The Official: "What is wrong with my boots?" Thread

so, my problem is this. i have full tilt booters with sidas custom footbeds, when i got them, they were great, i put on the boots in the morning and was out for the whole day with 0 problems, this season on the first day went skiing and after some runs felt some pain underfoot and in the arch area. took out footbeds and was fine. they do well even without the footbeds but i know im missing out on performance, liners have not been heat molded and are probably like 2 seasons old. what do ns
 
13615778:onenerdykid said:
Are your boots new? It is common with new boots that have not broken in and/or your feet aren't used to them yet.

I have about 20 days in them so far so they are broken in. I noticed it way more when they were new but now it's just kind of a dull soreness when standing in lift lines and grabbing lunch. I don't find it to be unbearable at all just uncomfortable really and when I go skiing it disappears immediately.
 
13615779:onenerdykid said:
Is your liner damaged? Is it a new boot, old boot? Is there something in between your shell and liner that shouldn't be there?

It is a new boot, I think I have about 20 days on them. They're Lange RX 120s. And as far as I know there is no damage to the liner, nor is there anything stuck between the back of the boot and the liner. I have taken the flex bolts in and out once though, which may be part of the problem?
 
13615944:soupcan said:
I have about 20 days in them so far so they are broken in. I noticed it way more when they were new but now it's just kind of a dull soreness when standing in lift lines and grabbing lunch. I don't find it to be unbearable at all just uncomfortable really and when I go skiing it disappears immediately.

The good news is that it goes away when skiing, which tells me it isn't (most likely) a real problem. If you didn't get your liners heat molded, doing that will help a bit for sure. Sometimes, it's just a matter of your feet getting used to being in a boot. If you have 20 days in them, but that is spread out over 4 months (for example), your foot needs more time in them in order to not feel squeezed. A good trick for this is if you know you are skiing on the weekend, wear your boots in the house for 20 minutes a few times during the week. Sounds weird, but it works.
 
13616236:swisscheese said:
I have taken the flex bolts in and out once though, which may be part of the problem?

This could be it... are the claw nuts sitting flush into the plastic? Are the screws extending past the end of the claw nut? It's pretty easy to over tighten these screws to the point that they pass beyond the end of the claw nut.
 
13615851:top.lel said:
so, my problem is this. i have full tilt booters with sidas custom footbeds, when i got them, they were great, i put on the boots in the morning and was out for the whole day with 0 problems, this season on the first day went skiing and after some runs felt some pain underfoot and in the arch area. took out footbeds and was fine. they do well even without the footbeds but i know im missing out on performance, liners have not been heat molded and are probably like 2 seasons old. what do ns

just like with another NSer, you should wear your boots a few nights a week for 20 minutes each time. This will help your foot adjust to the footbed. You probably aren't wearing footbeds in your everyday shoes (hint: this is a sign that you should be!) and your foot is not used to the structure of the custom footbed. You can also take them out of your boots and wear them a bit in your street shoes too, but they might be a little short for that. Try both options.

Without footbeds, you run the risk of getting shin bang, toe bang, and your liner prematurely packing out because your foot can move around inside the liner more. Get used to the footbeds and you'll be happier for it.
 
On the left boot, the bottom screw seems to be working its way upwards compared to the right boot even though it's done up tight and shouldn't move as far as I know. Does anyone know what could be causing this/ what problems this might create?

Do I need to get them checked out?
 
13620024:SteezyJ1 said:
On the left boot, the bottom screw seems to be working its way upwards compared to the right boot even though it's done up tight and shouldn't move as far as I know. Does anyone know what could be causing this/ what problems this might create?

Do I need to get them checked out?

If I'm not mistaken, this a pair of Salomon Impacts and this metal piece can alter the forward lean. It shouldn't be migrating on you though... If you remove the 2 screws and the metal piece, you can see if the holes in the plastic are normal (circular shaped) or deformed (elongated/uneven). If you have the latter, I would suggest going to the shop you got them from (or any official Salomon dealer) and having them take a look at it. It might be grounds for a warranty, but that depends on how old they are and what the actual problem is. Once the shop looks at it, they will be able to tell you.
 
I have full tilt booters and I often get a huge pain in the back of my leg where the boot is in contact with my leg (on the outside and back) -could call this "backofleg-bang"?... I have really skinny legs and there's always a gap at the top of the liner where I could probably put my finger in the space, when I tighten the top to try to eliminate this is, it just squeezes really hard on the outer side of my leg and doesn't fully tighten the gap. So I've become used to shredding with my bottom two buckles tight and the top buckle on the second clip to eliminate this but that results in even more pain if I have a day where I land back-seat on a couple of tricks... what do I do?
 
