Custom Ski Boots - Daleboot is the Only Ski Boot Made in the U.S.A.

Painful feet drive people out of skiing. Sometimes, the only thing between skiing and quitting is a good ski boot. When a ski boot customer has irregular shaped feet or a foot problem of some sort, the only hope is to try on every manufacturer's ski boot and hope to find a ski boot shell style that best suits their foot problem.

For over 4 decades I've worked with or in the ski industry. As a young 20 something I worked in ski shops for about 10 years, then owned my own ski shop for 10 years during the skiing heyday of the 1980's. Since then I've incorporated ski boot fitting and sales into my custom shoe insert orthotics business. To best serve my customers I only sell one ski boot, the Daleboot.

I've been selling the Daleboot for over 10 years and am extremely satisfied with how they suit my client. Because I'm a Certified Pedorthist, my ski boot customer is often looking for a good fit that might be the difference between continuing to ski or giving up the sport.

Ski boot shells are molded hard plastic. The molds to make them are very expensive for the ski boot manufacturer. So each brand or model of ski-boot is designed for one-style-fits-all.

The ski boot industry has tried to help customers with ski boot fitting by supplying a variety of customizable boot liners and shoe inserts or orthotics. Technicians can then spend time grinding and stretching the shell and hoping for the best.

All of these efforts don't help the ski boot buyer when the performance of the boot is wrong for them even though the fit may eventually be right.

Daleboot is the only domestically manufactured ski boot in the U.S.A. That means that I can easily customize the Daleboot ski boot with help from the factory. Factory involvement is especially important to be able to customize the boot shell.

The entire Daleboot liner is fully formed (not partially, like most other brands) to the entire foot, ankle and lower leg. This feature is amazingly comfortable.

The performance of the Daleboot ski boot is variable with a adjustable forward flex feature to suit all abilities of skiers. The even fit of the boot promotes good blood circulation and consequently the foot remains warm longer than in some other ski boots. If the client is especially sensitive to cold, there is room to install a boot warmer.

People from around the country visit my Footform Orthotics clinic in Bend, Oregon to be fitted and purchase their Daleboots. They can test them on the nearby slopes of Mt. Bachelor and get any needed tweaks before they head home.

Call my office to set your custom ski boot fitting appointment in Bend, Oregon
541-389-4547

www.Footform.com

Customer Satisfaction - Keeping People Walking and Moving Well and Pain Free with Footform Shoe Insert Orthotics

Hello Randall,

I want you to know I think of you every morning, as I slip on my shoes for the day. Since I got my orthotics in May, I have been able to work, live and play pain free! I feel like it's not an understatement when I say your work has changed my life. I have even taken up activities that years ago I thought I would never be able to do. I'm even getting ready to run a 5k this fall (just writing this is bringing tears to my eyes)!

Thank you Randall. I'm a big fan!

Lisa
______________________________________________________________

Thanks Lisa for your note. Over the many years I've been in the Orthotics business I'm always touched to hear from a happy client. The proper integration of orthotics and shoes along with the client's efforts to change stance and gait can make a positive life-changing difference to our orthotics clients.

You are obviously implementing the changes we discussed during our appointment as well as regularly wearing your orthotics and proper footwear. I'm so pleased to hear that you are experiencing good results.

Good luck in your renewed running practice,

Randall

Congratulations to Footform Gold Medal Athlete Barb Buchan

For many years we have been sponsoring U.S. Paralympian cyclist Barb Buchan with our Footform Orthotics. Barb is an inspiring and now quite famous athlete who at age 52 won 2 Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympics while setting a world record! (Of course she wore Footform orthotics in her cycling shoes!) With that victory in place, most of us thought that Barb would retire from cycling.

Retirement is the farthest thing from Barb's mind. She recently returned from Italy with a new victory and para-cycling world record. Here are the details:

• Where: 2009 Para-Cycling World Championships in Bogogno, Italy. Sept. 11, 2009
• What: Gold Medal Winner - LC3/LC4/CP3 - Time Trial BUCHAN (USA) with a time of 32:02 for 20k
  

Barb is very pleased with her results and compliments her coach, Bend resident, Justin Wadsworth for his years of training. Justin, himself a former Olympian and now World Cup Coach, also guided Buchan to two Gold Medals in the Beijing Paralympics last year and continues to guide her to her recent victories. Next month Buchan travels to Manchester, England to compete in the Disabled World Championships on the velodrome.

Barb's physical, mental and emotional strength inspire all of us. The New York Times has featured a few articles about her. From Death's Door to the Medal Podium by Allan Schwarz, is one of my favorites.

