Good skates for overpronation?

[sandyk]

Hi there, I am looking ahead a bit in my skating progression and thinking about getting custom boots made. My coach and I have noticed that due to the fact I overpronate something terrible, I have some trouble getting fully onto my outside edge, particularly on my left foot, which is my weaker foot. I can get on the outside edge but it's noticeably weaker of an edge than the right. I guess my right foot is stronger so I am better able to compensate for my natural inward tendency with the right foot.

Anyway, in addition to orthotics I heard somewhere that when you get custom boots made, you can have them made with lifts or something that will also help compensate for your natural tendency to overpronate.

So I have come here hoping that any of you that might have experience with this, or could make a recommendation of which manufacturers make the best boots for flat-foot wonders like me, will share what you know.

I guess my specific questions are:

1. Is it possible to order custom boots that will help compensate for the overpronation?
2. Who are the best manufacturers for this problem--is it possible to maybe do a semi-custom boot and still get some solution to the problem?
3. Any ideas on what I would have to spend?

Thanks--any thoughts or ideas on this would be helpful!

[CFP]

hey, if you find out, let me know!!:)
you sound just like myself. i'm forever having to build up my insoles,,, trying to get a tighter fit in the arch.
i skate on jackson elites,,, better fit toe to heel,, but still wide [for me].
for now,, try cutting up an old, thick mousepad [if you can find them anymore].......i cut a half oval and glue it underneath the forward arch area. it's not the most comfortable, but it does push my foot a little more upright.

do you have very high arches? if so,, you might have to mess with the insoles. my foot imprint shows only the ball and heel of my foot.. [ great dancer feet, not so great shoved in a leather boot!:P ]. i find that just when the arch area feels ok,, when i go to lace up,, now the TOP of my foot is crammed against the laces.....:P errrrrrrrrr..
well, hope i gave you an option...:)

[flippet]

Hi there, I am looking ahead a bit in my skating progression and thinking about getting custom boots made. My coach and I have noticed that due to the fact I overpronate something terrible, I have some trouble getting fully onto my outside edge, particularly on my left foot, which is my weaker foot. I can get on the outside edge but it's noticeably weaker of an edge than the right. I guess my right foot is stronger so I am better able to compensate for my natural inward tendency with the right foot.

Have you taken a good close look at how the blade is positioned on that skate? Perhaps your pronation isn't as bad as you think--maybe it's that the blade is positioned a smidge too far to the outside. That can make it wicked hard to get an outside edge.

I've heard of some folks placing the blade slightly more to the inside than is 'usual' (we're talking millimeters, here). It works for them--it makes sure that the blade is properly aligned for how they carry their weight.

Superfeet apparently makes an orthotic that works great for this kind of problem too. I've never tried it myself.

[Joan]

My feet pronate too. I am in custom Harlicks. When I was measured for the custom boots, I had a foot mold taken, and they made an inner sole to fit my feet. I also mount my blade slightly to the inside of the center line.

[jazzpants]

I not only pronate, but one leg is slighter shorter than the other!!! (This of course, contributed to my lower back problems... :x ) I had custom Harlicks made with orthotics built in. No more pronating!!! Best part is that I have better control of my edges now!!!

But I do agree with flippet to at least get your blade alignment checked. Do this test... glide on one foot straight down the blue or red line and stay on that line. If you feel a pull and curve towards your left or right (instead of staying on the edge and going forward), your blade alignment might be off. (I'm still AMAZED and QUITE SURPRISED that Phil at Harlicks put the blade on my (then) new boots and the alignment was DEAD ON w/o having to watch me skate!!! No need to adjust the alignment! It was PERFECT!!! 8O :bow:

Good luck!!!

[Emberchyld]

do you have very high arches? if so,, you might have to mess with the insoles. my foot imprint shows only the ball and heel of my foot.. [ great dancer feet, not so great shoved in a leather boot!:P ]. i find that just when the arch area feels ok,, when i go to lace up,, now the TOP of my foot is crammed against the laces.....:P errrrrrrrrr..


I definitely agree that it could be the arches. When I got my new (And first properly fitting pair) of skates, I found that I was curving terribly on the right inside edge when I tried to glide. WhenI went to get the skates "fixed", the pro just kept moving the blade out and sending me to try them on the ice, moving and moving the blade... even going out onto the ice with a drill and watching and trying to figure out what was going on... and despite the fact that I tried not to pronate and the blade was moved insanely out, we couldn't get it right.

Until, about an hour later, he made a comment about foot shapes and I asked if my "insanely high arches" could be causing the problem. He said that most people don't have arches high enough to cause problems in their skates... but when he took one look at my feet, he said "now those ARE insanely high arches..." and that they probably were causing all of my problems. (Definitely great for ballet, though... my feet look beautiful in pointe shoes!)

