# Binding Footbed length too short for boot? (pics incl)



## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Board: Never Summer Heritage 155 cm
Boots: Northwave Freedom Size 10
Bindings: Forum Republic Size Medium

So been really trying to search around the forum for an answer to this question before posting to the site. Everyone seems to be talking about if their boots are overhanging the board to much. That is not my problem here.

My problem is I think the boots are overhanging my foot bed too much. I've extended the length of the foot bed, ramp, and cushioning to its biggest size. I went with medium bindings because it said size 7-11 boots fit a medium. I figured go tighter. I have plenty of length on my ratchets/straps. Only wondering if the boot toe overhangs the binding to much.
Thanks for any help.


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

Yep, your bindings are definitely far too small. That's way too much overhang. 



> I have plenty of length on my ratchets/straps.


No. 
Unless you mean the section on the ladder between the ratchet and the baseplate, you literally don't have ANY length on the straps. 
You're on the last tooth of the ladder. Holy shit.hmy:

Here's my advice: SEND THEM BACK AND GET THE LARGE SIZE! 



> it said size 7-11 boots fit a medium.


It's like last week when I was in Walmart buying a new pair of compreesion shorts- the label said "Medium (32-34)", which is my size. But just looking at the shorts, I could tell they were just way too small for me, so I went with the Large which now fit perfectly.
Lesson learned: sometimes you just have to see it in person.

Hope that helps.


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Update on the bindings boots on the board.


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

I think your right. Appreciate your advice.



Gdog42 said:


> Yep, your bindings are definitely far too small. That's way too much overhang.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

No problem! 
Did you order them online? If so, which website?


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

shredshop.com 

they have a shop right by me. I will probably just take them in. Its weird I feel fine without any unease under my toe when I put them on the board.


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

iinkinpark10 said:


> shredshop.com
> 
> they have a shop right by me. I will probably just take them in. Its weird I feel fine without any unease under my toe when I put them on the board.


Yeah just take them to the shop and exchange for a large. 
After riding with them for a while, you probably will feel odd pressure and the sole of your boots could flex upward on the edge of the footbed if they're that far back, depending on how soft or stiff you boots are. You might be able to see what I mean if you mount them and lean forward on you toe side.
That's what happened with me on my last bindings, which were too small for me.

As for the straps, the pads should be centered over the boot and there should only be about 4-7 teeth showing on the ladders, but that really depends on how high your boots are.
Also, you don't want the toe straps all the way forward, directly on the front of your boots. That can cause toe drag. They should either be capped over the downward curve of the toe section on the boot, (diagonally from the side view) or completely on top of the toe section.
You can do this by moving the strap and ladder from the front slots into the back slots underneath the baseplate for each binding.


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Okay here is me with the boots on. All strapped in how I would wear them if riding. The teeth get to about 7 left. And the straps line up in the middle. But still outlying worry is overhang of toe could be too much.


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

This is a really good video for getting an idea of how any 2-strap binding should be adjusted to fit a boot, even though it's just intended for Union bindings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bvY8nRcg9c

It shows how to adjust Union bindings, but as long as you adjust your Forum bindings in the same areas (when you get the larger size), it really shows the most comfortable way to have everything lengthened and aligned with the boots.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

It looks like your base plate can be made longer in the original pictures. Adjust the toe side of the base plate out to it's maximum. Probably have to take the binding off and slide the teeth up then tighten the binding back down....


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

iinkinpark10 said:


> Okay here is me with the boots on. All strapped in how I would wear them if riding. The teeth get to about 7 left. And the straps line up in the middle. But still outlying worry is overhang of toe could be too much.


Hmm... the strap lengths look ok in that size, but the length of the baseplate still looks too short. Strange.
I'd still go with the large. That way you still get the same length options for the straps but you get a longer baseplate.:thumbsup:


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Gdog42 said:


> Hmm... the strap lengths look ok in that size, but the length of the baseplate still looks too short. Strange.
> I'd still go with the large. That way you still get the same length options for the straps but you get a longer baseplate.:thumbsup:


That might be the winning ticket right there. I'm thinking that a maxed out medium basically will equal a large at its smallest setting. Thus giving me the baseplate I need under my toe.

With everyone not positive this is the best option I'm gonna take them in attached to the board and see what the shop says. 

I wanted this to work out so I could be done with the whole process. This is my 3rd year riding but first year I've purchased the whole set up. Been a lot of long nights deciding on what i wanted to buy. Boots, board, bindings, pants, jacket, helmet, and goggles. 

Almost there though. Going to Winter Park, CO in 35 days.


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

iinkinpark10 said:


> That might be the winning ticket right there. I'm thinking that a maxed out medium basically will equal a large at its smallest setting. Thus giving me the baseplate I need under my toe.
> 
> With everyone not positive this is the best option I'm gonna take them in attached to the board and see what the shop says.
> 
> ...


