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FOOT BEDS IN BOOTS

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rider26 - 24 July 2009 12:39 AM
kort - 23 July 2009 12:02 PM

When you mean footbeds, do you also mean orthotics? +1 needs orthotics for for her running and they are going to set us back $600, so they aren’t cheap but I am happy to pay for them if it mean +1 has no more shin, ankle and foot pain.

No, footbeds are full length and softer than an orthotic. In principle they do the same thing, support the arch and keep your feet in the neutral position (aligning the lower body). Orthotics are too stiff/solid for a high impact sport like snowboarding (I was told that direct from a podiatrist). Custom molded footbeds will set you back between $100 to $160 depending on which type you go for.

For someone who already used corrective orthotics in shoes, footbeds they are absolutely essential for snowboarding. They make a big difference to comfort, support, and boot fit. Have a read of the footbeds section of the boot fitting guide for more info:

https://www.boardworld.com.au/content/category/boot-fitting/

If you have orthotics for you running shoes, you should also use them in your boots. People have orthotics because they have problems that need to be fixed, orthotics are made be someone qualified, and will be designed correctly for you.

A footbed is arch support. thats it. even a custom made footbed is just a fancy form of arch support. A bootfitter making these for you is not a doctor. these footbeds wont help you the same as an orthotic.

please use the orthotics in your running shoes in your boots as well

 
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joostan - 18 September 2009 05:59 PM

do footbeds help at all with heel lift?? has anyone had any experience with this cause ive asked many a person and heard completely mixed things. If not does anyone know where I can get some j or c bars things are hard to find. would rather try and fix the problem before forking out for new boots.

Footbeds do not help with heel lift. Once you old boot has packed out, they are done. Putting in a new footbed might help to get you a couple of extra days, but they cant solve the problem.
When you get a new pair of boots, you should also get a new pair of footbeds, it would be a waste of money for you to get the footbeds first, then get a new pair of boots and find those footbeds dont fit.

Go get new boots, try going a half size down from your previous pair, the boot will then pack out to be the right size for you, rather than being to big. It will make it a little uncomfortable when you first get them, but will be sweet after the first week.

 
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joostan - 18 September 2009 05:59 PM

do footbeds help at all with heel lift?? has anyone had any experience with this cause ive asked many a person and heard completely mixed things. If not does anyone know where I can get some j or c bars things are hard to find. would rather try and fix the problem before forking out for new boots.

You used to get a pair of J shaped bars for Burton boots for that purpose.
I may have some laying around. when I pull out my stuff as the season begins (I am in the US) I will contact you if I see them. I will be glad to mail them to you, I am not using them.
If you know someone who bought Burton boots in the last few seasons they may have them not in use.
I dont know if they still put them in the boot box anymore.

 
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louise - 19 September 2009 03:50 AM
rider26 - 24 July 2009 12:39 AM
kort - 23 July 2009 12:02 PM

When you mean footbeds, do you also mean orthotics? +1 needs orthotics for for her running and they are going to set us back $600, so they aren’t cheap but I am happy to pay for them if it mean +1 has no more shin, ankle and foot pain.

No, footbeds are full length and softer than an orthotic. In principle they do the same thing, support the arch and keep your feet in the neutral position (aligning the lower body). Orthotics are too stiff/solid for a high impact sport like snowboarding (I was told that direct from a podiatrist). Custom molded footbeds will set you back between $100 to $160 depending on which type you go for.

For someone who already used corrective orthotics in shoes, footbeds they are absolutely essential for snowboarding. They make a big difference to comfort, support, and boot fit. Have a read of the footbeds section of the boot fitting guide for more info:

https://www.boardworld.com.au/content/category/boot-fitting/

If you have orthotics for you running shoes, you should also use them in your boots. People have orthotics because they have problems that need to be fixed, orthotics are made be someone qualified, and will be designed correctly for you.

A footbed is arch support. thats it. even a custom made footbed is just a fancy form of arch support. A bootfitter making these for you is not a doctor. these footbeds wont help you the same as an orthotic.

please use the orthotics in your running shoes in your boots as well

Hey Louise, I know what you’re saying. Orthotics are a corrective device, while footbeds support the foot. Without a doubt though, using a footbed is better than not using anything at all, which is what I was trying to get at before.

Having spoken to a few podiatrists about this over the years, they tend to recommend a footbed over an orthotic for a high impact sport such as snowboarding. Orthotics are generally quite hard with minimal shock absorbtion or flex. With high impacts wearing a hard orthotic can actually cause damage to the feet. The footbeds I talk about are the custom molded “fancy” footbeds. When fitted correctly, they provide more than just arch support. They hold the feet in the neutral position, which aligns ankles, knees, and hip joints correctly, as well as stabilising the foot in the boot. By no means are they a corrective device, as you have stated. Footbeds won’t correct the foot, but they will support the foot in the neutral position, which is what they need in their snowboard boots. Alternatively, a podiatrist can also make a custom footbed for high impact sports, including running. This is essentially a full length, molded, softer (in flex and material) orthotic. The footbeds made by a podiatrist to be used for running aren’t necessarily a corrective orthotic either.

Anyone with serious problems should definately consult their podiatrist to help make the right decision for their specific situation. If in doubt, always talk to your podiatrist; they are the experts in this field. I for one have used orthotics for the last 15 years, and have spoken to many podiatrists about orthotics/footbeds for snowboarding. Having gone through every option with my current podiatrist, even he admits the custom footbed I had made at STM is the best option for snowboarding. I would be more than happy to discuss any of this further with you.

 

orthotics don’t have to be very rigid hard plastics anymore, although generally the ones from podiatrists are. i will post some pics of the kind we do at our clinic in the next day or so

 
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Jason_Volstad_DC - 10 October 2009 05:52 AM

orthotics don’t have to be very rigid hard plastics anymore, although generally the ones from podiatrists are. i will post some pics of the kind we do at our clinic in the next day or so

hmm interesting. I ended up getting orthotics from my podiatrist and mine are full length with cushioning on top of the hard plastic (or whatever material they are made of nowadays.

 
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I was told by my podiatrist that my orthotics will put my feet in the “neutral position” when I run.
Isnt that what footbeds do also (or am I missing a point somewhere)

 
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footbeds will also do this based on how the footbed manufacturer has premoulded their footbed… orthodics are custom fitted in order to relax your foot and create the best support… i think

 
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Both keep the feet in the neutral position if made correctly.

 
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Just to clarify something, if i wanted to buy some new footbeds for my (ahem) ski boots, would i just take them into a store and they would custom fit them or do i just buy them in a pack and butcher them with a pair of scissors when i get home?  Sorry i know very little about boots…..

 
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Aidy - 17 October 2009 07:50 AM

Just to clarify something, if i wanted to buy some new footbeds for my (ahem) ski boots, would i just take them into a store and they would custom fit them or do i just buy them in a pack and butcher them with a pair of scissors when i get home?  Sorry i know very little about boots…..


Take them into a store that makes foot beds that are custom molded to your foot shape remember that is hard plastic coming down on your foot. So yeah any store that can sort you out regardless if they are (ahem) ski boots do and feel the pleasure.