Skiing and snowboarding are both incredible sports that are fun, exciting, and full of thrills. But while these sports are massively popular, they aren’t without their drawbacks.
One of the most common issues skiers and snowboarders encounter on the trail are aching and sore feet brought on by uncomfortable ski shoes. These stiff and heavy boots are frequently responsible for everything from squashed toes and bruised heels, to twisted ankles covered in blisters.
So why do your ski boots hurt your feet? And is there any way to stop them from hurting?
Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
This handy guide will take you through the possible reasons why your ski boots are hurting you, as well as some easy ways to reduce and even eliminate foot pain while you’re skiing.
Ready? Then let’s get started!
Why Are My Ski Boots Hurting My Feet?
There are several factors that could be causing your ski boots to hurt your feet. The cause of your pain could be one of these common issues, or even a combination of several!
They Are The Wrong Size
This is one of the most common causes of foot pain when you’re skiing. If your ski boots are the wrong size, they can cause you pain anywhere from your toes to your ankles.
Having the wrong size of ski boots is more common if you’re renting a pair, as these haven’t been measured for the size of your foot. And where ski boots are designed to fit snugly, it’s all too common for people to wear oversized ski boots because they are more comfortable.
If your boots are too tight, they will be putting too much pressure on your feet. Tight boots squeeze your toes together, which can cause them to get cramped and bruised.
Meanwhile, uneven pressure on the top or sides of your boots will put more stress on the heels and balls of your feet.
Tightness around the ankle can also cause chafing and blisters, and make your feet too rigid to properly ski or snowboard.
While it might seem counterintuitive, wearing boots that are too big for you can also cause pain along with some other issues.
If your feet can move around inside your boots, this can leave your toes or heels bumping around while you ski. This is an easy way to hurt your toes, especially if you’re making lots of turns.
This poor footing also makes it easier to lose control of your skis or snowboard, and the loose material around your ankle can rub and cause blisters as you shift inside the boots.
Wearing the right size ski boot is important. Not only will it reduce the amount of pain your feet experience, but it also gives you better footing and balance while you’re skiing.
They Are The Wrong Shape
The shape of your boots can also be a factor in your foot pain.
Ski boots are frequently custom-fitted to a person’s feet to make them as comfortable and secure as possible. Not only does this make wearing the boots pain-free, but it also means that sharp turns and precise movement are easy and unimpeded.
If your ski boots haven’t been fitted for you (another peril of rental boots), then they may force your feet into an uncomfortable position.
This is uncomfortable enough on its own, but when you’re skiing or snowboarding in unfitted boots then you’re guaranteed to get some major foot-ache.
Arch support is crucial to reducing foot pain, particularly in footwear as rigid as ski boots. Most ski boots have fairly thin and flat footbeds that are designed to suit an average fit. Because of this, your arches aren’t given support and impacts are felt more.
If your ski boots don’t have good arch support, your feet will ache just from walking around in them, let alone while you’re skiing or snowboarding on a bumpy trail.
They Aren’t Broken In Properly
Breaking in any pair of boots is important, and ski boots are no different. If you haven’t broken in your boots yet, then it’s likely that they will hurt your feet.
However, breaking in a pair of ski boots is slightly different to breaking in a pair of regular boots.
Ski boots are designed to be rigid, without much movement to the sole or the ankle. That said, they should have a little bit of flexibility once you’ve broken them in. They’ll still be stiffer than other boots, but the material shouldn’t be rock solid.
If you haven’t broken in your ski boots properly, then the lack of give while you’re skiing can cause impacts and pressure on your feet. Additionally, without any flex on the ankle you’re more likely to rub the skin and develop blisters.
Your Boots Are Positioning Your Foot Unnaturally
Skiing and snowboarding take a lot of skill to do. A large part of these sports is the correct technique, and even something as simple as your foot position can have an impact on your performance.
However, your pair of ski boots might be putting your feet in strange positions. For example, your arches could be raised too high, or too low down. They may also make you put too much weight on your toes, heels, or the sides of your feet.
If your ankle moves too much or too little, this will leave your boots rubbing against your heel and knocking your calves.
An unnatural foot position can be caused by other factors we’ve already looked at, such as if the boots are the wrong shape for your foot. It could also be down to a footbed that has either too much or too little cushioning, which affects how your weight is distributed along your foot.
Not only will an odd foot position affect your skiing, but it will also lead to your feet hurting while you’re wearing your ski boots.
How To Stop Your Ski Boots From Hurting
So now that you know some of the things that could be causing your ski boots to hurt your feet, it’s time to look at some easy ways to prevent it from happening. These simple tricks are great at reducing (or even entirely eliminating) foot pain, and take minimal effort on your part.
Get Ski Boots That Fit Properly
This is by far the easiest solution to aching feet, and is also one of the most effective in most cases. A lot of the time, your feet will hurt in your ski boots because part of the boot fits wrong. Getting a pair of boots that fit you properly will make sure that your feet are as comfortable and as pain-free as possible.
As mentioned earlier, foot pain can stem from boots that are too big as well as ones that are too small. It can be hard to know whether your boots are fitting you correctly, so here are a few things to bear in mind.
Ski boots should have a snug fit, but not to the point of being too tight.
Your toes should be against the front of the boot without too much pressure, and you should have enough space to move them slightly. If your toes are being crushed from the front or the sides, then you’ll need boots with a wider toe box.
