Why Do My Feet Hurt in Ski Boots?

Pain in the forefoot/ball of the foot (metatarsalgia) is a common discomfort that is often felt when wearing ski boots. Numbness, a burning sensation or just general aches and pains can all drain the enjoyment from a day's skiing. But why do we get foot pain when skiing and how can we resolve it?

The key reasons why the forefoot tends to suffer more than the mid and rear foot are its mobility and lack of resistance to compression from above and the sides. When walking, our foot has evolved to adapt to changing terrain and provide shock absorption, this means that the bones of our forefoot are very mobile and constantly have to adapt.

Similar to compressing the knuckles of your hands from the sides, the balls of our feet don't put up much resistance to being squashed. When you combine this with an abundance of nerves, muscles and blood vessels running in and around this area, it's no wonder that prolonged compression will lead to discomfort.

There are three main causes of pain in ski boots:

• Tight-fitting boots

• Inflexibility

• Uneven pressure distribution

If you're experiencing ski boot foot pain, speak with one of our in-store ski boot fitting experts. They have all undergone the Surefit Training Programme, which means they are among the UK's leading ski boot fitting experts, and they'll be happy to help and explain in more detail what we can do to alleviate any pain or discomfort you have.