February is a prime skiing month here in Southern Oregon, whether you’re heading to nearby favorites like Mt. Ashland or heading farther away for a cold-weather getaway. This sport allows you to get outdoors and get some great exercise while enjoying the beautiful nature around us. But if you have ski boots hurting feet, the fun of your day will end before it even starts. So, why does this problem happen and what can you do to make it stop? Here’s what you need to know!
Why Are Ski Boots Hurting Feet?
If your boots hurt your feet pretty early in the day, you should probably check their fit. You see, shoes and ski boot sizes run differently, so you should always try one or two pairs on if your typical size isn’t feeling quite right. Furthermore, even when your boot size is correct, you may need additional fit support. If you have high or flat feet, wearing custom orthotic devices when you hit the slopes can help stop ski boots from hurting your feet. Even better? By optimizing the position of your foot and maximizing its function, you could improve your athletic performance while reducing your risk for ski injuries.
Common Foot and Ankle Injuries for Skiers ![man on ski slope]()
When the fit of your boots is off, or the positioning of your foot is less than optimal, you increase your risk for bringing one of these sports injuries home from the slopes:
Black Toenails
Just like runners, skiers run the risk of developing a black, blue or purple toenail due to bleeding under the nail. With time, the nail could feel painful and could even fall off. But what causes this injury? When your ski boots are too tight or loose, your toe can slam into their hard ends when you hit the hills, causing this injury due to repetitive impacts on your nails. Luckily, you can avoid this concern by ensuring a proper fit in your boot, and by changing things up when you notice ski boots hurting feet and nails.
Broken Bones
Broken ankle bones are common for skiers and snowboarders, but can often manifest like sprains. As such, every ankle injury should be examined for a potential fracture, paying special attention to the talus bone (connected to both the tibia and navicular bones, the talus also moves in conjunction with the tibia.) Due to the forces skiing can place on your body, some snowboarders actually sustain lateral fractures to this bone, an injury we can check for in our Medford podiatry practice with in-office X-rays.
Sprains of the Foot and Ankle
After ruling out a fractured bone, we will examine you for a foot or ankle sprain if you come in with symptoms such as pain, swelling, tenderness or difficulty bearing weight. You see, when ski boots are hurting your feet with tight bindings, that increases your risk for bad sprains involving joint ligaments. To help reduce your risk, we can ensure the fit of your boots and fit you for custom orthotics. However, if you experience lingering pain after falling or twisting your foot or ankle, get off the slopes and come into the office for a thorough exam.
Cold Weather and Sore Feet After Skiing
Even if you have boots that fit like a dream and manage to avoid injury, the outdoor conditions can cause ski-related foot pain. You see, when temperatures are cold enough for good ski conditions, that could make your toes and feet hurt, even leaving you at risk for frostbite if you don’t take the right precautions. Want to protect your feet? Be sure to choose moisture-wicking acrylic socks, helping you keep moisture away from your feet so they stay dry, warm and free from foot fungus. And be sure to pack a spare pair of dry socks in your ski bag, so that you can change out of your used ones as soon as you take those boots off your feet.
Ready to further reduce your risk of ski boots hurting feet or sustaining an injury on the slopes? Check out these extra precautionary rules from Dr. Evan Merrill, Dr. Devin Dimond and Dr. Chase Christensen, your Southern Oregon podiatrists:
1. Never ski later than 3 pm
2. Keep the distance you ski each day beneath 3000 meters (that’s just under 2 miles)
3. When skiing for a few days in a row, take off every third day to give your body a break.
While you’re on the mountain, you should also boost your hydration, helping preserve moisture in your skin and reducing your risk for heel cracks. Don’t ski too far beyond your skill level, as your injury risk increases when you choose runs that you aren’t equipped to navigate. And, if ski boots hurting your feet is a regular problem, or you just want a little more support navigating the slopes in comfort, remember that we’re here to help. Give us a call at 541-776-3338 or click here to request an appointment in the office. We’ll set you up for success before your next big ski day!