Do your feet hurt when you’re snowboarding?
You’re not alone—it’s a very common complaint and it’s not the end of the world.
What’s more, with a few simple changes and a little knowledge on your side, you can heal that heel pain and cure those aching foot muscles!
Why Do My Feet Hurt When Snowboarding?
There are several reasons why you might experience foot pain when snowboarding:
- Your snowboarding boots don’t fit properly
- Your stance is wrong
- Your snowboard bindings have not been adjusted correctly
- You have a foot condition
Extreme foot pain is a cause for concern and if you’re feeling crippling pain, it’s time to stop, take a break, and address the issue.
Even if your foot pain hasn’t quite reached “extreme” levels, it helps to take a break and assess before you return to the slopes.
How Do I Stop My Feet From Hurting When Snowboarding?
The type of foot pain that you’re experiencing will point you toward the actual issue:
- Arch Pain: The arch in your foot is located between the ball and heel. Arch pain is typically caused by flattening and stretching the foot and the easiest solution is to support your feet using custom orthotics.
- Numbness: If your feet are numb, it means that blood isn’t circulating like it should. More often than not, it’s the result of overly tight snowboard boots. You want them to be tight, but if they are too tight, they will cut off your circulation.
- Pain in the Front of the Foot: Front foot pain can occur when you are carving on the frontside and may be caused by ill-fitting boots. Some riders have found that it helps to switch to laced boots, as the extra stretching provides the foot with more room and reduces front foot pain.
Curing Foot Pain With Snowboard Boots
As you can see, many foot pain issues are caused by snowboard boots.
If they are too tight, loose, or otherwise ill-fitting, they can trigger a host of problems.
Those boots are locked onto your feet all day and as you’ll be spending a lot of time stretching and turning, you’ll be placing them under great stress.
They need to fit properly and support adequately.
If you have arch pain, heel pain, or any other type of foot pain, your first step should be to check your snowboarding boots.
Do they fit properly, are they strong enough, and are they too old?
If so, investing in a new pair or getting them refitted could help to cure your foot pain.
Snowboard bindings can also cause foot pain.
Fit and adjust your bindings until you can rock and turn without feeling any pain.
How Do I Strengthen My Feet for Snowboarding?
In some ways, snowboarding is like learning to play the guitar.
It’s tricky at first and as you’ll be using muscles in ways they have never been used before, they’ll start to hurt, and that pain will greatly limit your ability and the time that you can spend playing.
The more you practice, the tougher they will get, and the easier it will be to play for a long time.
As a first-time snowboarder, you’re probably using feet and leg muscles that have never been used in that way.
It’s natural for them to feel a little sore and it’ll take some time before that pain fades and the movements become natural.
However, as noted above, when the foot pain is extreme, it’s definitely not normal, and if it’s caused by foot problems or ill-fitting snowboarding boots, you need to remedy the issue immediately.
