# Numb Feet, might have nerve damage.



## phile00

I've tried soft boots, hard boots, Vans, Burton boots, Thirty Two, K2, etc. I've molded the inserts to my feet. My feet always get numb and hurt.

Right now I am using a pair of Thirty Two Ultralights. If I barely tighten my inner AND outer boots, its much better but still far from perfect.

This past weekend I think I sustained some nerve damage in my left foot (regular footed rider), because when I press on the middle top part of my foot, I get this shock sensation that runs down to my big toe and the neighboring toe.

Anyhow, the cause of the problem always seems to be at the crease of the boot, where the shin meets the foot. 

Any suggestions? Do I need my boots to be custom fitted?


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## legallyillegal

pull your liner tongue up

also, if you use traditional laces, remove the laces from the loops that put the laces directly across your instep


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## phile00

legallyillegal said:


> pull your liner tongue up
> 
> also, if you use traditional laces, remove the laces from the loops that put the laces directly across your instep


Yeah I always pull the tongue up. I will try that instep trick though thanks. But that doesn't solve the problem of the inner boot being uncomfortable too.


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## legallyillegal

you may also want to mess around with the liner lacing to prevent it from tightening directly over the instep


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## phile00

legallyillegal said:


> you may also want to mess around with the liner lacing to prevent it from tightening directly over the instep


I'll try, not sure there's much to work with there though. It's just a shame that no matter what I do it just seems to cause problems. It makes otherwise amazing snowboarding sessions kind of a bummer.


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## MunkySpunk

Have you tried wide sizes?


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## phile00

MunkySpunk said:


> Have you tried wide sizes?


I haven't, but I have a narrow foot and figured wide boots would squish down and make things worse.


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## Guest

I have the same problem...my feet, just my toes really, always get numbing cold. No matter what I do. I try looseing everything...tightening it...different socks...different boots...deodorant on my feet (yea thats supposed to work, no its doesn't)...Literally, I tried everything. My problem is not that my feet are uncomfortable in my boot, they are just cold.

Any suggestions for me, for us, anyone....?


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## MunkySpunk

WTF? Deodorant??? Where did you hear that?

You can get electric boot warmers in extreme cases. Have you tried jamming a hand warmer in the toes of your liner?


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## phile00

Snowolf said:


> Legal is on the right track here I think. It does sound as if a surface never in the instep is being pinched. The good news with these little surface nerves is that they general recover fairly quickly when you relieve the pressure. Do your inner liners have the velcro strap at the top of the shin where you can tighten that up? If so, you can leave the liner laces a tad looser and compensate by tightening this strap more.
> 
> Another thing you can try if all else fails is to place foam padding on the liner, under the lacing to help reduce this pinching from the laces. giving a more evenly distributed pressure over a wider area of the instep.


I'm going to try that foam protection! That's a great idea. I'll test it out in the next week and report back. I might also try a custom boot fitting at a shop about an hour+ from where I live.


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## phile00

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> I have the same problem...my feet, just my toes really, always get numbing cold. No matter what I do. I try looseing everything...tightening it...different socks...different boots...deodorant on my feet (yea thats supposed to work, no its doesn't)...Literally, I tried everything. My problem is not that my feet are uncomfortable in my boot, they are just cold.
> 
> Any suggestions for me, for us, anyone....?


Are your feet and hands cold even in your house? If so maybe you have an underlying endocrine problem, possibly thyroid related? It's very common. There are a host of other things that cause bad circulation as well. 

Where do you snowboard in NY btw? Whenever I see NY in someone's nick I can never tell if they're talking about the city or the rest of NY  I'm by Syracuse.


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## Guest

phile00 said:


> Are your feet and hands cold even in your house? If so maybe you have an underlying endocrine problem, possibly thyroid related? It's very common. There are a host of other things that cause bad circulation as well.
> 
> Where do you snowboard in NY btw? Whenever I see NY in someone's nick I can never tell if they're talking about the city or the rest of NY  I'm by Syracuse.


