UKH

Have just spent first 2 serious days out in B2 boots but am experiencing pain on sole behind toes and tips of toes, esp walking downhill. No blisters and boots aren't rubbing and feet don't seem to be moving about.

Feet are ok on the snow with and without crampons, just pain on flat a bit and walking back down quite a lot, not enough to stop but have to grit teeth a bit on occasion. 

Any ideas what may be causing this?

Too tight/loose in front lace section maybe, any other hypotheses?

Cheers

May be slightly too short so toes touching the front on descent? Have you got decent insoles? An insole with a more pronounced arch can sometimes move your toes back v slightly. This was from a qualified podiatrist and boot fitter who sorted me out, not just my opinion!

I did think that at first but it's not front of the toes but underneath toe and at base where ball of foot starts that it feels tender, almost bruise like, but no visible bruising.

Cheers

How wide are your feet at the toe/ball of the foot? Are they too tight? My feet are wide and I get this when wearing narrow footwear.

Based on this I would say your boots are too narrow. Had a similar experience with Nepal Evo and old Batura, changed to Scarpas and no problems. I thought for a long time it was the hardness of the sole directly under the ball of my foot. 

Interesting about narrowness of boots, they are Scarpa manta. They don't feel narrow, will pay more attention when I put back on tomorrow. 

Thanks

If you can, try on the Scarpa Ribelle Lite straight after the Manta. A significantly wider and roomier toe box. I’ve got both now and the Ribelle are so much more comfortable due to the wider last. 

After a few outings and bruised feet, I ended up really loosening the laces and starting again, leaving the toe box looser and tightening up elsewhere. It worked.  With those kind of rigid boots it hard to feel whats best and often the toe box is tight without realising it so much til later.

I used to get pains sounding a bit similar to that in stiffer boots, particularly at the end of the day. Started using Superfeet green insoles and never had the problem since, and that was about 17 years ago. They seem ridiculously pricey for insoles but for me, worth it and I got nearly a decade of usage from the first pair, putting them in most of my different boots and trainers - so not bad when divided by days of use!

Crossing the laces - threading one around the other - at the end of the toe box means that you can keep the toe box more loosely tensioned than the ankle. Might help, and trying it is cheaper than new boots.

T.

I used to get a similar bruise-like feeling all over the soles of my feet after a long day walking in B2s. Like TobyA above, I found switching out the insoles really helpful. Don't remember what mine even were, just a basic gel insole.

Am going to try looser lacing in the bottom toe box section, thanks for all suggestions

I had a similar problem and the shop recommended tongue depressors - not the lolly sticks the doctor uses to look at your tonsils, but a dense foam pieces which fit between the laces and the tongue of the boot. Apparently they help to hold the foot into the boot and stop it sliding forward into the toe.  Works for me.

I have wide feet and find that it is essential to get the lacing absolutely right.

Was much better today, I replaced, starting one row up and left the toe box looser, seemed to work . Just need to lock off ankle more now as rest of foot was a bit looser, no blisters though so progress but still a work in progress. 

Thanks for all the great advice ????