13620866:isaiah_nice28 said:
I have full tilt booters and I often get a huge pain in the back of my leg where the boot is in contact with my leg (on the outside and back) -could call this "backofleg-bang"?... I have really skinny legs and there's always a gap at the top of the liner where I could probably put my finger in the space, when I tighten the top to try to eliminate this is, it just squeezes really hard on the outer side of my leg and doesn't fully tighten the gap. So I've become used to shredding with my bottom two buckles tight and the top buckle on the second clip to eliminate this but that results in even more pain if I have a day where I land back-seat on a couple of tricks... what do I do?

Well, landing backseat is unfortunately user error and akin to bad technique. Those two things will always lead to discomfort, no matter what sport you are talking about. I understand it is impossible to always ski with perfect technique, but no gear can fix that problem.

As far as the space behind your leg is concerned, this is totally normal. Don't get too hung up on it. If you want a snugger fit without cranking your buckles down, have your local boot-fitter fashion some foam pads that get put on the outside of the liner to fill these voids. It will make the boot more responsive without having to cut off your circulation.

Another point- you shouldn't be cranking down buckles on your feet. Generally, shell buckles are rather loose (only tight enough to close the water sealing so you stay dry) whereas cuff buckles are tighter (but not too tight to cause discomfort or numbness). If you have to ski with the shell buckles cranked, you are probably in a boot that is too big to begin with and this is the major problem you should address.
 
13620592:onenerdykid said:
If I'm not mistaken, this a pair of Salomon Impacts and this metal piece can alter the forward lean. It shouldn't be migrating on you though... If you remove the 2 screws and the metal piece, you can see if the holes in the plastic are normal (circular shaped) or deformed (elongated/uneven). If you have the latter, I would suggest going to the shop you got them from (or any official Salomon dealer) and having them take a look at it. It might be grounds for a warranty, but that depends on how old they are and what the actual problem is. Once the shop looks at it, they will be able to tell you.

Thank you for the quick response. Salomon Impact 120s correct.

I've taken the liners out and unscrewed the problem screw. It looks like the metal piece that holds the screw on the inside of the boot has been moving around - not sure whether a fitter can move it back or whether the plastic has deformed as I couldn't get the metal piece off/ didn't want to push it too hard.

I've attached pictures of each boot from the inside showing the metal pieces that hold the screws from the inside.

Do you think something can be done to fix this? Really don't want to have to buy a new set of boots if it keeps getting worse.811053.jpeg
 
13620991:SteezyJ1 said:
Thank you for the quick response. Salomon Impact 120s correct.

I've taken the liners out and unscrewed the problem screw. It looks like the metal piece that holds the screw on the inside of the boot has been moving around - not sure whether a fitter can move it back or whether the plastic has deformed as I couldn't get the metal piece off/ didn't want to push it too hard.

I've attached pictures of each boot from the inside showing the metal pieces that hold the screws from the inside.

Do you think something can be done to fix this? Really don't want to have to buy a new set of boots if it keeps getting worse.

To know for sure, you have to remove the claw nuts. But it almost looks like the screw holes for one boot were drilled differently from the other.... This could happen since the holes are made after the shell is injected (meaning they are drilled by a factory worker and therefore subject to human error). But, hard to say when the claw nuts are still in there. Your best bet is to take it to a shop and see what they think.

Is there any slop in the cuff or does it feel like one cuff is standing differently from the other?
 
I'm 5'11 135 pounds. My feet are about size 11 now and I've got 27.5 boots. They fit perfect everywhere except the toe. When I stand straight its jammed right against the end and when I flex it still touches. When I land hard it hurts. Any advice? I don't have footbeds.
 
I have some new rossi all track pros that are slightly too big, and/or I have too thin of a heel for the current fit. Heel hold is an issue. I was wondering... does anyone have any experience putting foam or some sponge-like material in the shell or perhaps even in the inside of the liner (although I've never heard of anyone doing that - just an idea) to help hold the heel down? Would be curious to know of your experience with this. Where you placed the foam etc... Pictures would be sweet.
 
13621097:steezkneez said:
I'm 5'11 135 pounds. My feet are about size 11 now and I've got 27.5 boots. They fit perfect everywhere except the toe. When I stand straight its jammed right against the end and when I flex it still touches. When I land hard it hurts. Any advice? I don't have footbeds.

get footbeds.
 
13621264:steezkneez said:
Recommend me a good cheap footbed

There is no good cheap footbed. The only good footbed is a custom one and they're not cheap.

