Numb Feet still - after 3 weeks skiing and many trips to boot fitter.

Zwee wrote:I had some advice -

"It sounds like the calf is tight and is causing the foot to go numb. The solution is a heel lift [needs to be a large one] stretching exercises and possibly some other boot adjustments. If you have a large calf then stretching the boot backwards in the cuff will help, the other thing is the B tech boots from atomic are pretty soft for their level, it may be that you are over flexing the boot and this is causing the problem. The solution here is to have the cuff of the boot fixed in an upright position, thus allowing you to transmit pressure to the ski but not run out of available range of motion at the ankle joint."

And

"Heel lift first, then flair the cuff, and if required bolt to hold the cuff in a more upright position."

Going to try the Heel Lifts first - as my preferred bootfitter is away til after my holiday I'm hoping someone in Ellmau,Austria can sort me out with this - if anyone can recommend anyone there please let me know.
Thanks.

there you go, saved me writing it in two places :lol:

Hi Zwee and others
Just seen your post,I have had exactly the same problem as you. (as explained under a post "painful feet advice" over a year ago) The pain was so distracting I was obsessing, and doing ny familys heads in, numb toes, balls of feet painful, cramps in arches etc, skiing, walking, t-bars, the lot it never stopped, until probably the last two days of skiing? still spoilt my week though. As my skiing advanced so did the pain.

Two years ago I got new boots, wow! great walking round living room up and down stairs etc, but soon as I was on the indoor slope at Castleford agony again, so I had custom soles fit, felt great in living room! Ellmau holiday arrives, again agony :cry: why me, again got easier by end of week.

Begining of February we went back to Ellmau, my problems started again, determined not to spoil my holiday again I went back to shop were we hired our other gear ("Sporthaus Fuchs" near nursery slopes) My boot measurements were correct(26.7) two guys checked my feet looked at my footbeds asked questions etc, eventually coming to the conclussion my particular boot was probably cutting of my circulation, their suggestion was to try hire boots, half a size bigger ,27( which had had a weeks use from new) they felt so comfy, and guess what the rest of the week was fantastic :D I nearly cried with reief and joy, Dont get me wrong there was about an hours skiing every morning, when there was a certian amount of pain but nothing like I have put up with for the last few years.
The boots I hired were Lowa, (must admit never heard of the company before) so at the end of the week I asked if could part ex my old boots for some new Lowa's, I made up the difference in price and they even gave me €70 for my mantraps .

I have probably been very lucky, but the boot fitters did listen and were so helpul.

I had this problem for a few years, now I do not wear any socks and the problem has gone.

GTRJazz wrote:I had this problem for a few years, now I do not wear any socks and the problem has gone.

Do your feet stay warm with no socks on?

johntin
I gave up with my boots this holiday (in Ellmau) and bought some LOWA boots too!

I went to a recommended shop "Gunter" where they looked into sorting them out but when they measured my feet, looked at size of boot, footbeds etc said they were far too small in length, width and height. I know this may not have been the right thing to do but I'd had enough of skiing without feeling my feet and needed to do something (Sorry CEM but heel lifts hadn't helped and I was desperate) now. The LOWA boots were a good snug fit, the cuff was adjusted to my calf, and the air system used to hug my ankle, the clips could be done up on more than the loosest setting without being too tight and they felt better than anything else I'd tried.

After a days skiing my feet were better than they had ever felt skiing - not perfect by a long way (I wouldn't expect that yet)- I took them back for a little tweak on the Right boot - and went to pick them up the next morning. I could have cried :( - they had over-stretched them - meaning altho' I had plenty of room widthwise the area over the foot had lowered so much that there was hardly room to squeeze my foot in. As there was no one of authority there I had to take them and ski with them - no numbness but a lot of pain.
However, when I returned to the shop that evening they immediately (before I had said anything) said they had made a mistake and would replace the boot. They stretched it up a bit so I could use it for my last day - it was slightly better. Well I have returned home with one old pairs of boots and 3/4 of a new pair - the replaced outer boot should arrive within 10 days - Fingers crossed.

My left foot had no problems so I'm hoping that
(1) My Right boot arrives and
(2) LOWA are the boots for me
(3) I don't have to post :oops: because 1 or 2 fails.

I haven't managed to find much info on LOWA ski boots (only "translated" on German or Polish sites) but if they work for me I don't really care!

All being well I shall be selling some Atomic ski boots and some boot heaters fairly soon.

Swee
Thats amazing same boots.
I believe the Lowa boots are of a German origin, Family run at one time? but like you I dont really care, my comfort has really improved, and I can now concentrate on the skiing, bliss :D
I hope you get sorted, becuase for once I think were going in the right direction, (fast downhill and no pain)
Thanks to Ellmau
johntin

Lowa have been a major player in the ski touring boot category for a while. Here's a couple of examples of their boots.

http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Gear/Lowa-Struktura

http://www.ems.com/1/1/2831-lowa-struktura-light-alpine-touring-boots.html

I was fitted for a pair a couple of winters ago, but they were so big in the foot in terms of volume, that I could take them off without undoing them :mrgreen:

No sale )

I just thought I might add a problem I had whilst on holiday in Niederau recently. I am a bit overweight and so my ankles are not the usual svelt self that they should be, so I seemed to have about 10 pairs of boots on before they found one that would just fit my calf that they could actually fasten. I ended up with a really old pair of salomon 3 buckle type which they had to put extenders onto to make them fasten (oh the embarassment!)

Anyway after a couple of days storing my boots at the ski hire shop, they got wet on the calf bit so Ihad to get different ones. They actually found some that were 4 fastneres, a bit more modern that would actually fit round my calfs! Great I thought.

However, 10 mins out of the shop my feet started to burn like as if someone had just poured acide into the soles of them! I went back into the shop and told them this. The lead man said that it was because the nerve endings in the soles of my feet couldnt find a place to rest and I would probalby need insoles. I said I would try and ski and give it a go but no sooner had I stepped out the shop, I thought I just couldnt do this! I am a girl after all and I shouldnt be in this much pain. Just give me my old wet boots back. The boots with the 3 buckles that I originally had (with no burning feet problems) had much more room in the foot. I could actually scrunch my feet up in them, whereas the other boots seemed to clamp over my toes and keep my feet down. now I know this is how they should be fitted, but when toying with excruciating pain or your foot moveing a tadge, I pick the latter! anyway they found a dry pair of boots identical to the first ones I had and again I was a happy bunny!

If we keep this up I will be looking into buying my own boots. But with a budget of about £140 will I be able to find a pair that dont make me end up in agony?

Karen