Not really, I only get the cold feet when I board...I have thought about that but i have recently had my thyroid checked and all is well :dunno:

I am from NYC area...Long Island specifically, about 30 minutes drive from NYC...I dont board in NY though, I drive up to Vermont every weekend to Killington. I can't deal with NY snow...it sucks lol. The closest Mtn (other then Icy mountain creek) is Windham and thats 3 hours away...I figure as might as well drive the extra 2 hours to Killington lol


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## phile00

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> Not really, I only get the cold feet when I board...I have thought about that but i have recently had my thyroid checked and all is well :dunno:
> 
> I am from NYC area...Long Island specifically, about 30 minutes drive from NYC...I dont board in NY though, I drive up to Vermont every weekend to Killington. I can't deal with NY snow...it sucks lol. The closest Mtn (other then Icy mountain creek) is Windham and thats 3 hours away...I figure as might as well drive the extra 2 hours to Killington lol


That sounds pretty cool. I should do that more often. I've only been to Stratton though. Yeah, the snow does suck here, but it's not just NY. It's called the ice coast for a reason


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## BurtonAvenger

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> I have the same problem...my feet, just my toes really, always get numbing cold. No matter what I do. I try looseing everything...tightening it...different socks...different boots...deodorant on my feet (yea thats supposed to work, no its doesn't)...Literally, I tried everything. My problem is not that my feet are uncomfortable in my boot, they are just cold.
> 
> Any suggestions for me, for us, anyone....?


Sounds more like you have Renounds (sp) syndrome.

Anyways for the OP have you ever had a true custom orthodic made for your feet? Also which K2's did you have and have you tried going to a Dual Zone boot that moves the instep pressure. Without seeing your feet and working with you I can't do to much in terms of boot fitting.


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## phile00

BurtonAvenger said:


> Sounds more like you have Renounds (sp) syndrome.
> 
> Anyways for the OP have you ever had a true custom orthodic made for your feet? Also which K2's did you have and have you tried going to a Dual Zone boot that moves the instep pressure. Without seeing your feet and working with you I can't do to much in terms of boot fitting.


It's funny you mention a custom orthotic, because I use one on a daily basis for my feet. I actually tried it in my boot this time, and it didn't seem to help.

I never owned a pair of k2 boots, but I tried them on in a board shop and they made my feet numb. Most boots make my feet numb just trying them on at a board shop. I wish i could remember the model but they were fairly high end BOA boots.

I'm not familiar with what a Dual Zone boot is. I have a fairly flat arch, although since using my orthotics over the years it has put a little arch in my foot. Honestly I feel like I have fairly normal feet otherwise. I have skinny ankles, so maybe my blood flow just gets cut off real easy. 

It really sucks though man. I love boarding and would like to do it even more often. I'm not all that great, but it's my favorite thing by far. I'm just starting to get back into it again. I'm gonna get all padded up this year so I can do some park stuff and have some added confidence. Full feeling in my feet would be a great start


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## legallyillegal

Focus BOA tightens at the instep when you crank the upper zone as well as the lower zone.

Have you tried Ride boots with their zonal speedlace system?


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## BurtonAvenger

phile00 said:


> It's funny you mention a custom orthotic, because I use one on a daily basis for my feet. I actually tried it in my boot this time, and it didn't seem to help.
> 
> I never owned a pair of k2 boots, but I tried them on in a board shop and they made my feet numb. Most boots make my feet numb just trying them on at a board shop. I wish i could remember the model but they were fairly high end BOA boots.
> 
> I'm not familiar with what a Dual Zone boot is. I have a fairly flat arch, although since using my orthotics over the years it has put a little arch in my foot. Honestly I feel like I have fairly normal feet otherwise. I have skinny ankles, so maybe my blood flow just gets cut off real easy.
> 
> It really sucks though man. I love boarding and would like to do it even more often. I'm not all that great, but it's my favorite thing by far. I'm just starting to get back into it again. I'm gonna get all padded up this year so I can do some park stuff and have some added confidence. Full feeling in my feet would be a great start


You need one made for a snowboard boot by a boot fitter not one made by a doctor. Also the reason your feet are going numb it sounds like is 1 you're using muscles you're not used to, 2 you could be over tightening your boot, 3 you don't have any arch support, 4 you have severe nerve damage from something you did to yourself in the past.


