# Foot Numbness



## kriegs13 (Nov 28, 2016)

chronicbucks said:


> I had worn the boots both in store and around my house for like 2 hours and never had any numbness. The only difference between yesterday and when I was wearing them was that I had my thermals inside of the boot. Do you guys think that could have caused the numbness? Is that something that will go away once I've got the boots broken in?



By thermals inside, do you mean you had tried them on/worn them around in regular socks as opposed to thicker snow socks?
If so, that could definitely be a factor; though without seeing the specs of said socks, I couldn't be sure. As I understand it first few times out should be "snug" which for me has always meant "borderline uncomfortable" but definitely not numb. The only time I have dealt with numbness was when my boots were too large and i suffered from toe crush and then numbness in small areas. sounds like you're feeling it all over?

As always, there are others on the forum that know more than I do. They will likely request your foot specs so have that ready for when one of the more experienced members chime in. Good luck!


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Your boots don't fit. They're too big to start, th hat could be the numbing issues but that's impossible to say without seeing everything in person. Bottom line is you probably need new boots.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

kriegs13 said:


> By thermals inside, do you mean you had tried them on/worn them around in regular socks as opposed to thicker snow socks?
> If so, that could definitely be a factor; though without seeing the specs of said socks, I couldn't be sure. As I understand it first few times out should be "snug" which for me has always meant "borderline uncomfortable" but definitely not numb. The only time I have dealt with numbness was when my boots were too large and i suffered from toe crush and then numbness in small areas. sounds like you're feeling it all over?
> 
> As always, there are others on the forum that know more than I do. They will likely request your foot specs so have that ready for when one of the more experienced members chime in. Good luck!


By thermals in the boot I meant that literally my long underwear was coming over my sock and down into the boot liner when I rode them riding. I wore riding socks when I went in and tried on/got fitted for these boots. The exact same socks I was wearing yesterday. Only difference was i DID NOT have my long underwear coming down into the liner when I got fitted.

I'm thinking I probably just tightened down the inner liner WAYYYY too much, I tightened the boots down as hard as I could. I'm coming from a boot that definitely didn't fit me and that's how I got through a day.

I rode a lot yesterday, 36k vert for 6 hours total, I have no pain today, just the whole foot was numb yesterday. It's very odd. I was expecting to have a lot of pain after taking the boot off, but that foot feels 100% today.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

Nivek said:


> Your boots don't fit. They're too big to start, th hat could be the numbing issues but that's impossible to say without seeing everything in person. Bottom line is you probably need new boots.


Are they too big? My left foot is 25.8cm and the right is 25.5cm and I'm in a size 260 mondo. My toes were cramped beyond belief in the 7.5s I tried on at the store.


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## kriegs13 (Nov 28, 2016)

Well I know the pain I've had in the past was something that I thought was related to boots being too small but it ended up being that they were too big. Too small won't fit..Too large will fit and then bite you in the ass later.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

kriegs13 said:


> Well I know the pain I've had in the past was something that I thought was related to boots being too small but it ended up being that they were too big. Too small won't fit..Too large will fit and then bite you in the ass later.


I certainly hope that isn't the case - I went through a lot to try to finally find boots that fit me!


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## kriegs13 (Nov 28, 2016)

chronicbucks said:


> I certainly hope that isn't the case - I went through a lot to try to finally find boots that fit me!



as with most things boots, its case by case. i have weird feet but so does everyone because feet are weird. your best bet is to, at the very least, go to a shop and get a proper fitting. you could read all the sizing info posts etc in the world but nothing changes the fact that its feels right on your foot or it doesn't.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

kriegs13 said:


> as with most things boots, its case by case. i have weird feet but so does everyone because feet are weird. your best bet is to, at the very least, go to a shop and get a proper fitting. you could read all the sizing info posts etc in the world but nothing changes the fact that its feels right on your foot or it doesn't.


That's the thing! I did go in and tried on about 9 different boots, was in the shop for about 3 hours trying different boots and seeing what felt best. 

I'm riding again tomorrow, so I'm going to wear a thinner sock, not lace up as tight, and not have my long underwear inside of the boot.

We'll see if that will do it!


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

chronicbucks said:


> That's the thing! I did go in and tried on about 9 different boots, was in the shop for about 3 hours trying different boots and seeing what felt best.
> 
> I'm riding again tomorrow, so I'm going to wear a thinner sock, not lace up as tight, and not have my long underwear inside of the boot.
> 
> We'll see if that will do it!


Hi chronic,

What sock were you wearing? What sock did you wear when you had these heat fit?

Thanks


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi chronic,
> 
> What sock were you wearing? What sock did you wear when you had these heat fit?
> 
> Thanks


I haven't had these heat fit yet. Just fitted in the shop. I wore a slightly thicker sock on the hill - When I got fitted I rolled with a Smartwool Ultra Light, those were dirty yesterday so I was riding in a Smartwool Light. Also had me long underwear down to my ankles and was inside of the boot liner. Only my right foot (smaller) experienced the numbing.


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## llamabrew (Nov 26, 2016)

Delt with foot pain and numbness for a long stretch, because I didn't want to admit that I got the wrong boots and that I wasted money. I was getting a lot of heel lift so I was cranking bindings down and causing circulation issues and numbness. My newer boots are super snug and so I don't have to crank down to get them to work properly and it's made all the difference in the world. 

