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Sore Feet.. a Bootfitting Thread

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RileyZap
Posts: 420 - Karma: 27
Ok, so a little background info. Been skiing for 15 years, been serious about it for maybe 5. Consider my self an expert and very aggressive skier. I've worked in a shop for 3-4 years as a salesman with boot fitting experience. i'd custom fit skiers of all types (even FIS level racers) as long as they didn't have any major foot problems with little to no complaint.

In the past three years have developed some foot pain that I can't quite figure out. It started out when I was in my FT's about three years ago. A powerful muscle cramp/exhaustion feeling in my arch are on either side. Last season i switched out of my FT's to a Fischer Ranger 12 Vacuum Fit, with Superfeet Carbon insoles (both recommended by the Fischer Rep of Alberta, Mitch Connor), but the pain did not go away. I like my boots tight and got the vacuumed to the tightest setting they would go. The boots are very comfortable done up at this tightness when I'm just sitting around but usually by the 3-5th run my feel become extremely sore or exhausted. The pain usually continues until lunch when i get off my feet for an hour and then are usually good for the rest of the day.

I ski with my boots on very tight and then back them off on the chair each run to increase circulation again. I find my feet are more sore while skiing my fat skis, or on days with shitty conditions. I can rip groomers all day on the boots without a problem.

Do any of you have any suggestions on how to alleviate this discomfort? Anyone have similar problems? Maybe is it time to go to a custom orthodic? Doing boots up too tight while skiing? Any suggestions helps.
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Dec 3 2015 6:52PM
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Bogs
Posts: 4296 - Karma: 1,361
My feet used to cramp constantly in my old boots to the point where I never buckled them because whenever I did my feet would cramp. Just got new boots (Salomon xmax 120), and after heat molding the shell and doing custom footbeds, the problem seems to have gone away (though I've only skied in them for 4 days so far).

So, as someone with a good amount of experience with arch cramping in ski boots, I'll say this:

100% time to get custom footbeds. And good ones. I had them in my old boots, but they sucked. The fitter for my new boots looked at them and literally laughed at how bad they were before making me new ones. Make sure the boot fitter you go to really knows what he/she is doing.

Try rolling out your feet with a golf/lacrosse/tennis ball. And stretching your achilles/calf/hamstring. All those muscles from the bottom of your feet up through the back of your leg are connected, so if one is overly tight, it means the others will have to work harder than usual to compensate for it. Part of the problem could be the muscles of your feet are just working too hard because they're tight, and so tire quickly. I have really tight calves and hamstrings, so this stretching and rolling is something I work at constantly, year round, and it does help.

But yeah, sounds to me mostly like your foot isn't being supported properly if it's the sides of your arches that are giving you the most problems. A custom footbed could go a long way.
Dec 3 2015 9:49PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7099 - Karma: 17,043
Sounds like it's time for a fully custom footbed rather then the semi custom carbons you have now. Those carbons are ok but not even close to the quality of a full custom. Being able to indivially stabilize an surport all 4 arches of the foot is not possible with the current superfeet system and it sounds as though you need somthing more surportive.
Dec 3 2015 10:43PM
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RileyZap
Posts: 420 - Karma: 27
Thanks for the replies guys, definitely going to add some more foot specific stretches to my routine.
As far as custom foot beds go, any recommendations?
Dec 4 2015 4:15PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6638 - Karma: 10,532
RileyZapAs far as custom foot beds go, any recommendations?


Research who in your area makes the best ones and go to him/her. With custom footbeds, it is less about the brand and more about the person who is making it. Give the same brand of custom footbed to 3 different fitters and you can wind up with 3 different versions not all equally as effective.
Dec 4 2015 4:46PM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,682
cant tell without looking at your specific situation but my immediate thought is your boots are too big and buckled too tight and/or your foot beds are too stiff.
Dec 5 2015 11:15PM
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ThaLorax
Posts: 21061 - Karma: 8,366
Sounds like it's a combination of several things:
1. Your boots are probably too big. If your boots are too big, you're turning one motion (move foot, which moves boot and ski in same motion) into three (move foot, which moves boot, which moves ski). That's three times more work than you need to be doing every single turn you make.
2. You probably have a combination of needing arch support, and pronation correction/alignment.
Dec 8 2015 10:08PM
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