Foot Dynamics Custom Footbeds and Orthotics Blog

My new favorite hiking boot is the Altra Lone Peak which isn’t a hiking boot at all. This trail running shoe has all the critical components for high performance backcountry foot wear: lightness (remember 1lb. off your feet is the same as 7lb. off your back), stability, breathability, durability and ample toe box room. Among these critical attributes is “stability”. Because this shoe is of  Zero Drop design, the heel is at the same height as the ball of the foot with a stack height of approx. 8mm. Since most hiking boots have about 12mm to 14mm of heel rise and a stack height of around 8mm, this brings the heel much higher off the ground. It is this foot elevation that creates foot instability thus requiring more “support” in the shoe with a higher cuff and/or stiffer soles.  These more “supportive” shoes weight two to three times as much as the Altra’s without providing more more stability or performance.

My flight from Minn. to Boise after the American Birkibeiner race was cancelled. While stuck in a hotel overnight I ran into Steve Poulin, the President of Swix Sports. He told me that the importance of a flat ski for glide cannot be overstated. He thinks the Nordic ski community needs to look much more closely at the interface of the foot to Nordic boot to ski in both classic skiing and skate skiing. We hope to continue the conversation in the next few months. Thanks Steve.

Among the most effective treatments for heel pain is stretching, especially the posterior c compartment which includes the Achilles tendon, hamstrings, soleus and gastrocnemius muscles. Unfortunately even five minutes of stretching several times a day isn’t likely to have much impact over the course of a full day of walking with your heels elevated 12 mm or more. By lowering your heel height to zero you will get the benefit of a full day of stretching without stopping to make time for a stretching regiment. Birkenstocks and Altra shoes are the perfect choice for healthy footwear.

Numbness in the toes is caused by a pinching of the nerves as they pass through the inter space between the metatarsal joints. This can be caused by a collapsing of the transverse arch as load is put on the forefoot during the pedal stroke and can be exacerbated by shoes that are too narrow. The best solutions are orthotics with metatarsal pads and/or Bont cycling shoes which have a wider oblique toe box.

The greatest benefit of carbon fiber for ski boot construction is that the carbon fiber material is unaffected by ambient temperature. This means the boot stiffness at 10* below zero is the same as it is at 40* above zero. They are also incredibly light weight.

Only if you want the best performance and comfort from your boots. Because the foot in a ski boot is in its unlocked and flexible condition the muscles and tendons of the foot are fighting to support the arch while 2 to 3 times your body weight is forcing the ach to flatten. This can cause cramping, pain and a loss of leverage on the ski edge.

The most effective stretches involve the back of the leg and the best stretch will come from wearing shoes with no or little heel rise instead of short duration stretching. Altra Zero Drop shoes and Birkenstocks are best.