But a don't know that a footbed is going to help you much. They don't help too much with elongation of the foot in my experience. You need to check your shell fit, if your toes don't come off the end when you flex then the shell is too small and you need new boots.

Did you go to a bootfitter for these? Or have you grown a bunch since getting them? Toes on the end is about the second thing a fitter will check... and really it's only to confirm the shell fit which is the first thing they should check.
 
13621119:cmer said:
I have some new rossi all track pros that are slightly too big, and/or I have too thin of a heel for the current fit. Heel hold is an issue. I was wondering... does anyone have any experience putting foam or some sponge-like material in the shell or perhaps even in the inside of the liner (although I've never heard of anyone doing that - just an idea) to help hold the heel down? Would be curious to know of your experience with this. Where you placed the foam etc... Pictures would be sweet.

You'll be please to hear that exact idea is already a thing. They're called J-Bars, they're J-shaped bits of foam that go down the outside of the liner and around the heel to provide better heel hold in this exact situation.
http://www.shredsoles.com/products/j-bar?variant=14582423750 is the first result google gives me - your local store should have some, if they're worth a damn.
 
13621329:rozboon said:
There is no good cheap footbed. The only good footbed is a custom one and they're not cheap.

But a don't know that a footbed is going to help you much. They don't help too much with elongation of the foot in my experience. You need to check your shell fit, if your toes don't come off the end when you flex then the shell is too small and you need new boots.

Did you go to a bootfitter for these? Or have you grown a bunch since getting them? Toes on the end is about the second thing a fitter will check... and really it's only to confirm the shell fit which is the first thing they should check.

I didn't go to a boot fitter. Regretted it lots. But they did for perfect and I loved them until me feet grew a bunch...
 
13621382:steezkneez said:
I didn't go to a boot fitter. Regretted it lots. But they did for perfect and I loved them until me feet grew a bunch...

Your feet grew a bunch and now your boots don't fit.......................................................................................

Did this come as a surprise at all?

Your boots are now too small.

1. Get new boots

2. Go to a boot fitter this time

3. Get footbeds. Not cheap ones.
 
I got boots fitted at Inner Boot Works in Stowe (Tecnica Mach1 130 mv). I also got custom footbeds made. The boots felt pretty good except that about halfway through all my days I started feeling a LOT of pressure on my right instep. Like right on the blood vessels and veins and such. It was making my toes go a little numb, and it made the top of my foot hurt. The guy at inner already ground down the bootboard and the tongue of the liner a little bit becaus ehe noticed that I had a high instep when I was in the shop. After about 10 days of skiing them like this, I took them to a local guy in Pittsburgh (unfortunately cannot make the trek back to Stowe to get more adjustments made) to see if more could be done to relieve the pressure in my instep. He said there was no more material on the tongue to grind down, so he ground a little of the cork off of the bottoms of my footbeds (which worried me but I decided to trust the guy). Now there is less pressure on my insteps (good), but my foot feels loose in the boot (bad). Especially the ball of my foot. Is there any way to snug up the fit down there without putting material back underfoot and thus making the painful instep pressure come back? Thanks!
 
13621334:rozboon said:
You'll be please to hear that exact idea is already a thing. They're called J-Bars, they're J-shaped bits of foam that go down the outside of the liner and around the heel to provide better heel hold in this exact situation.
http://www.shredsoles.com/products/j-bar?variant=14582423750 is the first result google gives me - your local store should have some, if they're worth a damn.

Thanks for making me aware of this - appreciate it. Any chance you've been able to access the videos that Shred Sole's references on their product pages? "J Bar- Apply to liner (self adhesive) above and behind protruding ankle bones (see video)" I don't see them anywhere.
 
13621770:s-hand said:
I got boots fitted at Inner Boot Works in Stowe (Tecnica Mach1 130 mv). I also got custom footbeds made. The boots felt pretty good except that about halfway through all my days I started feeling a LOT of pressure on my right instep. Like right on the blood vessels and veins and such. It was making my toes go a little numb, and it made the top of my foot hurt. The guy at inner already ground down the bootboard and the tongue of the liner a little bit becaus ehe noticed that I had a high instep when I was in the shop. After about 10 days of skiing them like this, I took them to a local guy in Pittsburgh (unfortunately cannot make the trek back to Stowe to get more adjustments made) to see if more could be done to relieve the pressure in my instep. He said there was no more material on the tongue to grind down, so he ground a little of the cork off of the bottoms of my footbeds (which worried me but I decided to trust the guy). Now there is less pressure on my insteps (good), but my foot feels loose in the boot (bad). Especially the ball of my foot. Is there any way to snug up the fit down there without putting material back underfoot and thus making the painful instep pressure come back? Thanks!

