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How to prevent shin bang in new boots?

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natethegreatt
Posts: 592 - Karma: 570
I just got some 2013 Salomon SPK 85s (for a steal I might add - brand new for $100).

I know breaking in boots and getting some shin bang is just part of the process, but is there anything that can be done to soften them up or break them in before ski season? Other than walking around and crouching haha.
Sep 9 2014 11:51AM
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IKEA
Posts: 622 - Karma: 3,111
Buy full tilts
Sep 9 2014 12:18PM
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Caucasian_Asian
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 1,665
By boots that fit.
Sep 9 2014 1:15PM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6657 - Karma: 10,898
Caucasian_AsianBy boots that fit.


If your boots properly fit you then you should not be getting shinbang at all, even when they are brand new.

Part of ensuring you don't experience shinbang is having boots that are the proper shell size, appropriate flex (not too stiff NOR too soft), are the proper height for your lower leg length, and having supportive footbeds that keep your foot/leg from twisting will skiing.

If you have all of that, then you should not get shinbang. If you are missing any part of that, then chances are likely that you will get shinbang.
Sep 9 2014 1:25PM
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johnblaze
Posts: 1477 - Karma: 2,600
shinbang = boots too big or riding back seat
Sep 9 2014 1:35PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Dude, getting a painful skiing injury is not "part of the process". Boots should feel pretty damn good after a proper fitting. I've started doing exactly what the bootfitter says and it's been WAY more valuable than saving a few dollars here and there.
Sep 9 2014 1:41PM
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Hamlet
Posts: 205 - Karma: 1,312
I got spk 100s and have never experienced serious shinbang in them. Boots really is not something you should buy just because you can get a good deal on them.

Fit is more important then price and looks.
Sep 9 2014 2:03PM
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cheerio
Posts: 1032 - Karma: 3,415
HamletI got spk 100s and have never experienced serious shinbang in them.


/claim
Sep 9 2014 3:40PM
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Dorf.
Posts: 765 - Karma: 1,631
wear them around your house
Sep 9 2014 5:23PM
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elcornholio
Posts: 797 - Karma: 1,557
Get booster straps. I've had them for about a year and havent experienced shin bang since.
Sep 9 2014 5:56PM
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ChillTeenDad420
Posts: 1858 - Karma: 5,512
sooo much ignorance in this thread...

dude fuckin put some newspaper in between your shin and the cuff and stop being a fuckin pussy!!!
Sep 9 2014 10:33PM
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EvanMeyer
Posts: 3822 - Karma: 3,449
ChillTeenDad420sooo much ignorance in this thread...

dude fuckin put some newspaper in between your shin and the cuff and stop being a fuckin pussy!!!


exactly what I tell all the customers who come into the shop I work at with boot problems.
Sep 10 2014 12:17AM
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SwedishSteezeJDH
Posts: 60 - Karma: 314
Got dalbello il-moro's and I've never experienced any serious issues. Just make sure to batten down the hatches, but not to the point where you're cutting off circulation
Sep 10 2014 12:25AM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7147 - Karma: 17,499
EvanMeyerexactly what I tell all the customers who come into the shop I work at with boot problems.


I bet your customers loved being called a pussy for not wanting poorly fitting boots.

I do agree I some cases te customer needs to man up a bit but in the op's case he is getting shin issues in a brand new boot. This indicates one of two things the boots are too big or the instep is way to high. Considering the spk ha a pretty low instep it pretty safe to presume the boot are probably to big for him and it would be worth him going to a shop to see if the boots are even worth him skiing in or if he should just sell them now while they are still new.
Sep 10 2014 3:05PM
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pattyWhack
Posts: 685 - Karma: 1,521
I had some problems with my boots fitting properly, bought a pair of these from my local shop. Works for me.

Sep 10 2014 4:28PM
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lozowskiii
Posts: 23 - Karma: 128
natethegreattI just got some 2013 Salomon SPK 85s (for a steal I might add - brand new for $100).