I would just remove them, take them in, and tell them they're too small. If they see you've already mounted them, they'll be likely to just SAY "yeah, don't worry- they look fine!" 

Winter Park, you say? Are they open? I went there for spring break. Tell ya, the Mary Jane was a real frozen bitch while I was there!:laugh:


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Gdog42 said:


> I would just remove them, take them in, and tell them they're too small. If they see you've already mounted them, they'll be likely to just SAY "yeah, don't worry- they look fine!"
> 
> Winter Park, you say? Are they open? I went there for spring break. Tell ya, the Mary Jane was a real frozen bitch while I was there!:laugh:


Thankfully they are starting to get snow there now. I check their weather report at onthesnow.com everyday lol. Getting antsy. Will be my first time out west. When did you go to WP. I heard last year was just brutal anywhere you went.

Sidenote. The shop I got my bindings from is different from where I got my board and boots. Might take it into the place I got my board and see what they say. I do most of my business with them (me, my gf, and two buddies have all bought boards and boots through them, with most of them getting bindings there) just came across these bindings at a great price at shred shop when up on the northside of chicago. I live in the south suburbs.


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

I'm on the side of take the whole set up in and see if the shop guy sees anything off about the binding adjustment.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Not only that in this pic you have like 3 clicks on the ladder strap. Also in this pic the toe ramp is pulled out but hard to tell from the pic if it is all the way out


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

iinkinpark10 said:


> Thankfully they are starting to get snow there now. I check their weather report at onthesnow.com everyday lol. Getting antsy. Will be my first time out west. When did you go to WP. I heard last year was just brutal anywhere you went.


Yeah, the weather conditions there over spring break in April were nasty, but mostly on the 1st out of the 4 days we were riding there. That day was cold, dark, and literally frozen solid everywhere. 2nd day was nice because, surprisingly (for that time of year), we had a mild pow day. Last 2 days were so warm we rode in out shirts. The slush made for good park conditions, though.

So, because of weather fluctuations we got a bit of every condition. By the time we left the whole place was completely melting. One of my friends went over spring break the year before and said it was powder everywhere.

Not going on that trip again next year! Have fun while you're there- it should be a lot better for you around this time of year!


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

slyder said:


> Not only that in this pic you have like 3 clicks on the ladder strap. Also in this pic the toe ramp is pulled out but hard to tell from the pic if it is all the way out


That pic is when I had first started the process. The straps were not adjusted properly. The most recent pics where the boots are on the board is with the straps adjusted. I did extend the toe ramp as far as it would go. There are 3 positions for the cushioned toe ramp to snap into the heel cushion. I have it in the last position.


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)




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## 9won4 (Dec 9, 2011)

Def look to small, try to return em. And IMO, even though I love those bindings, If i were you (with forum) being discontinued, I might go with a different binding. 

The "good vibes" bed has a tendency to pop out with temp changes. Good luck trying to get a replacement once Forum is no more. I had difficulty, even when they were thriving :huh:


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

I made sure to leave myself an option of returning them for this exact reason. 

Might end up going with my original thoughts and getting Burton Mission bindings. I got these because they rival the Missions, canted footbeds and everyone seemed to love the straps.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

Don't forget about Flux very happy with them on my kids boards. When I rode them they were great!!!


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

slyder said:


> Don't forget about Flux very happy with them on my kids boards. When I rode them they were great!!!


Yeah, In my opinion the 2 best brands for bindings are Flux and Union. Both are made and warrantied to last a lifetime, are completely adjustable, and are made to work well with almost any boots on the market. However, both have 1 different benefit and 1 different downside:

The benefit of Flux bindings is that they are tool-free, with the disadvantage being no baseplate dampening.

The benefit of Union bindings is baseplate dampening, with the disadvantage being that you need a tool to adjust any part of them except the ankle strap and highback. 

I've had a pair of Union bindings for an entire season now, and unlike my previous bindings, NONE of the screws on them came loose at any point. When you rotate the ankle strap and ladder, their screws don't rotate, they stay in place. :thumbsup:

If you're interested in these 2 brands, whichever one you should go with depends on what you'd rather have: Tool-free adjustment or shock-absorption. 
With Forum soon to be melting away, it wouldn't be a bad idea to consider another brand in case you ever have a warranty claim. Burton also makes REALLY GOOD bindings, but for the same price they're not really as flexible as Flux and Union, and you can only really get good dampening if you get a pair of the EST bindings....but for that, you'd need an EST board (Channel).

If you're happy with the Forum bindings though, go ahead and stick with them in the larger size! You wouldn't have to worry about any warranties if you got a refund and ordered a larger pair from dogfunk.com, because they have a lifetime return policy. If you're not satisfied, you can return them at any time:thumbsup: Just don't tell the dude at the store if you do that, unless he has a similar policy!


