....I have low volume calves AKA chicken legs so maybe some type of insert on the tongue? Or really crank down the top buckles and power strap?
....there is definitely some space around the upper boot and my calf....I'll look for some type of pad to fill in the space
....On occasion, the radius of the plastic on the boot tongue doesn't match the radius of the lower leg and can create problems with equal pressure distribution on the shin that even many of the good suggestions above won't quite correct.
Equal pressure distribution on the shin.... that may be your issue. You need it. Your boot tongue/cuff needs to press against your shin all the way up and down your lower leg, equally, as you ski. If the lowest part of your shin has a gap between it and the boot tongue, then the top part of your shin will bear all the built-up pressure in each turn, and suffer. This is how people get shin-bang, and your leg has the worst possible version of it. Since your wounds are at the top of the boot cuff, that's the part of your leg that's banging into the tongue.
Your shin should not be slamming into the tongue. It should be snuggled up against it all the time, no banging, and when there's pressure, your leg should press into the tongue and bend the cuff with equal pressure all the way up and down. Keeping the cuff buckled loose is maybe causing your issue. I'm thinking that because you are wondering if you should crank them down. Or maybe your boots have too much volume and you can't easily fill the space by buckling normally. If your boots have too much volume, next time you buy look at low volume boots. They will have LV in their name.
Do what you need to do to keep your whole shin tightly pressed up against the whole tongue, top to bottom, and the pressure will be smoothed out to give some relief to your wounds. Equal pressure should mean you no longer have an intense pressure point like you currently have. The bottom of your shin will share the load.
The booster strap helps at the top of the tongue, but it doesn't do anything for the bottom of it. If you can't close the gap with tighter buckling and a booster strap, this might help... the Eliminator Tongue, available online and at your local shop. (And low volume boots next time.)
) when I had boots that were not stiff enough (for my weight, skis and skiing) and they were a tad to big for my legs.
