Custom foot beds: weighted vs. unweighted molding

[El Chupacabra]

Custom foot beds: weighted vs. unweighted molding --

Pros vs cons of each?

[Core Shot]

Oh, you had to open a can of worms!

A gapic ski debate indeed.


PS - mine are weighted

[El Chupacabra]

Oh, you had to open a can of worms!

A gapic ski debate indeed.


PS - mine are weighted

Didn't realize this was such a hotly disputed topic...

[extaski]

do you ski unweighted?

[Arty50]

I ain't touchin' this with a 10 foot pole...other than to say mine are unweighted (I think) and I like them very much. They're Conform'able.

[mntlion]

best ones are the ones that fit/work for you best.

just because a store sells one system, brand or idea, does not make it the best, just what they use. Lots of systems in the world and they must work for someone in some situation

a good boot fitter will make all the diff in the world and if the footbeds sont work do they have a return policy?

[splat]

Karl, the machine at Granite Chief is the best footbed I've ever had. Seriously.
And I have some funky feet.

[skideeppow]

This is a touchy subject. I can give a quick overview since I have been making orthotics for over 15 years, am a certified pedorthist (no not pedophile) and have been fitting boots equally as long.


Unweighted should be done with a rigid, immoblie foot.....

You know what, i really do not feel like adding fuel to the fire. PM me if you are really interested

[TWINS]

Here a log to start the fire.How can you get a correct foot alignment if your weight is on it? I went with unweghted InstaPrints and like them.

[H-wood]

Here a log to start the fire.How can you get a correct foot alignment if your weight is on it?

The bootfitter holds your foot in the neutral position.

[seldon]

My running orthotics (made by a podiatrist - prescription) are unweighted.

My skiing footbeds are weighted.

I like them both alot. This isn't very helpful.

[Core Shot]

The bootfitter holds your foot in the neutral position.

Yep. Its not like weighted footbeds are done flat on the floor.

They use a machine with a putty like bed. The footbed maker pushes your foot into allignment, then jams and molds the putty under your arch, etc.
Once they are happy, they hit the switch (which I think sucks the air out) and the crap you are standing on gets rock hard. Then they put the softened footbed between you and the surface.

Anyway, I would love to hear more debate.

Skideepow - please contribte. Its an honest debate. My old friend is a pedorthist bootfitter and insists on weighted. I have a younger bootfitter friend that says unweighted is the only way to go.
I would love to hear the theories of each - ideally from folks like you that know the difference.

Is there any agreement in the modern pedorthist community? Is a well made weighted footbed really that different?

[snow_slider]

I'd argue that weighted versus unweighted isn't as important as the bootfitter making the footbeds. I've been shown some shitty examples of both weighted and unweighted footbeds.

If you have an incompetent bootfitter, your footbed will most likely suck regardless of which method is used to make it.

That said, I have the superfeet cork footbeds which are unweighted and I LOVE them.

[El Chupacabra]

Skideepow - please contribte. Its an honest debate. My old friend is a pedorthist bootfitter and insists on weighted. I have a younger bootfitter friend that says unweighted is the only way to go.
I would love to hear the theories of each - ideally from folks like you that know the difference.

X2. I'm not trying to stir up a flame war, just trying to figure out if there's any difference, if there's any advantages/disadvantages, etc.

Splat - thanks for the lead - I'll check with Granite Chief.

I've just been using off-the-shelf green Superfeet footbeds, but since everyone I've talked to who has custom footbeds says "get them - you won't regret it," I'm going to get some. Just don't know which/ where/ etc.

I spoke to Reno bootfitter Bud Heishman (posts on Epic), he uses a weighted system, feels it allows for better alignment (I forget his exact phrase). But if you're standing on your foot when the footbed is made, aren't you splaying it out -- and then forming a footbed that doesn't support your foot?

This may well turn out to be a matter of getting a good bootfitter, and using whatever system they are familiar with and get good results with.

[mntlion]

This may well turn out to be a matter of getting a good bootfitter, and using whatever system they are familiar with and get good results with.

exactly .....

[Speedfreak]

I'm know I'm a JONG here, but here's my fuel for the fire:

Semi-weighted (seated, guided and pressed by the fitter but not vacuum bag style unweighted)...allows for a hybrid getting the benefits of both and the drawbacks of neither, at least in my case I've found it to work well.

I get neither the "splaying" problems or overpronation (I pronate just a wee bit) with the weighted steez or the uber-high arch, foot-feels-awkward uncomfortability that comes with the complete elimination of ankle roll when molding unweighted. All the control and support I want with none of the comfort issues.

(Is it me or does that last sentence sound like its from a Depends commercial?)

Edit to clarify - I've seen some guys have customers stand up (= totally weighted) and some guys actually let the feet hang while doing corkies in a vacuum bag, though I never understood that...
I totally agree its all about the fitter. I've seen really good and super-shitty come out of the same shop using the same method, but made by different guys.

[Huck_Schmuck]

Unweighted, made by a highly experienced podiatrist are fantastic for problematic feet. In theory the foot is put under less stress by supporting the foot in it natural shape.

For most feet, mine included, weighted (as decribed^) are very comfortable and offer an essential link between foot and boot.

Normal, fit feet are very versitile and by recording their "in use" position the weighted footbed gives amazing support to the foot. And fantastic connection to your ski.

