try orthodics in ski boots??

Phillycore

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I just ordered some custom fit orthodics in an attempt to relieve some of the pain I get in my feet from working on my feet all day on concrete floors.
If things go well I considered possibly using them in my ski boots as well.

I normally don't get anywhere near as much pain from a long day of skiing in my boots as I do from work, but I figured since they would be custom fit to my feet it would be worth a shot to toss them in my ski boots for a day to see what it was like.

The ones that I'm getting are only 3/4 length though and I'm pretty sure that the ones that are actually meant for ski boots are not only full length, but also made of cork, or something with a different rigidity (is that even a word??)

The ones I am having made are a poly ethelene or something along those lines if that helps. I don't know much about them as it's my first time ever trying something outside of commen footbeds and the standard crappy Dr. Sholl's and the like which pretty much just were a total waste of time and money.

Hopefully the orthodics won't be a waste, but I figured at the very least it was worth a shot.

Does anyone on here wear orthodics, and if so did you try them in your ski boots??
How did you make out...
 

Moe Ghoul

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I have a set I ordered off an infomercial a coupla years ago. I wear them if I'm doing a lot of walking and they seem to help once they settle into your shoe. They'll prolly feel a little uncomfortable the first few days you wear them.
 

Greg

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Hopefully the orthodics won't be a waste, but I figured at the very least it was worth a shot.

Many of us swear by custom footbeds. I have them in my ski boots and I put a spare pair I had in my MTB shoes. Wouldn't ski/ride without them now.
 

Hawkshot99

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I used to have orthodics like you describe when i was younger. I used to play lacrosse and my ankles would swell up real bad every season. Ended up getting the orthodics and they were awesome!

Don't wear them anymore as my feet grew too much and they don't fit right.
 

wa-loaf

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I wouldn't put them in my ski boots, they probably don't fit right. You might be better off just getting a pair of the off the shelf footbeds if you don't want to spend the dough to go to a boot fitter.
 

drjeff

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I've had custom footbeds in my boots for close to 10 years now, and frankly wouldn't ever buckle into a pair of boots without them for the remiander of my ski career.

I also have custom orthotics for by my running shoes and golf shoes. For an over-pronator like myself, the difference is noticeable.
 
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orthotics meant for walking...a "gaited" activity...ie with a stride and active/dynamic foot movement have different purposes than an orthotic/custom footbed for a ski boot which invloves a stable foot position but very dynamic leg and ankle movement. Also the heel cup on most 3/4 length orthotics is too wide to fit into many ski boots...adn yes, it should be full length. If you're wearing orthotics in your everyday shoe you'll want a custom footbed in your boots...it'll be the best $150 or so you've spent on skiing...you'll ride a flater ski, edge movements will be more precise and efficient, your boots will fit better...its like going from driving in the snow with rear wheel drive and bald radials to AWD and studded snows.
 

o3jeff

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I had custom footbeds made last year and hated them and ended up going back to my generic aftermarket ones. Last night we ended up tweaking them for my new boots and they seem to fit a lot better now and seem comfortable. Now I can't wait to got out skiing to try them out with the new boots
 

Beetlenut

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I just got orthodics made about two months ago. They're the 3/4 type, and my knees and back are now pain free. I would not put THOSE in my ski boots however for the reasons ECPH alluded to. But I do have custom footbeds in my boots, that I have been tweaking on for a season or two. I find that the arch area can't be as ridged or as high as a walking shoe orthodic, because when you tighten your boot up, you'll end up sandwiching your poor foot between the boot and arch, and cut-off the circulation. Hence the reason it's taken me a while to get the right amount of arch height and give. Last year, I also added heating elements to the footbeds. I'm lovin my boots now!!
 

Moe Ghoul

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I had custom footbeds made last year and hated them and ended up going back to my generic aftermarket ones. Last night we ended up tweaking them for my new boots and they seem to fit a lot better now and seem comfortable. Now I can't wait to got out skiing to try them out with the new boots

When I had my footbeds made, they did a major tweaking of my whole boot. When you buy them off the shelf, you really need to take time with a specialist to customize the boot to you, otherwise you're trying to ski with one size fits all factory specs. When I went out the first time to ski with the new footbeds, I had to readjust how I skied because I used to overcompensate for the deficiencies, and that was a contributing factor to foot fatigue and pain. I almost took a tumble the first few runs down catching edges I ordinarily wouldn't snag.
 

ZOG

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The footbeds that come in boots are very minimal for giving a normal foot ANY support. If you have foot "problems" they are worthless. I have tried several ski orthodics over the years and have been very pleased with the results.

Remember, everyone's feet are different and the type that fit your feet best may be different than the on'e that work best for me. I have tried soft moldables,(Con Formable ?) Hard plastic base moldable(Pederson?), cork moldable, (Superfeet) , and now Insta-print, (I think?)

I'm really interested in the new self moldable , ZAPZ. They look great for the money, around $60-$70.

On most saturdays now I spend 10-11 hours in my boots. With a good fit, and supportive orthodics, I have had many days where I have not had to take off my boots, nor unbuckle them, all day.




.

Find a GOOD boot fitter, and have him check your feet. Spend the money for good orthodics and you will be very happy. Personally, I have not known anyone in the central Conn area that is a better bootfitter than Dave Newman, who is now at Ski Market, in Avon.





If you're not in this area and don't know a GOOD bootfitter, google America's best bootfitters, it's a good place to start. try Bootfitters.com
 
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o3jeff

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I'm really interested in the new self moldable , ZAPZ. They look great for the money, around $60-$70.

I picked up a pair of those last year looking for a quick fix, they were ok and not much better than like the generic colored Superfeet. I now have them in my mountain bike shoes were the insoles are not as important and they are better then what came in them.
 

Geoff

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I've had custom footbeds in my boots for close to 10 years now, and frankly wouldn't ever buckle into a pair of boots without them for the remiander of my ski career.

I also have custom orthotics for by my running shoes and golf shoes. For an over-pronator like myself, the difference is noticeable.

+2

My first custom footbeds were 1st generation Peterson's in Lange Pink Panthers. That must have been 20 years ago. I've also been on custom liners and Hotronics for a long time. I buckle up first thing in the morning and don't touch anything until the end of the day.
 
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