# Foot Pain



## I need a name

I haven't been around here in a while...

I posted a thread a while back about having pain on the ball of my foot and got many suggestions that I tried, but didn't have any luck with. I've been boarding for 8+ years and the past two have possibly been my least favorite as my feet hurt to the point where I can't finish a run without stopping. It's not the fit of my boots, i've been through many pairs. High and low end.

I have fairly wide, semi-flat feet.

*Here's a list of some of the things that I have tried:*
*-Many different boots.*
_At least about 8 different pairs, all of them fit perfectly. Just to name a couple of them- Malamutes, Driver's, 32's, F22's, F4's, Libertine's, and various k2's. It seems as if the standard lacing worked best, BOA seemed to worsen the pain.
_
*-Heel Lift's*
_I've given these a small test in every pair of boots that i've had. Didn't do anything in any of them_

*-J-Bars*
_Used in every boot that had any heel movement._

*-Insoles*
_I've tried almost everything when it comes to inserts. Superfeet, Sole, Zap's, SoftSole, And a couple various other ones. The Superfeet helped a small amount, but the pain was still unbearable. I haven't used custom orthotics yet, but I plan on it this year._

*-Bindings*
_I've used multiple bindings such as 390's, targas, K2's, Cartels, and Nrc's. The footbed canting on the Nrc's seemed to make the biggest improvement over anything else I have tried. The pain is still there, just not quite as bad as it is with standard bindings without the canting._

*-Stance*
_I've tried almost every stance possible. Forward, duck, wide, narrow, etc. They all feel the same, but I tend to use a wide ducked out stance._

*-Socks*
_I've tried many different socks without much difference between them. Seems as if thinner socks tend to work a little better for me though. Bunching is not the issue._


I'm not too sure if this means anything, but I've been riding an SL-R, Airobic, Goliath, and a Darkstar.

As you can see, I've tried almost everything. I need some help as to what else there is I can do.


UPDATE 2/22/12

After breaking in my 32 Prime boots and Sole Ed Viestur Footbeds, it seems as if my footpain has been alleviated a little bit. However, I'm now getting knee pain. Any suggestions as to what I can do? I have never had knee pain until I switched over to the 32 Prime's.


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## Leo

You have not tried everything. Try some Flow bindings as a last resort. Traditional straps just might not be the best bet for you foot pains. This is the reason I use Flow bindings. Prolonged riding in traditional straps give me discomfort in my feet as well. I'm not entirely sure if it will help you since your pain is in the balls of your feet, but hey... you've pretty much exhausted every other option.

Are you doing a lot of presses? I noticed that the more I do tail presses and butters, the more my feet hurt. You just might need to go mellow for a while. You could also get it checked. Another alternative would be to down a couple of Ibuprofen pills before you shred. It will help decrease the pain.

Actually, your last resort would be to try a Burton ICS board with EST bindings. There is no hard plastic on the footbeds of those bindings. It is all dampening cushion.


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## I need a name

Leo said:


> You have not tried everything. Try some Flow bindings as a last resort. Traditional straps just might not be the best bet for you foot pains. This is the reason I use Flow bindings. Prolonged riding in traditional straps give me discomfort in my feet as well. I'm not entirely sure if it will help you since your pain is in the balls of your feet, but hey... you've pretty much exhausted every other option.
> 
> Are you doing a lot of presses? I noticed that the more I do tail presses and butters, the more my feet hurt. You just might need to go mellow for a while. You could also get it checked. Another alternative would be to down a couple of Ibuprofen pills before you shred. It will help decrease the pain.
> 
> Actually, your last resort would be to try a Burton ICS board with EST bindings. There is no hard plastic on the footbeds of those bindings. It is all dampening cushion.


I've tried k2 Ctx cinche's, made my feet hurt even more. The Nrc's are essentially all cushion as well, another little bonus about them is that they also have the canted footbeds which seem to help a little.


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## Leo

K2 Cinches and Flows are completely different. Cinches still use two straps. Flow uses a single cap to cover your whole foot. It is designed for even pressure distribution so it doesn't hit pressure points.


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## I need a name

Leo said:


> K2 Cinches and Flows are completely different. Cinches still use two straps. Flow uses a single cap to cover your whole foot. It is designed for even pressure distribution so it doesn't hit pressure points.


True, I thought you were just talking about the step-in style though. I guess I could give them a try this year, but in the past I never liked them.


