Forefoot/toe volume too deep

flyers10

Registered User
Apr 12, 2011
105
0
AZ
I know a lot of people have issues with skates not being deep enough to fit their foot but I have a skinny/shallow foot, especially the forefoot area. I am ok in some models at the instep but from just before the ball of the foot to the toes it is very shallow and every skate I've used feels too deep there. Anyone know of any remedies that may work or certain model skates with a known shallow forefoot-toe area? I have X60's now.
 

Guffaw

Registered User
Apr 29, 2011
495
0
Drexel Hill PA
I know a lot of people have issues with skates not being deep enough to fit their foot but I have a skinny/shallow foot, especially the forefoot area. I am ok in some models at the instep but from just before the ball of the foot to the toes it is very shallow and every skate I've used feels too deep there. Anyone know of any remedies that may work or certain model skates with a known shallow forefoot-toe area? I have X60's now.

Maybe try and different footbed?

Honestly for "odd" feet don't hesitate to give GRAF a try. Not the lightest or flashiest colors, but nobody offers more fitments and all of those in 3 widths.

I have a narrow, low volume, shallow foot, but a very high arch so I need a big instep depth or I get lace bite/pain that brings tears to my eyes. The answer was a G35. I got regular width, but wish I got a narrow. I hear you though. I swear my foot is only 1/2" thick past the arch.
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
Bauer skates are built with tall/roomy toe boxes, you're meant to be able to wiggle your toes a little in them. I don't like the feeling either, but they fit me perfectly otherwise so I still buy them. I made little pads with velcro sewed on, then stuck the other side of the velcro to the inside of the toe cap, now my toes have a nice snug feeling in the skates, which I personally prefer.
 

flyers10

Registered User
Apr 12, 2011
105
0
AZ
Ponder - Does that pad you made cover just your toes or part of your foot as well? Sounds like a good idea if I can make one that covers about 1 - 1.5 inches behind the toes (area where first couple eyelets are).
 

beth

Registered User
Sep 10, 2010
544
0
Bellevue, WA
Ponder, I'm curious now. What did you use for padding?

I have too much room above my toes too, and it's always bugged me. I've tried using a footbed, but while it solves the toe problem, it ends up raising my heel too much. So I've always wondered if there was a way to fill out the toes from above and I'm glad to read that someone else has done it.
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
Ponder - Does that pad you made cover just your toes or part of your foot as well? Sounds like a good idea if I can make one that covers about 1 - 1.5 inches behind the toes (area where first couple eyelets are).
You won't be able to glue/stick velcro to the felt, only to the toe cap, but you could have the pad be longer regardless, with the forefoot part just hanging out a bit sans-velcro.

Ponder, I'm curious now. What did you use for padding?

I have too much room above my toes too, and it's always bugged me. I've tried using a footbed, but while it solves the toe problem, it ends up raising my heel too much. So I've always wondered if there was a way to fill out the toes from above and I'm glad to read that someone else has done it.
I made it the pads out of industrial strength velcro (one side sewed onto the pad, the other side stuck to the inside of the toe cap):
http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hard...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

And layers of microfiber cloth for the padding, it's nice and puffy, soft and light:
Microfiber-Cloth-for-Floor-HM0810-.jpg


You should easily be able to find both at any decent hardware store.

Then I got it all sewn together by my local dry cleaning/alterations place once I had all the pieces cut to just the right size. It will take them literally just minutes, they shouldn't charge you much. You want to use quite a few more layers than you'd think you need, once you get it sewed up well it takes up way less volume. If you have your own sewing machine that's be even better, because then you could really tinker with exactly how many layers of cloth you need to get the fit just right. I also customized it a bit so I had 1-2 fewer layers over my big toe, to give a more anatomical fit. I even have thin little flaps coming down the side of the toecaps for extra comfort (think the flaps on the footbeds of the APX skates, except coming from the top instead of the bottom obviously. Had these made well before Bauer introduced this feature btw :) ).

I'll take and post pictures of mine when I get a chance, the nice thing about the velcro design is they're super easy to put in and take out of your skates, so you can take them out to dry after every use so they don't get smelly. I love em, and all in (velcro, cloth and paying dry cleaner) they probably cost only around $20ish bucks ($10ish for velcro, $3ish for the cloth, $10 for the sewing though she only wanted to charge me $5).
 

flyers10

Registered User
Apr 12, 2011
105
0
AZ
Cool to see some pics of it Ponder. Hard to visualize how final product looks.
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
Pics of one of the pads:

dsc02468mu.jpg

dsc02470k.jpg

dsc02471o.jpg

dsc02473nb.jpg

dsc02474m.jpg


Pretty simple, just microfiber cloth and industrial strength velcro sewed together (with a matching piece of velcro obviously stuck to the inside of the toe cap). I used around 8 layers of microfiber cloth I think, with a couple fewer layers over the big toe, can't remember exactly how many but you can play around with the number of layers until it fits just right. The little toe padding end piece is just 2 layers thick.
 

ponder

Registered User
Jul 11, 2007
16,928
6,217
Vancouver
No problem, I highly recommend making yourself some btw, if you don't like that space above your toes this solves it completely, gives a nice snug feeling.
 

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