strap-ons

Hello all,
First time here. This group was recommended to me by Gene in the nordic
group.
My wife and I are very novice cc skiers. We really love this sport. I'm
having a problem with sore feet. I have Alpina 1550 boots. After just 10 to
15 mins. my feet are killing me. I'd like to know if someone makes what
would essentially be a boot bottom that would strap on my very comfortable
insulated work boots and then clip into Rottefella nnn bindings.
Thanks,
Bill

KENT wrote:
Hello all,
First time here. This group was recommended to me by Gene in the nordic
group.
My wife and I are very novice cc skiers. We really love this sport. I'm
having a problem with sore feet. I have Alpina 1550 boots. After just 10 to
15 mins. my feet are killing me. I'd like to know if someone makes what
would essentially be a boot bottom that would strap on my very comfortable
insulated work boots and then clip into Rottefella nnn bindings.
Thanks,
Bill

I'm waiting with baited breath for someone to
respond to this in a serious way.

LOL Vt!!
I realize this probably sounds really stupid. Maybe there has never been
anything like this made.
I can't believe I'm the only one that gets sore feet from ski boots. So, I'm
serious. Looking for serious responses.

I can't believe I'm the only one that gets sore feet from ski boots. So, I'm
serious. Looking for serious responses.

What kind of "sore"? Are they too tight? Are they poking or pinching
in a particular spot or maybe just too tight all over?

Are your boots the right size? Do you have funny feet? ...

Try talking to a good boot person at a ski shop.

In general, "very comfortable insulated work boots" are probably
too sloppy for good skiing.

--
These are my opinions, not necessarily my employer's. I hate spam.

I can't believe I'm the only one that gets sore feet from ski boots. So, I'm
serious. Looking for serious responses.

That's lots of people.

Will Steiger, the guys who did ski circuses to both Poles and lives in
MN made some sort of plastic binding for use with his mukluks, but don't
expect much kick and glide. I tried them once years ago because they
were around, but I preferred my 75 mm set up, and I didn't get blisters or
cold feet.

In article ,
Hal Murray wrote:
What kind of "sore"? Are they too tight? Are they poking or pinching
in a particular spot or maybe just too tight all over?
Are your boots the right size? Do you have funny feet? ...
Try talking to a good boot person at a ski shop.
In general, "very comfortable insulated work boots" are probably
too sloppy for good skiing.

I can't imagine a sloppier boot than a Steiger mukluk.
I wore my Sorels into work just because I can into and out of them.

--

On Dec 18, 4:28 pm, (Eugene Miya) wrote:
I can't believe I'm the only one that gets sore feet from ski boots. So, I'm
serious. Looking for serious responses.

That's lots of people.

Will Steger, the guys who did ski circuses to both Poles and lives in
MN made some sort of plastic binding for use with his mukluks, but don't
expect much kick and glide. I tried them once years ago because they
were around, but I preferred my 75 mm set up, and I didn't get blisters or
cold feet.

Those bindings are called Berwin Backcountry Bindings. They were
originally made by Bill and Gene Prater's Sherpa snowshoe company, so
sometimes you'll hear (or see, if you have the old tan model) them
called Sherpa bindings. Now they are made and distributed by Akers
Cross-County Ski Shop in Andover, ME. (http://www.akers-ski.com/) The
new, blue ones are pretty bomb-proof. Avoid the late 1990's black
model. They had a well-deserved repuation for breaking under the ball
of the foot.

I use them with either mukluks or Sorel lace-up winter boots (NOT
pacs!) on a pair of Trak Bushwacker II skis. I have been using them
since they came out, and they are very comfortable. I don't have the
strongest ankles in the world, particularly on the left side, but I
never have any problems with mukluks and the Berwin/Bushwacker combo.
I can switch back and forth between skis and snowshoes and not change
footwear, which is a nice convenience.

All that being said, I agree with those who suggest trying a different
boot. I have a pair of Karhu Converts, which are a strong backcountry,
3-pin boot, which I actually wear the majority of the time I am
skiing. I find they help to keep the afore-mentioned left ankle and
fallen arches in place nicely when skiing for extended tours. To me,
that justifies the extra weight. I also have a pair of strictly
recreational 3-pin Alpha boots that I bought on a ski trip to the U.P.
of Michigan, when the toe broke off my old LL Bean ski boots. They are
warm and comfortable, but I can't use them for ski patrol or search
and rescue.

I have a pair of old Army skis with Ramer cable bindings on them.
Great, bomb-proof (literally, I think) binding, which also work with
my Converts. But I don't think your problem is the binding. Check out
some new boots, wear the socks you will wear when you ski. I am sure,
with the help of a knowlegable ski shop, you should be able to
eliminate the pain problem.

Ski safe,
Hans Erdman, WEMT
Backcountry Trail Patrol, MN
www.trailpatrol.org
www.wintersnowtrails.org

KENT wrote:
LOL Vt!!
I realize this probably sounds really stupid. Maybe there has never been
anything like this made.
I can't believe I'm the only one that gets sore feet from ski boots. So, I'm
serious. Looking for serious responses.

Actually so am I.

I use a pair of slightly modified, lightweight
telemark boots for "heavy" touring. They work
with both tele bindings and AT bindings (I never
really got the hang of going downhill fast with
free heels), and I have a pair of snowshoes
that are compatible with any ski boot, they
have crampon bindings.

I use AT boots for general resort skiing and a
little off-piste work.

Both of these are wonderfully comfortable.
The latter go on at 7:30AM and come off at 5PM
with no adjustment or removal through the day.

I have yet to find a pair of cross country boots
which are actually comfortable. I think a great
deal of the discomfort is from a lack of support
in favor of "lightweight".

A huge number of years ago, I used to do some
surveying work. We often did this in winter. I
modified some bindings to work with my wonderfully
comfortable, insulated work boots. I moved the
sides in and added a toe strap for security and
the cable fit ok at the heel.

I used this setup for working in the woods, on
hillsides, in winter. I could move fast with
normal cross country skis (narrow) and the
boots still fit snowshoes when they were needed
for steeper work.

I'm a big guy, I don't race and bit more beef
in my footwear is generally a good thing.

If I did more cross-country or still worked
in the woods in winter, I would consider a
pair of "traditional" leather telemark boots.
They are still made and used both here and
in Europe.

Hello Kent
The word strap-on has a more popular use in a different sport.

Is it your intention to ski in prepared machine cut trails or are you hoping
to break trail and do skitouring in the backcountry.
For intrack skiing definitely trawl the outfitters for advice and buy a comfortable
pair of new or used boots.

For touring you need to be looking in a different direction.
My first touring boots and skis for travel in Peter Clich country were ex British
Military issue, before I got interested in track and racing skiing.
The boots were plain walking/working type boots with Vibram soles. The skis had a
unique binding, the welt at the toe slid into two lips either side of the toeplate.
There was a cable looped round the heel of the boot which clamped into a
QR binding on the ski in front of the toe plate and held the boot in the two lips.

I've no idea what the military use these days but I presume they must have a
binding which grips a walking/working boot.
If so that should work on your boots.

Mike

In article ,
dardruba wrote:


I've no idea what the military use these days but I presume they must have a
binding which grips a walking/working boot.
If so that should work on your boots.


I believe it's called a NATO binding for obvious
reasons. Rottefella makes it, Model 120. I think.

I think the OP would be a lot better off switching to
a different boot maker. Not everybody has alpina shaped
feet, the other XC boots have a significantly different fit.

For example, Alpina's kill my feet, but I'm perfectly happy in
Rossignol boots.

_ Booker C. Bense