My feet hurt when snowboarding

Question
I'm goofy so my right foot is forward, and towards the end of my short Minnesota run, the outside of my right foot begins to ache.  I can get some relief by standing straight up.  Is there something I can do?

Answer
Hey Matt,

It sounds like you may be putting too much weight on your back foot and causing some strain on your front foot. It could also be the position of your front binding. It may also be your instep strap is pinching a nerve.

Try these things; When you put your boot on, be sure to have your sock pulled up snug to eliminate wrinkles. If you have an inner boot, be sure to get the tongue and flaps in place and tighten boot snug. Be sure to pull the tongue up. Now tighten your outer laces really tight to ensure a good fit and eliminate inner parts slipping and wrinkling. Wrinkles can cause pressure points on your feet.

For your binding adjustment, try turning it a few degrees forward. This may help your foot to line up better with the body position you are riding in. If it still hurts, try moving it a few more degrees forward. I know that freestyle for park and pipe riding the foot position is normally at about 90 degrees for both feet. If you are riding all mountain and wanting to do carve turns, your back foot should be about 75-80 deg and your front foot should be about 45-60 deg. These are just general and should be adjusted according to your style and comfort.

For body position, you should be placing your weight fairly evenly on BOTH feet. When your weight is even, you will have much better control of both ends of the board. This will also be better for your comfort. When you have your weight too much on your back foot then the front foot gets strained.

So, work on the body position and adjust the front foot slightly forward. Try a few runs and make more adjustments as needed. Go slowly with the adjustments as a little can make a big difference.

Hope this helps.
Keep on riding,
Windlover