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## Leo

I need a name said:


> True, I thought you were just talking about the step-in style though. I guess I could give them a try this year, but in the past I never liked them.


Depending on how long it's been, Flow has come a long way in design and especially weight. It also takes some getting used to if you've been on traditional bindings your whole snowboarding career.

But hey, if it solves your foot problem... it's worth getting used to


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## Cavman

You can be getting the pain in the ball the foot from several things.

1. Too much forward lean on your highbacks. If you have forward lean cranked on this can force the foot forward onto the ball. Back the highback right off and have it set so it only just touches the boot and see how that goes.

2. Your bindings are too narrow and are applying pressure to the sides of the boot/sole which can squeeze the foot and cause pain in the ball of the foot.

3. You have the toe strap done up too tight. Believe it or not but the toe strap does very little in the scheme of things. On toe side turns the turn is made with pressure of the toe pushing down on the board. On heel side turns it is not the toe lifting that makes the turn but the pressure applied by the back of the leg against the highback. Loosen off the toe strap a little and see how it goes.

Just remember though that sometimes when your feet have been cramped and in pain it takes a while for the effect to dissipate after you make the necessary adjustments. I know from personal experience that I had to get out of my bindings and loosen off my boot to get the blood flowing.

4. Your boots are over tightened or too narrow. Loosen your boots or go for a wide fit boot.

Thats the only suggestions I can make. I hope one of them helps.


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## I need a name

Cavman said:


> You can be getting the pain in the ball the foot from several things.
> 
> 1. Too much forward lean on your highbacks. If you have forward lean cranked on this can force the foot forward onto the ball. Back the highback right off and have it set so it only just touches the boot and see how that goes.
> -I tend not to use forward lean. I tend to find it useless.
> 
> 2. Your bindings are too narrow and are applying pressure to the sides of the boot/sole which can squeeze the foot and cause pain in the ball of the foot.
> -This was the case with some of the bindings. The NRC's don't give me this problem, which might be another reason why they seem to work best for me.
> 
> 3. You have the toe strap done up too tight. Believe it or not but the toe strap does very little in the scheme of things. On toe side turns the turn is made with pressure of the toe pushing down on the board. On heel side turns it is not the toe lifting that makes the turn but the pressure applied by the back of the leg against the highback. Loosen off the toe strap a little and see how it goes.
> -I tend to keep the toe strap on the loose side. Just snug enough so it doesn't move around.
> 
> Just remember though that sometimes when your feet have been cramped and in pain it takes a while for the effect to dissipate after you make the necessary adjustments. I know from personal experience that I had to get out of my bindings and loosen off my boot to get the blood flowing.
> 
> 4. Your boots are over tightened or too narrow. Loosen your boots or go for a wide fit boot.
> -I've tried wides and they almost seem too wide. I'll try on a couple other pairs though this year.
> 
> Thats the only suggestions I can make. I hope one of them helps.




I've done/tried most of that. I'll give the wide boots another go though.

Thanks.


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## Cavman

Do you get foot burn any other time? It may require a visit to a foot doctor or a chiropractor if you back is contributing to it.


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## DC5R

First, with semi flat feet, you should use some boot insert. Next, how tight do you tie your boots? You may be over tightening around the balls of your feet as I noticed that your foot pain is greater when you used boas versus using regular laces. Also, I've noticed you listed a few Salomon boots, which normally run a bit narrower in the toe box versus other brands, especially in the F series. It could be a combination of the things I just mentioned causing your pain.

If keeping the laces looser around the balls of your feet with a wider boot with insoles doesn't help, you might want to see a doctor.


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## rephreshed

I had the same problem with a pair of Burton boots I had. I bought a pair of 32 Prion boots and have been in heaven ever since. Boa's are too tight on my feet and the laces of the 32's actually allow you to tighten/loosen the laces where you want them to be.

Also, I thought the boots I bought were too wide for my feet as well but after riding with them for a whole season, it definitely helps since your feet tend to swell a little from riding.

In my opinion, I'd say check out a few other brands of boots and definitely check into wide boots again.


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## AngryHugo

A few things:

1. is the pain under your big toe?
2. do you get the pain when you're not on your board?
3. which color Superfeet were you using?