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## Guest

BurtonAvenger said:


> Sounds more like you have Renounds (sp) syndrome.
> 
> .


Are you fucking with me or are you being serious?


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## wrathfuldeity

BA might be on to something...its Raynaud's disease

As for phile, I was also thinking lack of good arch support...maybe boot and binding smashing down the instep too much and not having enough arch support under your foot. Also while standing in line and the ride up...loosen your binding straps and then ratchet it back down at the top. Also do you have a history of foot or ankle injury or sprains that can also involve nerve damage.


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## Guest

So I just looked up Raynaud's disease...and its something Im going to look into. I really do get numbing cold feet and it wasn't always like that, it just started happening last season. Its only my feet though...the rest of my body feels fine. Thanks a lot BurtonAvenger and Wrathfidelity...Im going to see a doctor about it.


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## dharmashred

NY - I've been having the same issue. My toenail is now black and dead (but that i'm sure was poor boot fitting). Anyway, I tried the SuperFeet, Hots, they really helped. They helped to set my heel back in the boot, support my arch, and have warmers in them so they kept my feet warm. I was having to take my boots off after almost every run, just to get the feeling back in them, waiting for that pins and needles feeling just to make sure my feet are still going to get circulation and work....I need my feet...This is probably too simple of a fix, and the other suggestions are probably going to be more fruitful, but I've struggled with this all season, and the Superfeet HotPinks (damnit, don't make me say it ). they helped me out.


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## earl_je

phile00 said:


> I've tried soft boots, hard boots, Vans, Burton boots, Thirty Two, K2, etc. I've molded the inserts to my feet. My feet always get numb and hurt.
> 
> Right now I am using a pair of Thirty Two Ultralights. If I barely tighten my inner AND outer boots, its much better but still far from perfect.
> 
> This past weekend I think I sustained some nerve damage in my left foot (regular footed rider), because when I press on the middle top part of my foot, I get this shock sensation that runs down to my big toe and the neighboring toe.
> 
> Anyhow, the cause of the problem always seems to be at the crease of the boot, where the shin meets the foot.
> 
> Any suggestions? Do I need my boots to be custom fitted?



You're basically palpating the deep peroneal nerve as it traverses superficially on the dorsum of your foot. Somehow you are irratating the nerve be it due to swelling, cyst, calcification or any other space occupying mass along the course of the nerve entraping it. 

What you did is called a "tinel's sign". Practitioners do this to confirm a diagnosis. Look up where the nerve courses through your foot and check for bumps, swelling, hard spots on the boot that would cause pressure.


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## earl_je

Look here for some pictures to check what may be pinched. Also, any recent falls, sprains, strains? Been hitting bigger ramps more than usual? Is your heel strap too tight? :thumbsup:


NyInfamous'Girl: BA was right on with his diagnosis. Look it up, check for signs and symptoms, do preventative measures (not much treatment really). IF all else fails, THEN see a doctor.


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## earl_je

Oh, and about the deodorant, at first I was like 'WTFFFF???? ROFL, LMAO!!!' 

But the more I thought about it, most deos have some antiperspirant properties. Keep moisture from building up on your feet, you keep cold temps from building up as well. Since it didnt work, my guess is you're wearing some type of wicking sox already, keeping the moisture away from your skin.


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## phile00

Wow thanks for all the responses guys.

legallyillegal: I'm gonna head to a good shop and check them out, and also get my boots properly fitted.

