Skating with heel raises

[skatingdoris]

In order to correct my foot supination, which has caused some overuse injuries to my lower legs, my podiatrist has fitted my skates with temporary (she thinks they will need a few adjustments before we get them right) orthotics.

The insoles have a small lateral wedge and a more significant heel raise, which the podiatrist felt was necessary because my feet seem to lie naturally in that position.

I went skating with them in for the first time yesterday and ... well let's say I think I'll be going back to LTS :bash

I WAS warned and appreciate that there has to be an adjustment period, but was wondering if anyone has any experience of skating with heel raises?

I don't know how important they are to correcting the supination problem and plan to ask at my next appointment because they completely messed me up on the ice. My weight was so far forward even just doing backwards crossovers or three turns was horrible  , I didn't dare try any of my field moves! Jumps were okay but strange, spins were off (not centered, they normally are in general) especially my sit spin.

My question is, will I grow accustomed to skating with the heel raises and adjust the positioning and weight of my body accordingly, or will they cause me to develop bad technique in order to compensate and impede my progress?

Ideas?

Thanks x

[rsk8d]

The adjustment will definately affect your weight displacement when you are skating.  If the support underneath your heel is to high, if will cause your weight to shift forward.  I would try them out for a few weeks, and if your skating does not improve consider lowering the heel. 

[KillianL]

I had the same problem with podiatrist-prescribed orthotics - the height disparity between forefoot and heel was too great (and shortening the boot's heel is not an option), so I was up on my toes constantly.  The orthotics also made it very difficult to "feel" where I was applying pressure... seemed to me the orthotics had a little rocking action, which is obviously undesirable. After six months of trying to adjust, I finally pulled them out of my boots a couple of weeks ago.  It was like night and day - I won't go back to using them.  However my podiatrist wasn't at all willing to work with me like yours seems to be.  Mine advised me to quit skating (um, no)...

Of course now I get to suffer painful feet again.   

Good luck!

[rsk8d]

Do you mean correcting pronation?  You typically don't correct supination with orthotics.

[Nate]

Do you mean correcting pronation?  You typically don't correct supination with orthotics.

In skates if your heels fall in or out you need to correct it.

I have odd feet and trust me, if you try to skate without an insert in your boots you're in for a painful ride.  Of course, it also depends on the individual, their build, the extent their feet fall out, etc.

But just speaking form personal experience, I was ready to quit skating until I put a superfeet in my boot, because the feet rolling out (my heels roll outward and I have a med-low arch) was causing WAY too much torque in my ankles.  Every stroke felt like my feet were being split in two directions.

After some blade adjustments (more like... a LOT of micro-adjustments... 2 millimeters makes the world of difference and can render you inable to get on an edge, etc.) and putting superfeet in the pain went away...

Instantly.

It went away, and it's never come back sense.

And now my left heel is coming off my boot, it looks like

But I'm about ready to get new skates anyways...  These took too long to break in, and they still feel like they're half broken in a year later (probably[well, highly likely]  overbooted myself).