footbeds or "foot-top padding" or other help for low volume feet?

My toes are basically always black from some combo of climbing and hiking boots.  For the first time, when my boot fitter, the legendary "boot yoda" at Cal Ski (Sorry, can't remember his name just now) in Berkeley looked at me, I heard that I have "low volume" feet.  Now I am seeing this diagnosis more and more in others one the web, and it makes sense.  Here's where I might be able to help others: 

My fancy Sportiva Nepal EVOs came with a sort of pad that just drapes over the top of the foot just below the ankle.  I have never had any problems with these boots. Hmmm.... Eureka????  Such a pad would or should stop my foot from moving forward and smashing my toes.  Could this be the answer? 

At REI they tell you to buy the biggest shoe you can stand so that there is more room for your toes on descent. This just doesn't work. Outside of REI you see encouragement to purchase footbeds.  I'm thinking that a thick insert in my shoe would just squish my toes, and make my foot higher, less stable.  

Why aren't there more foot-top pads?  Has anyone seen these anywhere other than Nepal EVOs? Could the answer not be foot beds, but "foot covers" that you get molded to your feet, again, the purpose is to prevent your feet moving forward on descents? 

Has anyone with a low-volume foot tried footbeds or other things, and how did it go? 

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I will add I'm a smallish guy, just under 5'8", I tend to wear 10.5 street shoes, which I take to mean that my feet are long for my height, but as Yoda said, "low volume".   La Sportiva footwear tends to fit me better than most. Alternative technical lacing tends to not work for me.  I have absolutely no problem fitting running shoes, but I don't have any long descents on what I do, unlike hiking. I take that to mean the foot beds of standard NB running shoes are adequate. I have an surgery scar that gives me a projection on one heel, can't wear my TC pros anymore, but my low-volume problem long, long predates this and should be dealt with separately. )

-TPC

I have long, low volume feet, size 14, but average width. I find the best thing is buying the right brands - Scarpa is my go-to now even though they have a rep of fitting people with wide feet. I've used all kinds of insoles including custom orthotics and all of them have the fatal flaw that the raise the heel in the shoe's heel counter increasing slippage and interior wear on the shoe. I do put met pads under the insoles behind the ball of my foot to help with a neuroma which also takes up a little volume. I've put tongue pads on some dress shoes which worked, but I've had better luck just finding brands that fit better. I actually had custom work done on my TC pros at Rock and Resole but I haven't been able to use them yet to see if it worked!

Good luck, I feel your pain!