Insteps are tricky, but the Pittsburgh boot-fitter (was it Billy Kaplan?) did the next best thing, and it's what I would have done too (depending on how thick the footbed was and how much could be ground away). The problem with grinding is that once the material is removed, it's hard to go back, which is why you want to work in baby steps, grinding away a small amount at a time. Did he grind away too much compared to the other footbed?

There are volume shims (either firm paper, foam, or plastic) that can be added to the bottom of the footbed to return it back to its normal thickness. Posting foam works great for this as it can be ground away to find the right volume. Perhaps that might be your next step with either boot-fitter.
 
13622428:onenerdykid said:
Insteps are tricky, but the Pittsburgh boot-fitter (was it Billy Kaplan?) did the next best thing, and it's what I would have done too (depending on how thick the footbed was and how much could be ground away). The problem with grinding is that once the material is removed, it's hard to go back, which is why you want to work in baby steps, grinding away a small amount at a time. Did he grind away too much compared to the other footbed?

There are volume shims (either firm paper, foam, or plastic) that can be added to the bottom of the footbed to return it back to its normal thickness. Posting foam works great for this as it can be ground away to find the right volume. Perhaps that might be your next step with either boot-fitter.

The guy I went to was Matt (dont know his last name) at Willis. I dont think he ground away too much, I just had a fair amount of toe and ball of foot room to begin with, before he did any modifying. Maybe it will end up being a nonissue. I am going to ski them today and see how they feel.
 
13621001:onenerdykid said:
To know for sure, you have to remove the claw nuts. But it almost looks like the screw holes for one boot were drilled differently from the other.... This could happen since the holes are made after the shell is injected (meaning they are drilled by a factory worker and therefore subject to human error). But, hard to say when the claw nuts are still in there. Your best bet is to take it to a shop and see what they think.

Is there any slop in the cuff or does it feel like one cuff is standing differently from the other?

I think the left boot is flexing slightly more than the right.

I took the boots back to the shop earlier (Snow and Rock) and the fitter took the liners out and unscrewed the allen bolts.

Turns out that the claw nuts were not attached the same way on each boot and on the left boot, 4 out of six of the teeth on the claw nut have been sheared off and are stuck in the shell. No idea how this could've happened since I've never touched the bolts myself.

Was advised to contact Salomon directly but after spending a while getting to know the inner workings of their customer service, I was put through to the department that looks after all the parts for Salomon in the UK. Turns out they only deal with suppliers and I was advised to contact the Snow and Rock store again...

Spoke to the guys in store again on phone and email but am yet to get a reply.. Not sure what to do now as even though it looks like there has been some kind of manufacturing error, the boots aren't in warranty.

Even if I can get hold of a new claw nut , I'm not sure it will work as the teeth stuck in the shell would have to be dug out which can't be good for the boot and the new nut might not stay in place either.

Do you have any ideas?!
 
I’ve had Full Tilt classics for three years now and they are starting to feel laterally soft. I have 1.5-2cm of space from my heal to the back of the boot, so for this measurement alone they are in a comfortable fitting range. I got them fitted and super foot insoles were put in.

For two seasons I was skiing without insoles and didn’t notice much wrong, except for the packing out of the liner. So this year I got a Full Tilt pro liner and a booster strap. For the past few weeks I’ve been struggling with control. My boots do not feel responsive and I do not feel grounded. Despite this, the boots are tight fitting, so maybe I need a custom footbed and see if that helps. I just want more control and less lag.
 
13625825:SteezyJ1 said:
I think the left boot is flexing slightly more than the right.

I took the boots back to the shop earlier (Snow and Rock) and the fitter took the liners out and unscrewed the allen bolts.

Turns out that the claw nuts were not attached the same way on each boot and on the left boot, 4 out of six of the teeth on the claw nut have been sheared off and are stuck in the shell. No idea how this could've happened since I've never touched the bolts myself.

Was advised to contact Salomon directly but after spending a while getting to know the inner workings of their customer service, I was put through to the department that looks after all the parts for Salomon in the UK. Turns out they only deal with suppliers and I was advised to contact the Snow and Rock store again...

Spoke to the guys in store again on phone and email but am yet to get a reply.. Not sure what to do now as even though it looks like there has been some kind of manufacturing error, the boots aren't in warranty.

Even if I can get hold of a new claw nut , I'm not sure it will work as the teeth stuck in the shell would have to be dug out which can't be good for the boot and the new nut might not stay in place either.

