Boot fitting/ Foot pain

[ctenidae]

My wife got a new pair of Lange Comp 120 boots. We've had them drilled and fit, and have custom insoles in them. Trouble is, they still hurt her arches. It's not a pressure issue, probably more her foot's not used to being in a "proper" position. Any suggestions? Should she look at more arch support, or could too much actually be causing the problem? What about taping her midfoot, or using a fabric brace? Any suggestions or experiences anyone can share would be great.

 

[riverc0il]

i'd suggest talking to the people who made the custom footbed. if their work is worth the money they are charging, they will consult with you and fix any issues for free.

 

[ctenidae]

Good advice, riverc0il, except... the footbeds are the cheap ones (only $20), because the guy figured that's all that was really needed. I'm sure they'll keep working as long as necessary (Ski Haus in Wilmington MA- good guys there), but it's a matter of getting there. I know, a good boot fit is all-important, and we're going that way. i'd like to have some ideas going in, though. Like I said, they're pretty good at Ski Haus, but it's always easier if you can present some ideas rather than go through the 20-questions routine. I'd like to tap into the strength of experience, and all that, and everyone on this forum is pretty good for that.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

A lot of the "cheap" footbeds only mold the heel cups. They won't make any accomodations for the arch.

Ski haus generally scores high on the Sled Integrity Scale, so I't give them the benefit of the dought and I'll bet they'll make things right.

 

[beswift]

Fitting

A custom footbed from what I have heard isn't always comfortable. For that reason the nature of the pain and the complaint has to be analysed. Does she have any history of arch trouble? I find sometimes that my muscles on the bottom of my feet will suffer cramping the first few days in ski boots. This can be attributed to one's arch. When I sprained my ankle seriously I taped it for years afterwards. There are still minor reminders that I injured it, too. If she never had an injury, you needn't tape it, though. The most common trouble with ski boots or skates for that matter would be the Navicular bone. Mine are grotesquely enlarged and protrude from the inside of my feet. During my late twenties I didn't skate and only skied cross-country. The ankle went back to normal but when I took up Alpine skiing again, it started to protrude again. Basically, if you strive for a tight fit, you put so much pressure on your instep through the tight second-from-the-bottom buckle that it distorts your bone positioning. In my case it isn't painful, but often I have to loosen my buckles in the lift line. Find out if your wife suffers the pain skiing, walking or standing still. Lange has a great buckle system now. They finally got rid of their bail system. Either way you can loosen the buckles and still keep them set for quick buckling at the right settings. Don't alter your boot except as a last resort especially if they are using heat to blow the shell out. I'm curious about the drilling that they did. What did they do?

 

[riverc0il]

definitely try getting a real custom footbed (if you paid $20, i'm assuming they didn't make a custom mold of the entire foot which is what you're looking for - if the person doing the job recommended the cheap pre-made footbeds, i'd recommend looking else where for the customs!). mine costed upwards of $100 (can't remember for sure), but they were definitely worth it.

 

[ctenidae]

beswift, I think you may have hit the nail on the proverbial head. She was a figure skater (From age 3 on to 25), and likes her boots as tight as she liked her skates. I think that's the source of her problem. Perhaps loosening that middle buckle will help. She's proabbly needs to let the liner pack out a bit, too. Real custom footbeds liekly won't hurt, either.
As for the drilling, they ground some of the plastic out of the inside of the shell, around the top of her arch and the knobby bone at the base of her big toe to relieve some point-specific pressure. According to her (they're her feet, after all) it tdid the trick, at least for that part.

 

[beswift]

The Lady's Boots

More than likely she won't like skiing with a loose fit. She will have to throw the buckles back before riding the lift and then buckle them up at the top. Custom footbeds might help, but they don't work for everyone. If you can, try having a pediatrist (spelling?) look at her feet. Your Langes should also have some minor adjustments which can help. Another thing I would recommend would be putting in heated footbeds. I have been skiing with heated boots for 12 years. The cold will make the pain worse. If you have a choice between custom footbeds or heat, I would take the heat. It's also my opinion that a lot of bootfitters are hypesters and will butcher your boot. Try going into other shops (the mountain side ones are the best IMHO) without the boots on slow days. Talk with the bootfitter guys. Try Strand's in Worcester or the guys up at Killington. There is supposedly a guru in Plymouth, N.H., but I'm always leary of guru's.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

I've had several full length custom foot beds, two sets which came from Ski Haus in Wilmngton. They have all been very comfortable, and I have very high arches (both main and metatarsal. If they hurt, take them back.