BA: Yeah, I'm gonna get a proper boot fitting. I've tried tight, medium, and loose laces, nothing works. Also, I hit up the gym a lot this summer, i'm skinny but strong. I don't think it's a muscle thing. As far as pre-existing nerve damage, this is the first time I've had any nerve problems. It's a superficial nerve and it's not horrible, so I imagine it will get better if I keep working on it, moving my foot and toes around.

earl: Great info! No bumps, cysts, or swelling. I'm pretty sure it's just a combo of bad arch support and lack of a custom setup as BA mentioned. I can't think of any recent falls, except that I did fall once on a jump my last time riding (3 days ago). I hit my tailbone though  I also probably tweaked my back. I should hit up my chiropractor.


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## BurtonAvenger

Earl are you a doctor or something?

Anyways most people with Raynauds syndrome go undiagnosed and it's something I picked up on about 5 years ago after doing some serious custom work for a client of mine that had it on his ski boots. If all else fails there's 3 things I recommend. 1. Hot Tronic or Thermic boot heaters for your boots (burton does make a boot with them but it's fucking pricey), intuition liners, and those super feet with the metal flashing underneath to help insulate and send heat back towards the foot.


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## earl_je

BurtonAvenger said:


> Earl are you a doctor or something?
> 
> Anyways most people with Raynauds syndrome go undiagnosed and it's something I picked up on about 5 years ago after doing some serious custom work for a client of mine that had it on his ski boots. If all else fails there's 3 things I recommend. 1. Hot Tronic or Thermic boot heaters for your boots (burton does make a boot with them but it's fucking pricey), intuition liners, and those super feet with the metal flashing underneath to help insulate and send heat back towards the foot.


Yes, but not a physician. I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy, DPT, torture specialist, pain and tormentors, however you want to call it . Been practicing for the last 8yrs.


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## Guest

Dharmashred---Thanks a lot... I have to do that also, stop every several runs just to get the feeling back in my feet, it sucks!! Im gonna check that out definitely...Im gonna work from the cheapest solution, gradually working my way up until I find something that works you know. I just gave up after getting new boots, new socks, the deodorant thing, I felt like there was no more solution except the insert BurtonAvenger was talking about, but hes right, they are pricey! So I just quit bitchin and have been dealing with it...but I cant take it anymore!!

Earl--Yes...I read all about Reynouds yesterday and I plan to try all of the preventative and at home treatments. And hahaHaha...the deodorant thing was for the antipersperant in it with the moisture and all that blah blah blah business. I googled "solutions for cold feet snowboarding" and that was one of the suggestions. Didnt work tho so on to the next solution...

BurtonAvenger--Never thought I would be saying this...but thanks a lot lol. Im leaving for Utah on Saturday and I plan to try some of the solutions a few people listed on this thread, if they all fail then Im gonna go to the doctor when I get home. :thumbsup:


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## MunkySpunk

earl_je said:


> But the more I thought about it, most deos have some antiperspirant properties. Keep moisture from building up on your feet, you keep cold temps from building up as well.


It also covers your feet in aluminum powder which allows for a much more efficient transfer of heat away from your feet. Probably also prevents your feet from breathing or your sock from wicking away moisture. It's like an anti-sock. Bad.


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## BurtonAvenger

earl_je said:


> Yes, but not a physician. I'm a Doctor of Physical Therapy, DPT, torture specialist, pain and tormentors, however you want to call it . Been practicing for the last 8yrs.


I should probably come see you and have you look at my back and tell me how fucked I am.


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## earl_je

BurtonAvenger said:


> I should probably come see you and have you look at my back and tell me how fucked I am.


Sure thing man! I won't even charge you  My clinics are based in northeast CO though, about 3hrs east of summit county. We do stay in Dillon most weekends at our condo which my wife and I decided not to get listed/rented this season.


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## Guest

To the OP, I had the same thing happen to me about 9 days ago. How has your foot been?
I get the tingly numbness in my big toe when i press the top of my foot too. Mine happened in ski boots because i switch on and off skiing and boarding.

Any info on how to treat and if your went away would be appreciated. Its kind of scary to think it might be permanant as my podiatrist told me. I keep spending money and no one can give me an answer. Im supposed to go see a nuerologist next.


