Bunions/Harlick boots?

[skatin' mom]

I have been reading all the posts about new boots with interest, as I may be in the market soon. Seems that I am developing a bunion (ew) I think as a result of too narrow Reidells. I will try having the toe box stretched or punched out (anyone have personal knowledge as to whether that even works to alleviate the problem?), otherwise I will be looking for new boots.
I have not seen too many posts about Harlick boots. Are they out of fashion? Too expensive for what they are?

[vesperholly]

Well, my last boots were custom Harlicks. They were nice boots but I had a terrible time breaking them in and was never quite comfortable in them even after three years. Part of the problem might have been that I wasn't skating consistently in them (one day every other week or so). I wouldn't say that a bunion necessitates switching boots outright, though. Try switching your tights/socks - I've found that slippery tights sometimes cause their own problems. And it's certainly cheaper. Bumping out the problem spot by a professional skate fitter will probably solve it unless they need big-time bumping.

I recently switched to custom Klingbeils and I love them. I had them bumped out in the ankle exactly once since I got them at the beginning of November and they've broken in nicely. I've had a recurrent problem with lace bite on the outsides leading to raw skin, but a sponge pad solved the problem instantly. The problem now is actually remembering to put the sponge pads in my bag. :-)

Jocelyn

[Designdiva]

Riedells gave me bunions. I'm now in Harlick hi-testers and I love them. They only took two weeks to break in and have been comfy ever since (2 years). I have a super-narrow foot so the Harlick toe box was good for me. However, I do have some nasty callouses on the bottom of my feet and around the ankle. I'm a candidate for customs but I wear a stock boot. The next pair I buy will be customs and perhaps that will alleviate that problem.

[Elsy2]

I developed a tailor's bunion (which is on the outside of your foot instead of the inside) with my first pair of Jackson skates. Yes, punching out that area can eliminate the problem. My bunion was so painful that I got a cortisone injection. After about two weeks it settled down, I had the skates punched out, and didn't have any problems after, except to periodically stretch out that area of the skates if I started to notice pressure. I switched to SP-teri's which had a wider toebox with my next pair of skates.

My daughter has a regular bunion, and we have to punch out that area of her custom Harlick's about every 4-6 months if it starts to bother her....so, even with custom skates you have to be sure that area is stretched enough to not aggrivate your bunion and make it worse.

[~illusion~]

Hey!
I have been skating for a while now, and every other skater that I know all have bunions. (Skaters have the ugliest feet most of the time!). Whether the bunions be on the back of your foot (where your heel is) or on the sides of your feet, they are perfectly normal. Normally they don't hurt but if the boot is really unproperlyh fitted (which is normally the reason why you have the bunions in the first place) you should definitly consider getting the boot stretched. I have heard that people very often who skate have decided to get these bunions removed. Although I only think that this is a ood option if they hurt!

Well I hope you all try and cope with your skaters heel!

[Lili]

Originally posted by Elsy2
I developed a tailor's bunion (which is on the outside of your foot instead of the inside) with my first pair of Jackson skates.

Yep. I have tailors bunions on both feet from my Klingbeils. I tried everything, from being barefoot to going with tights to going with footies. Finally I got a new pair of skates and that solved the problem for the most part, however sometimes they hurt so much I can barely walk from class to class. I have to have orthotics in my sneakers and my skates to solve the problem.

Funny thing is, I remember ordering a custom pair of Harlicks and they never seemed to get them right. We sent them back 3 times before going back to Klingbeil.

What I do is I put cortizone on them before I go skating and in the morning (usually helps with swelling) and my foot doctor gave me pills to calm the inflamation down when I need it. I hate my feet. :)

[RoaringSkates]

I have Reidell's, wide, but I did get bunions. For my next skates, I plan to get skates with a wider toe-box.

Definately, definately get that area punched out. Make sure that you don't have pressure on the bunion, and that your toes lie flat on the bottom of your boot.

Also, evaluate your non-skating footwear. Do your shoes fit, or are they too narrow at the toe? Are you wearing heels? All of these things can worsen bunions.

In prep for my next skate purchase, I've learned that SP-Teri, Jackson, Risport, and Klingbeil have wide toe-box areas. Harlick tends to have a very narrow front.

