# Can oversized boots cause foot pain?



## kriegs13 (Nov 28, 2016)

Absolutely. and at that difference in size, your best/only option is to get new boots.

what happens in boots that are too large is a combination of multiple things. Yes youre having to over tighten to compensate for extra space. No a heat mold won't work (more on that later). Aside from over tightening and pressure points, your foot has a lot of space to move front to back (probably side to side as well but thats a separate issue) and when you go on edge, your foot is sliding forward or backward. The most painful result of this is when on heel edge and your toes jam in to the toe box. the fact that it's toe pain often makes people think their boots are to small but its the opposite. 

step one..check out the wired sports boot fitting thread to dial in your size (check width as well). assuming your 7.5 is correct, go in to a shop and try on every booth they have in your size/stiffness range. Whatever they cost theyre worth it..more than the other equipment.

step two...see if you can squeeze down in to any size smaller without killing your feet. A heat mold is not going to make a drastic difference in size, but will speed up the breaking in process and could be the difference between half sizes in boots. 

step three...your boots are good, now go suffer all the other issues that come with being a snowboarder


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

Lost a toenail that way once. Your toes get a running start and smash into the front of the boot. Would be better to have your toes comfortably leaning against the toe of the boot. Like a boxing glove.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

ConcreteVitamin said:


> I experience moderate foot pain in my current setup after a run or two.
> 
> After some research, I realize I should really be wearing 7.5 boots, but my current ones (Ride Anthem) are 8.5. This is concluded by the website snowboardbootsizer.
> 
> ...


Hi,

The best place to start is with your barefoot length and width measurements for both feet. Boots that are too large are a very common cause of foot pain.


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## ctoma (Aug 9, 2011)

Fielding said:


> Lost a toenail that way once.


Did you ever find it?


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

ctoma said:


> Did you ever find it?


I found a bloody one in the snow once.


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## ConcreteVitamin (Aug 3, 2017)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi,
> 
> The best place to start is with your barefoot length and width measurements for both feet. Boots that are too large are a very common cause of foot pain.


Hi,

So I took your barefoot against the wall method, and measured the following: 
Left: 9.8” length (or 24.89cm), 3.8” width (or 9.65cm). -> 7
Right: 10” length (or 25.4cm), 3.75” width (or 9.53cm). -> 7.5

However, today I went to a local REI and an Any Mountain, and 

* Using their scales, with my usual street socks on, I measured 7.5 for left and 8 for right.
* I tried size 7.5 snowboard boots, and the toes were curling just a little bit; for 8 I don't have this problem, but when I wiggled the toes there's a tiny bit of vertical space.

Questions:

(1) Should I go with 7.5, or 8?

(2) I'm torn between two boots I tried -- both size 8 -- Burton Ruler and Salomon Dialogue Focus Boa. 

For Salomon Dialogue, when both feet tightened, right foot felt perfect (better than burton ruler), but left foot has very noticeable vertical space at toes. Also right foot feels noticeable pressure point on inner ankle.

For Burton Ruler: it's the most fitted feel out of all boots but it's a bit softer than I'd like. Wiggling toes doesn’t have vertical space. However when flexing forward there's a tiny bit of heel lift (the Salomon Dialogue does really well on eliminating heel lift). After tightening a lot heel lift not as noticeable, and the only complaint i have left is if the boots are stiffer.

If it helps, since my left foot is noticeably smaller than my right... When I tried Ruler (left) + Dialogue (right), I preferred the Dialogue (right foot feels no toes' wiggle room, whereas left does and not as stiff); When I tried Dialogue (left) + Ruler (right), I preferred the Ruler (left foot has noticeably more pressure and still feeling vertical space around toes).

My boot fitter suggested me to try Salomon Synapse and Burton Photon Boa. I'm not sure if I can find those in my local store 

(3) What other brands or models do you recommend me trying? All mountain, intermediate level, would love a stiffness at least the same as the Salomon Dialogue.

Currently Ride Anthem 8.5 is giving me a lot of foot pain.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

ConcreteVitamin said:


> Hi,
> 
> So I took your barefoot against the wall method, and measured the following:
> Left: 9.8” length (or 24.89cm), 3.8” width (or 9.65cm). -> 7
> ...


Hi,

Based on the measurements above you are a Mondo 255 or size 7.5 US in snowboard boots. Your smaller foot is a 250 or size 7. Your foot is also at the top of the size range for E width. There is only one manufacturer (Salomon) that produces wide boots for E width. The Dialogue Wide will be an excellent choice in size 7.5.

Please post up images of your feet being measured if you would like to confirm all of this.


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## CelliniKS (Mar 23, 2015)

When you say your toes were curling just a tiny bit in the 7.5's do you mean while you were in a board stance flexed forward, or standing straight up? I'd true Wired, he's right every time, even though it won't feel like it until those boots get broken in.