The blade was put back into the original position and a new insole and huge arch pad later (the first pad was too small, the second pad wasn't enough... a third larger pad with an insole with built in arch support was just right) and I was skating nice and straight.

So if you do have naturally high arches (or flat feet, according to the pro), that may be causing you to roll in or out (a great way to check is also to look at the wear on the bottom of your street shoes... if your shoes wear unevenly to one side, you're probably rolling the same way in your skates!). Find a good pro and mention your foot shape before you even start moving the blades-- that might save the both of you from chasing after a "Scooby Doo Mystery".

[sexyskates]

You can have a custom sports orthotic made to fit your skates. Surefoot makes them for skiers, skaters and runners. I got a better lutz and sitspin as soon as I wore mine! I take them out and use them in my ski boots, and they help my knees align better.

[jazzpants]

I agree with the arches thing as well. I have low arches and regular stock skate boots usually wreck my arches terribly! The orthotics do mold to my own arches, so that should help.

[skateflo]

You don't say what level of skating you are currently nor how old you are but I want to offer some additional thoughts. Yes I agree that orthotics and blade placement are very effective in helping the overpronation. When I still had trouble I went to a chiropractor, a back x-ray was taken, and even I could see how my right hip was considerable higher than the left. He explained it that an adult is exposed to years of stress and the body sometimes curls up the hip as if trying to crunch in a protective mechanism. Adjustments over the course of a month brought my hip back down into a more normal position and my ability to get onto outside edges improved remarkedly. The other thought is that while coaches frequently focus on the feet, many adults do not fully raise their opposing hip for the lean required for a good outside edge.

I have custom harlicks and it did take frequent blade movements and an orthotic to help my pronation. The fine tuning came with chiropractic adjustments (only after an x-ray confirmed the tilt) and constant reminders to get my hip up into the proper position for the lean until it became automatic.

I good boot and blade fitter is invaluable!

[Aleeta]

I have been having a similar problem. When I first got my skates (beginner Ridell's, I am just starting to work on pre-Bronze MIF) the middle of my foot didn't really touch the bottom of the skate, which has been somewhat painful. I have high arches with no weight on my foot and then they almost completely collapse when I step down, putting everything out of alignment. I tried Superfeet and that put in way too much arch support and ended up cutting off circulation in the feet. I have managed to figure out an interrim solution with something called "Instant Arches" that I found at the shoe store, and am having orthotics made for my skates from Foot Levelers now (I am really hoping that these work!). the Instant Arches work pretty well, they are just a small arch pad that you can stick to your skate insert wheverver it feels right.

Ah ha, there is a website with Instant Arches here (http://www.instantarches.com/) (the picture of them isn't great, but you can see what they do)

When I am ready for a new pair of skates I will probably get custom ones with orthtoics built in, but my skate-pro doesn't recommend getting them until I really know what I want to do and have worn out my current ones. (which makes sense, considering how much they are!)

[skaternum]

If, after trying all the other excellent suggestions made here for blade alignment, arch supports, orthotics, body alignment evaluations, etc., you still feel like you need custom boots, I'd strongly recommend Klingbeils. The Klingbeils started out making corrective footwear, so they're really knowledgeable about correcting problems. I suffer from both pronation and pelvic misalignment, and my custom Klingbeils have been a godsend!

[Casey]

Thought I'd share some info I got from Don Klingbeil:

"95% of all pronation problems are caused by improper blade placement. I specialize in orthopedic problems with the feet in shoes also. Shoe pronation is a common problem that can be adjusted with orthodics or custom made shoes. The orthodic holds your arch and foot and will stop you from rolling in.

--OK Here comes the good part---Skating boots are built with a strong counter around the back and side that will not allow your foot to push in. --(It Gets Better)--.

Now remember you are not walking on the ground you are on a blade. If you raise the arch or raise the inside of a boot it will pull you to the inside edge on the blade. In a shoe you will be pushed out-the opposite of shoes. -- Hope this made sense. Many blade mounters mount the blade inside on the toe to stop pronation. They think if you mount the blade like this you will stop pronation. Instead of stoping pronation they are causing it.

Think about it. If your blade is mounted inside at the toe, when you bend your knee if you don't twist your knee inside to stay balance over the inside mounted blade you will fall out. Just logical. Then they say you have pronation. The next thing that will happen is the boot will start to twist or break to find balance and people will say the boot is defective or you need orthodics."

[doubletoe]

Yep, I'm going to agree with everyone else. Check blade placement first. :)