Do you have any ideas?!

Snow & Rock should have never let you try to deal with Salomon directly, they should have handled the process for you (that's their job, and as you found out Salomon isn't prepared to deal directly with end consumers).

The good news is it's not going to be a major issue to fix. Not sure where you are, but if you are close to any of these shops they can easily fix the boot for you: Solutions 4 Feet (ask for Colin Martin), Ski Bartlett (ask for Terry or Sally), or Pro Feet (ask for Janine).

You don't need to use a "claw" nut, just any t-style nut that will fit. These tend to work really well:

812424.jpeg

The have a knurled surface that digs into the plastic but won't break off like a claw nut will. Most hardware stores have them. Just find the right width & length and you can use the existing hole in the boot. If you need to have new holes made (what those listed shops will do for you) have the experts see to it and they will get it sorted for you.
 
13625838:fuckmekevin said:
I’ve had Full Tilt classics for three years now and they are starting to feel laterally soft. I have 1.5-2cm of space from my heal to the back of the boot, so for this measurement alone they are in a comfortable fitting range. I got them fitted and super foot insoles were put in.

For two seasons I was skiing without insoles and didn’t notice much wrong, except for the packing out of the liner. So this year I got a Full Tilt pro liner and a booster strap. For the past few weeks I’ve been struggling with control. My boots do not feel responsive and I do not feel grounded. Despite this, the boots are tight fitting, so maybe I need a custom footbed and see if that helps. I just want more control and less lag.

Footbeds will for sure help, at least with ensuring that your are properly connected to the boot. Aside from that, are there any cracks in or around the hinge areas? Small cracks can definitely lead to what you are experiencing. But also, plastics can age and soften. How many days do you have on your boots? If you have over 150 days in those shells, chances are they are due for replacement.
 
I have really bad shin bang after a couple days skiing, its in feels like its in-between the bone and muscle after skiing, but when skiing its right at the front, out in morzine for the season but in Japan at the moment. I have Full Tilt First Chair 8's they were fitted by a guy in morzine who has been bootfitting for a while and used to work for Sidas, i have custom footbeds as i have very flat feet, a power strap on both the shell and the liner to reducd the volume but nothing is doing the trick, in Japan for another 2 weeks and wondered if anyone knew if there was anything i could do in the short term, alternatively whats the best option going forward. Cheers
 
13626364:SamNewton1 said:
I have really bad shin bang after a couple days skiing, its in feels like its in-between the bone and muscle after skiing, but when skiing its right at the front, out in morzine for the season but in Japan at the moment. I have Full Tilt First Chair 8's they were fitted by a guy in morzine who has been bootfitting for a while and used to work for Sidas, i have custom footbeds as i have very flat feet, a power strap on both the shell and the liner to reducd the volume but nothing is doing the trick, in Japan for another 2 weeks and wondered if anyone knew if there was anything i could do in the short term, alternatively whats the best option going forward. Cheers

Power Wrap liners can sometimes not hit your leg/shin in the right way. Try reversing the overlap (wrapping them the "wrong" way) and see if that helps. I've done that for a few guys in the past and it worked well.

Part 2... this is something you won't want to hear or do (and I understand) but try to take a day or 2 off from skiing and heal. This is an injury so without some rest days, it will only get worse.
 
I was fitted by Tom for some lange rx100s with footbeds and liner and shell moulding and extra cuff stiffening bolts in 2013 I've now ridden about 100+ days in them and i'm not feeling the same wonderful fit i used to have in them. I'm starting to get rubbing on my heel in them and feel the top of the cuff is looser than it used to be. I've tried holding my heel down better with the second buckle (from the bottom) but I feel i'm falling in a gap in the micro adjustment between the notches between too tight and sloppy. My question is what do I do? I had to move the top clip of my 4th buckle, quite early into getting them, into the non-drilled spot for the clip so i feel there is little i can do without buying something. is a booster strap likely to ease my woes or are the boots done now and i'd be better off looking at new boots?

I also had a slam recently where i landed with one foot on a rock and heavily flexed the boot and ever since i have had pain around what i guess would be the cuboid bone and it seems to be more aggrivated by landing in switch, is there anything i can do for this?
 