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## ConcreteVitamin (Aug 3, 2017)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi,
> 
> Based on the measurements above you are a Mondo 255 or size 7.5 US in snowboard boots. Your smaller foot is a 250 or size 7. Your foot is also at the top of the size range for E width. There is only one manufacturer (Salomon) that produces wide boots for E width. The Dialogue Wide will be an excellent choice in size 7.5.
> 
> Please post up images of your feet being measured if you would like to confirm all of this.


Thank you. I redid the measurement and it's now

Left: 9.75” length, 3.81” width
Right: 10.20” length, 3.75” width

According to snowboardbootsizer I'm at Left 7 Right 8. Big gap!

Attached the pictures.

I also attached as the last picture view of my whole left foot. Do I really have a "wide" feet? I've actually been under the impression that **my ankle is narrow**. Do I really need a wide-sized boot? The weird thing is the boots I tried yesterday were regular-width, and I didn't feel pressure points on the two sides of my feet.

Thank you again!

EDIT: I also included a pic of the boot fitter's sizing scale, with my socks on, which shows my left foot is 7.5~8...


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## ConcreteVitamin (Aug 3, 2017)

CelliniKS said:


> When you say your toes were curling just a tiny bit in the 7.5's do you mean while you were in a board stance flexed forward, or standing straight up? I'd true Wired, he's right every time, even though it won't feel like it until those boots get broken in.


I don't quite remember, probably standing straight up; however when flexed forward, the curling alleviated a bit, but was still there.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

ConcreteVitamin said:


> Thank you. I redid the measurement and it's now
> 
> Left: 9.75” length, 3.81” width
> Right: 10.20” length, 3.75” width
> ...


Hi,

Thanks for your new measurements.

The measurement device (Brannock Device) in your final photo is designed for fitting shoes and will never match your snowboard boot size. US Snowboard boot size is always smaller than Brannock size. Please view our Brannock thread for more info http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boots/157737-snowboard-boot-size-web-tool-mondo.html. The slider that is used to position the foot for width measurement has also not been adjusted for your foot. 

You have over a full size (a mondopoint size is 1 cm, a half size is .5 cm) discrepancy between your feet. That is always problematic. Your shorter foot is Mondo 250 (size 7 US i snowboard boots) and is actually just into the EE width at size 7. Your longer foot is Mondo 260 (size 8 US in snowboard boots) and is a D width at size 8. You would still need an E width at size 8 to accommodate your smaller, wider foot. 










Assuming that you will not mismatch boot sizes to achieve a sized fit, then I would suggest the Salomon Wide boots in Mondo 260.

STOKED!


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## SGboarder (Jun 24, 2012)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi,
> 
> Thanks for your new measurements.
> 
> ...


Why would he need a wide boot if he goes Mondo 260/US8? At that size a standard/D width boot is 3.8" which is should be wide enough for both his feet.


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## ConcreteVitamin (Aug 3, 2017)

SGboarder said:


> Why would he need a wide boot if he goes Mondo 260/US8? At that size a standard/D width boot is 3.8" which is should be wide enough for both his feet.


I'm wondering about the same thing! :wink:


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

SGboarder said:


> Why would he need a wide boot if he goes Mondo 260/US8? At that size a standard/D width boot is 3.8" which is should be wide enough for both his feet.


Hi Guys,

The smaller foot still falls in the E range even if he upsizes to 260. It is just a bit so you can choose to push it if you want. 

Closer to ideal would be splitting two pair of boots of Salomon boots. That shorter foot (size 7) would do better in a smaller Salomon Wide boot (either in a size 7.5 to match the width or size 7 if you are OK pushing the width a little). The Larger foot could be in a size 8 at a normal width. This could be Dialogue or Synapse which both come in Wide and Regular widths.

STOKED!


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Wiredsport said:


>


Hi Wired
Do you have this table also for women's measurements? Didn't find it on wour homepage :embarrased1:

My feet are 24.5cm long and 8.6 vs 9cm wide. Was curious to know in which width range they fall.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

neni said:


> Hi Wired
> Do you have this table also for women's measurements? Didn't find it on wour homepage :embarrased1:
> 
> My feet are 24.5cm long and 8.6 vs 9cm wide. Was curious to know in which width range they fall.


Hi Neni,

I don't have a web ready chart to post up but I will work on that. You are a C width. There is no indication given by manufacturer for women's boot width. B is the "standard" width for women's sizing.


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## Jonny C (Mar 16, 2017)

Trust what Wiredsport is saying. 
He has a serious foot fetish, knows what he's talking about and has helped a lot of people fitting boots correctly.


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## ConcreteVitamin (Aug 3, 2017)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> The smaller foot still falls in the E range even if he upsizes to 260. It is just a bit so you can choose to push it if you want.
> 
> ...


I have two more questions that hinder my decision-making...

1) When I tried on the Burton Ruler I did feel like it's less stiff than the Salomon Dialogue, and less stiff than I'd like. The bootfitter recommended Photon Boa instead, claiming it's more stiff but *will have the same shape as the Ruler*. 

Is that true? All boots of a brand have (roughly) the same shape, so they fit about the same?

2) For the Burtons, would you recommend boots with Speed Lacing system, or those with Double Boa? Do these make a difference in feel, flex, and performance?

Thanks!


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