Bootfitter's Notes: The Importance of Good Footbeds

Making a boot personalized to your foot is the goal of every good boot fit - the difference between a well-fitting pair of boots and poor-fitting pair is enormous, and in my opinion, all expert skiers or aspiring experts should take the time to get a pair of boots that are “custom fit.”

So how do you get your boots “custom fit?”  The best place to start is with a custom footbed.  Custom footbeds make the sole of the boot 100% custom fit to your foot.

Who needs a custom footbed? Essentially anyone looking for maximum performance or comfort out of their boot, or both.

So, the question is, are they worth a couple hundred bucks?

Some feet match up pretty nicely with a drop-in footbed, which is a prefabricated arch shape. The Superfeet do a good job of stabilizing the heel and straightening the ankle chord, but the customs do all the same in the heel pocket but take the custom shaping one step farther by offering custom arch support and a completely flat bottom assuring your foot is flat and reactive.

When the bone structure of the foot is properly aligned the foot will also be a lot less prone to fatigue throughout the day.

With the foot being in neutral position the foot is stronger more responsive, which will correlate to quicker turns and will be far more comfortable than if it were unsupported.  Which reminds me, the “insole” provided in the ski boot by the manufacturer is entirely useless and should be disposed of at once.

If you are still skiing on it, remove it from your boot (it will help to remove the liner first) and take a look at it. The vast majority of stock insoles are completely flat offering no support or have some marketing arch support that can be compressed by a finger and a small amount of pressure.

If you own a custom footbed that is a few years old or long in the tooth, (OK, OK it’s more than a few years old) one way to check if it’s a properly functioning footbed it to remove it from the boot and put it on a flat surface and check if the bottom of the footbed is flat.  Does it rock?  It should not.  A rocking foot bed is a poor performing foot bed.

Also put it under your arch, does it still match your arch?  Feet change over the years, hitting the gym hard, running more than ever before, putting on weight, getting in great shape, and giving birth are all things that can change the foot dramatically.  Also time will change your foot.

Anyone spending a lot of time skiing - 40 plus days a year - should consider custom footbeds, as should experts or aspiring experts should seriously consider getting one.  Problematic feet, excessive pronation* or supination* or those with painful arches, regardless of skier type should really think about custom footbeds.

Ignorance is bliss as they say, so if you fit any of these categories and have gone without customs this whole time you should seriously considering doing it right this time, and getting set up with a custom footbed.

*Pronation: The ankle rolling in when weighted
*Supination: the ankle rolling out when weighted