Definitely see a doctor and see if you can get a referral for a foot specialist. It kind of sound like you pronate a lot (your arches sort of collapse making your weight shift to your big toe). Between smashing the ball of your foot and aggravating it going toe-side, there could be some damage to the ligaments running under your foot. If the ligament is continuously pulling away from the bone, the bone will sort of reach out to the ligament to get it re-attached. So this pain may be caused by putting all your weight onto this little forming bone spur. If your doctor can shift your weight off that thing, your skeleton will absorb the spur in time.

You can also try a different color Superfeet - one with more support. If you were using the black one, try the yellow. If yellow, try the green. The orange one might be the best - lots of support and a shock pad under the forefoot. Two birds, one stone. Hope this helps.


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## I need a name

AngryHugo said:


> A few things:
> 
> 1. is the pain under your big toe?
> Mostly.
> 2. do you get the pain when you're not on your board?
> Never.
> 3. which color Superfeet were you using?
> Orange. I tried one other color also, but I can't remember which one it was.
> 
> Definitely see a doctor and see if you can get a referral for a foot specialist. It kind of sound like you pronate a lot (your arches sort of collapse making your weight shift to your big toe). Between smashing the ball of your foot and aggravating it going toe-side, there could be some damage to the ligaments running under your foot. If the ligament is continuously pulling away from the bone, the bone will sort of reach out to the ligament to get it re-attached. So this pain may be caused by putting all your weight onto this little forming bone spur. If your doctor can shift your weight off that thing, your skeleton will absorb the spur in time.
> 
> You can also try a different color Superfeet - one with more support. If you were using the black one, try the yellow. If yellow, try the green. The orange one might be the best - lots of support and a shock pad under the forefoot. Two birds, one stone. Hope this helps.


I'll head out to a foot specialist if I can't find some way to get rid of the pain this year.


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## I need a name

Anyone know anything about shred soles?


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## HornyPossum

I agree with AngryHugo. See a doctor. They can work wonders sometimes =)


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## PowSurfer

Is the pain on 1 or both feet? you could try putting a wedge under the inside of the heal and add a little more padding under the arch this should put your foot in a better position and distribute you weight more on the heal and arch and less on the ball. I'd see the doctor but also try to find a professional boot fitter it will be worth it.


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## I need a name

PowSurfer said:


> Is the pain on 1 or both feet? you could try putting a wedge under the inside of the heal and add a little more padding under the arch this should put your foot in a better position and distribute you weight more on the heal and arch and less on the ball. I'd see the doctor but also try to find a professional boot fitter it will be worth it.


It's on both. The stores that I purchased the boots from all had professional boot-fitters.


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## DC5R

Go see a foot specialist. No point in spending any more money on boots and getting internet help (not that there's anything wrong with that), but a doctor who can examine your feet will be able to diagnose the problem better than anyone on this board.


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## I need a name

Anyone have any recommendations for a fairly wide boot? The stores in my area have a monstrous selection of boots, and trying them all on isn't really an option. I know that every person's foot is different, but i'm just looking for something that tends to run a little wider. 32's seemed better than the others, but they seemed uncomfortable around the heel.


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## return2heaven

do you only get this pain from snowboarding? im thinking if you do actually have a foot problem you would feel pain when doing other physical activities.


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## I need a name

return2heaven said:


> do you only get this pain from snowboarding? im thinking if you do actually have a foot problem you would feel pain when doing other physical activities.


Only snowboarding.


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## I need a name

I went through my closet full of boots and tried about 12 pairs on. The best fit seemed to be Salmomon Dialogue's, which surprised me due to how low end they are. The width seems just about right, but they don't have much room for superfeet in them. Would anyone recommend a fairly thin, yet supportive footbed? I was looking into the SOLE softec, but those don't look like they offer very much support.


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## boarder27

Sounds EXACTLY like what happened to me last year. I noticed it when I was going through the trees in Big White... probably because I was always on my toes. I never really got it here since the runs are much shorter, but I had an issue out west. I even bought new boots out there and I still had issues. It was really bad to the point where id have to stop for 5 minutes or so. Eventually, I'd get through like 5 runs and it would get a little better. 

This year I got back into rollerblading and I noticed the same pain. One thing that helped a bit for that was Dr. Sholls foot insoles (the athletic ones with the gel in them) I still get a bit of pain, but probably half of what I used to get. I think that in both cases, it was caused by vibrations on my foot (rollerblading on very smooth pavement was fine, the second I went onto an older road, I'd really feel it) I'm hoping that a new board with a damper ride will help me a bit this year, otherwise, i'll have to see a doctor.


