TURNING AND STOPPING!

Thank you for all your comments. Am going to take boots (and skis) to our local ski shop and get boot fitting to check they are fitting properly then off to snow dome to get this problem resolved with lessons. Must get it sorted before next ski trip! I want to be back on the 'blacks' not the 'greens'!! :roll:

Did I mention lessons?

DaveMac, it's nearly always a problem with the boots. The way ski boots are designed, sized and marketed almost guarantees that they won't fit properly unless a shell check is carried out by a competent boot fitter. The OP gave us very little to go on, but two things he mentioned give cause for concern. Tightening the lower clips indicates that the boots are too wide and using insoles that are designed for use in normal shoes that are likely to be the same size as his shoe size in ski boots indicates that the boots are also too long.

The insole on the left in the photo below is a stock insole from one of my shoes, the one on the right is from my ski boots, notice the difference in length width and shape. My shoes don't fall off when I walk and my ski boots don't hurt. As I mentioned earlier skiing is a mid stance activity, we don't need the extra space in ski boots that footwear designed for a full gait cycle activity like walking requires.



In his subsequent posts he didn't mention that a shell check had been carried out when he bought the boots. My guess is that the OP bought boots that were too big, the liner has now 'packed out' and he is no longer able to control the skis as well as before.

A shell check is easy to carry out and doesn't cost anything. If it indicates that the boots are the right size we can then address other issues, but if the boots are too big then that is the root cause of the problem. Taking lessons at anything other than beginner level is a waste of money unless your boots fit properly. Taking the skis and boots to a ski shop and asking for advice will more than likely only result in a severe dose of wallet relief!

Swingbeep,there may be a clue that that I AM THE MRS, just might be a lady???

I agree that the boots would, and should be the first port of call, and that this should be the first check. However, we were asked to give an experienced opinion.

My thoughts were steered by the fact that the OP had successfully skied on the same set up in the previous season.

My shoe orthotics are only two thirds the length of yours. Admittedly, they have been chewed by a succession of nine Guide Dog trainees, but they didn't alter the length. Well not by too much. But they are the ones that I used to assess a potential change in skeletal angle.

If the boots are too big, how could the OP be skiing well in the previous season(s)?

This is strange because my footbeds are the same size - made for ski boots or running, they were made for my feet and my feet stay the same size whether I ski or run.

Have to say an not convinced the length of your ski boot or insole is a big concern regarding fit. Due to having pretty substantial ankles I always end up having to get bigger boots to accommodate. The only real consideration is that your ankle is completely locked in place. Easiest way to test this is to go over a jump or ski some moguls. Ill fitting boots don't feel nice during either of these activities. I think 90% of people buy their ski boots too big, looking for something comfortable straight out of box, which results in sloppy boots once they have bedded in. Doesn't stop 90% of people from being able to turn on a green run, lesson will reveal all.

Dave Mac wrote:

If the boots are too big, how could the OP be skiing well in the previous season(s)?

1 - boot linings pack out over time, they may have fitted better in previous seasons
2 - only the OP said they were skiing well previously, that may be their own opinion!!!

Whoops, didn't notice that :oops: Sorry Iamthemrs.

In that case the boots even more likely to be too big, lots of women nearly seem to have boots that are too big, if I remember correctly AllyG said she had 25mm of space between her heel and the back of the shell and she went to a boot fitter! If she's got bunions (over 50% of women have) the boots will most likely be massive. One of my friends who has bunions bought new boots at the end of last season, in spite of my best efforts to convince her to go to a boot fitter she went to the village sports shop, when I did a shell check after she complained that they were a bit sloppy I found that there was 30mm between her heel and the back of the shell, they just upsized her until they felt comfortable, 450 Francs down the drain! If the boots are too big the skier will be standing further back on the skis than the manufacturer intended, this can also result in less control of the front of the ski

Dave Mac, the reason things were OK before is that initially the liners give enough support, but this diminishes as the foam compresses and gets to a point where they offer too little support, this can occur over a very short period of time. All stock liners 'pack out' with use, on average I manage to get 2 seasons out of a pair. If you ski in an oversized intermediate boot with a soft liner this can happen in a few weeks.

The insoles Iamthemrs had in her boots were off the shelf gel insoles, probably something like these

If they are the same size as her shoes the boots will be too big, the wrinkling will have most likely occurred when they rucked up in the front of the boot.

Orthotics like the ones you have are usually posted to put the subtalar joint in three degrees of varus and allow for up to four degrees of pronation, this is too much for a ski boot, when the amount of varus built into the ski boot is added to the varus built into the orthotics it puts the skiers weight on the outside edges. Bear in mind that all this applies to 4 clip boots the angles built into rear entry boots may be different.

Verbier_ski_bum, the insoles in my running shoes are also bigger than those my shoes, even the blanks they make them out of are bigger http://www.profeet.co.uk/profeet-custom-insoles

Ranchero_1979, if "your ankle is completely locked in place" you probably won't be able to flex it sufficiently, ankle flex is very important if you can't flex your ankles you're in really big trouble.
http://www.solutions4feet.com/files/ankle_flex_article.pdf
The fit around the ankle and mid-foot is critical, it has to be precise but not throttling.