I know breaking in boots and getting some shin bang is just part of the process, but is there anything that can be done to soften them up or break them in before ski season? Other than walking around and crouching haha.


cuzzies cut in half
Sep 10 2014 8:45PM
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skier58284
Posts: 1705 - Karma: 5,365
Go to a bootfitter. Get boots that fit. Get them heat moulded. Get custom footbeds. Wear them tight enough but not too tight. If you do all of that you probably won't get shin bang. If you do get shin bang, take a few days off to let the bruises heal. Skiing will just prolong the recovery. Unless it's a pow day, then shred the pow and deal with the pain.
Sep 10 2014 9:06PM
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Poikenz
Posts: 1480 - Karma: 3,769
Caucasian_AsianBy boots that fit.


Obvious answer, but from the sounds of it he doesn't even know if he'll get shinbang in these boots, seeing as how they are new and I am assuming he hasn't ridden in them yet. But I guess if he thinks he'll get shinbang from them, he knows they don't fit or he wasn't fitted for them in the first place.
Sep 10 2014 9:10PM
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natethegreatt
Posts: 592 - Karma: 570
They fit fine. I have tried them on and walked around in the house and the fit feels perfect. I have only skied a handful of times in the last couple seasons so it could just be my shins not being used to the boots.

Basically when I'm walking around in them the tongues feel stiff. The boots are 85 flex so they shouldnt feel too stiff.

I'm getting a booster strap so maybe that will help?
Sep 11 2014 5:20AM
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Wez
Posts: 54 - Karma: 526
I get shin bang after a few days skiing. I have gone to boot fitter and they fit me perfectly but I have Nordica ace 3 stars that are a 130 flex and holy shit they are stiff. I have tried lots of things and in the end have got them to scrape some plastic out of the back so the cuff flexes easier. All lot better I can jam for a few more days but the shin bang still comes back because I put pressure on the front of my boots through turns and landings and they don't flex. So it's like banging my shins into a brick every turn. Btw I don't land backside and ride backseat
Sep 11 2014 5:35AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6657 - Karma: 10,898
PresskiI get shin bang after a few days skiing. I have gone to boot fitter and they fit me perfectly but I have Nordica ace 3 stars that are a 130 flex and holy shit they are stiff. I have tried lots of things and in the end have got them to scrape some plastic out of the back so the cuff flexes easier. All lot better I can jam for a few more days but the shin bang still comes back because I put pressure on the front of my boots through turns and landings and they don't flex. So it's like banging my shins into a brick every turn. Btw I don't land backside and ride backseat


Honestly, it sounds like your boots don't fit you perfectly. A perfect fit is more than just how the foot feels- it means everything about the boot matches your biomechanical needs, including geometry and flex. It sounds like the boot is too tall and too stiff for you. Also, do you have supportive footbeds that holds your foot and leg in the proper spot of the boot?
Sep 12 2014 2:52AM
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onenerdykid
Posts: 6657 - Karma: 10,898
natethegreattThey fit fine. I have tried them on and walked around in the house and the fit feels perfect. I have only skied a handful of times in the last couple seasons so it could just be my shins not being used to the boots.

Basically when I'm walking around in them the tongues feel stiff. The boots are 85 flex so they shouldnt feel too stiff.

I'm getting a booster strap so maybe that will help?


If you don't have proper supportive footbeds, a booster won't be helping because it doesn't treat the actual problem of your shin twisting in the cuff of the boot because your foot is still moving/twisting in the shell. Without a footbed to align your foot and ankle properly, your leg will not sit properly in the cuff nor against the tongue of the boot. And this can for sure lead to shinbang.

All a booster strap will do is ensure the tongue stays pressed against your shin, which is a good thing but it does not prevent your shin from twisting as you flex forward. This is what a footbed does and why they are so important in preventing shinbang.

Flex is completely secondary to this point. Having a 150 flex boot does not mean you get shinbang (FYI this is the flex Riddle skis pipe with) just as having an 85 flex does not mean you will be free from shinbang. Flex of the boot is selected in relation to your biomechanical and skiing needs. 85 might work for you, it might not. Don't get fixated on a flex number, just make sure the flex is supportive without being too stiff and flexible enough without lacking support.
Sep 12 2014 4:30AM
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