# High instep, wide feet, stupid amounts of pain



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

I bought boots that are probably an entire size too big last season (first pair, lesson learned). They packed out and now I've got bad heel lift that the snowboard shop hasn't been able to alleviate, as well as pain around my ankle bones and the side of my foot. I started the search for a very high quality boot for the new season expecting it to be easy to find a replacement, only to be left feeling like I'm doomed to a life of foot pain while I'm trying to enjoy the slopes. I'm a female with slightly wide feet and a high instep. I may have a high arch too but I've never been told I do. My OG boots were Nidecker Mayas. I ordered a couple different boots from Backcountry (Salomon Kiana and Nidecker Luna) then tried everything my snowboard shop has to offer. There were issues with everything, primarily with pain in the same areas as the Mayas. I thought the Burton Limelights would be my saving grace and they similarly failed. I believe the only major name I haven't tried on at this point is Thirtytwo so now I'm checking them out but feel overwhelmed and need more advice.

Are there any particular brands/shoes that work better for those who have issues like these? And what else can be done to help this pain (will heat molded liners do anything)? Also, how much heel lift is an acceptable amount?

I'm staying optimistic, but feeling drained and could use whatever insight I can get.

Thanks in advance!

Edited to add pics of my feet


----------



## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

Measure your feet and post the pics here. If you have EEE wide feet burton makes that. If you have E wide I believe K2 makes that. Tape down a measuring tape in CM on the floor from your wall. Then put your heel up against the wall and see how long your foot is. Then do the same for width


----------



## tanscrazydaisy (Mar 11, 2013)

You need custom footbeds for your boots

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk


----------



## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

high instep and wide feet? Stay away from 32. They are cut very low. With a high arch, it's not the brand to go. (I have TM2-XLT and MTB and both were a pita DIY mod project to get them halfway endurable for my high arch wide forefoot feet)


----------



## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

neni said:


> high instep and wide feet? Stay away from 32. They are cut very low. With a high arch, it's not the brand to go. (I have TM2-XLT and MTB and both were a pita DIY mod project to get them halfway endurable for my high arch wide forefoot feet)


Yeah, I'm not sure how high my instep is but 32's have very little room on the top of the foot; I need mine heat molded to relieve the numbness this causes. But definitely try aftermarket insoles before you do anything else.

Perhaps counterintuitively, putting Remind insoles in my boots adds a ton of arch support which also helps with all kinds of boot-fit problems. With a properly supported arch your toes are less likely to jam in the front, for example. Just seeing how if you arch your foot (pronate or supinate) on the floor your toes will move back and forth changing your boot size. Remind are just one option; Superfeet work great, I've heard good things about shredsoles... pretty much anything other than the stock insole.

Once I understood that feet aren't just a static paddle that stays put in boots and don't move it was a lot easier to figure out what was going wrong. I just started paddleboarding this summer, and it's incredible how much you use the muscles in your feet and toes for balance. Your bare feet will get cramped and sore despite staying planted on the board in the same spot the entire time. It's a foot workout.

You use and move your feet a _lot_ when riding, and everything in the boot contributes to how that will feel. Not enough arch support can cause your toes to jam against the front, you might subconsciously be tensing the muscles in your feet to compensate, that will cause pain elsewhere, etc.

It's like going to a physical therapist because there's a pain in your neck and they figure out it's because your ankle is weak or something. Everything is related.


----------



## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Read and watch wiredsport feet measuring and pics, boot faq and the angry's snowboarder boot fitting series. This will give you a foundation of where to begin your search and mods for a good fit. Btw, contrary to what neni notes, 32 boots fit the best until switching to AT boots.

I have small feet, wide with high instep and arch. And it takes a fair amount of modding to get them feeling and fitting like high performance slippers. Ime of many seasons, boots need tweaking, even after you dial in the perfect fit.


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

BoarderHack89 said:


> Measure your feet and post the pics here. If you have EEE wide feet burton makes that. If you have E wide I believe K2 makes that. Tape down a measuring tape in CM on the floor from your wall. Then put your heel up against the wall and see how long your foot is. Then do the same for width


Okay, I updated the original post to include the pictures of my feet.