13626371:razors-chaz said:
I was fitted by Tom for some lange rx100s with footbeds and liner and shell moulding and extra cuff stiffening bolts in 2013 I've now ridden about 100+ days in them and i'm not feeling the same wonderful fit i used to have in them. I'm starting to get rubbing on my heel in them and feel the top of the cuff is looser than it used to be. I've tried holding my heel down better with the second buckle (from the bottom) but I feel i'm falling in a gap in the micro adjustment between the notches between too tight and sloppy. My question is what do I do? I had to move the top clip of my 4th buckle, quite early into getting them, into the non-drilled spot for the clip so i feel there is little i can do without buying something. is a booster strap likely to ease my woes or are the boots done now and i'd be better off looking at new boots?

I also had a slam recently where i landed with one foot on a rock and heavily flexed the boot and ever since i have had pain around what i guess would be the cuboid bone and it seems to be more aggrivated by landing in switch, is there anything i can do for this?

Even though Tom stiffened the relation between the cuff & shell, the lower shell is still just as soft as when you first bought them (they are 100 flex material). To prevent the harsh "bottom out" you experienced, you will ultimately need to bump up to a stiffer shell that will maintain its shape during harsh g-outs. In terms of cuboid damage, you should see a doctor and get an x-ray. There's a chance that bone (or surrounding ones) could have a fracture...

After about 100 days, the liner that would normally be in a 100 flex boot (sort of mid-range quality) will be pretty toast. The foams will be packed out and you will experience a loss of fit and more rubbing against the foot.

You can get a new, aftermarket liner from Sidas or Intuition, etc and extend the life of your boot another 100-150 days, easily. But, if your shell is too soft for you then you might want to consider saving up for a 120 or 130 flex model since that will obviously be more stable and come with a better, longer lasting liner.
 
13625863:onenerdykid said:
Footbeds will for sure help, at least with ensuring that your are properly connected to the boot. Aside from that, are there any cracks in or around the hinge areas? Small cracks can definitely lead to what you are experiencing. But also, plastics can age and soften. How many days do you have on your boots? If you have over 150 days in those shells, chances are they are due for replacement.

I’ll check for cracks and get back to you. Yes, I’ve had more than 150 days on them. I’ve been skiing with them for 3 and a half winters. I just don’t have the money to replace them. Boots are so expensive.
 
Alright, I didn't think I would post in here but here I am.

I just finished two days in the Teton Pass doing some touring w/ Cochise Pro Lites and Marker Kingpins.

About half way through each day, my toes started to cramp, to the point where it became painful, so much so I contemplated turning around. It felt like my toes were unable to properly stretch out. On top of this, I received some rubbing on the outside of my ankles and my heels. I am assuming this is due to poor heel hold, could the toe issue be as well?

I have custom footbeds, have had work done on the big toe (punch on each side) and have a Intuition Powerwrap liner.
 
13629477:.MASSHOLE. said:
Alright, I didn't think I would post in here but here I am.

I just finished two days in the Teton Pass doing some touring w/ Cochise Pro Lites and Marker Kingpins.

About half way through each day, my toes started to cramp, to the point where it became painful, so much so I contemplated turning around. It felt like my toes were unable to properly stretch out. On top of this, I received some rubbing on the outside of my ankles and my heels. I am assuming this is due to poor heel hold, could the toe issue be as well?

I have custom footbeds, have had work done on the big toe (punch on each side) and have a Intuition Powerwrap liner.

When you say toes, do you mean your actual toes or the met heads (ball of your foot)? If toes, is it underneath your big toe? How tight is your shell fit, 1cm or 2cm?
 
13629951:onenerdykid said:
When you say toes, do you mean your actual toes or the met heads (ball of your foot)? If toes, is it underneath your big toe? How tight is your shell fit, 1cm or 2cm?

Actual toes. It feels like it is the toenail on the big toes, and the first and second joint in on the other toes.

1-1.5 cm. Definitely a performance-oriented fit which was my initial reaction.
 
13630108:.MASSHOLE. said:
Actual toes. It feels like it is the toenail on the big toes, and the first and second joint in on the other toes.

1-1.5 cm. Definitely a performance-oriented fit which was my initial reaction.

The type of shell fit you have plays a big part in this. Combine the snug fit with the shape of the Cochise's shell (specifically the heel, where the shell creates the heel pocket & the total height of the shell in this area), this is a common issue. The height of the heel area of the shell is required for heel retention & forward lean but it also means when touring and you try to stand upright or actually stride forward, it causes your foot to slide to the front. You really feel this during the stride movement and can feel the shell dig into your Achilles area when you try to get full range of movement to the rear.

On full-on touring boots (like the Backland) the upper heel area will be super low (and actually rearward moveable) to prevent the foot from sliding forward when striding. Since downhill performance is really important to the Cochise, they keep more or less a traditional alpine heel construction. So when you combine that with a tight shell fit, your toes will get pretty smashed into the front of the shell when touring.

