ot: learn me on ski boots

[crownjewelwl]

so about 8 yrs ago i bot some boots from surefoot...not the full injection molded stuff, but the footbed and a nice boot...

honestly they were never really that comfortable...

looking for new boots...i know there are some big skiers on the board...

teach me please!!!

[EricEstlund]

Step one- find the best boot fitter within an inconvenient drive.
Step two- buy what they sell you.

You basically want a decent shell fit in a package matched to your skill/ uses, and you want them to do what they need to re: liner, footbed and shell mods.

Surefoot guarantees their product, so if the liners and foodbeds aren't working, take em back.

PS- Pretty sure Surefoot branded shells are Lange.

[Rebel_Biker]

Ski boots are a lot like bike saddles. Every major boot company has great boots it depends a lot on the shape of your foot and shin angles. I really like the new Salomon Ghost. It is a bit soft but one of the best stiff alpine boots for touring and hiking, boot pack. My foot is also a great fit in salomons. I always raced in Lange boots but they are for a narrow foot, so I had to have them punched out all over the place by a boot fitter.

http://www.evo.com/alpine-ski-boots/salomon-ghost-120-cs.aspx

[maunahaole]

Fit is the most important consideration. Don't dismiss a pair until you have a chance to spend at least 20 minutes in them. On a new boot, it will take that long for you ankle to seat properly in the heel pocket. Have them strap you into the ski legs or whatever contraption so you can really flex them.

A good fitter should have you narrowed down to a half dozen or so choices before going to the shelf to pull boots.

Take your ski socks with you. Make sure that they are clean and don't stink.

Ask around who is the good boot guy or girl. There should be a short list if you are in ski country.

[crownjewelwl]

dude...you live in hawaii!!!!

Fit is the most important consideration. Don't dismiss a pair until you have a chance to spend at least 20 minutes in them. On a new boot, it will take that long for you ankle to seat properly in the heel pocket. Have them strap you into the ski legs or whatever contraption so you can really flex them.

A good fitter should have you narrowed down to a half dozen or so choices before going to the shelf to pull boots.

Take your ski socks with you. Make sure that they are clean and don't stink.

Ask around who is the good boot guy or girl. There should be a short list if you are in ski country.

[maunahaole]

and I have over 30 seasons of skiing in.


I've only been here 8 years.

[crownjewelwl]

and I have over 30 seasons of skiing in.


I've only been here 8 years.

i was kidding...i'm jealous!!

[MadRocketSci]

if you're serious its like buying a custom frame from an experienced builder...you tell them your ability level, aggressiveness, desires, provide honest feedback when your foot is in the boot, and let them do their thing. Boots feel different in the store then after a day on the hill, so coming back for a tweak or two might be necessary.

If anywhere near Boulder, go to Larry's bootfitting (larrysbootfitting.com)

[Vientomas]

These are general considerations:

Figure out what type of skiing you want to do and what conditions you will be skiing in. The type of skiing and snow conditions should be a consideration as to how stiff a boot you need or want.

The skis you use will also have an impact on boot choice. As an example, race skis work best when paired with race boots and park/free style type skis work best paired with park/free style type boots. It is possible to over boot a soft and/or short ski and under boot a stiff and/or long ski.

I used a ski race years ago and used stiff and extremely tight fitting boots (to the point where I had to unbuckle them at all times unless I moving downhill). Now I only go skiing when there is new snow and I no longer race. So I am using a much softer boot with a more friendly and comfortable fit. The point is that type of skiing I do changed, and so did my boots.

I agree with what others have said regarding foot shape and shell shape. Different manufactures have slightly different shapes. You need to find one that fits the shape of your foot.

The last piece of advice is to use thermo-form type liners. There are several manufacturers. I have had good luck with Intuition liners https://intuitionliners.com/ When done properly, thermo-form liners make your boots feel like bedroom slippers.

Have fun!

[verticaldoug]

i was kidding...i'm jealous!!

A mountain is just a frozen wave.

