WHY YOU NEED CUSTOM SKI BOOTS AND SKI BOOT ORTHOTICS
Why You Need Custom Ski Boots and Ski Boot Orthotics
Learn Why You Need Custom Ski Boots and Ski Boot Orthotics
You return to the ski shop complaining about THOSE boots you purchased two weeks ago. They’re “killing” your feet, they don’t fit right!
They don’t fit right and the inside ankle bones have been rubbed raw. You had to over tighten the buckles to get some measure of control. As a result, your circulation was cut off, and your feet got very cold. You do not have any idea what’s wrong. Sound familiar?
Or, frustrated with the lack of edge hold, you want to demo a new pair of skis, exchange the boots for a different brand, or, at the very least, have some custom work done to the boots you are stuck with. You don’t know which to try first. You just want to do something, but what?
As unlikely as it might seem, there is a CURE for these litany of ills. The first place to begin is with your feet. Standing in the store does not put much of strain on the foot and ankle, so the boots you purchased felt great, in the store, but lots of things change, when you hit the slopes. When you make a turn, centripetal force loads the bottom of the foot, putting increasing pressure through the arch. This collapses the arch, the ankle bones rotate and drop, and the lower leg internally rotates. This places the center of the knee too far to the inside. Often, this is mistakenly viewed as a need for canting. It is not.
The Bones Inside the Foot
While foot structures differ, custom insoles and orthotics are adept at improving skier comfort and performance by “managing” the foot and ankle’s motion inside the boot. The human foot and ankle are formed by a complex system of 28 bones, more than 55 articulations (joints), at least 77 ligaments, and 13 plus muscle groups. Together, they move in more than one direction at a time, adapting to changes in balance.
As a Podiatrist specializing in sports medicine, I know that many feet and ankles are not biomechanically sound. As a ski boot fitter, I am also familiar with the problems experienced by skiers with poor foot structure. My research has shown that poor biomechanical alignment is a significant contributing factor in a skier’s inability to “get-it-all-together”, and the primary source of foot and ankle pain! A custom insole or orthotic that offers the right combination of control, support, and flex, can go a long way in correcting most fit problems.
Foot Types and Complications
Custom insoles, or orthotics, help the “normal” foot maintain its neutral position, preventing excess pronation and the over-stretching of the Plantar Fascia. For those with already pronated (flat) feet, orthotics and correct the deformation of the foot’s structure. The opposite problem, SUPINATED feet, created a different set of problems:
1. The foot has a high arch and thus a high instep.
2. The foot is less flexible, and often rigid.
3. The toes are often pulled back (hammertoes).
4. The supinated foot only contacts the ground at three points: heel, and 1st & 5th metatarsal heads.
The benefits of a ski boot orthotic cannot be over emphasized for the supinated foot. It provides FULL contact to the bottom of the foot, and increases shock absorption.
The Unsupported Foot and Ankle
Listed below is a detailed list of the affect edging has on the unsupported foot:
1. The arch collapses and the instep moves up and down causing the ankle bones to rotate and move up and down.
2. The front of the foot spreads out and the foot lengthens.
3. The foot rolls from the outside to the inside as edging pressure is applied.
4. The above movements cause the ankle to shift to the inside of the boot increasing
pressure and rubbing, the leg follows, twisting and moving up and down inside the boot
5. None of these movements contribute to efficient skiing. They are wasted motion and wasted energy.
Specifically, these dynamic motions create the following foot, ankle and knee problems.
1. As the foot spreads, there is an increased pressure along the big toe and 5th toe.
2. As the foot lengthens, the toes hit the front of the boot.
3. The medial ankle bone comes to rest on the lower ridge of the boot’s ankle pocket; not a soft place.
4. Because the arch is unstable, it cannot act as a shock absorber. Shock is then transferred to the knee.
5. When the foot rolls to the inside, the ankle slams against the inside edge of the boot.
6. Internal rotation of the leg stretches the Medial Collateral knee ligament. Knee angulation must be exaggerated to achieve edging.
7. The multidirectional moments of the leg irritates the shin and pinches the calf.
Walking and Skiing Stresses
The “normal” foot is designed to function through a regular gait cycle, such as walking or running, with a “strike-and-flex” pattern that begins as the heel hits the ground. Weight then progresses along the OUTSIDE edge of the foot, rolling from the outer portion of the ball of the foot toward the big toe. Weight is not supposed to pass though the longitudinal arch. Because the foot’s bone structure is (in structurally normal feet) arched, both longitudinally and in cross-section, it can absorb considerable shock. This protects the foot, ankle and knee.
But unlike the gait cycle, alpine skiing places all the weight on the INSIDE edge of the foot, directly down through the arch. Visualize your body’s position while making a carved turn. Your knee is angled inward and your weight is directed to the inside edge of the ski. This movement collapses the arch, and stretches the Plantar Fascia (a band of tight tissue on the bottom of the foot that connects from the heel to the toes). Over stretching this band causes the pain and burning (plantar fasciitis) sensation often experienced by skiers who otherwise have no other boot fit problems. If you do experience this pain, you will not be able to “push” your ski into a turn and keep consistent pressure to the edge. (This Plantar Fasciitis is also experienced by runners, rollerbladers, ice skates, and aerobic and step participants.)
Fit and Performance
I have discussed the many fits benefits provided by ski boot orthotics. Increased performance will be the real payoff. Of course, we ski better when our feet do not hurt! In addition, the full contact support that preserves neutral position, stops wasted motion, and markedly improves edging efficiency. A skier will set and release their edge quicker, without over-twisting the knee. Keeping the knee in a stronger biomechanical position, affords it additional protection.
Thirty years of skiing, research, and custom boot fitting has proven that all skiers will benefit from a pair of ski boot orthotics.
For more information, e-mail, doc@footsportsdoc.com or call (847) 885-8806!