Member of the Month

Biffbarf
February, 2025

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Intuition Liners, Booster Strap, or what?

profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
I am almost positive my boots fit correctly as I got them professionally fitted at Sturtevants with footbeds and everything, however I still experience shinbang. Even when I am not skiing park or landing backseat I get shinbang.

I have Nordica race boots with an 80-90 flex (I forget) and I am 5'5 110 lbs. My question is, would replacing the liners with intuition liners or buying a booster strap help? Any other solutions?

By the way, I do have very skinny lower legs.
12 years ago
1 1
profile picture
rudager
Posts: 11336 - Karma: 4,647
Best option would be to try a Booster Strap first. They are amazing, and much better than the normal strap. Plus cheaper than replacing a liner.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
Which booster strap at my height/weight?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10888 - Karma: 2,184
booster straps and intuition liners do not help with shin bang. please remember that shin bang is not at all caused by banging your shins against the front of your boots.

shin bang is acutally caused by landing backseat and straining the muscles on your shins. no magic product is going to solve that for you.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
LAME.
Posts: 5795 - Karma: 2,446
Ya, Id defiantly recommend upgrading to booster straps, Usually shops have a %100 satisfaction guarantee, so if you go in theyll probably hook you up or free. Also if theyre new boots, the liner will be packing out so you might want to try and crank em up a little bit more.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
Even if I don't land backseat I get shinbang from small bumps and vibrations.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
get the standard model booster strap, stop landing/skiing backseat, build some muscle. you may be relying on your shins/boots to hold you up. if you're forward and flexing your boot, you will not get shinbang.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
Should I get the standard or junior booster strap? my boot size is 24-25 i think.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,798
Are you sure you're leaning forward when you ski? And also are you sure it's not leg hairs rubbing causing what you think is shin bang?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10888 - Karma: 2,184
that's not shin bang.

sounds like the cuffs of your boots are too short and are causing a pressure point on your shins.

a good idea might be to go back to the guy that fitted you and get his opinion
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
YUNG_milksteAk
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 4,328
I hat race boots for my first 1/2 year. Get some park boots if you can, it's 10 times better
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
I actually did go back to the guy and he told me I must have been riding backseat, even though I knew I wasn't. Weird.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
snakerton
Posts: 2434 - Karma: 1,977
I was in the same situation as you. Got fitted by sturtevant's, got shin bang. I took out the lock screws in the back of the boot to soften if up a bit and I got booster straps which are the greatest thing. They defiantly help a lot.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
I can't decide if what I am experiencing is shinbang or not. I don't ride backseat, and the pain I have is not a stretch/strained pain, as it doesn't hurt when I stretch or point my toes. The pain feels more like bruising and hurts when I hit bumps and when I rub or press on my shins.

Also, my toes are almost always frozen before lunch. I feel like I might be tightening my boots too much. I leave the bottom buckle loose but tighten everything else as much as possible.

12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
onenerdykid
Posts: 6731 - Karma: 11,641
Even when you get professionally fitted, sometimes a boot just doesn't work for you. Every once and a while, stuff like that happens. A fitter goes through all the necessary steps and the boot just isn't the right match for you. Sucks, but it can happen.

Does Sturtevant's have a boot-fit guarantee of some sort?

You can try a Booster strap or Intuition liners, but if the overall geometry of the boot (cuff height, cuff shape, tongue curvature, etc) is wrong for you, not much will work out.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
ALaw
Posts: 2616 - Karma: 1,556
Shut up
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
i wish I could flag posts like this. don't offer advice if u have no idea what you're talking about.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
Bump, installed and tested my booster straps 2 days ago.

I LOVE the way the boots feel after this, they just felt so much more responsive and "bouncy".

However, I am still experiencing the same problem. I hope to visit the bootfitter on my way to Baker this weekend, because my shins are still bruising even when I took off half the day to take it mellow film in the park.

I was thinking about trying mousepads or a beer cozie, but I already have a problem with frozen feet so I feel like it would cut off circulation even more.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
AJizzle
Posts: 1882 - Karma: 522
Like onenerdykid alluded to, it sounds like the curvature of the cuff is just the wrong shape, or maybe the flex point is a little too high for the boot to flex naturally on you both if which can cause weird pressures on your shins. It is really just hard to say, find the bootfitter that is the most trusted at your shop, even if they didn't sell you the boots/haven't been working with you and ask them take a look.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
tomPietrowski
Posts: 7274 - Karma: 18,583

If I had to guess I would say that there is too much space above your instep, possibly cuased b the footbeds you got not supporting you correctly.