You should also have a comfortable amount of pressure on the top of your foot, and the ankle should not be so rigid as to stop your ankle from moving entirely.
The ‘finger test’ is a quick method of testing whether a pair of boots are too tight around the ankle. Simply bend your foot forward slightly so you can access the back of the boot. From there, see how many fingers you can fit in between the back of the boot and your foot.
For the best sizing, you should be able to fit one finger comfortably in the gap with a slight bit of wriggle room.
If you are struggling to even fit one finger in the gap, then your boots are probably too small. Meanwhile, if you can fit more than one finger in with room to spare then chances are your boots are too big for you.
Break Them In
Just like any other pair of boots, your ski boots need to be broken in before you can wear them comfortably.
There are a couple of steps required for breaking in a ski boot, and the process typically takes several full days of skiing to complete.
The main part of the breaking-in process involves letting the foam liner inside the boot mold itself to your foot, by letting it press down and compact as you walk and ski.
Other parts of breaking in your boots will loosen up the material to make it easier to move in, and spread the liner around the shell of the boot to distribute pressure and absorb shock.
The standard way to break in a pair of ski boots is to wear them while skiing until they become more comfortable to wear. The more you wear them, the more your boots will adjust to your feet for the perfect fit that gives your feet the support that they need.
However, this can be a long process and until it’s finished you’ll be stuck dealing with foot pain. Luckily, you can break your boots in at home, too.
Wearing your ski boots around the house might be a bit of an inconvenience, but it’s more than worth it in the long run. You can stop your feet from hurting while you’re doing this by only wearing your boots for an hour or so at a time.
While you’re wearing your boots around the house, try to regularly wiggle your toes and flex your ankle in each direction.
Breaking in boots is even easier if you wear them without buckling them for around 5 minutes before you start; this gives the boots a bit of time to warm up and loosen slightly.
Most ski boots have removable liners that you can take out and wear independently of the shell of the boot. Slip them like a pair of slippers, and you’ll be able to break in your ski boots without having to wear the stiff and irritating shell around the house.
Stretch The Material
This is a similar fix to breaking in your boots, although this method is much quicker and less precise.
If you don’t have the time or patience to break in your boots through normal means, there are a few ways you can speed up the process.
Using a boot stretcher will open up some space for your toes by stretching out the material in the toe box. This gives your toes some more room to move and stops them from being squeezed together.
You can also use a boot stretcher to give your ski boots a little more room above the foot, and even to loosen up the ankle a bit.
Properly stretching out a boot involves heating it up, typically in hot water. The boot is then fixed in a vice, and pressure is applied in various spots either with a tool called a ‘boot press’ or with the vice itself.
You can stretch your ski boots properly at home, but you’re better off taking your boots to an expert to avoid damaging them beyond repair.
How To Protect Your Feet
Unfortunately, even if you’ve made sure your boots aren’t causing further issues, there’s still the chance that your feet will end up hurting while wearing ski boots. Sometimes issues like blisters or tired feet are unavoidable, especially if you’re spending all day on the slopes.
If this is the case, here are some ways you can protect your feet from aches and pains.
Wear Thicker Socks
Ideally, you should be wearing specialized thin ski socks with your ski boots. These are designed to be warm and well-fitted while remaining as thin as possible. Thick socks can make your boots feel tighter and increase the pressure on your feet.
That said, switching your ski socks out for a slightly thicker sock (a regular or medium-thickness sock works best) will give your feet some more cushioning.
This will reduce the impact on your foot whilst you’re skiing and walking, and give you some more protection against your boots rubbing.
Just make sure that your socks aren’t too thick, as this can leave you with more foot pain than before.
Pad Your Ankles With Bandaids
An easy way to protect yourself against blisters is to put a bandaid on the back of your heel or ankle. By putting some on your foot, you’ll stop your boots from causing blisters while you ride.
Bandaids are great for this because their adhesive keeps them in place, and the soft cotton pad adds an extra layer of cushioning to your feet. They are also easy to carry around with you if you need to replace them.
You can also use blister prevention tape, which is essentially a more specialized version of sports tape that reduces abrasion and rubbing. Simply apply some tape to the areas you have issues with, and you’re ready to go.
Add a Shaped Insole
As mentioned before, if your ski shoes aren’t custom-fitted to your feet then chances are you won’t be getting the arch support you need.
If you aren’t able to get a custom pair of ski shoes or if you’re going to be renting a pair, then a custom insole is a much cheaper and simpler option.
Custom insoles can be inserted and removed easily, and are perfectly shaped to give your foot the support it needs. They are an especially good option if you have high arches, as the extra support the insole gives you will reduce the strain on your arch and, by extension, the pain in the rest of your foot.
It’s not hard to find reasonably priced custom insoles, so there isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t bring a set with you when you’re skiing. Just bear in mind that thicker insoles will limit the rest of the room in your boot, so try to avoid any insoles that take up too much space in your boots.
Final Thoughts
So now you know what causes foot pain and how to reduce it! Most of the time, wearing ski boots will hurt because they aren’t properly shaped or sized to accommodate your feet. Getting a pair of ski boots that are the right size, shape, and have enough cushioning will greatly reduce and even get rid of any aches and pains you’re experiencing.
And even if you’re still dealing with some foot pain after sorting out everything you can with the boots themselves, there are still some simple things you can do to help keep your feet protected.
Now all that’s left for you to do is take your properly-fitted ski boots onto the slopes.
Have fun!