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

neni said:


> high instep and wide feet? Stay away from 32. They are cut very low. With a high arch, it's not the brand to go. (I have TM2-XLT and MTB and both were a pita DIY mod project to get them halfway endurable for my high arch wide forefoot feet)


And just to check, I take it you're wearing the women's version as well? I've heard they're made with a higher instep so if you are and that's an issue, that says a lot.


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

wrathfuldeity said:


> Read and watch wiredsport feet measuring and pics, boot faq and the angry's snowboarder boot fitting series. This will give you a foundation of where to begin your search and mods for a good fit. Btw, contrary to what neni notes, 32 boots fit the best until switching to AT boots.
> 
> I have small feet, wide with high instep and arch. And it takes a fair amount of modding to get them feeling and fitting like high performance slippers. Ime of many seasons, boots need tweaking, even after you dial in the perfect fit.


By "AT" do you mean Alpine Touring? I'm not finding any snowboard boots made by them. It's probably premature of me but I just want to jump in and get boots that will keep me happy for the next 3 to 5 years. I like saving money but I also hold true to the "you get what you pay for" mentality. I basically hover to "the best" which is part of why this is such a headache for me - "the best" seems to be very subjective when it comes to snowboard boot fit.


----------



## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

Looks like your between a 5.5 and a 6 with standard width. I am a mondo size 10.5 and EEE width. I ride a Thirty Two TM2 size 11 and it actually fits good, so i wouldnt say Thirty twos are narrow at all


----------



## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Stripedfire said:


> And just to check, I take it you're wearing the women's version as well? I've heard they're made with a higher instep so if you are and that's an issue, that says a lot.


Yeah, I have the women's.
Narrowness in toe box isn't a problem. But the instep is. The tongue literally squeezes the blood off my feet out of the box. Got super thin custom ibsoles and undid the lower eyelets of both, liner and shell, and bind the lower section very loose. Like that, they are endurable with thin socks.
Getting my feet into them is still a little endeavor every time. Lots of pushing, hopping, squeezing, swearing. My high arch just isn't made for them. But then... they're the only real option for stiff bc women's boors, thus I continue to use them. If I had the choice, I wouldn't


----------



## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

Stripedfire said:


> Okay, I updated the original post to include the pictures of my feet.


 What size are they?


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

BoarderHack89 said:


> What size are they?


Approximately 23.25 cm long and 9 cm wide. From the forms I found, I'm inbetween a D and an E.


----------



## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

Stripedfire said:


> Approximately 23.25 cm long and 9 cm wide. From the forms I found, I'm inbetween a D and an E.


whats the actual show size? womens 5, 6 , 7? Also looks like 23cm, which I believe are womens 6


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

BoarderHack89 said:


> whats the actual show size? womens 5, 6 , 7? Also looks like 23cm, which I believe are womens 6


Normally I'm a 6.5 or a 7 depending on the manufacturer. I tried on a coule different brands of snowboard boots in a 6.5 and at the time I thought they were too small because of the amount of pressure on my toes but after looking at Wiredsport's guide, I think they may have actually been the correct size length-wise.


----------



## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

Stripedfire said:


> ...depending on the manufacturer...


Thats half the battle right there. Say you got the exact numbers for length, width, arch, instep, toe height ratio, you still need to find the brand the fits your foot shape the best. So if you happen to get lucky this time around, or maybe after years of buying painfull boots, if they are still comfy after they pack out never stray from that brand. Ever.

You definitely seem like your on the right track at least. Good luck.


----------



## drblast (Feb 28, 2017)

neni said:


> Yeah, I have the women's.
> Narrowness in toe box isn't a problem. But the instep is. The tongue literally squeezes the blood off my feet out of the box. Got super thin custom ibsoles and undid the lower eyelets of both, liner and shell, and bind the lower section very loose. Like that, they are endurable with thin socks.
> Getting my feet into them is still a little endeavor every time. Lots of pushing, hopping, squeezing, swearing. My high arch just isn't made for them. But then... they're the only real option for stiff bc women's boors, thus I continue to use them. If I had the choice, I wouldn't


I have this exact same experience with TM-2 XLT's, and heat molding and five full days of riding fixes it for me. I think the insoles I put in keep my foot shifted back in the boot a bit which also helps. But those first five days are not pleasant, and if my foot were any taller I don't think they would ever fit well.