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## phile00

sho24vdohc said:


> To the OP, I had the same thing happen to me about 9 days ago. How has your foot been?
> I get the tingly numbness in my big toe when i press the top of my foot too. Mine happened in ski boots because i switch on and off skiing and boarding.
> 
> Any info on how to treat and if your went away would be appreciated. Its kind of scary to think it might be permanant as my podiatrist told me. I keep spending money and no one can give me an answer. Im supposed to go see a nuerologist next.


The odd thing is that I've gone boarding many many times and sustained numb feet on and off through the days. It was like this time my front foot (left foot) just decided to give up. If I run my fingers over my instep, I still get a tingly shocking sensation that goes all the way to my toes. Without having spoken to a doctor yet, I believe it's a good thing because there's still feeling there. Sometimes these things get better. Keep blood flow going to the area by soaking your feet at night, massage comfortably with your hands and use your foot like normal. Just try to avoid putting pressure on the area that gives you the numb feeling if you can. You need to avoid that or it will probably get worse.

Ever since I had my boot properly heat molded, bowed out where the pressure points were, and an Aline orthotic thrown in, I'm much better off. I missed around on a small local hill today and no numbness at all. Zero. I'm also lacing particular zones of the boot looser where it creates pressure points. For example, my left instep I don't tighten hard, but I do tighten over my left shin. My right foot seems to be great. 

Hope this helps.


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## baldylox

This thread is OLD.


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## phile00

cifex said:


> This thread is OLD.


I started it only 16 days ago. It's not that old


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## bryantp

*Numb feet*

Proper heat molding and fitting should help a lot. I wouldn't buy boots without those things. You may or may not need inserts also. I have terrible circ in my feet but no coldness or numbness since I did that.


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## Guest

Thanks alot phile00. Yeha theres more room for improvement in snowboarding boots then ski boots. I dont think im goign to be skiing for a while. I dont have too much trouble when i snowboard because my boots are way more cushioned and i dont need to have them on as tight as ski boots. I hope this goes away because sometimes it hurts if i move my toe in the wrong position.

The podiatrist told me all i can do is wait to see if it gets better and as therapy i can soak my feet in warm/hot water and get massages. He also said an anti-inflammatory might help. I have another appointment in 3 months and if its still there i have to go see a nuerologist. The nerve that is in question is resting on a bone on the top of my foot so corrective surgery would involve shaving the bone down to give the nerve more room.....which is a last resort.

I also sometimes get a burning sensation or a hot feeling on the bottom of my foot since the incident which is also a sign of nerve entrapments or damage. 

I was calling around for custom orthotics and they are like $400-800 to have them made!!!!! I need health insurance haha.
Im supposed to go back to okemo for a week with the family at the end of Febuary and I wanted to be able to board and ski, 
I also play pick up games of hockey at a rink where I live and i know I wont be able to wear my skates...

This sucks.


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## Soawsome

Custom orthotics for your shoes and your snowboard boots are completely different. 

my orthotics for my shoes prob cost around $600 but my insurance payed for them. They are made to support my foot while i am walking.

since you dont walk much in your snowboard boots they should be made to support your foot while standing still with your knees slightly bent. Which costs alot less, I payed around $100 for ones custom made at a ski shop. 

my orthotics in my shoes are not comfy at all when standing still compared to the ones in my snowboard boots. 

So when your getting these $400-$800 estimates, i am assuming its for walking made by a orthopedist, look into having ones made by your ski shop for your snowboard boots


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## baldylox

NyInfamous'Girl said:


> I have the same problem...my feet, just my toes really, always get numbing cold. No matter what I do. I try looseing everything...tightening it...different socks...different boots...deodorant on my feet (yea thats supposed to work, no its doesn't)...Literally, I tried everything. My problem is not that my feet are uncomfortable in my boot, they are just cold.
> 
> Any suggestions for me, for us, anyone....?


A strong antiperspirant on your feet is good for reducing hot spots / blistering. Don't think it will do much for coldness though I suppose your feet would stay more dry. Are you doubling up on socks? They say that makes it worse.


