Footbeds

[trtaylor]

Who is using custom footbeds in their boots? What kind are they and what has your experience with them been?

 

Tim

[skierboi]

im going to get them this week

[skidude]

I got a pair of surefoot foot beds in my boots. I got them last spring in Park City. They hurt like a mother for the first few days (your feet are not used to having support on them, if you normally ski without footbeds).

 

Surefoot uses a computer to scan your foot, where other compainies use a mold, its probably all about the same end product.

 

I won a gift cert. for a free pair of footbeds at any Surefoot shop..Lemme know if your interested.

[skierboi]

i would

[skidude]

skierboi...where are you getting yours?

[skierboi]

i dont know yet

[sibhusky]

I have some heat molded things I got at the loft years ago -- don't know the name, they have a red rubber top sheet. Frankly, I didn't USE them for the first four years I had them. They didn't feel right. Then last year I need to take up some space in my well-packed out boots and did some trimming of the footbeds and stuck them in. What a revelation! I can't take them in and out, tho, without a massive effort, so the boots don't really dry out underneath of them. They are just too stiff to take in and out without tearing up the inside of the boot.

[Justo8484]

footbeds are probably the best money you can spend on equipment. after all, they give you a solid foundation for your feet, and thats where everything stems from. if your feet are not sitting properly in your boots, you can have all sorts of problems. the performance difference is huge too. you will be much more balanced and your skis will respond quicker. at nestors we charge $125 with the purchase of a new boot or $150 without a new boot, which sounds like a lot, but it really is totally worth it. I can't ski without them anymore since i have had them. if you get them, try them out and dont like them, we have a full money back garantee on them, so theres really nothing to lose.

[skier150]

SuperFeet is what I have in all my boots.

[trtaylor]

I just had a pair of Superfeet footbeds made by Billy Kaplan (Langhorne Ski & Sport). Anxious to try them out on the snow.

 

Tim

[sibhusky]

I tried a pair of those Superfeet inserts, the green ones, not the molded ones, and they added way too much heel lift!!!! I felt like I was carving great...with the tails of the skis. I was looking for more heel stabilization (I have custom footbeds, but they are totally under the foot, no wrap around the heel). I returned the Superfeet on their great return policy and got Scholls conformables instead, just to cut down on some packed-out boot issues. They are still a bit too much "extra stuff", but things are sure snug now. Trouble is, my toes are getting cold fast. Not sure how much is weather (9 degrees on the summit yesterday, excluding any windchill) and how much is lack of blood circulation.

Edited December 1, 2005 by sibhusky

[Justo8484]

sounds like the dr scholls might have a little too much material in the forefoot, cutting off your ciculation.

[trtaylor]

I tried a pair of those Superfeet inserts, the green ones, not the molded ones, and they added way too much heel lift!!!! I felt like I was carving great...with the tails of the skis. I was looking for more heel stabilization (I have custom footbeds, but they are totally under the foot, no wrap around the heel). I returned the Superfeet on their great return policy and got Scholls conformables instead, just to cut down on some packed-out boot issues. They are still a bit too much "extra stuff", but things are sure snug now. Trouble is, my toes are getting cold fast. Not sure how much is weather (9 degrees on the summit yesterday, excluding any windchill) and how much is lack of blood circulation.

 

Wouldn't the heel lift moved your balance forward, and if anything, made your tails wash out and skid, rather than carve? Just curious, no expert here.

 

Tim

[Justo8484]

a heel lift will get you farther forward on the ski, unless you are really sitting back, in which case it would put more pressure on the tails. skiing in softer snow, you can, and ofter do need to sit back more, which could be why sib is noticing the tails being a little too grippy.

[sibhusky]

I don't know, they also added this ridge under my arch, so I took them out in the middle of the second day. It felt like I had high heels on. I already have heel lifts under my liners because of some calf issue and the boots have a high arch and I don't. The existing heel lifts move my foot up relative to the arch. The Superfeet made the lift ridiculous AND added back in arch that I spent a lot of time flattening. I just returned them during the honeymoon period.

 

Feet were warmer today because I dressed warmer.