Despite Barb Buchan's awesome successes, she is not able to get the level of financial sponsorship that relieves her money worries as she concentrates on her training. She is working as much as possible, but the extent of her head injuries along with the demands of her training severely limit her efforts. You can read about one of Barb's cyling fundraisers on my wife's CreateAndRelate blog.

Barb Buchan's always needs help with cycling expenses and donating to her will make a big difference in whether she can compete or not:

Send Donations (not tax-deductible) to: (Please Make the Checks out to Barbara Buchan)

Barbara Buchan
c/o CORIL: Central Oregon Resources for Independent Living
PO Box 9425
Bend, OR 97708

Barbara thanks you for your support.

Save Money on Your Athletic Shoes

The old maxim, "It fits like an old shoe," doesn't mean "it's" good for you. Old athletic shoes, even if the uppers look good, wear down where the foot has stressed them. The insole packs down and is no longer functional. This is especially true of athletic shoes. 

The proper athletic shoe for your foot along with a  good orthotic may reduce repetitive strain injuries, the bane of any athlete or casual exerciser who works out regularly.

Athletic shoes are no longer as functional and supportive after roughly 500 miles. Active people walk about 5 miles per day. If you're wearing your sports shoes as your everyday shoes, be sure to add this mileage to your training mileage. As a general rule, a pair of well used athletic shoes has about 100 days of use. After that, the shoes have compressed cushioning (especially in the midsole) and have developed wear patterns that can accentuate poor gait and stance habits.

Here are a few tips to extend the life of your athletic shoes and save money:

• Footform orthotics extend the life of your shoes by spreading out pressures more evenly throughout the shoe. 
• Date your shoe when you start to use it (with a permanent marker) and half-way through the shoe's life add a new pair to your closet and alternate use between the 2 pairs. Continue to stagger the use of your shoes, throwing out the old pair.

At Footform Performance Center in Bend, Oregon, you can set a half-hour appointment for gait analysis and shoe consulting. Call my office 541-389-4547.

Note: Some specialty athletic shoe stores will recycle old athletic shoes. 

www.Footform.com

Sports Pedorthist - Supporting the Athlete and Active Person

A lot of people don't know what a Certified Pedorthist is or does. Pedorthics is a specialty in foot orthotics and shoes. It's often confused with Podiatrist. The difference is that Podiatrists are doctors treating a variety of foot related ailments, including doing minor surgeries and prescribing drugs. Podiatrists also prescribe and provide orthotics. 

The big difference between getting orthotics from a Pedorthist (me), rather than a Podiatrist is that the Pedorthist is a specialist who usually fabricates the orthotic and fits it into shoes. Podiatrists usually send out their orthotics for fabrication. Because of cost and insurance issues, many Podiatrists and Pedorthists are turning to the less effective pre-fabricated, off - the - shelf orthotics.

The majority of Pedorthists across the U.S. focus on the diabetic foot problem. But, there is a small niche in pedorthics called Sports Pedorthists.  Regionally (the Pacific Northwest), I am a widely known Sports Pedorthist, and operate my Footform Performance Orthotics Center in Bend, Oregon. Though I do make orthotics for clients with diabetes and other maladies, my specialty is custom orthotics for the active person with repetitive strain injuries and issues.

Sports Pedorthists have the skills to fit orthotics into specialty athletic shoes, such as ski boot orthotics, skating orthotics, cycling orthotics, running orthotics and golf orthotics. Maybe you're thinking that, "Hey, anybody can put an orthotic in a shoe." Here's the answer. A Sports Pedorthist spends a lot of time analyzing the athletes biomechanics, their sport and their footwear. Fitting the orthotics into the specialty shoe correctly makes a huge positive difference to the athlete's performance and relief of strain.

At Footform Performance Orthotics center, in Bend, Oregon, our foot orthotics price includes 2 one-hour appointments to ensure the best result. 

Bend, Oregon is a vacation area and many of my clients visit Bend for a vacation or to participate in one of the many races and sports events in Bend. They'll get their orthotics while they are here. I have many clients from around the country that will get their foot molds on file with me, then have me mail them duplicate orthotics over the years. 

Call my Footform Sports Orthotics clinic in Bend, Oregon for an appointment, 541-389-4547.

Email: Randall@Footform.com

website: www.Footform.com

Custom Ski Boot Fitting

Fun and pain don't go together if you want to excel in sports. Of all of the sport footwear that can really hurt your feet, ski boots are at the top list. Finding a solution to alleviate painful ski boots takes an experienced technician. Custom ski boot fitting is the solution.

In 1966 I was a Certified Ski Technician in Bend, Oregon. I went on to manage, then own a ski shop and spent decades in the ski business before I became a Board Certified Pedorthist. It was a long time ago, and I've learned a lot since then, following snow sports of all types through their life cycles.

