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!

Haglund's deformity boot fitter recommendations??

profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
Hey everybody, wondering if anybody has Haglund's deformity and if you guys have any boot fitter's you went to that helped solve your problems. Would really appreciate the recommendation. (Looking for anywhere in the mid-atlantic, North East as far as VT/NH, or SLC area.)

About 5 years ago living in mammoth, I was using Salomon's Ghost 100's which had an awful design where the baseplate part of heel was soft so it would absorb landings.. Well, if you landed switch with enough force, your heal would sink and absorb the landing but then it would create more space inside the boot and my heals in turn would slam the back part of the boot every time I landed switch. At that time, I was skiing Mammoth's bigger jump section and so the force was great enough that the fluid-filled sac (bursa) in between my achilles tendon and heel bone became inflamed and created a bony enlargement on the back of both my heal's and is now very sensitive in ski boot's especially.

It really sucks and I haven't been able to ski the same since. It is painful every time I ski, and I normally just take a bunch of Advil, try not to land switch as much, absolutely don't butter, and push through the pain.

At the moment, I am skiing in Atomic's Hawx Ultra 120 which i modified to have the 130 flex. It is one of the few boots that work for me that won't break my bank and after one of the boots pretty much blew up on me in the park, Atomic sent me brand new one's so I'd like to stick with them for now. I am using stock liners and will probably get some intuition liners to see if that helps at all.. Have been meaning to get them any way.

Any recommendations of your trusted boot fitting experts would be much appreciated!
Nov 7 2019 1:31PM
2 0
profile picture
.MASSHOLE.
Posts: 7540 - Karma: 12,216
Where are you now?

If you can drive in the northeast, your options are limitless.

If you're near the Catskills, Marc Stewart at Windham is great.

If you're near S. VT, Green Mountain Orthotic Lab or the Boot Pro are highly recommended.

If you're near N. VT, Inner Bootworks or Race Stock Sports (P.J. Dewey) are some of the best.
Nov 7 2019 2:14PM
2 0
profile picture
animator
Posts: 4570 - Karma: 26,372
If you’re willing, check out Fire On The Mountain in Dover, New Hampshire (about an hour north of Boston). The boot fitter Andy has been fitting for almost 30 years and the man can do anything. I work there and he fit me up in a pair of Scarpa Maestrale RSs I got. I have an atrocious instep, narrow heel and wide forefoot and my boots are now the most comfortable thing I’ve ever had on my feet
Nov 7 2019 3:13PM
2 0
profile picture
amccahill93
Posts: 221 - Karma: 1,936
I got my bone spurs and bursa removed surgically bc no matter how much boot work I did it always hurt
Nov 7 2019 4:29PM
2 0
profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
amccahill93I got my bone spurs and bursa removed surgically bc no matter how much boot work I did it always hurt

Oh man.. That's what I'm trying to avoid. Figured I'd try getting boots fit better first. What was recovery like?
Nov 7 2019 7:52PM
0 0
profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
.MASSHOLE.Where are you now?

If you can drive in the northeast, your options are limitless.

If you're near the Catskills, Marc Stewart at Windham is great.

If you're near S. VT, Green Mountain Orthotic Lab or the Boot Pro are highly recommended.

If you're near N. VT, Inner Bootworks or Race Stock Sports (P.J. Dewey) are some of the best.

Thanks!! I'm local to Philly at the moment, but am willing to take a trip for someone highly recommended.
Nov 7 2019 7:54PM
0 0
profile picture
amccahill93
Posts: 221 - Karma: 1,936
Stitches were in for 6 weeks and completely healed 2 months in. I'm glad I did it, worth every minute spent on the couch the first time I put on my boots and didnt lose feeling in my foot from pain. Mine was on top of my foot though with a nerve and blood vessel running over it. Yours sounds like maybe it's a trickier spot, but I really recommend it if it's an option. Hold out till spring if you can and then do it
DefreeskiOh man.. That's what I'm trying to avoid. Figured I'd try getting boots fit better first. What was recovery like?
Nov 7 2019 9:47PM
0 0
profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
amccahill93Stitches were in for 6 weeks and completely healed 2 months in. I'm glad I did it, worth every minute spent on the couch the first time I put on my boots and didnt lose feeling in my foot from pain. Mine was on top of my foot though with a nerve and blood vessel running over it. Yours sounds like maybe it's a trickier spot, but I really recommend it if it's an option. Hold out till spring if you can and then do it

Oh wow! That's actually not as bad as I thought it'd be. I'm definitely gonna inquire more about that. I know exactly what nerve/blood vessel you are talking about. I get some pain up there sometimes but I don't think it's what you were going through.
Nov 7 2019 11:03PM
0 0
profile picture
onenerdykid
Posts: 6731 - Karma: 11,641
DefreeskiOh man.. That's what I'm trying to avoid. Figured I'd try getting boots fit better first. What was recovery like?


