# What if a binding is just slightly too narrow?



## MidWest (Oct 6, 2016)

I used to go snowboarding quite a bit, but I didn't do any snowboarding for the last two years. I'm now going to start snowboarding again, and I'm currently looking around for an used board. I already bought a pair of brand new boots.

I found a really good deal on an used board that I'm most likely going to buy, but I'm not sure if I should also buy the bindings that the seller has. With the bindings, they're just slightly too narrow, and so when I put my boot into the binding and then slide the boot back, I have to use a small amount of force when the boot is about 1/4 inch from the back of the binding. 

Though, the boot goes into the binding all of the way, and the spot where it's tight is on the sides of the bottom of the boot in the rear, near the heel. 

When the boot goes in, it feels a little more than snug, but not excessively tight. Is it OK to use this binding with my boots?


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

If your boots fit in the binding with no pressure points and your boots can be centered heel to toe on the board in the bindings, they're not too narrow. I'm right on the cusp of medium and large for a lot of binding companies per their size charts and I almost always go with mediums.


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## jae (Nov 27, 2015)

be careful, really narrow bindings can kill your feet. I ride mediums in Burton/Union and I'm perfectly fine and happy, but in Now's the smaller heel cup is fine at first, but once I get on the lift my feet go into terrible pain. It's like a vice is slowly tightening around my boots. it's different then tightening boots/bindings too tight, it's another type of pain.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Now's are definitely tight in the heelcup compared to other bindings. Probably because they're designed to be ridden with or without the highback. I still rocked mediums though.


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## jae (Nov 27, 2015)

yeah, doesn't help that it's more my feet than the binding. I have wide ass feet and high arches/tall feet. just throwing caution into the wind if the heelcup is too tight.


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## MidWest (Oct 6, 2016)

When I'd put my boot into the binding, the binding was only pushing against the bottom part of my boot around the heel. It didn't seem to be pushing on anything else above the sole. 

So, should it be OK to buy, or could this put extra wear on the boot and wear it out faster? Again, it's just a little bit tighter than a snug fit.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

I've to squeeze my bulky men's boots into one of my girls M bindings just a little bit as well and actually like that firm lock.
As long as you don't get pressure points? Take them. If you recognized pressure points after using them on the slopes? Sell them.


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