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## cpt_usa

I had a similarly confusing situation this year when I bought new gear for the first time in years. I mean 10 years. The first day out as brutal on my feet, but I ignored it thinking it would go away as the boots wore in.

turns out I was simply doing the boots up too tight. sounds stupid right?

if I did the boot liner up snug, but not as tight as possible (as I had been doing at first), and then proceeded to do up the boots, my feet were fine.


on the off chance this solves your issue (unlikely, since you've already tried so many things) or helps someone else in a similar situation, I'll put it out there. don't do the liners up so tight, but keep the outers tight. see if that works.


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## I need a name

Anyone ever had any experience with Shredsoles or SOLE softec footbeds? I was thinking about trying one of these this year, but there are none locally for me to look at.


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## dnguyenaz

Honestly try the flows. Last year was my first year and I had foot paint like crazy. I went through 4 pairs of boots, 9 sets of bindings, different stances etc. Like Leo said, give flows a chance. It may not be as resonsive but it sure didnt give me any foot paint. Did you ever try cap straps too? Im gonna use them this year and wonder if they will cause pain or not.


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## zaskar23

This sounds very similar to my pain also, I get really sore ball of feet to the point it feels like my toes and on fire and go a bit numb. I am going to try using my orthotics this winter to see if it helps but I also wonder if a flexible boot is a cause since I use Vans Hi Standard.


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## J.Schaef

My ride FUL boots didn't have much room for my superfeet either.

I got some orange superfeet, and peeled off the orange padding on the underside of the frontal foot area. They fit great now. Worth a try maybe?


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## Tom W

I had the same paint although only in the front foot.
Solved now by:
- Cap straps - Burton Mission bindings - with them there in no pressure on top of the foot. I tried Flows and it did not work that well. With Mission I can loosen up my cap strap every time I am on the chair lift etc. With Flows you have to compromise tight responsive fit vs loose one without pressure and you can not unstrap them easily on the chairs to get at least some relief.
- More centered stance when riding and less pressure on leading leg
- Short warm up of the foot before I wear boots

I think it the main problem was the pressure from thight binding strap. Cap straps are really good in this matter.


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## swifty

I need a name said:


> Anyone have any recommendations for a fairly wide boot? The stores in my area have a monstrous selection of boots, and trying them all on isn't really an option. I know that every person's foot is different, but i'm just looking for something that tends to run a little wider. 32's seemed better than the others, but they seemed uncomfortable around the heel.


Salomon Synapse Wide. They used to make the dialogue in a wide as well. To my knowledge they are the only company making a boot in as actual wide size. I have a 4EE wide foot and had problems forever with pain due to width, then I found the salomon's 3 seasons agon and have not had foot pain since. Highly recomend them for wide feet.


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## surfinsnow

I need a name said:


> Anyone ever had any experience with Shredsoles or SOLE softec footbeds? I was thinking about trying one of these this year, but there are none locally for me to look at.


I have two pairs of SOLE ortho flip flops I wear virtually all the time during the off season. My chiropractor recommended them. I didn't know SOLE made footbeds, too. I'd like to try them out, as I'm getting a lot of the same pains described in this thread (though mostly my back foot, not so bad on my front foot). Hmmm...


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## I need a name

I'll give all of these suggestions a try. Thanks for the help.


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## boarder27

Thought I would bump this thread since I finally found the solution to my foot pain! 

Turns out that for me, it was not the boot at all, but the bindings. I had a size 9 boot in a L binding, and after I stap my foot in, the boot would slide towards the outside wall of the footbed in my binding while I was snowboarding. This resulted in the whole outer section of my foot (from my pinky to about the middle of my foot) to get very painful and then eventually go numb. I bought some medium bindings, and I went snowboarding on them for the first time yesterday. I'm finally pain free!! 

Thought I would post this incase anyone else is having similar issues...


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## DC5R

I'm glad you resolved your foot pain issues.


