Get the ULTIMATE ski boot fit PT 3/4: Footbeds and Shell Sizing // DAVE SEARLE

In this video, which is the 3rd in a four part series on boot fitting and how to get the most out of your most important piece of ski equipment, we look at why you will never get a more perfect fit than if you use custom molded footbed. We look at the anatomy of the foot and why you need to support the arch to prevent elongation of the foot and also stabilise the lower leg.
In subsequent videos we will look at shell sizing and footbeds and liners.
Video 1 - Category selection here - • Get the ULTIMATE ski b...
Video 2 - Shell selection here - • Get the ULTIMATE ski b...
This video is made in collaboration with Sole Bootlab Chamonix. Check them out for all your boot fitting needs!
Check them out here - www.solesportslabs.com/
Follow me on instagram - / davejsearle
Checkout my website for Guiding - www.davesearleguiding.com/
#backcountryskiing #skiing #ski #adventureunleashed #mountain #skiboots #chamonix #chamonixmontblanc

[@seanbarryuk]

Got a custom footbed made at Sole bootlab today, after a day on the slopes I can immediately see it has made a HUGE difference.

[@DaveSearle]

Great!

[@michaelaronson9447]

Most ski shop boot fitters generally speaking are not properly informed or trained by boot manufacturers to recommend the correct foot beds.

[@L3uX]

I find this true.. great service on everything else, but footbed was lame/standard. I realized my foot is a bit flatter and requires strong arch support for proper knee flexion/alignment. Bought generic arch support bed with few mm up front to balance out height. Just did some testing, what do you know, much better in so many regards.

[@Monty456]

Great video. I had custom footbeds from ProFeet in the UK and 2 seasons in, my foot was in agony. Turns out foot was too far forward in the boot, changed to non-custom liners and pain is all gone!

[@KLS1557]

Thx Dave for all your knowledge sharing. It always give a lot of wrap all around overview stuff to get deeper into the matter.

[@tee918]

These are my favorite purchase of all my ski gear. I have arch issues from many years of walking with a rucksack and my custom insoles really were a game changer for hard skiing and touring.

[@DaveSearle]

Very helpful for almost everyone.

[@camilocarrillo2132]

this is gold, makes so much sense now but it never ocurred to me how the forces interacted with the arch of the feet. Im ordering new footbeds for next season, thanks dave!

[@DaveSearle]

No worries!

[@doitright8209]

Years ago, Sven Comer’s ZipFit used to make cork footbeds that worked perfectly for me, better actually than the pricey custom beds I had before. And unlike the Superfeet, they didn’t pack out in a season. Unfortunately, they don’t seem to be available anymore. Bring them back!

[@robertcushing9834]

Nice video but a hard foot bl ko in my bed 5:48 ed custom made nearly crippled me. Work for some not for others actually lots of best skiers don't use them because it prevents articulation. Custom footbeds are no longer universally recommended.

[@gatyottolino4941]

Hi dave... Is the insole in the video a frontfoot varus? I note a canting down the big toe.... I have the same problem....

[@davidhudson7400]

What do you think about installing a booster strap or aftermarket liner to improve performance? Great video as always, loving this series!

[@DaveSearle]

All that stuff can be really good! best to talk to a boot fitter about it like the guys at sole! Booster straps can help soften a boot up or provide a nice rebound feeting from full compression.

[@scwam]

I thought booster straps increase boot flex, am I wrong?

[@DaveSearle]

They soften the boot up not stiffen them up.

[@davidhudson7400]

@@DaveSearle how come WC racers use them?

[@DaveSearle]

@davidhudson7400 do give them better rebound out of the turn. Think about it how can an elastic band make a boot stiffer than a Velcro strap?

[@mtogsverd]

Thanks for the video. How often should you replace these footbeds? I assume like all other sportswear that they will wear out faster than the boots?

[@DaveSearle]

You should check them for damage and wear but I would say I hope to get around 150 days out of a pair. Hopefully more.

[@CL-gv2fx]

Just bought my Nordica Cruise 120 boot with custom molded Sidas footbeds here in Tokyo with a perfect 15-16mm shell fit (I also wonder how many mm I gained with the Sidas). But when I took the boot home tonight, I realized the Nordica Cruise has a defect - the pointed end of one screw for one of the buckles is poking into the liner causing indentations. Comfortable boot with the insole but disappointed with Nordica's quality control.

[@DaveSearle]

Thats a shame about the nordica's I'm certain they will fix that for you.

[@rafaelmargarit1573]

what type of footbeds are better for ski touring?

[@solebootlab7541]

We actually make the same footbeds for all boots, but depending on foot type, they may have stronger or softer elements. However if you’re combining a WC shell that’s got a narrow profile and touring boot with a wider profile you may feel the support feels harsh underfoot. Better to have the footbed profile trimmed the exact boots you’re using. Hope that helps.

[@darylphilip8938]

Are normal running footbeds ok for ski boots? My problem is leg length discrepancy, needing a 1cm raise on right foot, always causes issue with arch comfort in ski boot.

[@DaveSearle]

Running footbeds work differently to ski footbeds. Worth talking to a boot fitter like Sole boot lab to figure out what you need.

[@smallzookeeper6180]

It's pretty easy to accommodate a leg length discrepancy in a boot. Footbeds should be made out of stiffer materials for skiing than for running, completely different factors to consider. For running/walking the footbed needs to accommodate gait, in a ski boot we want to practically immobilise the foot, sit it neutral across the three planes of motion and allow maximum flexion fore/aft. It's easily done, if you understand these factors and have a good eye for the finishing and moulding of the product.