You say it's not binding related but if those boots have BOA tech or in general you're still tightening the laces to the point of numbness then it sounds like the boots themselves don't fit and you're basically doing the same thing I was doing with the bindings anyway. You need to find boots that fit solidly without putting an ungodly amount of stress on your foot.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

llamabrew said:


> Delt with foot pain and numbness for a long stretch, because I didn't want to admit that I got the wrong boots and that I wasted money. I was getting a lot of heel lift so I was cranking bindings down and causing circulation issues and numbness. My newer boots are super snug and so I don't have to crank down to get them to work properly and it's made all the difference in the world.
> 
> You say it's not binding related but if those boots have BOA tech or in general you're still tightening the laces to the point of numbness then it sounds like the boots themselves don't fit and you're basically doing the same thing I was doing with the bindings anyway. You need to find boots that fit solidly without putting an ungodly amount of stress on your foot.


Well that's just the thing - I may be in denial, but I feel like I also may be overeacting here. I'm coming from some VERY sloppy boots, in fact, in the 20 years I've been snowboarding, I'm starting to think I've never had a boot that fits. I just sized down 2 sizes, was wearing 10, now 8. I've always worn 2x pairs of socks, tightened everything as extreme as I could, for literally 20 years.

I get no heel lift in these boots, absolutely none, zero, ziltch. I believe that my old instincts took over and I tightened them down WAY too much,I literally tightened them as much as I could, both the inner lining lace, and the speed laces on the outside, because well that's what I've been doing for 20 years. I can probably still return these boots, so the money isn't really the issue, I just want something that is going to work. Tomorrow I'm going to ride with them looser and will report back.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

chronicbucks said:


> I haven't had these heat fit yet. Just fitted in the shop. I wore a slightly thicker sock on the hill - When I got fitted I rolled with a Smartwool Ultra Light, those were dirty yesterday so I was riding in a Smartwool Light. Also had me long underwear down to my ankles and was inside of the boot liner. Only my right foot (smaller) experienced the numbing.


Hi Chronic,

Everything extra you put inside your boot counts. Please, please, please get those heat fit. This should not be considered optional and should always be don prior to riding and with your riding socks on. This will very likely address this issue. Please let us know.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi Chronic,
> 
> Everything extra you put inside your boot counts. Please, please, please get those heat fit. This should not be considered optional and should always be don prior to riding and with your riding socks on. This will very likely address this issue. Please let us know.


Man was I doing it wrong - I thought you didn't want to heat fit until after you've broken them in...


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

No sir. Best results come from brand new liners.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I would start by not cranking the liners, if that fails maybe loosen the bottom half of the boot laces a bit, then the top. Basically try one thing at a time to try and isolate the problem. Cranking boots or liners tight is something that will always cause me discomfort. I keep liners snug but not tight and keep the bottom half of my boot loose and crank the top half pretty tight for support.

I did have a high end pair of 32's at one time that fit great in the store and still felt great walking around the house for a few days to break them in a little. But the action of snowboarding caused unbearable pain after just one run and after a few runs and I would have to break and let my feet out for some relief. In the spring of that year I realized they will never break in or stop causing pain no matter how I laced them, so I sold them to my buddy who still enjoys them to this day.


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## chronicbucks (Nov 23, 2016)

Wiredsport said:


> No sir. Best results come from brand new liners.


I'll make sure to wear my standard riding socks - anything else you'd recommend? From you're other posts I know that i *DO NO*T want to wear a toe cap.

I found a shop that can do it here locally and before I go riding tomorrow evening.


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## llamabrew (Nov 26, 2016)

chronicbucks said:


> Well that's just the thing - I may be in denial, but I feel like I also may be overeacting here. I'm coming from some VERY sloppy boots, in fact, in the 20 years I've been snowboarding, I'm starting to think I've never had a boot that fits. I just sized down 2 sizes, was wearing 10, now 8. I've always worn 2x pairs of socks, tightened everything as extreme as I could, for literally 20 years.
> 
> I get no heel lift in these boots, absolutely none, zero, ziltch. I believe that my old instincts took over and I tightened them down WAY too much,I literally tightened them as much as I could, both the inner lining lace, and the speed laces on the outside, because well that's what I've been doing for 20 years. I can probably still return these boots, so the money isn't really the issue, I just want something that is going to work. Tomorrow I'm going to ride with them looser and will report back.


Ok that makes more sense. Well I just took out my stiff SM Synapse boots for the first time earlier this week. I definitely had the issue where I over tightened the BOAs because I was used to my older loose boots. I experienced some foot pain on that run (no numbness) but after backing it off a few clicks the rest of the runs were super comfy. So hopefully that's the same situation for you. Good luck.


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

chronicbucks said:


> I'll make sure to wear my standard riding socks - anything else you'd recommend? From you're other posts I know that i *DO NO*T want to wear a toe cap.
> 
> I found a shop that can do it here locally and before I go riding tomorrow evening.


Hi Chronic,

Our first time heat fit suggestions are always the same.

Professionally done
No toe caps
Flat surface (no ramps or lifts)
Knees bent slightly
No motion for 3 minutes

STOKED!


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