Mutiny on the High...Insteps?

[sinkweight]

Hey-hey-hey, everybody!

I hope everybody's doin' well so far this year.

I just bought myself my first pair of longfins for Christmas, because Santa wouldn't carry them in his sleigh...something about aerodynamic instabilities...that, and they're a &!%@# to get down the chimney.

They're Sporasub H. Dassault (now renamed Elites, supposedly, though they have the Dassault signature on the footpockets.

And it's these very footpockets that have me babbling on the forum thread yet again. The problem? I have high insteps, which makes wearing shoes without tongues very uncomfortable. I found it to be the same, sadly after weeks of waiting by the door for the UPS feller, with my new footpockets. Although I was able to try out the Sporasub Variants, which fit a lot better, even with socks, I'm afraid that I can barely get my fins on WITHOUT socks with these new Dassaults of the same labeled size.

Since I'm no expert in the field of technopolymers and what not, could anyone tell me if it's possible to use a shoe-stretcher (or anything else) to give the top of my feet some room, and possibly a better, if not less slim of a chance to put socks on before attempting to wrangle these fins on my feet?

Or am I just missing a trick to putting on fins?

By the way, the length and width of my foot are not too snug, so I'm pretty sure I have the right dimensions of footpocket.


Help.

 

[DeepThought]

I also have high insteps (atleast I think we mean the same thing) but not as bad I guess.
At the first 5+ dive sessions that I wore my OMER foot pockets (with 3mm socks) I had to stop my diving sessions because it was too painful. I still had to struggle for a few minutes each time to get my feet in the next 20+ dive sessions. They did get softer with time (the footpeckets I think :duh).
Another thing that might help which is how I measured the footpocket in the shop is silicon spary. I hate the smell of it, but it helped getting my leg in at the shop. I've seen people using lube to get in tight monofin pockets.

There was also some thead(s?) about ways to enlarge footpockets. With methods such as using heat or cutting the top part and theading with a shoelace. Maybe the search engine will be your saviour.
Shoe stretcher sounds like a safe choise.

 

[quasimoto]

martin stepanek told me you could soak the footpocket in really hot water(not boiling, but pretty damn hot) for a few minutes, and then stick something in the foot pocket that will stretch out the top a little bit, and let it cool off like that. Be careful not to get it too hot though, because i think that it can become to easy to mold

 

[sinkweight]

Thanks for the insight, guys....I'll try the hot water/shoe stretcher combo.

Her're some other combos I'm planning on trying

10. chocolate chip waffles/vodka-drambeui-coffee-infused maple syrup

9. Spartan marching band/effeciency apartment

8. stage diving/national womens massage conference

7. tanning oil/novacane

6. mexican wrestling mask/door to door insurance sales

5. bald eagle fricassee/whopping crane-ka-bobs

4. giant gerbil ball/ski jump

3. sports illustrated swimsuit model/pogo stick research and development

2. psychadelic mushrooms/Portsmouth dive tank full of marshmallow cream

1. ...add sports illustrated swimsuit model to previous combination.

 

[quasimoto]

Thanks for the insight, guys....I'll try the hot water/shoe stretcher combo.

Her're some other combos I'm planning on trying

10. chocolate chip waffles/vodka-drambeui-coffee-infused maple syrup

9. Spartan marching band/effeciency apartment

8. stage diving/national womens massage conference

7. tanning oil/novacane

6. mexican wrestling mask/door to door insurance sales

5. bald eagle fricassee/whopping crane-ka-bobs

4. giant gerbil ball/ski jump

3. sports illustrated swimsuit model/pogo stick research and development

2. psychadelic mushrooms/Portsmouth dive tank full of marshmallow cream

1. ...add sports illustrated swimsuit model to previous combination.

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA