sorefoot

Thanks BlueB. I hadn't considered AT boots - certainly worth a look.

Hi. Thank you all for your comments. A great demonstration of how little 'detail' can be got from sales information only. I will try to answer some of your questions; Lonbordin -- I think Intuition liner was always going to be on my 'must have' list, Lonbordin -- 96Kg, 6 Ft tall, Lonbordin -- The transition from soft boots to hard boots will likely take a bit of re-learning but where there is a will........ ? Neil -- Since my original post I have spoken to a local reputable ski-boot fitter regarding some of my perceived shell stretch options/theories and in principle they should be possible so I am at the very least a bit more comfortable about a speculative £££ spend. Philw -- Fused ankle is my front (right) foot, Philw -- The ankle is set at roughly +5 degree plantar flexion, the only flex-extend motion I now have is with the forefoot bones/joints with free-movement range now roughly +25 to +5 degrees degrees plantar. I can get to neutral position (0 degrees) with a bit of stretching but its neither easy nor particularly comfortable, hence the requirement for internal heel raising shims and footbeds to get my knee over my toes & a stiff boot shell to prevent my foot going into dorsiflexion under stress (toe-side). Unfortunately, its the lack of adjustable forward lean that soft boots, even stiff ones, can't deliver for me. By design, they assume a natural range of dorsiflexion in the ankle joint and restrict movement accordingly. Sorry if I haven't explained this too well - its good in my head I have considered bindings with adjustable lean including Catek a few years ago, and tried a few modifications to my existing gear. While they may help fine-tune my riding I can't get over the fact that the boot has to provide me with the initial and primary mechanical assistance. So, I am going to have to set the shell in its most upright position (whatever that may be), and then introduce shims/heel raisers to bridge the gap between the physical restrictions of my ankle and the allowable lean characteristics of the boot. Also, an adjustable pate binding with forward lean ability will also be on my purchase list. Oh the joys of sporting injuries.

Hi. Noob here. I have a problem ..... I have a dilemma. Five months ago I had to have my right ankle (I ride goofy) fused due to severe arthritis after an old snowboarding accident. The result is a slowly recovering, relatively pain free ankle joint that I am hopeful will allow me to get back onto the slopes. All good so-far. Unfortunately, my existing soft boot setup (Van Cirrus boots and Nidecker cloverleaf bindings) don't even come close to offering enough support on my shin as my foot/ankle has been fused at approx +5 degrees extension. The soft boots simply have too much forward lean and flex. To correct this I have an 8mm heel orthotic to enable me to correctly stand upright. Consequently, I will have to switch to hardboots and adjust the cuff to the most upright setting, then include additional shims between the shell and liner to get my knee over the top of my foot. Living in the UK I have no access to anyone who sells or knows anything about alpine boots 'so I am going to have to spend a lot of money on buying boots, getting them to the UK, and then trusting a nice new shiny pair of boots to a boot fitter who I don't know and hope he can modify the shell to fit my wide forefeet (118mm) the inevitable raised heel and arch, and increased ankle volume. I 'was' a good intermediate rider who wasn't fussed on fakey or park life. I am looking for an all mountain solution but with a stiff boot for support, and appreciate that this may give a bit of a conflict in boot/binding/board design intents, along with some fun times trying to re-learn to board again. The advice / thoughts, I am hopeful of getting here is, considering my ankle fusion, which is better, and why - Deeluxe 425Pro, Deeluxe 700 T Del, or UPZ RC11? I am leaning towards the UPZ but not too sure why..... I know the question has been asked before but I cant see anything linking decisions to ankle injurys. I have asked similar questions of both UPZ and Deeluxe directly and have received nothing back from them - poor (potential) customer service so far.......... Sorry for the lengthy first post -- I will try to keep the rest shorter ;-) Thank you in advance for any advice you may have.