How do I stop cramping under the arches of my foot in my ski boots?

If your feet are uncomfortable in your ski boots it can reduce your skiing enjoyment and potentially spoil your holiday. That’s why if you’re intending to ski on an annual basis, we advocate owning your own ski boots and investing in a Profeet custom fit!

Managing arch pain
There are multiple factors to consider to stop cramping or a burning sensation under the arch of your foot in your ski boots.
 

1) Size

It could be that you are fundamentally in the wrong size boot. It’s important to check your size to ensure that it’s not too big or too small.

Typically, when the boot is too big you end up clawing your feet to try and secure yourself and gain control which can often cause cramping. If the boot is too small, it will result in crushing and put pressure on the foot often cutting of circulation leading to cramping and cold feet.
 

2) Check the shell for contact points

It is also important to check the foot in the shell for any contact points around the foot which could create a problem. Shells can be customised to fit imperfections in your feet such as bone spurs and bunions, relieving pressure points and improving fit.

Once the size and shape of the boot has been eliminated as possible factors, at the Profeet Ski Lab we would look at flexibility and alignment of the foot.

3) Improve comfort with custom insoles

All ski boots come with a simple foam insole in the bottom of the boot which doesn’t offer any support in the arch. It is highly recommended that you replace that insole with either an off-the-shelf trim-to-fit insole or even better for your feet, a custom insole.

A custom insole is hand-crafted by taking a mould of the bottom of your foot. This then mirrors your foot arch, distributing pressure more evenly underneath the foot. Your custom insole should be adapted by a skilled technician to suit the flexibility of your foot.

4) Stretch the soft tissues in your feet

Quite often during the initial foot assessment, we will find tightness in the plantar fascia (which is the connective tissue under the foot) and the flexor hallucis longus tendon (which runs underneath the arch).

If these soft tissues are too tight, they will almost certainly cramp in a ski boot. You can help relieve some of that tension using a foot roller or small spiky ball to target the soft tissue under the arch to try and lengthen those muscles.