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Article Topic: Activities
Article Title: Boot Fitting
For any winter sport you choose, your footwear represents 90% of your equipment. It directly affects your performance, safety and the quality of your snow experience. Winter-sports footwear needs to be snug for you to perform at your highest potential and to be comfortable and warm. It also has to be perfectly canted, with the correct flex pattern and alignment. Finding the perfect boot for one's foot that meets all this criteria is a nightmare for most of us.
Oversized length and volume are commonly observed in people who have fitting problems.
The complexity of the human foot calls for a qualified, experienced technician who will get you a dream fit, more than you would expect. You may want to consult with an expert before you decide to buy boots off the shelf, only to discover later that the best boot for you is one customized to your feet.
Once you are properly sized and pick the most appropriate boot for your foot volume, needs and performance, the first step to customized boots are orthotics or custom insoles. If you work on the upper part of your boot before having the proper foot foundation, you are wasting time and money.
A good orthotic will take care of 60% of any foot problem. It will stabilize the foot/ankle joint in a neutral position, eliminate unnecessary movement, increase lateral-leverage edge-to-edge control, thus allowing you to improve leg-length discrepancy, alignment, and canting inside the shell.
The second step is to replace your generic liners (which are packed after 10 days of skiing) with a custom liner that conforms and molds to your foot in the shell, immediately enhancing comfort, warmth and performance. Then you may ask, "Why haven't I done this before?"
Year-Round Activities
We spend a great part of the year in casual footwear for golfing , hiking, running, bicycling, and even dress or work shoes.
An average person walks 7000+ steps a day, circling the earth twice in their lifetime. Imagine how many times you would replace your tires driving that distance. But your feet are not changeable so you need to take good care of them.
Proper foot support will help you in many more ways than you can imagine: comfort, performance, body posture, bio-mechanic alignment, and preventing inevitable injuries because of a lack of good body foundation.
A ¾ custom orthotic should be a necessity for many. They are easily transferable from shoe to shoe regardless of the activity of the moment. They allow you to enjoy year-round the benefit of correct body stance and proper foot support.
The custom orthotic brings immediate relief and can alleviate most of the foot ailments you may experience: Morton neuroma, plantar fasciitis, calluses, hallux valgus, bunions, heel spurs. Consequently, they improve ankle, knee, hip and back pain. Flat footed or high arched, everyone benefits from them.
Early prevention may save you from injuries. Happy feet, happy life.
This article was given to us from Le Feet Lab. They have been selected for the past 7 years in a row by America's Best Bootfitters and Masterfit University. For over 30 years they have specialized in custom boot fitting and orthotics.
Take advantage of a free consultation and receive the best education about feet and footwear. Please, please call first for an appointment. (970) 726-9841, www.lefeetlab.com. "You may bring your boot and don't forget your feet."
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