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Fixing boots that have become "sloppy" at top in calf area?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Can you "temporarily" improve fit of ski boots around the calves?

Situation is I have Salomon Quest 14s with heat fitted liners. Calves have shrunk a bit since original fitting, because not been doing anywhere near as much running and cycling.

The extra space at top of boot can make it feel sloppy, especially in bumps and tree skiing.

Seems I can't take up the slack sensibly using the top buckle and powerstrap. Boots are either sloppy around calf, or so tight that blood gets cut off.

All ideas appreciated!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
If possible, put the Power Strap directly around the inner boot (ie. behind the shell).

Other than that, build up the size of your Calves through weight training.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I'm a boarder so, well, you know... Having said that, I've had great success adjusting the fit of my boots using adhesive backed foam of different thicknesses on the outside of the liner, which is then covered in duck tape to keep in place securely. You may (and I stress ''MAY'' as I know how fussy ski boot fitment is) have some luck with a similar technique - essentially just try thickening the liner a bit where it's now too loose. It can't hurt to try I guess.

Here ends a snowboarder pretending to know anything about the struggles of ski boot fitting. Feel free to tell me to feck off with my comfortable slippers:D
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Old Fartbag wrote:
If possible, put the Power Strap directly around the inner boot (ie. behind the shell).

Does anyone use two powerstrap - one on the inside and one on the outside?
The boots powestrap is 55mm wide and half of its buckle overlaps the shell. So it's twisted and mangled if I put it inside.
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@Tomahawk Tone, I think that power strap is designed to go out side. I prefer @jjams82's suggestion of packing the outside of the liner.

Is it your leg that has changed - or has the boot packed out? New liners prescribed?
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under a new name wrote:
@Tomahawk Tone, I think that power strap is designed to go out side. I prefer @jjams82's suggestion of packing the outside of the liner.

Not according to CEM (unless the design of a particular boot makes it impractical): http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=95794
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@Old Fartbag, My Salomons with the strap currently on them (not original) would not allow the strap inside (following the thread you quoted, I checked mine) and it sounds like the OP's are the same... I don't think the original strap would have worked that way either.
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P.S: Why is this in the Snowboarding section Puzzled
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under a new name wrote:
@Old Fartbag, My Salomons with the strap currently on them (not original) would not allow the strap inside (following the thread you quoted, I checked mine) and it sounds like the OP's are the same... I don't think the original strap would have worked that way either.

I think that it's fair to say, that if practical, it is best to put round the Inner Boot, as it makes the inner boot snugger around the leg (removing play from the upper boot) and smooths the flex of the boot due to more even pressure along the length of the shin.

Given this is the OP's problem...maybe an after-market Power Strap like the Booster Strap (designed to go round inner boot), might be the answer.
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@Old Fartbag, my suspicion is that the shell is the limitation not the strap.

An after market power strap may however be able to be attached differently.
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under a new name wrote:
P.S: Why is this in the Snowboarding section Puzzled

Cuz I'm an idiot, obvs Embarassed
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
under a new name wrote:
@Old Fartbag, my suspicion is that the shell is the limitation not the strap.

An after market power strap may however be able to be attached differently.

Yup. It's "Should You" vs "Can You".

The Booster Strap installation: https://boosterstrap.com/instructions/
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
You know what? I suspect UnderANewName hit the nail on the head. This is the third season I've been investigating this. And I was deffo mucking about with all variants of booster strap positioning last year.

I think it's time to get new liners at least, and maybe new boots if technology can give me the stiffness I want at lighter weight ( ooh-er, missus!).

Just looking back to last week's skiing, I can see I was bailing out of some gulley routes cuz I wasn't trusting skis to turn precisely or fast enough with my sloppy boot fit.
Darn! More spending!

Now, where to spend the dosh? Slush&Rubble in Chertsey, or Profeet in Fulham??? (I live in west london)
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Profeet. But after visiting, your boots may be snug, but your wallet to be dangling slack, sloppy and forlorn.
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@Tomahawk Tone, Profeet.

@Old Fartbag, interesting, thanks. My boots have a way higher front cuff than that (and originally had Booster Straps ((or at least, remarkably similar straps with the same buckle)) as O.E.M. fit which wrapped around outside the front cuff by design).
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Old Fartbag, also, an extraordinary thing where you have to take a drill to your boots!

(What's this Dodge brand anyway?)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
under a new name wrote:


(What's this Dodge brand anyway?)

Search me Puzzled
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Old Fartbag, best ski boot you can buy, according to them. Carbon fibre.

Look remarkably like the old Lange ZRs around the cuff area.