Weighted footbeds will greatly reduce tired feet.

[ski_faster]

Bump for an old thread. OK I have had bad pain with my boots and footbeds and always coming from my arch. I have very flat feet and pronate really bad.

I was wondering if un-weighted footbeds would be the way to go for me. I have had several different footbeds made by people that are highly recommended. All weighted footbeds. I understand why you would want a weighted footbed duh because you ski that way. Well this is my theory and bootfitters please chime in. If I went with an un-weighted footbed this would create great arch support, since I have normal arches when my feet are un-weighted. This would also help with pronating.

[stuckathuntermtn]

I had unweighted, cork foot beds. They soon collapsed, and I realized many of my boot fitting problems were coming from the uncomfortable lumps under my foot. Now I have the weighted, and just made sure to pull up on the arch as it cooled (I have REALLY high arches). That combined with a better boot, have made most of my problems go away.

PS: you should be putting a pair of poles out in front of you, and putting the weight on the balls of your foot.

[squatch]

Bump for an old thread. OK I have had bad pain with my boots and footbeds and always coming from my arch. I have very flat feet and pronate really bad.

I was wondering if un-weighted footbeds would be the way to go for me. I have had several different footbeds made by people that are highly recommended. All weighted footbeds. I understand why you would want a weighted footbed duh because you ski that way. Well this is my theory and bootfitters please chime in. If I went with an un-weighted footbed this would create great arch support, since I have normal arches when my feet are un-weighted. This would also help with pronating.

Similar situation/foot issues. I had mine done unweighted but stood on them at the very end (they were mostly formed). It was a while ago so I may be misremembering, but they work fantastically for me.

[MTT]

Bud Heisman made my foot beds three seasons ago. They are now in a second pair of boots.

I am very happy with the footbeds.

[skimasterflex]

I have very badly splayed feet. I pronate horribly and gain over a full length and width size while weighted/unsupported.

I have about 6 seasons experience with making and skiing on unweighted SuperFeet Corks.

The unweighted footbed is such a profoundly different shape than my weighted unsupported foot that it has always been painful to ski on the harder cork unweighted customs. However, because of the extreme correction they offer getting my flat wide feet back to neutral, shorter and narrower, they are the only way my foot will physically fit into the caliber of boots I need to ski in.

Weighted my feet are over 28cm long, I ski in a 26cm boot and the unweighted cork makes that happen. Is it comfortable? Hell no. Does it absolutely rock for skiing? Yes, for about 3-4 hours and then I am risking nerve damage (sometimes my numbness takes a while to go away, like weeks a while).

In my experience with making SuperFeet for customers in shops I have worked in I eventually got to the point where knowing what I know about the discomfort of extreme correction of troubled feet such as mine, I would have people who needed it stand the last minute of the cork process. I'd also sometimes reheat the whole thing for the toe impression and have people stand and roll to the toes to make the arch gentler.

If your arch hurts on a weighted footbed, it could either be from undersupport or oversupport. If your flat foot simply despises being lifted up like that than surely the unweighted will be no better, indeed it could be worse. If yours doesn't give enough support than the unweighted and its higher arch could be the trick.

True that there is a ton of variation in boot fitter skill and experience. Especially considering that one fitter may be very good with most foot shapes and not any good with a certain few foot types that lie beyond his abilities or experience.

[Gordyman]

Jesus Christ, flex. I admire your dedication to skiing. Most folks would say "fuck ski boots! I gonna snowboard."

And I must say this is a very informative thread.

[Wetdog]

Just wanted to bump this thread up for another go round rather than starting a new one.

I have been skiing in orthotics, which were molded unweighted, same mold as the ones for my shoes except that I had them cut them to the slimmer profile of my ski boot stock insole. I just got Intuition liners to replace the stock liners at Intuition Sports and they suggested molding the liner with no footbed because their new liners supposedly mold to the sole in the same way a weighted footbed does when heat fitting the liner. The liners were a great improvement in fit and comfort wearing them in the shop, but skiing with them, I got the old familiar pain across the arches and on the inside of my knees due to pronation which the orthotics were prescribed to remedy.

I was in Whistler and dropped into a boot fitting shop to ask about shell canting as a possible solution and told them about molding the liners with out footbeds. They said shell canting is a last adjustment after liners and footbeds and that they never mold their Intuitions without footbeds and always recommend custom footbeds for best fit and comfort. I showed them my custom orthotics and they said, skiing in orthotics is not recommended because they are rigid and designed for walking in flexible shoes. They suggested an unweighted, molded custom footbed. A few years ago I tried unweighted molded foot beds and had similar pain to skiing without footbeds. They replied that they may not have been made properly, but that for skiing, unweighted was the undisputed way to go because it most accurately simulates your foot in a skiing position.

So now I am just a little confused. Do people ski with regular orthotics? What is the difference, other than most orthotics are rigid, as are boot shells, and custom footbeds seem to have a bit of flex. Wouldn't my unweighted molded orthotics be the same as a unweighted custom footbed? Why would having your foot on a unweighted molding be different in a ski boot from a shoe?

[nick > jesus]

mine are unweighted, and the arch is not tacked to be super ridged. this make more sense to me than ridged foot beds, such as those made of cork. the way my boot fitter explained it, which seemed understandable, was that when the foot is pressured it naturally flexes and changes, so its best to allow it some anatomical movement, while still supporting it.