Why do your ski boots hurt?

Pain in the forefoot/ball of the foot (metatarsalgia) is a common discomfort that is often felt when wearing ski boots.

Numbness, a burning sensation or just general aches and pains can all drain the enjoyment from a day's skiing.

But why do we get foot pain when skiing and how can we resolve it?

The key reasons why the forefoot tends to suffer more than the mid and rear foot are its mobility and lack of resistance to compression from above and the sides.

When walking, our foot has evolved to adapt to changing terrain and provide shock absorption, this means that the bones of our forefoot are very mobile and constantly have to adapt.

The foot's natural tendency to change shape and alignment within the boot is also a common cause of foot pain.

Our feet work as dynamic bio-mechanical propulsion devices; first when placing our foot down it adapts to the terrain by collapsing and acting as a shock absorber (getting wider, longer and with the foot rolling inwards), then the foot rolls outwards and locks into a strong rigid lever for propulsion.

Unfortunately for us skiers, the shell of a ski boot is rigid and doesn't flex or allow for this to occur comfortably.

The symptoms for this cause of foot pain are slightly more isolated when compared to that of general tightness.

A burning or aching sensation running across the outside of the foot is often felt at first which then leads to a more widespread pain and numbness.

To resolve this we need to use some form of effective foot support.

Using pre-moulded insoles offers a good alternative to the flat or unsupportive insoles we find inside ski boots.

Custom insoles use a stiffer template and stabiliser to offer the maximum amount of support and control.

Regardless of the type of support, we need to try and maintain a more stable and neutral position of the foot between rolling inwards/outwards (i.e the motions of pronation/supination).