[JollyJake99]

I've had custom footbeds in my last four pairs of boots. All were made by Nestor's and I would not think of skiing with out them.

I have some heat molded things I got at the loft years ago -- don't know the name, they have a red rubber top sheet. Frankly, I didn't USE them for the first four years I had them. They didn't feel right. Then last year I need to take up some space in my well-packed out boots and did some trimming of the footbeds and stuck them in. What a revelation! I can't take them in and out, tho, without a massive effort, so the boots don't really dry out underneath of them. They are just too stiff to take in and out without tearing up the inside of the boot.

sib -

Try taking the liner out of the shell to remove the footbeds. However, it often takes a second set of hands to spread the shell open enuff to pull out the liner. I try to do this once or twice a season to make sure the interior is full dry. Do you use a boot dryer?

[Papasteeze]

Ridge has the Insta Print system in his boot from Mr Nestor Sr himself. He has 3 days on them and LOVES them.

 

I have the insta rpint system also, I moved it from one boot to the next. I noticed that there is a lot of deformity and weird bubbles after about 100 plus days. It doesn't seem like they can be remolded can they? Justo??

[volklyokel]

Its interesting about the variety of experiences that others have had with footbeds. I have a set of Superfeet green/blue in my Dalbello V8's that I've been riding on for a couple of seasons now. They're awesome. I have been comfortable with them and felt like I had great support in all kinds of conditions. So, when I bought new Dalbello V-Tech boots today, I had them put a new set of the same kind of footbeds in as well. I kept the stock beds, just in case I wanted to switch back, but I'm not expecting to need to do so. My feet are pretty "normal."

 

If you go with a new set of footbeds, you might need to take a twist or two off the center buckles to accomodate any slight rise in your instep. - VY

[sibhusky]

I have warmer sticks. THERE IS NO WAY I am going to remove the liner every day. That is a major undertaking. The boots sit on a radiant-heated floor with sticks in them whenever there are not feet in them. Since I am not going to pull out the liner every day, they DO stink. But only when my feet aren't in them.

[trtaylor]

Its interesting about the variety of experiences that others have had with footbeds. I have a set of Superfeet green/blue in my Dalbello V8's that I've been riding on for a couple of seasons now. They're awesome. I have been comfortable with them and felt like I had great support in all kinds of conditions. So, when I bought new Dalbello V-Tech boots today, I had them put a new set of the same kind of footbeds in as well. I kept the stock beds, just in case I wanted to switch back, but I'm not expecting to need to do so. My feet are pretty "normal."

 

If you go with a new set of footbeds, you might need to take a twist or two off the center buckles to accomodate any slight rise in your instep. - VY

 

Where did you pick up the V-Tech's? I'm currently skiing in V9's.

 

Tim

[sibhusky]

Sib,

 

where are your reports from Montucky? Bridger Bowl opens tomorrow and they got over 50 inches this week. This weekend seems like a good time to go down to Boze-town and visit you kid. Why no Big Mountain reports? Tell us about your 120,000 vertical.

 

Big Mountain is still not fully open, although we opened in mid-November. The back side is open and has great powder. When I skied there yesterday, they had left about 8 inches of fresh on most of the runs, which was nice. BUT, since there is not much open, it was pretty much tracked out by 10 AM. (We open at 9:30). I went down Moose the day before. I question whether it should have been labeled an open trail as it was in backcountry shape. Lots of trees, bushes, and a gully down the middle I never knew existed!!! I got suckered into it because at the top it just looked like a few trees, but once past the "no return" point, the gully, bushes, rocks, etc. were lying in wait. The guy I was skiing with was not happy at my suggestion of trying the thing. We both survived, but there were no high scores on form.

 

I don't get off again until Monday. But the last I looked I was ranked 37th in terms of vertical there (that won't last, I'll start slipping as the season wears on.)

 

The kid has finals coming up and was just home, so the last thing she needs is mom distracting her. I MIGHT try to fit in a Bridger visit when I go down to bring her back for Christmas (she leaves me the following day for races in Mammoth), but Bridger would depend on when her exam is over that day. No sense dragging skis and boots down if I can fit in less than 3 hours of skiing.

Edited December 3, 2005 by sibhusky