Getting rid of Heel Lift

Hi Guys

If you rememeber a while back I had major boot issues which resulted in severe inner ankle bone pain on my left foot. I ended up getting the boots modified at by Darren at STM where he punched out the outer shell and heat moulded the boots while I had big foam pads stuck to my ankle bones. He mentioned my foot was a tricky one to fit as it was longish but with a slim ankle structure but prominent ankle bones.

The modified boots got a workout during a week in Japan and the majority of the ankle bone pressure had gone and the pain was much more bearable which was a big relief.

I did quickly encounter a new problem though which I’m seeking advice on. Early on I noticed my right foot was now getting heel lift on toe side turns. I also ended up with a pressure point on my right shin about half way up (maybe related to the heel lift?). It was enough to break the skin and bruise up.

I’m hoping there is a simple way to sort out the heel lift before the Aussie season kicks off.

Thanks in advance!

Heel lift is a tough one. It’s caused by excess room in your boot; it could be a result of the boot packing out, the boot not being the right shape, or the boot being too big to start with.

Which boots do you have? Do you have any after-market footbeds in your boots?

There are things that can be done to minimise heel lift, i.e. J-bars (only in Burton boots), adding foam to the liner around the ankle, footbeds can sometimes help as well. Yeah, it sounds like you have a tough foot to fit. I would suggest J-bars or similar foam placed strategically around your ankle.

This is why I drastically downsize when buying new boots. My feet measure up as 9.75 but I squeeze into size 9 (my shoes are 10). It’s uncomfortable for a couple of weeks but the boots wil be perfect when they pack out (and all boots pack out).

Thanks for the reply rider.

The boots are 2011 burton rulers size 9. Darren seemed to indicate they were the correct size and I don’t think I could downsize anymore unless I chop my toes off

I think the majority of the problem is the lack of volume in my heel/ankle area (with stupid ankle bones) but I still need a boot with enough length for my foot.

I have superfeet green footbeds in the boots.

I pulled out the liner this morning to look at and it looks like burton has some sort of j-bar integrated into the liner.

I’m definitely open to the idea of adding some more if it’s a simple fix, where about’s would be the best place to get some from?

Cheers

You should be able to get J-bars in the Rulers. They actually attach to the inner shell, not the liner. See if there is a banana shaped velcro thing near the ankle area of the inner shell. This would help for sure. Speak to Rob at STM and see if he can give you a set of J-bars and/or get Burton to send some to you. Otherwise, give Burton Australia a call (9935 9000) and see if they can send you a set. This is the first thing to try and definitely your best option to start with.

drc i got some spare j-bars if you want i can bring it to you when we go out…on 31st.

dont worry i have the same problem i think ..... my right ankle bone was is destoryed while i was in japan ..

That was cause ya wore ya socks on ya hands instead of ya feet, lano!!!!!

Touche mizu lol

lanox - 16 March 2012 04:30 AM

drc i got some spare j-bars if you want i can bring it to you when we go out…on 31st.

dont worry i have the same problem i think ..... my right ankle bone was is destoryed while i was in japan ..

Thanks mate just noticed this and appreciate the offer.

I emailed burton directly the other day but haven’t heard anything back yet.

If you are getting ankle bone problems definitely get your boots looked at before your next shred! I let mine go too long and just kept pushing through the pain and before I knew it I’d pretty much damaged the bone and couldn’t walk without a limp for a month.

Any boot fitting ski shop will have foam for jbars too, they don’t have to be the burton specific ones. Just cut out j shapes that take up the extra space around your ankle and ducttape it on. Or pay a bootfitter (hopefully in beer) to do it for you. Personally I always suffer from heel lift and my ankles don’t even look that narrow. I always downsize as much as possible but also knowing how much I will be riding during the season. If your only riding 15 days a year you probably don’t need to downsize at all just because your boots won’t pack out as much. But if you ride 60+days i would usually downsize at least a full size. It will suck for the first week of riding but at least they will last the rest of their lifetime.

Heel lift sucks. For years i rode boots that didn’t fit my foot shape (thirtytwos) and now i have gnarly bunions on the ankle bones sticking out.