You never saw the Salomon Free Ski TV video of using fat skis to ride JAWS.

http://www.salomonfreeski.com/us/freeski-tv/season-04-episode-16.html

[Karin Kirk]

Ski boots are like a marriage:

- At the time you make a commitment to them, you really can't tell if they will work out in the long run or what complications may arise.

- Lots of people complain about them, but that can largely be avoided by making a wise choice in the first place, then being patient and persistent in working out the bugs.

- Once you have made a commitment to them, unless they are a truly terrible fit (which can be avoided by being careful throughout the decision process), there are many options to improving the relationship. It is totally normal to avail yourself to professional help in optimizing the fit.

- You both evolve together. Boots change over time, your feet change, your skiing changes. All of this can be accommodated with continual evaluation and tweaks as needed.

- Once the proper selection has been made, tweaks have been applied, and everything is dialed in, one forms a deep and abiding bond with one's ski boots. When wildfires are burning in our area, I make a mental note to evacuate my ski boots along with other precious belongings.

One KEY difference between ski boots and marriages: ski boots last about 4-5 years tops. Hopefully a good marriage lasts a great deal longer than that!

[Karin Kirk]

And one more thing - on an entirely practical note: make sure the shop gives you a shell fit as step #1. If they don't do that, they probably aren't worth spending any more time with.

[tiretrax]

http://www.salomonfreeski.com/us/freeski-tv/season-04-episode-16.html

That was very cool. I may have to visit Hawaii now. I don't get the use of poles. Does he lack confidence in his abilityto initiate a turn?

[echelon_john]

If you're in Westchester (based on your 914#) I'd really recommend seeing Bill Haight at Green Mountain Orthotic Lab at Stratton. He's generally recognized as one of the top 2-3 boot guys on the East coast. They carry Lange, Salomon, and a few other brands, and specialize in fitting. You'll spend a few hours with him, and probably $1000 by the time you walk out with new boots and custom footbeds, but you'll appreciate the fit every time you ski.

[crownjewelwl]

If you're in Westchester (based on your 914#) I'd really recommend seeing Bill Haight at Green Mountain Orthotic Lab at Stratton. He's generally recognized as one of the top 2-3 boot guys on the East coast. They carry Lange, Salomon, and a few other brands, and specialize in fitting. You'll spend a few hours with him, and probably $1000 by the time you walk out with new boots and custom footbeds, but you'll appreciate the fit every time you ski.

I was just at stratton last week!! And in fact he was recommended to me but I simply didn't have the time...

[dogdriver]

+1 all of the above.

As a bootfitter at a ski shop for several years, my worst nightmare (sans violence) was the boy/girl combo walking in and the guy saying, "I wear xxxxx brand and they're awesome. I want her to have a pair of xxxxx brand.".

Only problem was that her foot was completely different and favored a different make of boot. I try to explain foot-specific fit, guy takes it as an affront to his masculinity, calls me bad things, grabs girl, and they storm out, probably to Sports Authority where they buy the wrong boot for her, most likely in the wrong size. But I digress...

Over the years, lines have blurred, but certain brands of boot still favor certain feet.

Find a good boot fitter and go with what they say. And, ohbytheway, be sure to honestly represent your skiing style/ability/preferences, or you'll probably end up with a boot that's too stiff, which will have you both hating life and unable to turn the ski.

In my little town, a good bootfitter is more popular and in higher demand than a good chef. Unfortunately, they don't get paid as much.

[djg]

Plenty of experience here, although I cannot claim any special expertise.

As they said, fit comes first. Then your second consideration should be fit. As you know, movement or play or mush means death (or at least qrap), but weird pressure points also mean death.

I've got medium wide (but not wide, wide, and not especially wide in the heel) feet, but with a high instep and a need for a relatively wide toe box (partly because the little toe on each foot curls over on top of the next one . . . nothing to see, just a little congenital birth abnormality.) Historically I've had good luck with Tecnica and Salomon. Just replaced the older Salomons with a new pair -- new model, same shape. X-Max 120. By "just," I mean this weekend. Zero hours on the hill, so I've nothing to say, really, except that they seem cool. Heat mold shell as well as liner. I'll let you know my thoughts as I ski them, but what works on somebody else's foot is beyond me.

