Why does this happen to my shin when I.....?

[fallen]

When I board, my right shin gets bruised right where the boot ends. I ride regular, and this always happen. Clearly I am bending my right leg in a way that puts a lot of pressure where my right shin hits the top of the boot. The question is - what can I do to relieve that point of pressure.

That said, I am not a technical rider. I have no idea what angles are set set on the board. The only thing that I have tried was to loosen up the strap. Can anyone suggest a few things to try?

Thanks in advance.

[lowrider]

I assume you are referring to hard boots.You need to do some research. Toe lift, heel lift, cant adjustment on bindings and the boots themselves, Shin bang is painful but usually there is a fix, Are your legs small, med or large ? Boots done up tight or sloppy. See where i'm going with this? Do a little research and come back with a little more info and you will get some good advice.

[fin]

Two things right of the bat:

1) loosening a boot is THE worst thing you can do for shin-bang

2) technique is about 99% the cause of shin-bang

Those out of the way you can try different cants and lift to try and address the problem. Also (here comes the pitch) the BTS has been know to fix some issues with shin-bang as it adds some give to the boots in that direction.

Sometime I have seen a rider where their stance is too wide cause their shin to be forced into the cuff of the rear foot.

Too big of a boot can absolutely cause Shin-bang.

These are all just suggestions but take the time to look at your technique as that can fix all kinds of problems.

[NSSage]

Sounds like shin bang... It can happen if your boots are too loose, your stance is too wide, or if your legs are really thin and you cant get your boots tight enough this might help http://bomberonline.3dcartstores.com/Booster-Strap-_p_143.html the Bomber Booster strap or I have heard of people who cant get their boots tight enough drilling new holes in the boot to move the clip back

[Guest]

This happened to me when I had a gap between the top of my boot and my shin. To start, a Booster strap + socks that go PAST the top of the boot might solve your problem. I can definitely see the logic of wanting to loosen the boots (less friction b/c not as tight) but fin is absolutely right, you want a very snug fit. What size boot are you? You could invest in some cheaper liners that would raise the cuff height (http://gearx.com/scarpa-plus-fit-high-liner.html). I did this on my boots + booster strap + high socks and I no longer have the problem. Good luck. Boot problems suck.

[fallen]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think the first think I will do is tighten the boot strap, even though I think I wear the boots tight already, then move my feet close together.

Just in case, here are images of the binding as I currently have them:

[KingCrimson]

Since your pain is happening at the top of the cuffs, it sounds like you're really fighting your stance. From what I generally see, shin bang usually happens a lot lower- people loosen the top buckle(s) and strap to get a more forgiving feel, and end up with the tongue digging into their shin unevenly.

TD1s destroy the hell out of your shins. Just generally they aren't adjustable enough and they are crazy stiff. I don't know how much money you want to put into solving this problem, but new bindings could certainly make a world of difference. Also, ask around on the norcal forums for help with your stance.

What kind of boots are you using? Have you seen a bootfitter about this yet?

Edited January 11, 2013 by KingCrimson

[fallen]

I'm riding Head Pro Stratus boots. They're 2 years old - used twice. :)

I might not be buying new equipment this yes (unless it goes on sale). But next year I'm planning on getting step-ins.

[Dave ESPI]

I have thin legs and the Head boots were notoriously stiff when I first get them and are not broken in yet. I had bad shinbang also when I first rode. Longer socks, slight adjustments to canting, and a bit more forward lean on the boot cuff adjustment helped mine go away. Also odd, but if you have hairy shins/legs, you might want to shave them so as to not irritate the folicles and risk yanking hair out of your skin :)

[dingbat]

I had issues with shin pain in my HSPs due to my wicked girly heels. Side to side movement in the heel cup would cause my calf to lever off the top of the cuff rather than be supported evenly the whole way up. Could be super un-pleasant at times. I'd often ride the front cuff completely unbuckled (which worked surprisingly well). Going to a boot that is far to small for me has fixed the problem.

Which tongues are you using in your boots by the by? Try the softest if you aren't already.