Bob Barnes on Forward Lean

Note: I was poking around the interwebs and came across a great post by Bob Barnes on EpicSki. It's worth reading the whole thing and seeing the great drawing, but here are some excerpts. I've had trouble with boots with too much forward lean and getting fixed really helped my skiing.

Forward lean--which is influenced by boot cuff alignment, boot design and fit, footbed design, internal ramp angle and heel lifts, external ramp angle (boot sole angle), delta angle (the effect of bindings), leg and calf shape, and ankle range of motion--affects ankle and foot function, fore-aft balance, range of flexion-extension, and the ability to tip and steer skis. While there is some room for personal preference, optimizing fore-aft boot setup is absolutely critical if you want to perform your best.

And there is no substitute here for a top-tier bootfitter who can decipher all the variables I mentioned above and come up with the best individual solution specifically for you.

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