[jtferraro]

I agree - ski boots are tough, which was one of the reasons I transitioned to snowboarding years ago, as the boots are typically much more comfy. That said, I'd like to get back into skiing.

If interested, I have a pair of very good condition Lange X Zero 9 race boots I'd sell. They are size 27/9 (I sized down for more of a race fit) with 313mm soles. These were top of the line boots years ago - several micro-adjustments, metal buckles, etc.

Thanks,

[echelon_john]

I also bought a pair of X-Max 120 boots this year; first new boots in about 6 years. Went to Bill at GMOL, whom I mentioned above. Got custom footbeds, the whole 9 yards. They felt good, but not great. I told myself I just had to get used to them, and kept skiing them. Yesterday morning, after a couple of days of skiing in a little pain (my left inside ankle seemed to be contacting the boot shell when I flexed forward) I actually took my skis off, drove over to Stratton, and asked them to take another look.

Within about 3 minutes they diagnosed exactly what was going on, then marked the spot where the issue was, heated the shell up in a jig, and put a bulge in the shell where the offending contact was happening. Probably 40 minutes total including heating and cooling, and I was out the door back to Bromley to ski.

Had my best day in a long time; the boots finally felt perfectly dialed in and I could actually relax my feet and just feel the skis, instead of stressing about the contact/pain/fit.

My point here is just to reemphasize that there's no replacement for a competent, experienced fitter. There's no way in HELL I would have been able to do this modification on my own; let alone as quickly, accurately and efficiently as they did. There's a lot more to ski boots than just footbeds, and even though heatable liners make it possible to do some customization at the end-customer level, the value a good fitter/shop provides is huge.

[fuzzalow]

Had my best day in a long time; the boots finally felt perfectly dialed in and I could actually relax my feet and just feel the skis, instead of stressing about the contact/pain/fit.

Brief drift OT from the OP but completely On Topic for a bike forum:

Getting fit correctly, just as in many sports be it ski boots or a bike position, allows the athlete to be correctly efficient and actually have a feel for the machine. Just like skis, if the bike is not allowed to run free, whatever is believed to be "felt" is just the imagination. All you core strength aficionados, with your doubled up back & abs, take note.

Clenched feet in ski boots, core strength grunting while riding a bike, white-knuckled grip on a steering wheel - it's all the same - you can't & won't feel a thing.

[Rebel_Biker]

I also bought a pair of X-Max 120 boots this year; first new boots in about 6 years. Went to Bill at GMOL, whom I mentioned above. Got custom footbeds, the whole 9 yards. They felt good, but not great. I told myself I just had to get used to them, and kept skiing them. Yesterday morning, after a couple of days of skiing in a little pain (my left inside ankle seemed to be contacting the boot shell when I flexed forward) I actually took my skis off, drove over to Stratton, and asked them to take another look.

Within about 3 minutes they diagnosed exactly what was going on, then marked the spot where the issue was, heated the shell up in a jig, and put a bulge in the shell where the offending contact was happening. Probably 40 minutes total including heating and cooling, and I was out the door back to Bromley to ski.

Had my best day in a long time; the boots finally felt perfectly dialed in and I could actually relax my feet and just feel the skis, instead of stressing about the contact/pain/fit.

My point here is just to reemphasize that there's no replacement for a competent, experienced fitter. There's no way in HELL I would have been able to do this modification on my own; let alone as quickly, accurately and efficiently as they did. There's a lot more to ski boots than just footbeds, and even though heatable liners make it possible to do some customization at the end-customer level, the value a good fitter/shop provides is huge.

That is a puch out. I buy new Salomon boots about every 2 years and I go in knowing exactly where the boot needs to be punched out. I have a common ski ailment known as the sixth toe. This is a calcium deposit next to the little toe caused by using really tight ski boots as a youngster. Every boot out of the box is super painful for me until i get the extra room in the toe box.