Sore shins while skiing is one of the most common complaints bootfitters encounter. Fortunately, there are solutions to this problem, but first, you must determine what is causing those sore shins. In this blog, we offer some tips on how to prevent sore shins.
To understand what causes sore shins, it is important to look at the movements your lower legs make while skiing. While there can be several reasons for the pain, the most common is the movement and skiing technique.
To avoid pain or injury, you must make sure you don't hang in the back of the boots. How can you prevent this? First, let's take a few steps back and look again at the basic skiing posture. In short, a central dynamic posture, legs slightly apart, knees and ankles bent and pressure all over the ski. This posture will ensure that you won't hang back in your boots, and the muscles of your shins will have less to endure.
So you fix your skiing posture, and the problem of sore shins will disappear. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. If the pain persists, it's time to look at your ski boots. Like the correct posture, a good shoe will also prevent you from leaning backwards. So what are the requirements of a good boot? Firstly, your heel must be held firmly so that your foot doesn't slide forward and backwards. What is more, the boot should be the right size. Many people have ski boots that are one or sometimes two sizes too big. Also, the ski boot should ensure that your ankle is forced to slightly bent while skiing. And finally, the shoe should have a rigid back so you can't hang backwards.
Don't buy new shoes the moment you have sore shins while skiing. Work on your posture first. If the symptoms persist, you can have your ski boots looked at. A good bootfitter will know why your problems arose and may be able to make adjustments to your current ski boots so that you can ski without pain again.
I grew up in Slovenia, close to the Julian Alps. Early on, my parents put me on skis and skates, and the winter sports enthusiasm hasn't left me since. I also enjoy cross-country skiing and have been a keen snowboarder for the past 20 years.