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## MSH

I am too, congrats and merry christmas :thumbsup:


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## S4per

boarder27 said:


> Thought I would bump this thread since I finally found the solution to my foot pain!
> 
> Turns out that for me, it was not the boot at all, but the bindings. I had a size 9 boot in a L binding, and after I stap my foot in, the boot would slide towards the outside wall of the footbed in my binding while I was snowboarding. This resulted in the whole outer section of my foot (from my pinky to about the middle of my foot) to get very painful and then eventually go numb. I bought some medium bindings, and I went snowboarding on them for the first time yesterday. I'm finally pain free!!
> 
> Thought I would post this incase anyone else is having similar issues...


Thanks for posting! Was the slipping in the binding obvious to you right away? I'm wondering if I'm suffering from the same thing, but it doesn't seem like my foot is sliding back and forth...perhaps I'm just not noticing it right now and it's still the issue?

Thanks,
Per


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## boarder27

S4per said:


> Thanks for posting! Was the slipping in the binding obvious to you right away? I'm wondering if I'm suffering from the same thing, but it doesn't seem like my foot is sliding back and forth...perhaps I'm just not noticing it right now and it's still the issue?
> 
> Thanks,
> Per


No, it wasn't obvious at all. I actually bought new boots first... I strapped my boot in and there was a small gap between each side of my boot and the side of the footbeds - my boot appeared centered in the binding. After one or two runs, my foot would end up being right against the outside wall of the footbed. I couldn't feel my feet sliding at all... you could just see the difference if you inspected the binding after each run.


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## I need a name

I'm back again before the season starts. Unfortunately, the foot pain hasn't gone away.... Anyone have any other suggestions as to what I can do?


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## surfinsnow

*Get it checked out.*



I need a name said:


> I'm back again before the season starts. Unfortunately, the foot pain hasn't gone away.... Anyone have any other suggestions as to what I can do?


Hopefully it won't be as bad as what my foot pain turned out to be...I'm sitting here with a big boot on my foot, just got the cast off this morning. Turned out I had a separated tendon in my back foot, plus a chipped bone and cartilage damage. They cut the side of my foot open, peeled the skin back like a banana and reattached the tendon, then sanded down my ankle and drilled holes in it...somehow that's supposed to help rebuild cartilage, or something like it. 

Bottom line; I'm out for the season. Today is the first day in two weeks that I've been out of bed. I still have another month on crutches, and another month after that with the boot. Then a couple of months of physical therapy.

I could have dealt with this last season when the pain started, but I just "worked through it." I just kept riding, then hoped resting up over the summer would help. It didn't, obviously. The pain just got worse. Now I'm fucked. I'll be sittin in the lodge getting drunk while my wife skis with our friends. My best hope is late Spring riding, maybe a trip to Mammoth.

The moral of the story should be pretty clear...if it hurts really bad, don't keep doing whatever you're doing!


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## I need a name

I'm gonna go ahead and give this another bump. I'm still having foot pains. It's holding me back from enjoying riding...

Here's another list of things I have done:

-Tried flows. I absolutely hated them. Some people love them, but I honestly couldn't stand the feel of having one strap.

-Went to several pediatrists. Some of them said I had no problems at all with my feet. One of them mentioned that I had minor metatarsalgia and installed some supports in my boots. I couldn't even get up the damn lift because those things gave me so much pain. I went back and they said since those don't work then just try custom orthotics. Several hundred dollars later and multiple return visits, I'm still in pain.

Any other suggestions? I might just be forced to go back to skiing....


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## eek5

What flows did you try? I wasn't a huge fan of the low end flites but the nxt line is much more responsive. I have atses and they are as responsive as my targas and are super comfortable.

Have you tried getting any of your liners (assuming they are compatible) heat molded? Might be worth a try.


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## surfinsnow

eek5 said:


> What flows did you try? I wasn't a huge fan of the low end flites but the nxt line is much more responsive. I have atses and they are as responsive as my targas and are super comfortable.
> 
> Have you tried getting any of your liners (assuming they are compatible) heat molded? Might be worth a try.


I agree...cheap Flows suck. I have the NXT FRX (freeride) bindings and love them. I also matched them up with some Flow boots, which felt awesome but fell apart after two seasons. Seams totally blew out. My next boots will be heat molded. But that's next season; I'm still out after surgery on my ankle back in November.


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## I need a name

surfinsnow said:


> I agree...cheap Flows suck. I have the NXT FRX (freeride) bindings and love them. I also matched them up with some Flow boots, which felt awesome but fell apart after two seasons. Seams totally blew out. My next boots will be heat molded. But that's next season; I'm still out after surgery on my ankle back in November.