You can experiment with thinner liners to gain some space, but then you will lose a bit of foot hold for skiing. Or depending on how long the tour is, don't use the ski/walk mechanism. This will keep the boot's forward lean intact and hopefully keep your toes off the front a bit more. Just open the buckles and power strap to get movement to the front.
 
13630259:onenerdykid said:
The type of shell fit you have plays a big part in this. Combine the snug fit with the shape of the Cochise's shell (specifically the heel, where the shell creates the heel pocket & the total height of the shell in this area), this is a common issue. The height of the heel area of the shell is required for heel retention & forward lean but it also means when touring and you try to stand upright or actually stride forward, it causes your foot to slide to the front. You really feel this during the stride movement and can feel the shell dig into your Achilles area when you try to get full range of movement to the rear.

On full-on touring boots (like the Backland) the upper heel area will be super low (and actually rearward moveable) to prevent the foot from sliding forward when striding. Since downhill performance is really important to the Cochise, they keep more or less a traditional alpine heel construction. So when you combine that with a tight shell fit, your toes will get pretty smashed into the front of the shell when touring.

You can experiment with thinner liners to gain some space, but then you will lose a bit of foot hold for skiing. Or depending on how long the tour is, don't use the ski/walk mechanism. This will keep the boot's forward lean intact and hopefully keep your toes off the front a bit more. Just open the buckles and power strap to get movement to the front.

That was my guess. I've had the boots for 3+ seasons by next season, so I may start to look for a pure AT boot setup for these kinds of days (4k+ in vert)/coaching days that will be coming sooner or later.

My fear is the thinner liner will exacerbate the heel lift that caused the blisters. Guess I will have to reconsider next season on how I want to approach this issue!

Thanks for the break down on the difference between full-on AT boots versus downhill-oriented touring boots.
 
13630672:.MASSHOLE. said:
That was my guess. I've had the boots for 3+ seasons by next season, so I may start to look for a pure AT boot setup for these kinds of days (4k+ in vert)/coaching days that will be coming sooner or later.

My fear is the thinner liner will exacerbate the heel lift that caused the blisters. Guess I will have to reconsider next season on how I want to approach this issue!

Thanks for the break down on the difference between full-on AT boots versus downhill-oriented touring boots.

I honestly had the same problem during the development of the Backland boot. I normally run a 1cm fit in my alpine boots- anything larger and it feels like I am swimming and I'll die. So, I ran the same type of fit in early testing of Backland and I immediately realized that there was no way that was going to work. During touring, the foot simply undergoes too much movement for a 1cm fit. So, in Backland I am one shell size up (so, my "normal" size) and I have to add padding/foam/shims in order to secure my foot for skiing. Once I did that, I was golden.
 
13630900:onenerdykid said:
I honestly had the same problem during the development of the Backland boot. I normally run a 1cm fit in my alpine boots- anything larger and it feels like I am swimming and I'll die. So, I ran the same type of fit in early testing of Backland and I immediately realized that there was no way that was going to work. During touring, the foot simply undergoes too much movement for a 1cm fit. So, in Backland I am one shell size up (so, my "normal" size) and I have to add padding/foam/shims in order to secure my foot for skiing. Once I did that, I was golden.

It just was not something I ever considered when buying the boots after years of racing. I guess I will need to remember all of this when I get fitted next.
 
I dunno if it's a boot problem but I didn't feel like making a new thread for it either.

I've busted my heel up a couple of times from undershooting/overshooting jumps and I should probably stay put at home instead of making it worse by skiing.

But i've started to wondering about heelpads/shockabsorbers to put underneath my custom footbed. I've already got some foam that my bootfitter at the time made up. What do you guys think about switching these to some softer and thicker ones? Yes, I would lose some contact with my skis on hard snow and that part of it but would it help with my heel-pain?

In that case, should I make some myself or is there any that shops carrie?

Thinking along the lines of finding a pair of old fulltilts/spk and chopping them up.

Thanks in advance.
 
12734945:srg_bchkv said:
Nice thread, just in time.I have no access to a bootfitter now and I have a question.

The fitter put me in 26 krypton shell (I wear 9.5 street shoes if it matters). The boots fit very well, no toebang, no shinbang, awesome heel hold. I'm happy with my boots but somehow I think I could go with a smaller size. Now I have to buckle my boots really tight so sometimes my feet are numb and after the liners have packed out there's some more space than I would like in the toe box (still no toebang yet). I've tried on some new 25.5 Kryptons (with unmolded liners and stock insoles) at the shop and they were very tight (about 1 cm shell fit) but still bearable so I think I can be in 25 shell. But should I? I like my boots tight but I'd like not to overtighten them, will a smaller shell help, should I give it a try?

