Used Plastic hiking boots

[donna]

I have a pair of used Koflach (very old make), I think they're called "pink lady viti".

Everytime I wear them, my left chin hurts and when I'm finished the hike I have this "egg" on my chin that really kills.

I was planning on buying a new pair of plastic boots, but now I'm not sure if all plastic boots hurt like this or just these used ones.

Does anyone else have this problem with plastic boots? Or does anyone know why this happens?

I don't dare wear them again.

donna

 

[donna]

Great idea Arm. I'll try that.

"mold plastic boots to fit their feet better, by heating the outer shell with a heat gun, then modifying the shape from the inside"

And you gotta stop putting those rocks in my boots!

 

[Rick]

Y'know,
I had a hard time reading this with a straight face, thinking you keep tripping on your boot and falling on your face, which is why your chin hurts - After the 3rd time reading it......"Shin!!!!"

Barring a problem with the boot that might be resolved as mentioned with a hair dryer,

Take off your shoes and socks and stand in front of a mirror look at both feet and ankles - are they both symmetric, or perhaps does one foot or ankle cant slightly in or out more than the other? Not many have 2 perfect feet.

Now walk away 5-6 steps, turn around and walk back to the mirror slowly and watch your footfalls for both feet - It may be that one foot pronates more than the other and as a result, your shin takes a bit more of a beating - another thing you can look at is stepping out of a shower with wet feet and walking across a dark tile or concrete floor - Look at your footprints and see if they are both symmetric in size, shape and direction.

If it is a problem with foot or ankle symmetry, you may just not be a good candidate for plastic boots due to their seemingly unforgiveability - I know that I am not due to an asymmetric foot/ankle - They used to leave my left shin all bruised.

After I tore my ACL, My orthopaedist, cautioned me against footware that doesn't feel right - the next big joint after the ankle is the knee and problems that don't manifest themselves in the ankle end up in the knee or worse, the hip/lower back.

 

[donna]

Chin vs Shin

Rick, that is sooo funny. I never even noticed I was saying chin. I just got the biggest laugh. Everyone much be wondering what I am talking about. Of course Arm got it, but then again, he had to be laughing pretty good himself.

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Re: Chin vs Shin

Everyone much be wondering what I am talking about.

Not really, I didn't notice that you had written "chin" until Rick pointed it out.

The reason I understood is that you have a classic problem, with an equally classic solution.

Do not lace the inner boot to the top. In many cases simply leaving the top eye unlaced will solve the proble. No guarantee, but try that before doing anything more drastic.

 

[rambler]

Talk to a professional about footbeds. Ski shops can help with heating the plastic, too, or even grinding the plastic away. Then again hiking boots are not ski boots. Footbeds can remedy the problems of symmetry as Rick metioned. There are people who specialize in footbeds. My wife has them for tennis, another friend alleviated a back problem by wearing them. Could you make a doughnut shape out of a small piece of foam put it over the sore spot, like one might do to protect a blister?

BTW How many chins do you have?

 

[donna]

"chins"

Thanks Rambler. Great idea about the donut.

Oh yea! I have 1 chin, it does have a dimple so maybe I could say 2. I do have 2 shins.

 

[Jake]

Yuk Yuk

I got a good laugh out of the CHIN reference also. First thought was - must be the tongue is too long... OH never mind.

Of course we knew you meant shin.