I gave those exact bindings a try. Maybe it's just all in my head, but I honestly can't stand flows. Never liked them and it looks as if I never will.



Any other suggestions? I know almost everything has been mentioned, but I'm honestly desperate. I picked up a pair of SOLE footbeds that had the highest amount of cushioning available. Maybe all the extra cushion will alleviate the pain? I figured it would be worth a try...


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## srdeo

i think you may have plantar fasciitis or fallen arches. Do you have a pain at the back of the foot just in front of heel area? If it's a minor case you may get away with not getting custom orthotics but it looks like you have tried most of the foot bed. One other foot bed you can try is called Aline footbed. they are little more customized than superfeet.
Eventually you want to try to strengthen your foot. Some people swear by barefoot running or getting vibram. NO GEAR IS GOING TO FIX YOUR PROBLEM. Some deep tissue massaging and stretching of the lower calf muscle may help with the problem. tightness of calf muscle is the casue of me getting plantar fasciitis. Do a search for plantar fasciitis to see if its what you have. there are alot of information online.


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## firstx1017

I started having foot pain mainly this year on the balls of my feet. I noticed that on our local mountain the longest run is 5 minutes and I never had a problem. But we went to Park City this year and one run was over 10 minutes and around the 10 minute mark the balls or my feet were numb and my toes then went numb and I had to stop and rest my feet and then continue. It happened on every "long" run we went on. Short runs were not a problem. 

I then came on here and read about getting snowboard socks. I have really wide feet (Triple E) and usually wear just the thinnest socks I could find because my boots were already tight. We came back from Park City and I tried the snowboard socks and I didn't have a problem. However, we are back at our local mountain which is only a 5 minute run. When we went to Copper Mountain last year for the first time I was starting to have this problem also on the bottom of their longest green run. So I wasn't sure if it was the socks or just the long run that we were on.

We are going back to Park City next month and I can't wait to see if I will still have the same problem. I also notice that the more I ride the cat tracks on my toe side (I'm regular) the worse the pain was. Long traverses on my toe side and the pain would start and boy, once it started it just got worse and worse to the point that I had to stop and rest and then start again.

My boots are laced loose as are my bindings. I feel for ya!!!!!


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## ceridwen

firstx1017 said:


> I started having foot pain mainly this year on the balls of my feet. I noticed that on our local mountain the longest run is 5 minutes and I never had a problem. But we went to Park City this year and one run was over 10 minutes and around the 10 minute mark the balls or my feet were numb and my toes then went numb and I had to stop and rest my feet and then continue. It happened on every "long" run we went on. Short runs were not a problem.
> 
> I then came on here and read about getting snowboard socks. I have really wide feet (Triple E) and usually wear just the thinnest socks I could find because my boots were already tight. We came back from Park City and I tried the snowboard socks and I didn't have a problem. However, we are back at our local mountain which is only a 5 minute run. When we went to Copper Mountain last year for the first time I was starting to have this problem also on the bottom of their longest green run. So I wasn't sure if it was the socks or just the long run that we were on.
> 
> We are going back to Park City next month and I can't wait to see if I will still have the same problem. I also notice that the more I ride the cat tracks on my toe side (I'm regular) the worse the pain was. Long traverses on my toe side and the pain would start and boy, once it started it just got worse and worse to the point that I had to stop and rest and then start again.
> 
> My boots are laced loose as are my bindings. I feel for ya!!!!!


Your pain sounds like exactly the same thing I am experiencing. Long cat tracks that force me to spend most of my time toe side absolutely kill me. In all other respects my boots seem to fit great though: no pressure points, not overtightening them, no problems with heel lift, toes hit the ends but are not cramped. And the fact that I've never had this issue during any other activity, even when my feet are crammed into my rock climbing shoes or I'm carrying a 30lb pack during a backpacking trip, makes me skeptical about it being any kind of medical issue. I never had this issue with rental boots...but I was a very beginner rider and wasn't riding nearly as hard (or spending much time toe side) when I was renting, and I had plenty of other issues with the rental boots that I don't have with my current boots.

Let me know if you find a solution! I've tweaked my bindings a bit since the last time I was out (because the way I set them up for my new board seemed to have made things worse) but won't know if it helped until Sunday or Monday.


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## I need a name

Here's a bit of an update.