During most of the 20th Century, Alpine Downhill skiing was the dominant snow sport. By the 1990's diversity was the trend and now people are on the snow in a variety of ski boots. Custom fitting snow-sport boots is my favorite specialty.

My custom snow sport and custom ski boot fitting service at Footform Orthotics Center in Bend, Oregon is: (We do this process quickly and efficiently because we charge by the hour.)

1. Analyze the boot fitting problem during the appointment which includes a full professional foot exam.
2. Isolate the fit problem determining the footwear compatibility with the foot.
3. Perform alterations.
4. Ski Boot Canting - Check for cant angles and alignment.
   
5. After the custom shoe or boot alterations are done, the client tries the ski boot, skate boot or snowboard boot out on the snow.
6. If necessary, the client returns for a short visit to get the fit tweaked.

At the Footform Performance Clinic in Bend, Oregon I custom fit the following snow riding boots: Footform custom orthotics are included in the process unless the client has an orthotic that is acceptable.

Telemark Ski Boots, AT Boots, Alpine Downhill Ski Boots, Nordic Cross Country Ski Boots, Nordic Skate Boots, Snowboard Boots.

We also sell the Daleboot for Alpine Downhill Skiing. The Daleboot can be a custom fit ski boot with custom shell modifications and thermo formed ski boot liners combined with custom ski boot foot orthotics. The Daleboot can accomodate the wide ski boot customer with alterations. My price includes my custom orthotic footbed for the ski boot. The Daleboot is the ONLY ski boot made in the U.S.A., which means that if a client has a particularly challenging fit problem, it is more likely to be solved in my office by customizing both the ski boot shell, liner and ski boot footbed. Because I work in partnership with the Daleboot factory to fit my client, true custom ski boot fitting is possible in a variety of ski boots size.

Call us at the Footform Performance Clinic 541-389-4547 to set your snow sport and custom ski boot fitting appointment. We're located at 345 SW Century Drive in Bend, Oregon. Century Drive/14th Street is the road to Mt. Bachelor ski area. Get a ski boot fit and test it on the mountain during your visit to Bend, Oregon.

www.Footform.com

Athletics and Orthotics: Fencing

Orthotics are the necessary foundation when you're on your feet in a sport, wearing footwear. Whether you're in an athletic shoe, bike shoe, ski boot, water sandal, fishing waders, mountaineering boots, golf shoes, etc, shoe insert orthotics are key to top performance.  

You can't see the orthotic, but it's in the shoe enhancing the performance of the athlete. The orthotic facilitates optimal foot position by providing a cradle contour for the foot's optimal position on the ground, guiding the foot to the strongest biomechanical function. 

I began making custom orthotics in 1980 (in the Alpine Ski Industry) and have been learning and developing my expertise and shoe insole product ever since. Research involved in creating my custom footbeds is both observational and experiential. Not only do I make custom orthotics for a variety of athletes and skill levels, I also participate in sports so that I personally understand the demands an athlete makes on their body. 

Epee Fencing is a sport I took up about 3 years ago, following my 14 year old daughter Isabella Acosta Barna into the sport. Learning a new sport at any age is exciting mentally and physically. Isabella has inspired me to get off the sidelines and get on the fencing strip. Sharing the sport of epee fencing is a joy and a delightful bond with my teenage daughter.

Isabella is a natural fencer. At age 14 she won a Bronze in the under 20 age group (Junior) at the U.S. Fencing Summer Nationals 2008 in July, also earning her "A" rating as a fencer. Comparatively, I'm a duffer, but I workout hard with Isabella and she's training me well. This year I did win 3rd (a Bronze medal) in the Oregon State Games Veterans Epee division. The competition was held at the Northwest Fencing Center in Beaverton, Oregon where Isabella is trained by the head coach, Sebastian Dos Santos.

Sports not only develop fitness, they are important for relationships of all types. My involvement with fencing has led me to volunteer at our local club, the High Desert Fencing Club in Bend, Oregon. I'm the President and along with a Board of supportive parents we're building a non-profit club that develops young fencers in the Central Oregon area. It's a great place for kids and adults to connect through sports.

Here are some photos of Isabella and I fencing. The top photo is of me (on the left) fencing in a regional competition at the Northwest Fencing Center in Beaverton, Oregon. The second photo is of Isabella in a North America Cup competition.  Of course, both Isabella and I are wearing Footform orthotics! 

The Northwest Fencing Center in Bend, Oregon is a 501C3 non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible. Contact me at my Footform Performance clinic phone 541-389-4547 to make a donation to the Fencing club. Donations pay for both infrastructure (rent, equipment, etc.) and for youth scholarships.  Fencing skills are in demand at good universities and are a big plus on any young person's college application.