Ski Boots Killing me

Question
I bought some Salomon sensofit Performa 7.0 with customfit 3D inserts (whatever that means) back in '04.
I wore them once and thought I broke both feet! I am finally going skiing again and went to Sun and Ski here in Austin to ask ?'s. He said they were the right size for me but said he wanted to heat them up and let me walk around for a while... I am wearing them now and have the same pressure points! On my right foot, the outside bottom of my foot KILLS...Do I need to just "wear" them in? I am trying to wear them at home and just walk around in them to try and make them more comfy.  Do I sell these and just rent. I guess my question is, is there a break in period for ski boots and am I doing the right thing?

I am a decent skier for only being a few times bought boots to make it more enjoyable....Not working!

Thanks for your help in advance!

Steve Owen

Answer
Hi Steve-

I 'm sorry to hear about your boot pain- that's not fun (I know). The footbeds you have in sound like a trim-to-fit; essentially a generic footbed made to offer better support than the stock bed. Unfortunately, they are not doing the job. It sounds like you've got too much arch support, rolling you to the outside. This can result in a great deal of pressure on the lateral edge of the foot.

The good news is that boots can and do pack out- a little heat from a hair dryer (don't overheat 'em) and some relaxing time in the lazy boy for an hour will help.  Don't buckle them really tightly until they do adjust- that only makes things worse. When you ski, don't buckle tightly either.  

Check your socks. Nothing thicker than what is described as a "liner" will do- everything else is too thick.

Pull out the current footbed and replace it with one from a favorite pair of sneakers. Buckle up and walk around for a bit. If it still hurts, then we're at least eliminating that cause.

Have a friend take a small hammer and tap around the shell by the little toe. If it hurts when the hammer taps, you likely have a tailors bunion, or similar issue. A good shop will have a boot punch to enlarge the boot where it it pressing on your last metatarsal.

Finally, consider a pair of custom footbeds. They will more appropriately align your foot in the boot, hopefully reducing foot pain.

You've got to have you footbeds done by people who do hundreds a season, and ski often themselves. Come to Park City, go to Vail, Taos, where the boot-fitters make a hundred days a year, and they'll be able to adjust the shell to fit your foot.

Good Luck!
Ron