UKC

Took my first winter boots on a test run; 6km snowy plod around/up Moel y Ci. However, about half way around the hill the outside edges and soles of my feet began to ACHE, like I was going to get cramp. Cramp didnt set in, but they remained super uncomfy all the way home. Seemed to ease off if I stood still and flexed my feet about a bit. I just want to check - is it just a case of my (flat) feet being worked in new and unusual ways? Do I just need to Man Up? Or have I messed up on boot choice (the boots are really pretty comfy). And if this persists, I assume tweaking footbeds/volume adjusters etc is the way to go? Any advice welcomed!

In reply to goosebump:

Lacing too tight? Just a simple possibility before some of the more involved explanations. Maybe?

In reply to goosebump: hi, i had a similar problem that was being caused by a poor fitting footbed. basically the arch was in the wrong position and was causing my foot to suffer fatigue very quickly, although my feet did adjust slightly to it.
i was using green superfeet that had worked well in freneys but in newly bought jorasses they just did not work.
i have now had custom footbeds made and on a test run they seem pretty good so far and there is virtually no sign of fatigue.
so, in short i would go down the route of having custom footbeds made as they do seem to work and are quite easy to adjust after the first moulding if you return to the shop, and you can also get more solid stabiliser bonded to the heel section to reduce your foot rolling if you suffer at all from over pronounciation (spelling??)

In reply to goosebump: I have pain exactly like that that you described. I've tried a new footbed which helped a bit but only enough to prolong the short initial period of comfort before the pain sets in. I've also messed with lacing a lot but to no avail. When i fit my crampons and point on them i get heal lift and pain in the ball of my foot.

I'd also love to here other peoples solutions to boot fit.

Curious to what boots you've got goosebump, you don't happen to have mantas do you?

In reply to goosebump: I have similar to this in Nepal's, thankfully you can keep the foot part loose, and the ankle tied up tightly, and this helps no-end.

In reply to all:

Hmmmm no inspiring tales there. The reason Im asking questions is that Im in a quandary - although Ive worn the boots, by some miracle there is not a mark on them or in them. The even smell fresh! So they are eminently returnable in their current state.
I dont want to fiddle about with footbeds and lacing etc if the chances of a successful fit are minimal, ending up with boots that I will have to sell on here.
Are there any feet experts on UKC? I would prefer to have a better understanding of why feet ache like this, before guessing at a solution.

In reply to goosebump:
Hi Goosebump. I don't think you've necessarily made the wrong boot choice. You've just never worn stiff boots before. And I would hope after a few more trips that your feet would get used to it. Your foot is used to flexing in a fairly unconstrained manner with other footwear, and now you've forced it to remain rigid throughout your gait.

I always get sole cramps (extreme) when taking off up hills for the first time in a while in stiff boots. It does ease though after about 30-60mins.

The suggestions of others above all help, particularly leaving the ankle lacing loose, so that your foot can flex more naturally -- until it gets better trained.

And footbeds are almost ubiquitous out there amongst big boot wearers. So that's not a cop-out at all. Mind you, I have extremely flat feet and the arch imposed by some off-the-shelf footbeds exacerbates the problem.

The bottom line is that the effect you describe is fairly common. You want to make double sure, though, that your foot isn't being compressed in strange ways, and is otherwise comfy. No weird rubbing or pressure or anything? If there are no problems there, then they will most likely work for you and you might have to train your feet slowly, and/or try a footbed.

All boot buying is a black art.

Incidentally, what have you ended up with? We tried the womens Monolith, thanks to your advice and were able to compare side by side the womens vs mens on my girl's feet. But the women's toe really does taper down a lot doesn't it! After a few hours of shop walking we stuck with the roomier mens (despite them being too roomy actually) and she has now committed out on the hill.

Cheers
Bruce

In reply to goosebump: Sounds like your boots are too narrow. I had the same with Nepal Extremes and I've since used Kaylands and Scarpas, both of which have been comfy both out the box, and for prolonged periods.

In reply to BruceM: Sorry, slight hijack here, what are most people using as footbeds in B3's, superfeet ? If so which colour ?

In reply to BruceM:
Hi Bruce,
I bought the monoliths and the asolo alpinists and mooched around in both at home. There was so little in it - in the end I decided on the alpinists as the lower ankle cuff makes for more comfortable walking (the irony!). I also found the mammuts *just* a touch too close around the tops of my toes for my liking, the mens ones definitely too wide. Got more wiggle room in the asolos, but wish the rand continued unbroken around the boot....It really was 6 and half a dozen!

