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Foot beds

Brad J

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Newbury, Ma.
I bought new boots and have about 8 days on them and I am using the super feet footbeds from my old setup. the new boots feel good but i think I need more support in the arch. I skied my old set up last week and same feel needing more support in arch. seams most people I ski with have custom made footbeds and are happy. they all say how locked in they feel. The shop I use( and most of the people I ski with) make their own with cork and a plastic material for strength?. any feedback and what people pay for the service?
 

skibob

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I bought new boots and have about 8 days on them and I am using the super feet footbeds from my old setup. the new boots feel good but i think I need more support in the arch. I skied my old set up last week and same feel needing more support in arch. seams most people I ski with have custom made footbeds and are happy. they all say how locked in they feel. The shop I use( and most of the people I ski with) make their own with cork and a plastic material for strength?. any feedback and what people pay for the service?
My wife had a pair of those made for $120. I am thinking of doing so too. I share your question of strength, durability. I am a much more aggressive skier than she is, and I weigh 200 lbs. She's had hers for a few months. Loves them.
 

James

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$100-$450. Most usual around $125-$250.
Don't bother with off the shelf Superfeet. They'll be $45 then you'll need decent ones anyway so you've wasted $45. I've done it.
 

Pat AKA mustski

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The cost doesn't matter in the long run. You will have the footbeds for many, many years and switch them boot to boot. A well made foot bed is golden.
 

Philpug

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Superfeet, while better than the stock bed (which really is useful for just sizing the foot), are usually not a substitute for a quality custom footbed. Superfeet are usually fine for a very average foot but rarely do they match the arch enough for proper support. There are a few ways of making a custom bed: weighted, semi weighted and unweighted. All of their strengths depend on the foot. Paging @bud heishman and @cem to the white courtesy phone.
 

VickieH

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Thanks for starting this discussion. I will probably join the custom footbed crowd this year too.

In addition to learning about materials and making them un-/semi-/weighted, I have some questions about the process:
  • How long is the appointment?
  • Are the footbeds ready to go home with me that day?
  • Are other tweakings (sanding, grinding, trimming) needed, meaning there will be a follow-up appointment?
  • Can I have them made even if I don't have boots to put them in, or is there an expectation to try them in ski boots to ensure they fit well?
  • Is there any risk to getting footbeds made, say, this summer, then getting boots - possibly from somewhere else - when stock arrives in fall?
 

Philpug

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Thanks for starting this discussion. I will probably join the custom footbed crowd this year too.

In addition to learning about materials and making them un-/semi-/weighted, I have some questions about the process:
  • How long is the appointment? Plan on about an hour to an hour and a half
  • Are the footbeds ready to go home with me that day? Should be.
  • Are other tweakings (sanding, grinding, trimming) needed, meaning there will be a follow-up appointment? Shouldn't be, if done correct.
  • Can I have them made even if I don't have boots to put them in, or is there an expectation to try them in ski boots to ensure they fit well? Yes, but best to have your boots with you. If you are going to get boots later, they might need some triming.
  • Is there any risk to getting footbeds made, say, this summer, then getting boots - possibly from somewhere else - when stock arrives in fall? You can get them in hte summer. But like I answered above, tehy might need some trimming.
See answers in red.
 

VickieH

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And how do I choose a footbed maker? Are all good bootfitters also good footbed crafters? Are there questions I can ask or things I can look for as indicators of skill, or lack thereof?
 

Tony S

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It usually means a better price for the foot beds when purchased along with a pair of boots.

Plus it reduces the opportunity for finger pointing if there are fit issues. Ideally you have a single person who is standing 100% behind your entire boot setup.
 

James

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At all costs avoid off the shelf Superfeet blue -about $45. The heel isn't even flat. I've had very good experience with Superfeet custom cork. It all depends whose making it. Bad experience with Surefoot, but if in Park City maybe. (They did stand behind the guarantee and it was eventually refunded.)

I've had bad ones from individuals and good ones. Contrary to what some try to get you to believe, there is little science or exact proceedure to these things. Just look at the process. Hand holding the footbed on a spinning grinder. Lot more art and throwing darts. Some people are good artists and dart throwers.

I do have to give Surefoot some props in attempting to make the creating more precise. Theirs are cnc milled from a blank that's flat. However, as great as that is the parts before that are less than stellar and not nearly as custom as they'd have you think. But that's a lengthy discussion. I think it is possible to get a good one.

Footbeds must be trimmed and or ground to fit inside the boot. Otherwise it can hang up on the shell and throw the hole thing off. Making it possibly worse than none. If you have new boots, do not throw away the thin footbed thst comes with it. It helps as a pattern.
 

neonorchid

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At all costs avoid off the shelf Superfeet blue -about $45. The heel isn't even flat. I've had very good experience with Superfeet custom cork. -
The Yellow Superfeet isn't bad. Yellow has the narrowest heel which is also thin. It doesn't make the liners heel pocket wider, and or raise the ankle bone above the shell/liner contours. Black is a little wider, still thin. Carbon's heel is too flat and wide, offering little heel hold and support which I find highly desirable in active footwear such as ski boots, skates, and trail running shoes. With any of the out of box SF, and assuming they'll work for you, some have less arch support etc, it really comes down to how they fit in the given footwear, i.e., a thicker footbed for high volume high toe box height footwear, and so on.
 

neonorchid

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I'm not buying the argument saying a good custom made footbed will last for multiple boots, shoes etc. Perhaps if you were buying identical replacements. Ime, Every ski boot, sneaker, shoe etc that I get fits a little different, volume shape etc. One size fits all footbed would never work. Fwiw, I almost have as many aftermarket footbeds as I have shoes, well not really but you get the idea.
 

Yo Momma

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Orthotic Inserts ARE covered by HSA plans so check into that! I picked up 2 sets for my "work shoes"........and yes of course my work shoes needed Hotronics attachments!! :) keep your receipts and assure that your boot guy is an "Orthotics" specialist....especially helps if it says "Orthotics" somewhere on the receipt or in the company name.....

https://www.hsaresources.com/pdf/Qualified Medical Expenses.pdf
 
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Philpug

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If you are considering a "drop in" footbed, Sidas makes some of the best, in different widths and arch lengths.
 

Doug Briggs

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Aren't Surefoot's CNC footbeds created by matching patterns in your feet and using the 'same' pattern in the footbed? That is to say, they don't exactly match your foot like a footbed that has been heated and conformed to your foot.
 

neonorchid

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^tried those Sole thin sport's, too wide and thick of a heel cup for my purposes, plus they felt hard as a rock underfoot. I'm not against custom footbeds, just that I've been doing alright with Superfeet.

@Philpug, Didn't know about Sidas, thanks for the recommendation, they're on the radar now.
 

James

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Those Soles are a good example of something that needs to be trimmed to fit. Which is what they're called. No trimming your foot is going to be hung up on the medial side and at a big angle.
 

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