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## Guest

Hey Guys,
I too have had numbing toe issues after a day of riding. My numbness usually comes after about 4 hours of riding. Its a bitch since it usually always happens and even if my legs still have some strength, I have to end my session because my feet kill. Over the holiday's I rode for 6 days straight and the tips of my big toes were numb for days afterward.

It worries me because it cuts my session short and also, like many of you, I don't want to have long term nerve damage.

I've tried a bunch of things over the 10 years I've been riding, arch support (I have extremely high arches in my feet) helped and keeping my inners loose helps as well.

I've come to realize though that even with all the tips and tricks I try to do to avoid the numbness, it still happens and I think the reason is the constant (or almost constant) pressure on my toes when riding. I like to ride hard which means digging a deep edge, which means putting a lot of pressure on my toes. This constant pressure, after many hours, leads to numb toes. I just don't think their is hope. 

If anyone thinks differently, let me know.


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## phile00

StokedSoul said:


> Hey Guys,
> I too have had numbing toe issues after a day of riding. My numbness usually comes after about 4 hours of riding. Its a bitch since it usually always happens and even if my legs still have some strength, I have to end my session because my feet kill. Over the holiday's I rode for 6 days straight and the tips of my big toes were numb for days afterward.
> 
> It worries me because it cuts my session short and also, like many of you, I don't want to have long term nerve damage.
> 
> I've tried a bunch of things over the 10 years I've been riding, arch support (I have extremely high arches in my feet) helped and keeping my inners loose helps as well.
> 
> I've come to realize though that even with all the tips and tricks I try to do to avoid the numbness, it still happens and I think the reason is the constant (or almost constant) pressure on my toes when riding. I like to ride hard which means digging a deep edge, which means putting a lot of pressure on my toes. This constant pressure, after many hours, leads to numb toes. I just don't think their is hope.
> 
> If anyone thinks differently, let me know.


My friend has a high arch and it causes him a lot of pain as well. Oddly, skiing is much better for him, and snowboarding is worse. 

All of the tips and trick you've tried over the years aren't going to do you any good until you've isolated exactly what the problem is and where it's occurring. With a high or a low arch, the pressures being exerted on your foot are not being distributed properly. This is due to bad genetics or bad shoes growing up. I'm guessing more often than not, it's a little of both. 

Anyhow, you're sustaining nerve pain because your feet are not handling the pressures properly. You need a level of arch support that you'll probably NEVER find in off the shelf orthotics. You need a completely custom solution to relieve the pressure. Pay attention to pressure points, make sure you lace only the zones of your boots that are comfortable being tight, thin but quality socks, etc. Beyond that, as I said, you need a completely custom solution or you may sustain long term damage.


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## Guest

Phile00,
Thanks for your reply. I've been thinking that custom footbeds may relieve my issue. The cost of them however has dettered me from following through. If you know any cost effective alternatives, please let me know

I also thought that extra cushion under my toes may help as the numbness comes from constant pressure applied through my toes. We'll see.

Thanks again for your reply


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## phile00

StokedSoul said:


> Phile00,
> Thanks for your reply. I've been thinking that custom footbeds may relieve my issue. The cost of them however has dettered me from following through. If you know any cost effective alternatives, please let me know
> 
> I also thought that extra cushion under my toes may help as the numbness comes from constant pressure applied through my toes. We'll see.
> 
> Thanks again for your reply


putting cushion just under your toes is going to misalign your foot even more. I haven't researched alternatives, but I do know there are effective fully custom solutions out there. Do some research a lot will probably show up.


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## phile00

Ugh, time for an update.

So I thought things were going well with my newly fitted boots: Aline insole (very supportive), heat molded boots of course, zonally laced as much as possible, thin, warm socks, boot bowed out where I found pressure points. 