So, nope no weird rubbing or squishing of my feet. A little heel lift on my smaller foot, but nothing to be too concerned over. This does mean I have to crank the laces in tight around the ankle though (this is the same for all boots I have ever owned). Foot beds here I come.

Fingers crossed!

In reply to goosebump:
Oh dear, work is going slowly today...just googled footbed (I know of none other than superfeet) - anyone used/heard of this bunch:

foottechnology.co.uk

In reply to tragically1969: i have black (moldable) ones cause I have weird shaped feet, so weird in fact I have a podiatrist appointment to get my knees lined up better so that my legs can keep working.

to the original poster - MAN UP, stiff boots are VERY different to anything you may have worn before your whole gait and way of walking changes and your bits may fit as best they can. the nepals are stiff, stiffer I reckon than some others eg Kayland M11 scarpa jorasses. mine fit and i get similar but not so extreme symptons particularly early in season. Persevere! I've worn one set of soles out and am excited about wearing out the next. The nepal pro fancy ones have a slight extra rocker so if you want to spend more they will prob be a touch comfier. get boots well fitted Outside in hathersage are superb.

In reply to goosebump:
Ah OK. Well when I was trying the Alpinists on, a few weeks ago, I really liked them because they really locked my foot up. Really stiff. And a really nice technical feel. (I just had to go the Monoliths instead beacuse the Alpinist heel was too agressive on my already painful heel.) But that great "locking the foot up" is possibly adding to your woes. Not bad. But might take some getting used to.

The footbeds may help. Superfeet seem the brand of choice here (tragically'69 -- green I guess), and maybe they still have that guarantee of money back if they don't work?? Which I used once, as they didn't for me. (Instead I use Formthotics imported from NZ, which are harder to get these days -- I stocked up.)

As for the womens Monoliths: yup, their female design model obviously had a pretty tiny forefoot!

Buying boots is horrible. And potentially expensive. And even when you sort out a system that works for you, they go and change all the designs on you every few years.

I hope they ease up on you or you otherwise get to work better together. Good luck.

Ciao.

In reply to goosebump:

I get this in most shoes when the laces are too tight around the wide bit near the toes. See if you still get it when the laces are loose there.

In reply to alasdair19:
Thanks Alasdair,
am doing my best! These boots are only B2s though , not fully stiff so I was hoping they might be more forgiving than they are!

In reply to jonnie3430:
Your suggestion is plan A. Mess about with laces. I will be so happy if its that straightforward (and will apologise for grumbling on here!)

In reply to goosebump:

There are a number of possible explanations. We tend to be used to our feet having more flex than winter boots give us, this can lead to soreness or cramping feelings, it can sometimes take a bit of practice to get the lacing right or worst case senario the fit is wrong.

The first two problems are easy enough to resolve, either with an appropriate insole or trial and error, the last one isn't.

In reply to goosebump: I used to get the same, but I find that if you try to walk like you normally would, your boot wont bend like other footwear does hence the pain and something has got to give( your foot). If you lift your boot up by bending your leg slighty more to make a step rather than rollong it when making a step it will ease. If its only during the walkins then the fit is prob not too bad as if the where too narrow you would feel in climbing too. Some boots have a a slightly cambered sole so they role when stepping
Andy

In reply to goosebump: the sole will give more and more as you wear them, but I am surprised at the level of discomfort in a relatively soft boot. if genuinely unmarked I would consider a shop re-visit, assuming the shop has other options in the same category

In reply to goosebump: Just realised they are only B2 boots i thought you meant B3's. you should get that with B2's tell the shop
andy

In reply to alasdair19:
In my defence, although its a B2, its a pretty stiff one. And having tried on every boot available in Llanberis and Betws, if you have "no volume" feet like me its these asolo alpinists or Mammut Monoliths. Im now reasonably sure I wont get a better fit than these, so am Manning Up and will be adjusting what I can as per suggestions on here. Thanks all!

In reply to goosebump: hiya. if your not used to wearing rigid boots then you may find them hard work to start with.i've found that if you learn to relax your feet and let the boot do the work,the sores will be reduced. changing the insoles to something like superfeet could help dramaticly too.also leave the boots loose for the walk in. failing any of that,then your boots may just be too narrow for you,which would be a very unfortunate purchase. good luck

In reply to goosebump: footbeds and loosening the laces could make all the difference. my skiboots kill me without footbeds - with the custom footbeds everything gets much better.

My B3 boots gave me sole pain in my feet something horrible just a few weeks ago. I now have sorbothane double strike insoles in them (replace the ones inside) and they make the fit with the bottom of the feet amazing. Plus with this weather I have been wearing them every single day for about three weeks now - including the 2 mile walk to and from the train station to work every day and they have broken in nicely!!