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

I have my own boots (Atomic - Balanze70?)which were fitted professionally in HAVANT but I still have real problems - every one else I know who has had them done here has no problems and are extremely happy with them so I think its just my odd feet!

I have had proper footbeds fitted and the outer shell and inners have been moulded and stretched. I've also had heaters fitted and altho' my feet are lovely and warm it doesn't help the numbness.

My feet go numb and then I get excrutiating throbbing pain when the feeling comes back :( - this occurs whether skiing, walking or sitting and with the fastenings tight, loose or moderate - it has happened in every boot I've tried (except in Bulgaria when I used size 6 - but then I had minimal control of skis). I am a size 5 but have wide feet, high instep/arch and narrow ankles. Last Friday I spent another 3 hours in the shop trying to get this sorted - I tried my boots on for 20 mins my feet were numb but there were no visible pressure points. When I was skiing last year I had a red patch in the top of my instep and I assumed that meant that maybe this area of the boot needed stretching up to relieve the pressure. The bootfitter didn't think this was the case but thought that because of my slim ankle I needed my foot pushing back into the heel of the boot - to do this I have been given (for £20) some "Eliminators" (I assume the professionals know what they are but for others - they are a bit like long soft shin pads). However all the positions I tried them in I was still getting numb feet (altho' sometimes it was taking longer) - the fitter thought that once I had found the correct position and the eliminators had moulded I would be cured!

What do you think? Is there anything else I could try?

Thanks in anticipation.

Zwee.

Sorry to hear your dilemma Zwee but do you have problem`s with ordinary foot wear or have circulatory problem`s ?. If you hang on i`m sure Cem will be along shortly.


AJ Adele

AJ Adele Thanks for reply but No & No!
Zwee

:)RIGHT.......Get Ready.......!!!
1st of all, Ive just this minute joined up to this site and long may I annoy everybody with my incessant questions (or whingeing, some might say).
Hello to everyboby & may u all have (or have had already) a FANTASTIC snowy & safe time on the mountains.
Hey Zwee....well......for years and years, (well.....10)I have suffered with excruciating, painfull feet on the slopes, but there's not a lot i can do about it cos I AM...."THE WOLFMAN", or at least some might say as they feast there eyes upon me doing my best impression of a hairy Boris karlof (can't think who played the wolfman on Telly, but you get the picture), complete with rolled up trousers and hands and arms in a state of fierce, readiness to pounceness, on top of the pool table in a packed bar in "Le Totem Hotel", Flaine.
And all that malarky is just one of many anecdotes regarding "my life with F****d up feet".
Back to the serious stuff, For a long time my feet have had a REALLY high arch and CLAW shaped toes that reach for the sky, I think me wearing "chelsea boots" in my youth contributed to this end (maybe).So upon placeing them in my first pair of nordica ski boots, within one hour I felt as if the spanish inquisition had gone to work on my toes with an engineers metal bench clamp,(TWO, in fact). Picture if you can a 40 year old butch male sat on the edge of the piste,half way up a mountain in timbuctu, frantically undoing both sets of boot cramps (now to be Yards of snowboard boot laces) whilst steam starts ariseing from his feet, hat, gloves and coat akimbo....CRYING....with the anguish of it all. (Oh...woe is me, woe, woe and thrice woe...an all that)....I kid you not!!.....
If you are in a similar predicament as me then you've experienced all this and then some.
As for remedies, You've tried regular shoe insoles, ski specific moulded insoles, Lineings with either a cork or resin injected into the reccess, Heated moulds (the one where you stand on the soft footbed machine thingermijig in the middle of the french ski boot shop, with all the kids sniggering at your hairy skinny legs, or better still....take your trousers off right there and then, sit on a raised seat above the machine thingy in your boxers whilst the footbed envelopes your plates....Fun. the "ELIMINATORS" (I bought mine in Canada, and they proceeded to numb not only my feet but also my entire lower leg, so i was limping and skiing at the same time, which.....is a drag !!)
As I had Good skiing skills but no joy in the pain department, I thought I would go down the comfy slipper Snowbording boot route and try my luck, (being a "surf dude" I thought it adds up) and although I have fallen in love with boarding, it exsasberates the problem, cos now it takes twice as long to get the Goddam boots off....!!!
I can probabally think of many other methods, you name it, i've tried it ...all to no avail (includeing a foot specialist, ski boot, mister fix it kinda guy who extricated the top, front layer from my BRAND NEW Saloman £220 werewolf specific snowboarding boots, leaving a micromillemetre layer covering my tootsies inside the boots.......And my toes nearly dropped off from frostbite, (a different kinda pain that one ) I will cut to the quick...Yeah right... as I have been swept up by the pure knowledge that I'm not the only "wolfie" on the mountain,(N.B. the whole idea of the "Eliminators" is to push your heel to the bottom back of the boot (which it doesn't do unless you are a contortionist) as yo know already.I think the ONLY way to go is to customize the ski/snowboard boot itself with a strap type ratchet thing, that is threaded from the left outside into the boot and out the right side and then ratchet it in. Sounds a bit conveluted but I've thought long and hard (as you can imagine).
Now Your ailment might be "Hammer toe" as the boot guy assured me but for me i think "claw toe" is more appropriate. Anyway......there IS a company that alleiviate foot problems for skiers/boarders (all about the "Bio-dynamics.........apparently) They mould and contort the boots to YOUR shape and i recon they probabally get most of it right.
I have intended to make an appointment but every year, the money that i saved for the fix, i spent on another foot pain specific solveing pair of boots, or new bindings. I rekon it'll cost a few hundred pounds but as we know, well worth it for pain free skiing.

O.K. I'm off cos its now 1.20 in the morning and i'm beat.
The name of the company alludes me but its something to do with the M25, I rekon its "M25 footworks" but don't quote me.....I shall find out and put the address on here and I promise not to waffle on...AGAIN... So, good luck with it all Zwee and.......Erm...skol

Tommie :roll: Jeeees, I'm sure "war and peace" was shorter.
Ohh...the reason i joined is because i'm trying to find a resort in europe without many "Draglifts" to satiate a girlfriend who won't do them full stop. So, any ideas ...fill yer boots

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.

Zwee,from the alpenhof,up the main street,at the top on your right,Intersport,there's a chap in there does boot fitting,can't vouch for him tho but it's a start,snow in the village and the swimming pool is open,dont forget your cozzy!

Thanks Micric- not long to go now - hoping the snow stays good and my boots are fixed so that I can enjoy it properly.
Cheers. :-)

Hi Zwee and Tommy

I have EXACTLY the same problems as you guys. Had it for 20 years whether ice skating, rollerblading or skiing. Shoes are ok. I have been known to rip my boots off as fast as I possibly could (whilst in tears) in the middle of a run!! Not good etiquette or safe :oops: but the agony is unbearable. Also done it while on the chalrlift!!

cem has recommended a bootfitter in Kitzbuhel called Daleboot and I am booked in for boot fitting on 7th Feb. I will let you both know how I get on