# Sensitive feet? Need new boots...



## lonerider (Apr 10, 2009)

phile00 said:


> So currently I have a pair of packed out Thirty-two ultralight boots. Great boots.
> 
> With any boot I've ever owned, I have to heat mold them of course, and last season I added Aline insoles. Problem is, I have to lace them perfectly in order to have a good time riding. If I slightly over-tighten or the tongue isn't exactly where it's supposed to be, my feet go numb and get cold. It's shitty.
> 
> ...


Pressure points are cause when your feet are not shapes the same way as the liner is shaped, so no one is going to be able to properly answer your question. Over-tighten you boots in a vain attempt to keep your heels down makes it worse. You really should only need to take the slack out of the laces, if you feel like you have to have the laces more than snug-tight to keep your foot in place, your boot are too wide/high volume for your foot (i.e. you are not wearing a boot that fits you feet well).

A brand that can get you started is Nitro (still have to try them on and find if they work for you).


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## phile00 (Jan 7, 2009)

lonerider said:


> Pressure points are cause when your feet are not shapes the same way as the liner is shaped, so no one is going to be able to properly answer your question. Over-tighten you boots in a vain attempt to keep your heels down makes it worse. You really should only need to take the slack out of the laces, if you feel like you have to have the laces more than snug-tight to keep your foot in place, your boot are too wide/high volume for your foot (i.e. you are not wearing a boot that fits you feet well).
> 
> A brand that can get you started is Nitro (still have to try them on and find if they work for you).


Yeah, I always try on my boots. But I think there are plenty of people who can answer my question. There are boots that are more or less supportive, more or less cusion-y, etc. That's kind of the advice I was looking for. I'm well aware of boot/foot mechanics.

Boots in general are just uncomfortable for me, and I've had them professionally fitted. It takes almost nothing to cut my circulation off.


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## tasuiee (Dec 30, 2010)

Give Solomon Dialogues Wides a try. I have pretty wide feet and mondo calves. They lock at the ankle and at the top of the laces and keep my feet pretty secure.


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## lonerider (Apr 10, 2009)

phile00 said:


> Yeah, I always try on my boots. But I think there are plenty of people who can answer my question. There are boots that are more or less supportive, more or less cusion-y, etc. That's kind of the advice I was looking for. I'm well aware of boot/foot mechanics.
> 
> Boots in general are just uncomfortable for me, and I've had them professionally fitted. It takes almost nothing to cut my circulation off.


Boots are in general uncomfortable to you because I suspect that your feet are an atypical shape/size. 

I have narrow ankles (with a medium wide toebox, flat feet, medium instep and skinny calves) giving me heel-lift, which would cause my arch pain. So I used to tighten my boots to keep the heel down. Over-tightening the fore-foot laces by the toebox will cause pinching on either side of the toes (big toe or the bony edge your foot behind you little toe). Over-tightening the middle-foot laces will crush the boot tongue down ontop of your instep and cause a pressure point there (it can also crease the boot outer, causing a pressure point). Over-tightening the upper-laces can cause shin pain as the boot outer digs into your shin.

Over-tightening is a vain attempt to decrease the volume of the boot (i.e. shrink it)... your laces really should not be much tighter than taking out the obvious loose slack... if you are tightening much more than that...your boot is too big for your foot.

Heat molding helps push out the liner in certain area (sides of the toebox and around the ankle bones) a little to relieve pressure if the liner is slightly narrower than the foot in some areas. It doesn't help if your foot is too narrow and you are over-tightening the boot (causing the boot/liner to deform and crease in an unintended way.

After all of that... I return to my suggestions of Nitro Team or Nitro Select. I've tried Burton (Moto, Shaun White, Driver, Driver X), 32 (Prion, Lashed, Tm-Two), Ride (forgot name), K2 Maysis, Vans (forgot name... flat and wide), DCShoes Judge (way too wide), Salomon (Dialogue, F22, Malamute), and (Nitro Meiji, Team, Darkseid, Select) and Nitro are the only ones that give me good support and have no pressure points. The Salomon were good support, but the liner broke down quickly and that lead to heel-lift and instep pain. The 32s were mushy.. the Tm-Two was like 9 out of 10 in stiffness... but only medium stiff in my opinion. They fit and worked well for a season, but quickly wore out after 15 days ...


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## jdang307 (Feb 6, 2011)

How wide is your wide? I might give nitro's a try if I can find them.

K2 T1 were too narrow, so were Nike's. Going to give Burtons another try too


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## lonerider (Apr 10, 2009)

jdang307 said:


> How wide is your wide? I might give nitro's a try if I can find them.
> 
> K2 T1 were too narrow, so were Nike's. Going to give Burtons another try too


Did you mean "how wide is my foot"? It's average width at the toebox, but narrow at the heel (duck feet).

I order my Nitros from Backcountry.com (free shipping, unlimited returns) as most brick and mortor stores don't carry them.


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## phile00 (Jan 7, 2009)

lonerider said:


> Boots are in general uncomfortable to you because I suspect that your feet are an atypical shape/size.
> 
> I have narrow ankles (with a medium wide toebox, flat feet, medium instep and skinny calves) giving me heel-lift, which would cause my arch pain. So I used to tighten my boots to keep the heel down. Over-tightening the fore-foot laces by the toebox will cause pinching on either side of the toes (big toe or the bony edge your foot behind you little toe). Over-tightening the middle-foot laces will crush the boot tongue down ontop of your instep and cause a pressure point there (it can also crease the boot outer, causing a pressure point). Over-tightening the upper-laces can cause shin pain as the boot outer digs into your shin.


Yup, definitely atypical. It sucks ass. I'm nearly identical to you except my toe-box. I have narrow feet the whole way, size 9 in snowboard boots. 

Given all of the boots you've tried, I'm definitely going to have to check out the Nitros you suggested. Are their boots heavy btw? I weigh so little, every lb makes a difference to me  One reason why I love the 32 ultralights. Also, I think I'm going to try on Nike's as well.


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## bseracka (Nov 14, 2011)

I'll second checking out the solomons. I have narrow heels and ankles and solomons have the narrowest heel/ankle I could find.


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## lonerider (Apr 10, 2009)

bseracka said:


> I'll second checking out the solomons. I have narrow heels and ankles and solomons have the narrowest heel/ankle I could find.


Salomons were my favorite before I tried Nitro boots. They (the Nitro) have a better shaped liners (particularly in the ankle area) than even the Salomons.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

You will likely like Nikes. I loathe Nike, but I have wide feet. They are a narrow fit. And people that like them, really like them.

All that said, I'll repeat early advice. Noone here can really help. You, as you are now aware, have an atypical foot. You just need to find the model of last that fits your foot best. 

I fit good enough in like 2 Burtons, 1 Ride, and 1 K2. Even withing brands you'll get different fits.


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