How to keep ski touring boots from over-flexing in cable/rod bindings

Originally Posted: January 2022
Updated: December 2023

For backcountry touring, I like the all-day comfort of a softer nordic boot. I also have a relatively large foot. With a typical cable or rod binding mounted on risers, this combination results in a pronounced “boot sag” under the middle portion of my foot, effectively shortening the boot in relation to the binding. As a result, the heel clamp frequently falls off my boot heel while skiing.

A simple fix for this very irritating problem is to install some sort of shim underneath the mid-boot area of each ski, as pictured below. I use a Voile plastic riser plate for this purpose, but it would be equally effective to screw or glue a small block of wood onto the ski. In either case, it is helpful to cover the shim with slippery duct tape to reduce snow buildup.

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Voile Switchback Bindings with Middle Shim

Voile Switchback Binding With Mid-Foot Riser Under Boot

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How to keep ski touring boots from over-flexing in cable/rod bindings

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