Skiing is a high speed sport involving quick turns at high speed down a sloped terrain, making huge demands of your feet and ankles. When you make those turns, your foot flattens, your ankle bones lower, and your leg rotates toward the opposing leg. That puts massive stress on everything below your waist. But even with all of that stress, you should never experience pain in your feet or ankles after a day on the slopes, assuming it was accident-free. If your ankles or feet are throbbing, sore, or icy cold when you end up in the lodge, your boots may need adjustment or refitting, or may need to be replaced. But your skiing technique may also contribute.

Do your ski boots fit correctly? Are they the right boots for your skill level?

In skiing, your boots are your most essential gear, because movement is initiated in the feet and ankles. They should offer plenty of support, but still be flexible enough to allow forward and lateral flexing ankle movements. Ski boots that are too soft or too stiff for your ankle strength and skill cause dysfunctional ankle movement, resulting in pain.

If your ski boots don't fit correctly, your foot may literally bounce around inside your boot, referred to as ankle and heel slop. Boots which are too large - even slightly - cause the ankle to sit too low in relation to the boot's intended ankle pocket area, and this impacts ski turning biomechanics. The result is again, dysfunctional movement patterns which may cause ankle pain.

Contributing to your discomfort can be irregularities in your foot or ankle, such as former sports injuries which become aggravated, or new conditions, such as bunions.

Experienced skiers arrange for foot beds and boot alignment. Professional boot fitters correct your actual ski stance to a neutral position, called canting. The stance of some skiers may need to be moved forward, some more upright. A boot fitter will also mold the boot's inner lining to your foot's unique shape.  If you're experiencing ankle pain, tell the boot fitter about it, and they'll make the appropriate adjustments. But canting and alignment are not magic bullets - you should also select boots appropriate for your skill level.

You may want to consider asking a podiatrist to mold custom orthotics for your ski boots to stabilize your foot.

Do your feet ache? Do they cramp after a day on the slopes?

If your feet ache or are cramping after skiing, it's usually due to the overexertion of the muscles on the bottom of your foot - they're working too hard to maintain control of your skis. This is also a problem with the fit of your boots.

Do your feet turn icy cold?

If your feet become icy cold after a day on the slopes, you either need to wear thicker socks, or you may be overtightening your boots in an effort to control your balance and foot movement. It's never recommended to overtighten your boots for balance, as it creates a false sense of confidence, which could get you in big trouble. Tightening your ski boots also cuts off circulation and causes cramping, which may in turn cause ankle pain.

Is your skiing technique hurting your feet?

Your turning technique may also be to blame for your foot or ankle pain. A smooth turn initiation helps skiers carve clean, controlled arcs. Abrupt turn initiations are jerky, which causes the skier to bang their ankles against the inside of the boot, causing pain. Begin a ski turn by gently and gradually tipping your skis on to their edges.