I'm now riding with a pair of 32 primes and Sole Ed Viestur footbeds. Footpain is intense for the first few runs, but after that, it levels out a little. What a relief to finally see some results. However, it seems now as if my knees are now a problem as well. Halfway down the mountain I need to stop for my knees and/or some foot pain. 


Any suggestions as to what I can do for the knee pain?


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## srdeo

it may be the footbed. Not that footbed is bad for you, but it may more that you are wearing them too long. With any custom footneds/orthotics you have slowly introduce them to your feet. Like you wear them 2 hrs first week and add 1hr each week etc. Pay attention to how your feet are feeling. 
Your body probably is in proper alignment now so you may be using muscles you havent used before (may be why your knee hurts).
New boots, new foot beds and full day of riding, you are asking for trouble.
Wear the foot beds everyday in you walking shoes. (wear them couple hours per day and slowly increase the time you wear then)
From my experience, your feet gets tired and sore when you first use foot beds, but not any kind of pain.
So take it easy first week or two.


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## oefdevilvet

The most comfortable bindings I've ever had I got just before this season, Ride El Hefe's and Flow NXT-ATSE's. I was skeptical of all rear entry but these were great they felt loose even though they were actually very tight and the responsiveness which I was most concerned about was taking everything I threw at it great. The El Hefe felt tighter on my foot and rode a lot more responsive, but was not quite as smooth fitting, but was still very comfy for how tight they were and the wedgie system on the El Hefe's comes with a pad that has a 5 degree cant if that is something you think might help.


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## DrrrtyChurro

I had the same problem! I haven't gone through 8 pairs of boots though, I had issues like that, I'd have to take my boots off in the morning after riding for an hour cause it hurt pretty bad, then I might have to do it a couple more times through-out the day and I would be good at other times. To stop this, this season i bought superfeet insoles, they worked perfectly! Also play with the lacing on your boots, you said BOA made it worse and it is probably because its easier to tighten your boots and you end up over-tightening them, do your boots up so they are on snug, not loose but they are holding onto your feet snugly-tight, if that means anything. I have burton speedzone boots, 2011 Ambush and I find myself easily over tightening my boots, it has worked for my problems, sometimes I still get it but it is wayyyyy better than last season where it was almost every single day

Note: After reading that switchback thread argument I really don't feel like reading any more, sorry for the inconvenience if anything I stated was mentioned earlier.


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## I need a name

srdeo said:


> it may be the footbed. Not that footbed is bad for you, but it may more that you are wearing them too long. With any custom footneds/orthotics you have slowly introduce them to your feet. Like you wear them 2 hrs first week and add 1hr each week etc. Pay attention to how your feet are feeling.
> Your body probably is in proper alignment now so you may be using muscles you havent used before (may be why your knee hurts).
> New boots, new foot beds and full day of riding, you are asking for trouble.
> Wear the foot beds everyday in you walking shoes. (wear them couple hours per day and slowly increase the time you wear then)
> From my experience, your feet gets tired and sore when you first use foot beds, but not any kind of pain.
> So take it easy first week or two.


I don't think that this is the issue. I've had orthotics in my shoes for the past 4 years. I don't have foot pain while just walking around, but they just feel "better". These are just newer ones.



I might just go back to the factory footbeds and see how those are....


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## Slush Puppie

Dude stop wasting your money and go get custom footbeds made!


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## ceridwen

firstx1017 said:


> I started having foot pain mainly this year on the balls of my feet... I also notice that the more I ride the cat tracks on my toe side (I'm regular) the worse the pain was. Long traverses on my toe side and the pain would start and boy, once it started it just got worse and worse to the point that I had to stop and rest and then start again.


Thought I would update since I was getting very similar pain to you. My foot pain appears to be pretty much gone now. The two things that changed were 1) I changed from a forward stand (15/6) to a duck stance (15/-6) and 2) I finally managed to start doing turns on cat tracks where I would previously have been stuck on toe side the whole time. Not sure which helped more.


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## jtg

I too am in the foot pain club. My pain seems to be confined to toe side and in the ball of my foot. I just had my first run out with custom footbeds, and they most certainly did not solve the problem. I already know that I have semi-flat feet, and apparently "long" arches. As in, the length of my arch is consistent with a foot size that is a size larger than my feet actually are. In any case, the custom footbeds should resolve that...maybe they improved something but there is still something going on that is far worse.