Weird and eye-wateringly expensive.
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@Tomahawk Tone, Let me know when you've sussed it. Problem I've had since starting skiing, and no boots or fitter has yet solved it. Foam inserted down front, sides or back ( and variants thereof) are the best that I can do, but still don't feel I'm able properly to use the boot as well as I want. Isn't lack of muscle, just thin lower legs. Boot shells are too big, liners always too thin ( not yet tried Zipfits to be fair - told that they can have stuff put in them right up the tongue and lower leg areas if needed). Cranking up buckles or power strap (Booster) just causes numb/cold feet.
I was instructed by the latest bootfitter to put Booster strap outside of boot in place of OEM powerstrap, though I did previously use it around only the inner and that got the liner's top nice and tight.
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Booster strap always around liner and inside shell, doesn't make sense otherwise. They are brilliant

Remove the original powerstrap, just use the booster
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@moseyp, yes it does. As I said, the original strap on my boots was almost certainly supplied by Booster and designed to go outside the shell.
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@under a new name, they don't work outside the shell, it defeats the purpose of the Booster
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You can move the closure piece on the top buckle on my x-max boots

The factory setting is fat calf with 2 options to make skinnier
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under a new name wrote:
@moseyp, yes it does. As I said, the original strap on my boots was almost certainly supplied by Booster and designed to go outside the shell.

My understanding of the Booster's benefits when used outside the shell, in place of the OEM power strap, is simply that it is elasticated and therefore gives more feel and more progressive resistance ( or summat Puzzled ).
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@moseyp, doh. Really. They do.
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@Grizzler, the booster goes around the liner to give a far more responsive reaction when the skier pressurises forward. It gets rid of shin bang and makes the shin-boot-ski action at the top of the turn much more instant.

It doesn’t stiffen up the boot

There are some race boots - Head, atomic - that have a booster power strap with double straps, the booster goes under the shell around the liner and the power strap goes over the shell

If you haven’t tried one before I’d highly recommend it, just make sure you’ve installed and are using it right
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Booster straps can be fitted either inside or outside of the shell. A bit of plastic fettling is often required for it to fit inside the shell & on some boots it isn't possible to get it to fit/sit right inside the shell.

Depending on the flex of your boot and whether it's the 2-layer or 3-layer Booster version they may or may not stiffen up the boot but they certainly give a snugger more responsive fit.
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@spyderjon, I don’t see how they’d stiffen the boot, but my boot flexes way easier without them fastened, if you know what I mean wink
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@under a new name, you're right, they don't stiffen the boot - unless you're bode miller because his were designed specially and never made for anyone else, as he felt they were too soft

@spyderjon, if the shell can't be cut down then there isn't much point in installing them!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@moseyp, i get considerable snugness and precision from my external ones. Would not want to be without.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@under a new name, from normal power straps? even so, I think everyone should try booster straps - they're not so cheap but I've never heard anyone want to go back

Best thing I've ever used imo
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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moseyp wrote:
.....@spyderjon, if the shell can't be cut down then there isn't much point in installing them!

I'd disagree, I can definately feel an improvement, especially as the standard velcro power straps often slip.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@moseyp, my boots arrived with what looked exactly like rebranded Booster straps, at least identical buckles ... which only lasted a year and were replaced with a slight elastic, much wider strap just with velcro fastening. It works quite fine.
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@moseyp, I have replaced my boots' power straps with external Booster straps, affixed through the same rivet holes, and find the latter a great improvement for several reasons.
I also like Boosters under the shell, but was told off by one of the well-regarded boot fitters for doing this, and instructed to put them outside. Believe that this debate has been on the forum before and opinions obviously differ. Each to his own.
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Booster straps are great - well worth the investment!
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Well, that was a lot of cash for a marginal gain...
I cracked.
New boots.
New vs old. (Salomon QST 120 pros vs Salomon Quest 14's 130 )
30% lighter! (3.6kg vs 4.8kg for the pair)
And - as we know - a pound on the feet is worth ten pounds on the back, as per old hill-walking/rambling lore.
So...
...I've saved 1.2 kg on the feet
...which is 12kg on the backpack
...which is how much fatter I am than when I bought the first pair of boots.
Bug ger!
Skiing is a zero-sum game, apparently...
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Testing the new boots next week. Looking forward to it!!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
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I hadn't heard about booster straps, but suddenly I feel I need them Toofy Grin

I was actually thinking how much I can move my calf back and forth.
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under a new name wrote:
(What's this Dodge brand anyway?)

Try this.
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The other day on the Choucas piste above Meribel, I came across an instructor who was examining the boot of his pupil. After a couple of minutes I heard his recommendation, which was "when you get back to your chalet, find some piste maps. Then tomorrow stuff some down the back of your boot." Shocked Shocked
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