It's hard to give you good advice without seeing your foot and boot, but often boot makers will have one shell for multiple sizes. A 26 and a 26.5 might be the same shell, but the 26 has a smaller liner and maybe a thicker foot bed to take up space. After you've ridden them a few times that liner may have stretched and packed out to nearly a half size bigger. Try on a 25.5 shell and see how it feels.
 
13644926:Hogis said:
I dunno if it's a boot problem but I didn't feel like making a new thread for it either.

I've busted my heel up a couple of times from undershooting/overshooting jumps and I should probably stay put at home instead of making it worse by skiing.

But i've started to wondering about heelpads/shockabsorbers to put underneath my custom footbed. I've already got some foam that my bootfitter at the time made up. What do you guys think about switching these to some softer and thicker ones? Yes, I would lose some contact with my skis on hard snow and that part of it but would it help with my heel-pain?

In that case, should I make some myself or is there any that shops carrie?

Thinking along the lines of finding a pair of old fulltilts/spk and chopping them up.

Thanks in advance.

Your boot-fitter should be doing this for you, just so you don't end up reducing the amount of volume and/or messing with the fit by adding pads under your heel. But there are definitely some different foams or silicon-type products that he can order and retrofit to you liner or footbed to create more shock absorption.
 
I recently upgraded from my size 28 salomon SPK 85's into some full tilt classics 27.5

I've skied three long days on them so far and just put them on now and they feel small. My toe is pressing right against the liner (almost have to curl it down) and my ankle was killing me after skiing those three days. When I put the boots on just now I felt the same agitation that bruised my ankles. It's a problem because I loosen the boot my ankle feels better but then my toe is banging, tighten the boot up my ankle starts killing me again. I listened to the boot fitter in going the size down but now I'm thinking that was a bad idea. Should I ski on them a few more days and see if they get better or take them back tomorrow for more tweaking?
 
13646720:Film. said:
I recently upgraded from my size 28 salomon SPK 85's into some full tilt classics 27.5

I've skied three long days on them so far and just put them on now and they feel small. My toe is pressing right against the liner (almost have to curl it down) and my ankle was killing me after skiing those three days. When I put the boots on just now I felt the same agitation that bruised my ankles. It's a problem because I loosen the boot my ankle feels better but then my toe is banging, tighten the boot up my ankle starts killing me again. I listened to the boot fitter in going the size down but now I'm thinking that was a bad idea. Should I ski on them a few more days and see if they get better or take them back tomorrow for more tweaking?

Some more follow up information on this

I just did the shell fit and my finger stacked on top of each other (about 1 1/2") fit in there snug for sure. I tried on just the liner itself and my toe is pressing outward. The boots haven't been heat molded so I'm thinking that might be the trick.
 
13646732:Film. said:
Some more follow up information on this

I just did the shell fit and my finger stacked on top of each other (about 1 1/2") fit in there snug for sure. I tried on just the liner itself and my toe is pressing outward. The boots haven't been heat molded so I'm thinking that might be the trick.

You are definitely in a shell big enough. Never try a liner on by itself- you will never ski like that, so it's irrelevant. Buckles pull a foot back into shell, so a liner by itself is not an accurate way to judge the fit.

A boot should not feel like a skate shoe. Your toes should press up against the front of the boot when you stand, and then pull away from the front when you flex forward.

You not only need to get your liners heat molded, but you should also get footbeds. Without footbeds, your foot will elongate inside the shell and press up against the front while skiing. With footbeds, your foot will be supported and held in the back of the boot. Not using footbeds is just as bad as being in the wrong boot.
 
13646720:Film. said:
I recently upgraded from my size 28 salomon SPK 85's into some full tilt classics 27.5

I've skied three long days on them so far and just put them on now and they feel small. My toe is pressing right against the liner (almost have to curl it down) and my ankle was killing me after skiing those three days. When I put the boots on just now I felt the same agitation that bruised my ankles. It's a problem because I loosen the boot my ankle feels better but then my toe is banging, tighten the boot up my ankle starts killing me again. I listened to the boot fitter in going the size down but now I'm thinking that was a bad idea. Should I ski on them a few more days and see if they get better or take them back tomorrow for more tweaking?

SPKs and FT Classics are polar opposites in terms of fit. I've never met someone who fitted well in both of them, either your SPKs must have been loose as a goose or your FTs are probably not the right boot for your foot.
 
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