I visited a podiatrist and he didn't seem helpful. Just wanted to sell me expensive orthotics. 

It's actually pretty funny for me to see people say that they could barely finish a run without pain, because if I got anywhere near a single run complete without stopping I'd be thrilled at this point. I have to rest them constantly. 

The mountain I went to had a lot of runs that required lengthy toe-side traversing for goofy riders, which was quite agonizing.

It seems like the next things to try are bindings and boots. I know I can rent boots, not sure about bindings, but I'll ask the local shops. 

Oddly, the foot that hurt the most (rear foot) - and still is very sore the day after - felt like it was too small for the boot. When trying the boots on normally, this was not the case, and it's never been the case that foot felt "bigger" in a boot than the other. So I'm not sure if it was a fitment issue, or if it was another issue that then caused swelling, which then made fitment a secondary issue once the foot was swollen. :icon_scratch:

The pain is mainly on the ball of my rear foot, and more to the outside. While riding, there is overall soreness on both feet, but where I feel it the day after is there.

I'll try the stance thing that the poster above me mentioned as well. Especially since the pain seems to be on the outside of the rear foot, perhaps as if it wants to be aimed back a bit. Right now I'm at something like 20/5. I did try duck stance briefly a few years ago and immediately switched back, but I can't remember if that was due to pain or because I felt like I couldn't control my board as well.


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## Slush Puppie

Sorry to hear you're having major problems.

I don't know what the solution is but the first thing I would do is go back to the guy that made the custom insoles, as they should be willing to tweak things until you get comfortable. What was the process the used to fit and make them?

Other than that, could the new insoles have reduced the volume of the boot so your feet are now cramped? If the bones of the forefoot are pinched together slightly it could cause that pain (I had something similar in cycling shoes with new insoles).


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## SnowBrdScotty

Kaiju's > heel lift


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## jtg

Yeah, I went back and they hammered out my boot a little bit and shaved down the footbeds. It feels fine when I try it on, but the test will be next time I go out. They said it definitely isn't a boot size issue, which is good I guess, because I didn't want to buy new ones.


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## jtg

Did OP ever solve this?

3 months since my last post and I've made no progress. I did, however, waste a lot of money. Bought new bindings (yes, flows), new boots, orange superfeet, custom molded insoles, thick snowboard socks, thin snowboard socks, changed stance width, went from forward stance to duck. Talked to bootfitters.

Only option left that I can think of is those $400 orthotics, but it sounds like those didn't help OP.

If I'm lucky, the pain starts to fade about halfway through the day. Some days I do get lucky and the pain doesn't really show up. Other times, it never goes away. And it's only during riding.


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## behi

Have you seen this thread:
http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boots/70178-foot-pain.html


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## jtg

behi said:


> Have you seen this thread:
> http://www.snowboardingforum.com/boots/70178-foot-pain.html


Yeah, I've experimented a lot with tightening. It seems to help somewhat if they are that loose, but then your heel comes halfway out on toe-side turns, and riding is pretty much impossible.


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## behi

jtg said:


> Yeah, I've experimented a lot with tightening. It seems to help somewhat if they are that loose, but then your heel comes halfway out on toe-side turns, and riding is pretty much impossible.


For me, if I only keep the lower section loose, there is no significant difference in heel hold (the upper section is really tight). What makes a big difference in ankle hold/heel lift is the ankle strap angle. The strap mounting holes that are the furthest back/highest work by far the best for me.

Also, a binding with a capstrap is a lot more comfortable for my forefoot (in case, you don't have one).


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## richm6

*Hi*

I know this is an old thread but I had this issue could not go down a slope without painful cramps in ball of feet and had to stop ever minute or so .. Green slopes were unbarable etc nightmare... Pain was bad with both Flows and Burton P1 bindings, Previous boots i had were Burton and some other makes (cant remember) all gave me pain.
My solution was a pair of Quenchu Snowboard boots... I dont know what model they were but they were very cheap about £20 at the time... and the only thing I can think why the pain stopped was because they are wide and even if i try and tighten the straps on bindings down on these boots compared to other boots I have had they seem like they can cope with the pressure of the straps (a bit like steel toe capped boots for snowboarders lol ).. When i get home i will try and find out the model of boots I have...and post... 
But good luck as until i found these boots i wrecked 2 holidays.... :


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