[TashaKat]

I LOVE Harlicks :) After many different bumps and abrasions with other kinds of boots I haven't had a single problem with Harlicks. My current pair are quadra-cement-bond customs and are SO comfortable! I haven't had a single ouchie and NO time off the ice crying in pain (unlike my Risports, Belatis, Wifas ......). The downside is that they ARE expensive initially BUT wear for wear they have turned out to be incredibly economical for me! My 'old' Free boots (double duo) were 2.5 years old and are now going to be used for Dance for another couple of years. Previously I was lucky to keep boots for 18 months! (Risport Super Diamant win the prize of 6 weeks before they were discarded!).

I've had three pairs of Harlicks now and can totally recommend them.

Good luck

L x

[dbny]

Originally posted by ~illusion~
Whether the bunions be on the back of your foot (where your heel is) or on the sides of your feet, they are perfectly normal.

My daughter had huge bumps on her heels from Riedells, which are too deep in the heel for her. When Bill Klingbeil fitted her, he commented on them and said they would gradually go away with a properly fitted boot. It's been about two years now, and they have receded significantly, but not gone away completely. At least she has no pain at all from the Klingbeils.

[Elsy2]

My daughter also had heel bumps from both Reidell's and SP-teri's. Harlick's with heel huggers hold her heels in place. Her bumps have regressed to near normal, although one is larger than the other, which I think may be due to that boot being a little bit large. We have been lucky with Harlick's, but getting decent customs from them for my coach and another skating friend was difficult. I think overall you take your chances with any skating boot as far as decent fit.

[Skatingsarah]

The day you decided to start to skate and laced up a pair you automatically signed a contract for Bunions! Every skater who has been skating for a while has them! I totally agree they arent the prettiest thing, but thats what skates do. If they start to really bother you like they did me in my new skates you can get them stretched or get them punch out in the ankle area. Basically where ever the problem is.
I think the greatest little invention is these gelled sock type things, they slip over you foot and really decrease the pressure on the bunions I actually noticed alot of the swelling of my foot went down!
I hope you figure it out.
-Sarah

[gardener]

This bunion thread really is a bummer as my daughter now has bunions also, perhaps from skating as you all say although we just thought they were a genetic thing, for example some people are near-sighted. My mother had bunions (attributed to the pointed high heels she wore for decades) and the pain she experienced having one removed surgically was SOOO bad she never had the second foot done...I hate to think my child will be in for that.

Why would a skate boot cause a bunion, which is a BONE growth kind-of-thing not just fluid swelling?

[Lili]

Originally posted by gardener
Why would a skate boot cause a bunion, which is a BONE growth kind-of-thing not just fluid swelling?

Hmm... from what I read the underlying cause of bunions is an abnormal outward projection of the joint at the base of the big toe or side of the foot (where mine is), and an inward turning of the toe itself. Many people with bunions get them because they have parents who have them (although not always the case, my mother or father never had them but my grandmother did). People also develop bunions from wearing narrow, tight or high-heeled shoes (in our cases narrow toe boxes and constant rubbing of the foot against the boot). I know I got my bunions because my skates were too small and we could not afford another pair right away, so I kept skating in them for about 6 months after I shouldn't have, then we experimented with harlicks and that didnt work. So I figure I was skating in too-tight skates for about a year and a half before I finally got new ones.

[Elsy2]

In viewing my x-rays of my feet, the podiatrist pointed out that due to the allignment of my bones on the outside of my feet, I would be more prone to a Taylor's bunion. Wearing skates that were too narrow put alot of pressure on those bones causing the inflammation. So I think it's a combination of being prone to the problem by the anatomy of your feet, and wearing tight skates/shoes....

The good news is I haven't had a problem since making sure my skates are wide enough in the front.

Gardner - get in the habit of checking your daughter's feet (a foot rub will clue you in to anything unusual.) Look for any reddening of the bunion area that indicates you should get that area of the boot stretched out. Think about a different brand of skates too for the next pair. I noticed my daughter's inner ankle bone was enlarging from pronation, and we had to adjust that in a hurry by moving her blade. These changes can pop up rather suddenly.

[Chico]

I have had two pairs of boots now. The first were Teri's and second custom Harlick's. I have absolutely loved my Harlick's. Loved. This has been my best investment to date for skating. My blades are a close second. I will stay with Harlick's for keeps now. Took me less than a week to get comfortable in my new boots, and was trying the axel by the third day. I found Teri's to be feet killers. Took me a year to lace them to the top. No joke! Good luck.

Chico

[flo]

I went from Reidell Royals to custom Harlicks. I have a wide foot, and really like them. I'm on my thrid pair. If you can, go to a skate exchange and try on a couple of brands. They will be broken in, so you may be able to get a feel for them.