Regular TM-2's fit pretty much out of the box with thin socks though. I've tried the Lashed on also, and they felt comfy like sneakers. So the model I think makes a bit of difference too.


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

freshy said:


> Thats half the battle right there. Say you got the exact numbers for length, width, arch, instep, toe height ratio, you still need to find the brand the fits your foot shape the best. So if you happen to get lucky this time around, or maybe after years of buying painfull boots, if they are still comfy after they pack out never stray from that brand. Ever.
> 
> You definitely seem like your on the right track at least. Good luck.


That's exactly why I'm here - in hopes of finding a magical boot that will function and I won't want to let go of. Even though I don't have a specific boot or brand to target, I feel a lot better about my chances of comfort after reading these comments and checking out The Angry Snowboarder's videos. It might take work but it's not actually hopeless!


----------



## BoarderHack89 (Mar 1, 2020)

I think getting the right size, 6.5 it seems, will make all the difference. If you want to keep your 7's, maybe try a very thick insole and thick socks to fill out the shoe


----------



## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Have you tried DC? The DC MoraI had could probably fit your foot shape. For me, they were too wide around the ankle, but I have very narrow ankles. Order them in your correct mondo size, not too big.


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

neni said:


> Have you tried DC? The DC MoraI had could probably fit your foot shape. For me, they were too wide around the ankle, but I have very narrow ankles. Order them in your correct mondo size, not too big.


I tried one that was too big but it didn't feel like it would have as many issues as others. I do have narrow ankles but I watched a bunch of the Angry Snowboarder's videos and he has a fix for that that I'll end up trying if it is an issue. My local shop will be getting the right sizes of the Lotus within a couple weeks and when they do, I'll be going in to check them out.


----------



## Tiffeey (Jul 4, 2020)

I have the same issues with high instep, and have been trying to find the right boots for three years now. Recently I went from the 32 Lashed to the DC Mora, and it's really made a difference. 
With the 32's, I found I ended up with way too much space on the sides of my feet, and i had to have the liner heat moulded over my arch multiple times. I tried both the boas, and the laceups, and still couldn't make them painless.
Then I tried the DC Mora's on a whim. As soon as I put them on, they felt great. I've ridden 5-6 days in them so far with no issues, and I didn't even heat mould them. They completely hug my foot, but with no pain, even over my instep. They're literally a dream for my foot issues! I did go down half a size in these too though.

On a side note, what bindings are you using? I changed up from Union Trilogies to Now Condas, and where the ankle strap sits also made a difference.


----------



## Stripedfire (Sep 15, 2020)

Tiffeey said:


> I have the same issues with high instep, and have been trying to find the right boots for three years now. Recently I went from the 32 Lashed to the DC Mora, and it's really made a difference.
> With the 32's, I found I ended up with way too much space on the sides of my feet, and i had to have the liner heat moulded over my arch multiple times. I tried both the boas, and the laceups, and still couldn't make them painless.
> Then I tried the DC Mora's on a whim. As soon as I put them on, they felt great. I've ridden 5-6 days in them so far with no issues, and I didn't even heat mould them. They completely hug my foot, but with no pain, even over my instep. They're literally a dream for my foot issues! I did go down half a size in these too though.
> 
> On a side note, what bindings are you using? I changed up from Union Trilogies to Now Condas, and where the ankle strap sits also made a difference.


I believe they're the Union Juliet. I'll pay attention to my binding when I start strapping in again but I can feel the pain in all of these boots without even touching my board. That's a really wise thing to keep in mind. If anything, it could contribute.

Do you have wide feet at all? Just comparing to see if the extra space in the Lashed would be a probable issue for me with my wide feet.


----------



## Tiffeey (Jul 4, 2020)

Stripedfire said:


> Do you have wide feet at all? Just comparing to see if the extra space in the Lashed would be a probable issue for me with my wide feet.


My feet are normal width.


----------