[@antonioa.pillitteri9845]

what does it cost more or less to have a custom molded footbed?

[@DaveSearle]

It costs more because of the labour.

[@jeetgorasia6634]

A hard-arched footbed is the worst kind of footbed you can ski in. It will wear your knees out and it disables the function of the foot preventing it from creating fine balancing movements. One of the biggest cons of skiing.

[@DaveSearle]

Interesting opinion! Having used, not used and used other types of footbeds the customer moulded ones are the best I’ve found for my skiing. I find the way that I ski the steering of the ski is done by the boot and shin interaction and keeping the foot stable helps keep the ankle bone in alignment.

[@steveb1856]

So good to hear from someone who sees the light. Boot fitting has fallen into this paradigm of small shell, ridged footbed, a constrained foot that cannot work, it has no anatomical or functional basis but is repeated over and over. No wonder so many people suffer and hate putting in a boot that stops their foot from working and limits their performance!

[@CommieHunter7]

Your perspective might align more with Tom Gellie of @bigpictureskiing as he's a big proponent of "your foot should drive the ski, your foot needs to be able to work"

[@3XH1L]

what's the best solution then?

[@jeetgorasia6634]

@maitd7984 the best solution is to have a flexible arch (strength of the arch depends on the weight of the skier) so the foot can function to make lateral edging/tipping movements for the feet so it can load the side walls of the ski boot to get the ski to go on edge. You have to align the heel bone (calcaneous) to sit verticle in the heel area by posting the sides. Which side you post on depends if the foot is pronating or supnating. But if you post too much in the heel area you will lock up the foot. Meaning you severely limit its ability to balance and create fine movements within the foot for dynamic balance needs.

[@CommieHunter7]

The longitudinal arch can collapse if not properly trained. It doesnt need support, it needs to be trained. You wouldn't brace the upper leg if your knee collapsed due to fatigue, you would train. People need to walk, hike, and yes, ski more without extreme support. Take away the block that prevents thay arch from working, and let people strengthen their feet!

[@DaveSearle]

Hi Adam, I’d love to see anyone hold there arch in it’s correct position as pull 3 g through a gs turn! Feet are simply not evolved to do that.

[@CommieHunter7]

@@DaveSearle actually, they are. Jogging creates 3-6Gs, spriting creates 8-11Gs, according to studies. It would be similar to isometrically holding 3x bodyweight, many people do squat that heavy in shoes that don't shape the arch the same way ski boots do. I'm not against a good fitting boot. I just felt that the rush to push my arch up above it's natural stance was rooted in older understanding.

[@CommieHunter7]

@@DaveSearle also, jumping off a 5 foot height generates up to 5Gs. Many athletic people can do that barefoot, or in something basic like flip flops or soft shoes.

[@steveb1856]

A lot of rubbish talked here! Complete misunderstanding of foot function and anatomy. Follow this and you will be in agony! The role of a ski boot is not to completely constrain the foot.

[@DaveSearle]

I guess sole boot lab in Chamonix should have gone out of business years ago then with all their dissatisfied customers! Seems like it’s quite the opposite every time I go in there though.

[@steveb1856]

They may understand more than you are able to articulate in your presentation but you clearly don’t have a full grasp of what you are try ing to explain. Over simplified and erroneous explanations can only confuse people. Whilst there is a place for an anatomical foot bed it needs to be matched to the anatomy and function of the individual but rarely should that be rigid and constrain the natural function of the foot, it certainly is not there to prevent the function of the fore foot or the natural lengthening of the foot under load. It’s those functions that allow precise and accurate control of the ski! Most of the suffering people experience from ski boots is shells that are too small and a foot that is too constrained. Only parts of the foot/lower leg to be closely controlled, the fore foot and arch definitely don’t. I’m not trying to be rude but the idea that you prevent the foot changing length or width, that you use a ski boot just as a lever from your lower leg eliminating the foot is such a misnomer. The arch of foot isn’t supported by muscle it’s a facial band, it works like the carbon blade in a prostheses or one of those fancy new running shoes, it need to be a activated and rebound it is not a passive platform as you suggest. I would refer you to the work of David McPhail one of the most successful and influential ski boot technicians, but sadly it’s no longer online and he’s retired. I was fortunate Sven Coomer fitted me and what I learnt has then been translated into how I fit my own boots and my wife’s boots. After years of nonsense from boot fitters and misery from footbeds and constrained ski boot fitting she was ready to give up skiing. Using the knowledge I had accumulated about how to allow the foot to work I fitted her with what she calls magic boots and that has changed her skiing life. Clamping your foot into a tiny shell on a ridged footbed is the wrong way to go!

[@DaveSearle]

@@steveb1856 I do find you being rude tbh. This video isn’t an opinion piece from me it was more or less scripted by sole. I’m very happy for you and your wife getting nice comfortable feet for your skiing and actually enjoying it. That’s great! Unfortunately 90% of skiers suffer from lack of control and as mentioned in this video that comes from boots that are too big. I’ve always been super happy with the high performance fit that they give me and if I want a boot with more comfort (which I do also have) then they can also provide this for me. Just remember your opinion isn’t fact (just as mine isn’t) and this video is talking from experience, obviously not my own but from 20 years of bootfitting experience that sole has. Consider a friendlier approach next time thanks