What type of Footbed did you buy and what type of foam was used to stabilise them? Unfortunatly the North american way of molding footbeds is nowhere near as good as teh European way. Maybe see if you can find a Euro fitter who specilises in Sidas products.

Of course it could be just that your in a bad boot for your foot, but I would guess its more an instep issue.

12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
vertebruh
Posts: 244 - Karma: 14
i have the same bruising feel and my footpads move a little. went to sturtavents as well but after like 2 or three days i can barely walk..... i know i don't lean back the only thing i could see this coming from is butters cause sometimes my ankles feel like their breaking. would a booster strap help at all?
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
vertebruh
Posts: 244 - Karma: 14
any ideas for what to get as well? thinkin soft but i do alot of freeride and worried it will not be enough of what i need??
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
They aren't completely custom footbeds, I got them heat molded and were about $60 I believe. I usually wear very significant modified superfeet (Huge arch) in my other shoes, because of os naviculare problems
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
i would spend just as much on footbeds for boots as you do on ones for regular shoes. completely custom ones will make a huge difference if you have foot problems.

but a booster will probably help tighten the liner around the shin and eliminate some of the problem
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
you probably landed backseat once, and they are fucked already.

just dont ski for a week straight (i know its hard) and then when you do go skiing again, dont land back seat. If you do, it means another week of no skiing.

Shinbang is a serious injury man. treat it like one.

the only foolproof prevention method i have found is to simply fall on my back everytime i accidentally land a little bit back seat, because my back heals much faster than my shins.

Proper bootfitting can help, but shinbang will always occur if you land backseat, and try to ride it out.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
illest_Nathan
Posts: 133 - Karma: 45
If you feel like somebody took a bat to your shins, its shin bang, if its little pulls and sharp pains its your hair sticking to your sock and your boots probably too loose.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
tomPietrowski
Posts: 7274 - Karma: 18,583
I would put money on it being partly down to the footbeds you have. Your foot is more then likely pronating dropping your instep meaning your not properly flexing the boots, giving you bruised shins.

Get some good Custom Sidas with the correct stabilastion for your needs. You need to find someone very good at making them though. And dont go to a standard podiatrist you need them made by a ski boot fitter. Footbeds for boots and for everyday shoes are very different.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
Thanks for the advice, but I don't think I have shinbang.

I actually had to take 3 weeks off due to rides/finals/other complications, I came back and cruised groomers for half the day, hit a couple bumpy runs and then my day was ruined. Sucks.

@Blake: I don't spend a lot of money on those inserts, it is just a superfoot with different layers of foam and support that my podiatrist whips up in 5 min
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
tomPietrowski
Posts: 7274 - Karma: 18,583
^Yeah you dont have shin bang buddy by the sound of it. Most people who think they have shinbang just have boots that dont fit them well.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
Montana_Hoodrat
Posts: 1953 - Karma: 1,481
yeah this. if your boots are too big, your legs and shins bang around in the loose upper cuffs, causing shinbang-like symptoms.

if this is the case, get some smaller boots, custom footbeds, booster straps, and smartwool ultra light ski specific socks.

The whole setup should run you around $600 depending on the boots you get, but its completely worth every penny. you can compensate by getting used outerwear, goggles, helmet, poles, and mittens at swap meets, and last years park skis for half off. Boots are the most important piece of equipment. Never cheap out on them.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
dadunda
Posts: 447 - Karma: 219
Could it be that the boots are too small? I feel that this is more likely considering I usually wear a size 8-8.5 shoe but I am in a 24 boot. I tried to do a shell test but I couldn't even fit any fingers in between my heel and the back of the boot.

And yeah, I am hoping to get a store credit from Sturtevant's to buy other boots if they don't fix it.
12 years ago
0 0
profile picture
tomPietrowski
Posts: 7274 - Karma: 18,583
Well if you wear a 8 shoe then yeah 4 sounds about right, if you put your toes right to the front, can you not fit any fingers behind your heel. Its much less likely to be that the boots are too small, but if that's the case your in luck, its easy to sort out a boot which is too small usually.
12 years ago
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4); Currently it's 2:29PM