Skateboarding
Skateboarding
How to prevent heel lift in snowboarding
Read ahead for a guide on how to avoid heel lift in snowboarding so you can have the best ride.
Few things in life beat the exhilaration of carving your way down a mountain on a snowboard — but the thrill doesn’t come without hard work. As Red Bull snowboarder Brock Crouch puts it, “In snowboarding, you have to be really strong.”
Participant at the Red Bull Dual Shapes in Serre Chevalier Briancon, France
© Teddy Morellec / Red Bull Content Pool
It’s not just about the strength and stability of your muscles, though. Your setup needs to be nice and sturdy, too. If you’re having difficulty with control on your turns, heel lift may be the cause.
If you’re experiencing heel lift, you’re not alone. Read ahead for a guide on how to avoid heel lift in snowboarding so you can have the best ride.
01
What is heel lift in snowboarding?
Heel lift is a snowboarding phenomenon that happens when turning toe-side on your board. As you carve, your heels slide upward inside your snowboard boots. Some heel lift is expected, but excessive lift can negatively impact your snowboarding performance. Instead of excessive heel lift, you want good heel hold — stable feet that are as flat as possible inside your boots.
If you experience heel lift on every ride and don't take steps to address it, you might gradually erode your snowboard boots’ responsiveness. You’ll also have way less edge control when turning and spinning, and you’ll find yourself catching edges more frequently. Plus, heel lift is pretty uncomfortable. When heel lift and numb or cramped heels are becoming the main theme of your snowboarding runs, it’s definitely time to solve the problem.
How to detect heel lift
It’s best to find out if you have heel lift before your next snowboarding adventure. All it takes to find out is a quick test at home.
Simply put on your boots, bend your knees into a snowboarding stance, and roll onto your toes. The heel of your boots will lift off the ground, and you should feel a strong heel hold. If your heel moves up and the sole of your boot doesn’t immediately follow, you’ve got heel lift.
02
Common causes of heel lift
Heel lift is usually caused by some sort of issue with the fit of your boot. Sometimes, it’s an easy fix, such as from improper tightening. Other times, it may mean you need a different pair of snowboard boots.
If you’re experiencing heel lift with brand-new boots, you probably picked a pair that’s too large. This brings up an important point: Snowboard boots aren’t built like sneakers or other athletic shoes. Instead, snowboard boot liners “pack out,” or expand, over time. Sometimes, this means that boots that felt secure when you first tried them on could get wider when you hit the slopes.
You may also feel heel lift for the opposite reason — your long-beloved snowboard boots are on their last leg. Old snowboard boots are likely packed out to the max. There are steps you can take to counter heel lift in old boots, but snowboard boots hit their limit at around 100 days of riding. While it’s hard to say goodbye to your favorite boots, you’ll need to replace them at some point if you want full carving control.
03
How to prevent heel lift
Making sure your boots are tightened correctly
The good news is that you don’t always have to replace your boots if you’ve got heel lift. As a first step, double-check if you’ve put your boots on the right way.
- Read the lacing instructions. Snowboard boot lacing systems are far from universal. If you’ve been riding with traditional laces forever, it can be hard to remember that putting on speed laces is a little different. Give yourself extra time to establish your new getting-ready routine when you’re breaking in new snowboarding footwear.
- Tightening the liner. When you put your boots on, the first step is making sure the liner is in the right place. After you put your foot inside the boot liner, give the boot heel a quick tap to make sure it’s in the correct position. Your liner should be tucked in and making contact with your shin. Once you align it, lace up the inside liner, tug on the liner tag, and push down on the clip a few times. You want the liner to feel secure but not so tight that you lose circulation.
- Inspect from top to bottom. After you’ve laced your boots’ inner liner and outer shell, stand up and flex your ankles. If you don’t have the right level of tightness, continue to make adjustments. Check that your laces are secure on both the upper and lower sections too. Loose lower laces are a common culprit when it comes to heel lift.
- Adjust your bindings. Although heel lift is usually the result of an incorrectly fitted boot, your bindings play an important part too. Before you start riding, do a last check to make sure the ankle straps feel secure and stable.
Finding boots with the right fit
Buying the right-sized boots is generally the best way to avoid heel lift. That’s easier said than done, though, since boot fitting isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Even when the actual size is the same, everyone’s feet are different, and some brands will fit certain foot shapes better than others. The only way to know is to head to your local snowboard shop and try a few pairs.
It’s best to try the outer shell of your boot before testing it with the liner. Once your foot is in the boot, slide your foot forward and see how much space is in the heel. You want two fingers’ worth of space for the liner. If you can fit three fingers between your heel and the shell, try a size down.
When trying boots on, flex your knees so you can see whether your heel lifts or stays put. Additionally, most experts recommend walking around in your potential new boots for 20 minutes minimum to get a true sense of their fit. You should also wear snowboard socks that are nice and thin, not thick like hiking socks, when trying on boots. If you’re not sure which boot is right for you, you can always ask snowboard shop staff for their recommendations.
Snowboarding technique for avoiding heel lift
Prevention is obviously the best medicine, but what happens when heel lift catches you off-guard on your way down the slope? Your turning technique can also play a role in keeping heel lift at bay. When you’re turning toe-side, try pressing your shin forward against the front of your boot. This tilts your board and creates an angle that closes your ankle joint, which should bring your heel back down.
Other tools for minimizing heel lift
Some riders use accessories called J-bars to reduce heel lift. These small, J-shaped foam inserts attach to your boot shell and provide extra cushion and stability around your heels. This can help as a short-term fix if you can’t get new boots right away. J-bars can also be helpful for some foot shapes — for instance, if you’ve got smaller ankles and heels.
Counter heel lift and enjoy a better ride
Heel lift happens to even the best riders, but it sure can ruin a good day of snowboarding. When you know how to catch and prevent heel lift, though, you’ll have a much better time on the slopes. Use these tips to fix your heel lift issues — you’ll get back to fully perfecting your carving technique in no time.
