Richard Moss is a sports rehabilitator and has worked at Bolton Therapy Centre for the past 8 years. In his new blog he explains why you should use the correct footwear when taking part in winter sports like skiing and snowboarding.

If you’re about to go snowboarding for the first time, or a seasoned professional, you may well be wondering about the risks associated with skiing and snowboarding and how to prevent injury. Some people educate themselves about measures that can be taken for injury prevention, like using the right equipment and taking part in a strength and conditioning programme before they take part in winter sports.

All the therapists at Bolton Therapy Centre say you should only use suitable footwear. This is because footwear is the part of the body that has the most contact, and the first contact, with the ski or board.

How well you control the snowboard or ski’s is linked to how well fitting your winter shoes are, how much support they give to the feet and finally the quality of the footwear. 

The mechanics of the ankle and foot are affected as well. If you change the position of your back foot or the middle of your foot, because of a boot that isn’t fitted properly, it can cause negative effects on the entire lower limb kinetic chain. It will mean you won’t be able to keep a neutral position.

If you suffer from existing foot biomechanic problems, the poor alignment of the foot combined with the wrong footwear means the chance of serious injury in the lower back and lower limbs increases.

All that, combined with changing direction quickly on uneven surfaces, instable biomechanics and frequently changing environments and body weight, means if you’re wearing the incorrect footwear you are running the risk of damage to yourself when, with the right preparation, you don’t have to take any chances at all.

 Here’s what to think about when choosing footwear

• Correct Fit. Always check that the fit of the shoe lets the equipment feel responsive under your feet, but doesn’t cause any pain or moves your foot into a position that isn’t natural. The degree of foot expansion alters throughout the day, so you will need to allow for space in the boot when wearing them because of this. If the shoe causes pain or pins and needles then you must change them immediately and report the sensations to a member of staff.
• Suitability-

Always check you are using the right boots for the sport you are doing and for the snow you will be moving on. For example it’ll be powder snow for skiing and piste snow for snowboarding. Also check the shoe and snow will complement the style of sport you’ll be performing. This could be freestyle, free ride or mountain.

• Laces-

How you tie your boot laces will have an impact on how your feet feel and behave on the slopes. If you tie your laces in a boa lacing style for instance, you could experience a different feeling of fit due to uniform tension on rotating the disk.

• Inserts-

It is crucial to wear orthotics if you need them, and bring them with you if you have a fitting for boots.