Normally, boot-fitters grind in this area but you will not want to grind the shell of a Hawx Ultra. The shell on the Ultra is super moldable and a boot-fitter can punch the shell exactly in the spot where you need it.

The next step will be getting the liner to move into the space that is created and that should also be do-able by taking a heat gun to the specific area of the liner and massaging it into the created space by hand.
Nov 8 2019 2:55AM
3 0
profile picture
Turnfarmer
Posts: 62 - Karma: 83
Billy Kaplan is in Philadelphia suburbs 215 760-8226
He's a little under the radar but is one of the best.

Get multiple opinions on Haglunds surgery. It is very serious business.
Basically they disconnect your achilles to do it. Lots of potential complications.

Also if you have a flexible foot and no foot bed every time your foot pronates it is banging into the shell.

Go see Billy.
Nov 8 2019 9:03AM
1 0
profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
TurnfarmerBilly Kaplan is in Philadelphia suburbs 215 760-8226
He's a little under the radar but is one of the best.

Get multiple opinions on Haglunds surgery. It is very serious business.
Basically they disconnect your achilles to do it. Lots of potential complications.

Also if you have a flexible foot and no foot bed every time your foot pronates it is banging into the shell.

Go see Billy.


Hey thanks! Does he work at Buckman's in philly or something? I'll hit him up.. Appreciate the help.

Yeah I try and stay away from surgery whenever possible so hopefully this will work out!
Nov 8 2019 2:04PM
0 0
profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
onenerdykidNormally, boot-fitters grind in this area but you will not want to grind the shell of a Hawx Ultra. The shell on the Ultra is super moldable and a boot-fitter can punch the shell exactly in the spot where you need it.

The next step will be getting the liner to move into the space that is created and that should also be do-able by taking a heat gun to the specific area of the liner and massaging it into the created space by hand.


Thanks! I've only skied in these boots several times/3 times last season so they aren't very broken in I think still. I hope I don't make a mistake of getting these area's worked on before they are broken in a little more.
Nov 8 2019 2:10PM
0 0
profile picture
Turnfarmer
Posts: 62 - Karma: 83
No Billy is on his own.

Though Buckmans has various people in various shops who could do a simple heel punch and footbeds. Especially that Boot, the plastic moves like pizza dough. Biggest issue is to not overheat it.

Billy has 4 sewing machines for doing different liner mod tasks. Different level.
Nov 8 2019 5:17PM
2 0
profile picture
tomPietrowski
Posts: 7271 - Karma: 18,576
Yeah billy does amazing linerwork but that level may not really be needed

I have found creating space like onenerdy advised by punching and then making sure the foot is moving as little as possible will work in most cases.

I have worked on some bad cases and have even created a padding inside the punch before which can work nicely.

Good footbeds are a must I find so see who you can find that does the best footbeds and shell work in your area.

Billy is for sure worth a look though.
Nov 8 2019 9:26PM
1 0
profile picture
Turnfarmer
Posts: 62 - Karma: 83
Sorry if unclear, wasn't suggesting OP needed that kind of liner work, just that Billy is at a higher level than most.
Nov 9 2019 12:24PM
1 0
profile picture
C_Tarbox
Posts: 275 - Karma: 471
I've had good success with Mount Snow Boot Works
Nov 11 2019 9:25AM
1 0
profile picture
Defreeski
Posts: 141 - Karma: 209
tomPietrowskiYeah billy does amazing linerwork but that level may not really be needed

I have found creating space like onenerdy advised by punching and then making sure the foot is moving as little as possible will work in most cases.

I have worked on some bad cases and have even created a padding inside the punch before which can work nicely.

Good footbeds are a must I find so see who you can find that does the best footbeds and shell work in your area.

Billy is for sure worth a look though.


Thanks! I got all set up with an apponitment with Billy. I've wanted to get some liner work done in other area's anyway actually so works out perfectly.
Nov 13 2019 5:53PM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-4)