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## BurtonBindings (Dec 16, 2012)

Gdog42 said:


> Yeah, In my opinion the 2 best brands for bindings are Flux and Union. Both are made and warrantied to last a lifetime, are completely adjustable, and are made to work well with almost any boots on the market. However, both have 1 different benefit and 1 different downside:
> 
> The benefit of Flux bindings is that they are tool-free, with the disadvantage being no baseplate dampening.
> 
> ...


Okay.
let's clean up some mis-truths.

1. Burton Bindings, at least those with Re:Flex, are roughly 60% more flexible underfoot than any other brand except Forum with Good Vibes.

2. Forum will be backed up by Burton for any and all warranty reasons. Not just for this year, for ever.

3. Burton has a lifetime warranty on all their baseplates. If you legitimately break our baseplate; it gets replaced for life. If we don't carry a compatible part any longer, you get comparable new bindings at no cost to you.

4. A simple solution to his sizing problem is exchanging his mediums for a size large. If you like the Republic, ride them. They're great bindings.


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

BurtonBindings said:


> Okay.
> let's clean up some mis-truths.
> 
> 1. Burton Bindings, at least those with Re:Flex, are roughly 60% more flexible underfoot than any other brand except Forum with Good Vibes.
> ...


That sounds great. OK then, in that case you should probably just stick with the Forum bindings in a larger size.

*When I was talking about the flex, I meant the highback flex based on seeing Burton bindings at several stores. They felt more stiff on the Freestyle and Custom than those from other brands at the same price.

Thanks for getting that out. I thought Forum was done completely!


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## iinkinpark10 (Oct 14, 2012)

Really appreciating all the feedback. I took the bindings into my local shop (not where I actually got the bindings from). Just so happened that one of the guys working rides this years forum bindings. He has a 10.5 boot with the Medium bindings. He went through the same process. Got mediums was unsure so switched to the large size. After trying them out he was having to set everything at the lowest setting and tightening the straps down to lowest setting. He went back to the mediums and hasn't had a problem.

We can lay my board almost completly on its side and the toe will just about touch the carpet. I had the board on and all strapped in and was able to transfer weight with ease from the back to front and did not feel like I was pressing on nothing because of a possibly too short toe ramp.

Two things he changed on the my set up: 1) He corrected my toe strap so it laid across the front of my boot properly. Even though I thought I changed this he moved which slot the strap locked into within the binding to make it easier to lay across the front top half of the toe only. 2) We got the heel lock to be set all the way back. That did change a few cm's for me on the footbed.

Also what he described (which hope I'm describing properly also its good information) was that when moving from heel to toe you want to roll. Similar to a pressing on the gas pedal of a car. So I want the balls of my feet to be sitting on top of the toe ramp so I can get the response to the board like it should. Which then came to show that I have extremely long toes so thats why my boot is so big (sorry for the visual) because I have not only the balls of my feet on the toe ramp but my toes reach back to it as well. So all that extra boot is toe room plus the boot is thick up front.

This sound about right?


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## huckfin (Dec 9, 2010)

i assume lots of people with size 10 boots purchase size medium bindings after looking at sizing charts from the binding manufacturers, when in reality and from personal experience most of the M/L bindings are too small for a size 10 and up boot the unions certainly are. i cannot even fit a size 10 32-boot into a medium union force sl, it just doesn't fit. i've always used large bindings on the smallest adjustment setting. side note: this does vary from brand to brand.


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## sixpoint (Nov 17, 2012)

fwiw I have 2012 Hails in size 10 and am currently riding 2 different boards with 2 different bindings and my boots fit perfectly. Medium Mission EST and Union super pro M/L


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## Gdog42 (Nov 11, 2012)

If you have longer toes, like I kind of do, it helps if the baseplate extends out underneath them so you can apply forward leverage more easily when going toe side. 
In other words, try the Large, strap in, and see how it feels when transferring edges on a carpeted floor. If it's easier, go with them.
If not, go back to the Mediums. 
Having bindings the right length also helps to distribute pressure across the board, meaning it will feel better under the pressure of the bindings. It's harder to roll over an edge of the baseplate is further away from it. I know this from also having bindings that were too short. They may feel ok at home, but trust me, after riding in them for hours it made my feet feel much more strained than the bigger ones I have now.


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## 9won4 (Dec 9, 2011)

BurtonBindings said:


> Okay.
> let's clean up some mis-truths.
> 
> 
> ...


Glad I just ran across this!. In calling forum and Burton the story was different. so I have the 2011's Republics, "year before the design change of the footbed" How would I go about taking advantage of this binding replacements being that it seems you haven't had replacement footbeds for over a year....... and obviously wont be re manufacturing a part a couple years back. I'm not looking to be spoon fed, I've called forum and Burton and gotten the run around!!! Thank you sir!


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