Footbeds are perhaps the most overlooked aspect of a skiers equipment. This is because of a number of issues. Foremost may be that many shops do not have the knowledge or equipment to make custom footbeds so they do not talk about them much. Secondly is that the cost factor is high and while every skier needs skis, boots, bindings and poles, they do not need a good footbed to get out on the mountain to ski. Therefore many choose not to spend the money on a footbed.

The fact is however that almost all skiers can benefit greatly from an upgraded footbed. Some people may be fine with an off the shelf aftermarket footbed that more suits their foot structure. Others will get the full benefit from a custom footbed. Some people may have problems that are best addressed by a podiatrist that specializes in athletic footwear or ski boots. Whatever your situation ends up being, the staff at California Ski Company can help you evaluate your footbed needs and steer you in the right direction.

Feet are complicated instruments. They vary in all people and change as we get older. With a stock insole most of our feet do not get the proper support they need from below. There are some common scenarios that do come up time and again while fitting boots and liners. The most common example of this in relation to footbeds is that in many cases we find our customers have "pronation" issues that can be addressed by a custom footbed. Pronation is a misalignment of your bone structure that occurs when you put weight on your foot. As you weight the foot your arch flattens and your ankle and leg bones move out of there natural alignment. Statistics show that reducing pronation can increase a skier's comfort and performance in up to 80% of the skiers on the mountain. Pronation in a stock boot can be up to 15 degrees. With a custom footbed this can be reduced to 2-6 degrees.

Every ski boot comes with a simple insole. The insole is typically made of a thin flexible material that serves as a sort of thin padding as well as providing a soft surface to stand on. Boots are designed to hold your foot in a very rigid posture. They must allow your lower leg to aid in leaning your ski on edge as well. The standard plastic boot with four buckles does a pretty good job of doing this. It wraps around your lower leg, and pushes down on the top of your foot in a way that creates a solid fit. Unfortunately your stock boot and footbed cannot adjust to really support your foot from below.

Stock insoles must be made of a soft material that will not have any built in support that pushes upwards too much for any foot at any spot. Consequently, wearing a ski boot without a custom footbed is like standing on a hard flat surface. The boot however must be very tightly fit, so many times buckles are simply tightened to a high degree to prevent foot movement inside the boot. This in many cases simply crushes the foot to the point that your arch is reduced, blood vessels and nerves are pinched, and discomfort follows. A custom footbed is one that is molded to fit the underside shape of your foot. Custom footbeds eliminate the need for over tightening while at the same time giving a much higher degree of comfort and support to your foot. In most instances a custom footbed will also improve your ability to use the boot to angle your skis into a carving angle.
Feet are complicated instruments. They vary in all people and change as we get older. With a stock insole most of our feet do not get the proper support they need from below. There are some common scenarios that do come up time and again while fitting boots and liners. The most common example of this in relation to footbeds is that in many cases we find our customers have "pronation" issues that can be addressed by a custom footbed. Pronation is a misalignment of your bone structure that occurs when you put weight on your foot. As you weight the foot your arch flattens and your ankle and leg bones move out of there natural alignment. Statistics show that reducing pronation can increase a skiiers comfort and performance in up to 80% of the skiiers on the mountain. Pronation in a stock boot can be up to 15 degrees. With a custom footbed this can be reduced to 2-6 degrees.

At California Ski Company our bootfitters will discuss your boot needs, look at your foot structure, and recommend the boot that has the most appropriate shell and liner for your needs. We will also in almost all cases recommend an after market footbed. Just slipping in a higher quality footbed during the fitiing process is enough to convince almost all of our customers to at least add this to their purchase. After inspecting and evaluating your feet we may recommend a custom footbed.

Pronation, supination, flat footed or high arched, whatever the case may be, it is our goal to see that you end up with a boot fit that supports you in a well aligned neutral position. Some people may be fine with an off the shelf aftermarket footbed that more suits their foot structure. Most will get the full benefit from a custom footbed. Some people have problems that are best addressed by a podiatrist or pedorthist that specializes in athletic footwear or ski boots. In many cases we find that our customers have "pronation" issues that can be addressed by a custom footbed. Statistics show that reducing pronation can increase a skier's comfort and performance in up to 80% of the skiers on the mountain. Pronation in a stock boot can be up to 15 degrees. With a custom footbed this can be reduced to 2-6 degrees.

Sidebars- pronation/supination and its effects on boot fit and performance

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