Anyhow, the only consistent improvement thus far has been warm feet. My feet seem to always be warm now, which is great. However, I still get an unprecedented amount of foot pain. It felt like the instep on my front foot and both of my big toes were smashed with a hammer. It was a sunny, amazing day with great snow conditions, but the pain took away from that. I snowboarded for about 9 hours, with a few breaks peppered in there for food and what not. I could feel the onset after my first run, but it didn't really kick in to extreme pain until probably my 10th run. 

I guess I have more experimenting to do. Sigh. I'd take out a second mortgage to be pain free while snowboarding.


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## Racer20

PROBLEM SOLVED!

My wife has the same problem. I've been lurking for a while trying to find a solution, as we've tried on dozens of boots over the past month with no success.

She currently rides a size 6, and we've gone all the way up to a 7 in the hopes of taking the pressure off her instep to maintain some circulation. No luck. Either the pressure is too much for her to take, or if not, her feet go numb within about 2 minutes standing the shop anyway. We've tried different insoles, her boots have intuition liners that we've molded and remolded, and we've been to several shops to try to fix the issue. No luck.

Finally we were able to get an appointment at our local shop with their top boot fitter, and after studying her feet and trying to understand the problem, we confirmed that her 3rd metatarsal sticks up higher than the rest, which of course subjects it to significant constant pressure, which then affects her circulation.

First we got her out of her current un-articulated boa's and into a Forum Mist, which has regular laces and an articulated cuff. It was a size 6, but had a bit more toe room, which was good. But, the instep pressure was still there, and worse than her current boots.

He removed some foam from the liner tongue to create a pocket for her bone, which I've heard of other people doing, and which helped a bit, but he also heated up the tongue of the boot SHELL and bumped it out into sort of a dome shape on the instep area, similar to how you'd do a ski boot. It took a couple tries to get the shape just right, but once it was done, it was like a whole new world for her. She stood wearing them for 20-30 minutes with zero pressure and zero numbness. This was all with the stock footbed.

The last thing he did was to mold a custom footbed for her, which made things even better, but I don't think was absolutely necessary to solve the numbing issue.

Of course, the true test will be on Sunday when we head out to test them out. But just from wearing them around for a bit, she is confident that there is a 1000% difference. I should note that this was also a size 6 boot, which is exactly what she measured and exactly what her old boot was. No need to go up in size to fix the issue, and her heels stays put exactly where it should.

If your fitter won't do this, find one who will. Most of the ones I talked to would only mold a foot bed and try to heat mold the liner, neither of which worked.

Oh yeah, one more detail . . . the cost of the custom work was $60, the footbed was $150. Expensive, yes, but the owner of the shop spent 3 hours with us, past their closing time, and made it so my wife can actually take more than one run at a time. Well worth it if you ask me.


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## phile00

Awesome!!!!! I'm glad to hear someone had luck. Just be careful that her bindings don't crush down that spot and undo all the work that the shop did. My feet have been a little better lately. Zonal lacing is also where it's at. I just simply tighten the laces at my toes, lightly tighten on the instep, and then tighten a tad harder on my shin, and make sure I have my bindings tweaked perfectly. It's not perfect but it's better than it used to be.


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## Guest

Had a similar thing happen last week: Noticed my toes were a bit numb on the lift up, so at the top I sat down and retied my boot (right foot only) Seemed ok, but not great. It was a pretty long run in my amateur opinion, and I didn't even make it to the bottom without having to stop; as soon as it flattened out a bit I sat down and tried again. The numbness went from the toes to the foot and to the leg up to about the knee. Not fun, hard to move your foot if you can't feel it. I fully unlaced and removed the boot, massaged the foot a little (and it helped alittle) but ended up just barely tying the boot back on my foot, and rode down with it looser than a slipper. That run ended the day, I just couldn't get the feeling right.

I'm going to grab some Superfeet when I've got the spare money. Also thinking about trying to skip an eyelet on the laces to move some pressure. I have new bindings now that I haven't tried yet, with the tow cap over the front. The weird part to me is that it was numb up to the knee, like the top of the boot was too tight, which it didn't feel like to me. I'll update if I can. Good luck me!


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