 

[bigbog]

:.....

C...and again...same issues as sled and others have mentioned,

A flimsy footbed won't stabilize her foot in a neutral position. It would be a safe bet that her feet are still rolling around with her insteps either hitting...or missing, which then feels like things are too loose insde...and then the following cranking down with that 2nd buckle, OR, when one's feet start rolling around inside...it's not uncommon to start gripping with her toes...to in some way, affect some degree of stabilization...which of course, over-stretches those tendons underneath the arch.
Greg Hoffman & crew up @GMOL ...at the base of Stratton have always been worth a yearly checkup, as well as Paul Richelson...

 

[First Tracks]

Agree with most of the points raised here, especially the true custom footbed and boots buckled too tight. The latter can cause severe foot cramping, especially along the arch. The boot should fit well enough that it doesn't need to be clamped into next week with the buckles. I'm assuming that the buckles are micro-adjustable, so in addition to getting her into the habit of opening the two buckles across the forefoot while riding chairs, have her back off the micro-adjustments slowly until comfort can be achieved on the downhills.

 

[ctenidae]

I knew I could count on all of you. We were at Mt Snow yesterday (afternoon was beyond great, by the way), and I managed to get her to try some of your advice. She can be stubborn, but starting things with "The guys on AlpineZone said..." seemed to do the trick. We replaced the arch support (dedicated heel/arch cup instead of the $20 insole), and loosened things up a bit- some pain first half, second half was perfect. I think the combination of boot adjustment, packing out the liner more, and just getting used to the boot may have done the trick. We'll see how next week goes...

 

[beswift]

Alpinezone

"The guys on AlpineZone said..." seemed to do the trick. We replaced the arch support (dedicated heel/arch cup instead of the $20 insole), and loosened things up a bit- some pain first half, second half was perfect. I think the combination of boot adjustment, packing out the liner more, and just getting used to the boot may have done the trick. We'll see how next week goes...

How about the use of an expert source like ours convinced her that she wasn't in pain at all? 8)

 

[beswift]

CORRECTION

A flimsy footbed won't stabilize her foot in a neutral position. It would be a safe bet that her feet are still rolling around with her insteps either hitting...or missing, which then feels like things are too loose insde...and then the following cranking down with that 2nd buckle, OR, when one's feet start rolling around inside...it's not uncommon to start gripping with her toes...to in some way, affect some degree of stabilization...which of course, over-stretches those tendons underneath the arch.

Wow!!! If I had that information ten years ago, I would have been custom fitted for a footbed. Actually, I have been through that experience but felt by having a less than fully snug boot left me room to wiggle my toes and warm my feet. When skiing the fall line with tight turns (I consider that being in the best form.) I will grip with my toes. I can't see how you aren't in a dynamic relatively unstable situation then (if you are skiing correctly), not just on the balls of your feet but actually falling. If you exercise your feet properly, you won't cramp the muscles. I had a similar trouble when windsurfing recently. I found that when I wasn't in the habit of the sport, my calves were cramping. By relaxing the calves at the time that they would cramp, I would avoid the cramp. If you ever get a chance watch a film of Zurbriggen skiing his Super-G victories or old 16 mm movies of Jack Durrance in the N.E. Ski Museum. These men seemed terribly off balance through every turn, almost spastic. It's that point when the ski patrol watches you with their jaws dropped. None of your muscles would be static, your toes are curled and your hair is standing on end. Then and only then ARE YOU SKIING!!!

 

[beswift]

test

test.

 

[bigbog]

:....

well, if it's Zubriggen, Durrance, and beswift, then I guess I was wayyyyyyyy wrong! :dunce: Hey, I'll bet ya' beswift, Zurbriggen had the most relaxed feet of anybody in Calgary.

 

[beswift]

Re: Sanpaku

well, if it's Zubriggen, Durrance, and beswift, then I guess I was wayyyyyyyy wrong! :dunce: Hey, I'll bet ya' beswift, Zurbriggen had the most relaxed feet of anybody in Calgary.

Did he wear a custom footbed? How about Bode? Wrong? I was wondering if anyone would catch my mistake about Durrance. What was his first name? Who holds the speed record for Tuckerman's? Who's on first? :angry: