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Ski Boots: Do you rent or own?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I bought my own pair for £170 (Including boot bag.) just before last Christmas and after my weeks skiing in Mayrhofen last month, I will never rent boots again. Very Happy
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Owning your own boots is the single biggest step anyone takes to improving their skiing - provided you buy a pair that fit properly. I've had my own boots since 1992, and could never contemplate being without them. I gave up with my old rear entries last year and bought some clips ( Salomon Evo 9 ). I was really nervous about them being uncomfortable but I need not have worried.If you go skiing more than once - Buy your own - you know it makes sense.
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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?
The biggest trauma of owning boots is fear of losing them when they wear out! I hate changing my boots...
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Bought my own and they have now paid for themselves and are nicely moulded to my feet. Incidently bought them before the second trip in a summer sale so they only cost about £70 rather than £120ish. Very Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
What are the chances of getting a pair that fit properly in the shop, but don't after a few days skiing? This happened to a chap on my last skiing holiday, who bought them on the first day at the resort, thought they were a bit tight initially but after two days claimed his feet were sliding about inside they had widened so much. He managed to exchange them for another pair after a bit of wrangling at the shop, but would a uk shop be so generous?
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Something similar happened to me. Make sure that there is plenty of adjustment left when you buy them. I was surprised how much my liners compressed after a week's skiing. If your at the limit of adjustment when you first try the boot on, then it probably isn't the right one.
A decent bootfitter should know how much a particular liner is likely to compress.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
kimpton, Most (good) bootfitters will offer a fit guarantee.

I think boots are such an important thing, I'd be tempted to advise someone to rent EVERYTHING else (including your sallies and ski jacket) and buy your boots as soon as you think you might want to go again.

Renting boots is cheap as chips, but if you want to enjoy your skiing, you have to have you own...
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
It is reckoned that a standard boot liner is good for about 30 days of skiing, after that it starts to degrade. If the boot shells are still in good conditon, consider getting zipfit liners, or similar.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Bought in time for 3rd holiday - have never looked back, although during that holiday they took some getting used to (even after having them heat molded to my feet).
Latest holiday - they were as close to slippers as you'll ever get in a ski boot i reckon - absoluted bliss to take them off at the end of the day, but no issues while skiing!
In hindsight I think I was lucky - bought them at an ellis brigham out of season warehouse sale for half price, and realistically now thinking about it the fitting was shocking. Pretty much did it myself clomping around to find the most comfortable. Sounds like I must have been 'lucky' that I got a good pair with no professional fitting...
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I had the same problem at EB when I got my boots. They seem to employ younger people with fairly minimal training. Same goes for their ski tuning depertments. I sometimes wonder if they get 20 minutes traing then off you go sort of thing.
S&R are much better at this kind of thing. IMHO.
Go in there and your treated to a knarly kiwi who looks like he was born up a mountain and really knows his stuff. Instead of pug from the bash street kids...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I bought boots on day 1 of my first ski holiday. Combination of factors - uncomfortable hire boots & they were a bargain! Skied in them 3 times (3 weeks) then bought a new pair. Don't ask me what they are...Salomon 9 something. They're black (colour is v important to girls) & are just coming up to their 4th week. Would never wear hire boots again
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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.
Unless you have a 'standard average foot' you should buy as soon as you know you've got the skiing bug.

Very few people have that foot so you should get them fitted properly and buy.
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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
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
Definitely buy, but beware incompetent shops.... I've just bought a pair of Salomons at Precision Ski in Val d'Isère and spent 90 minutes there with my feet being measured from every possible angle. It's no more expensive than buying in the UK, and they really know what they are doing. My previous pair, Nordicas, were bought at a Decathlon (sports chain) outlet, the guy didn't have a clue, and neither did I at the time. Result, a pair much to big for my feet and years of skiing with my feet slipping around inside the boot despite two pairs of socks. The difference now is amazing.

Other recommendations: Snowfun, also in Val, Freeride in Méribel and Courchevel, Footworks in Cham.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
After my first week on skis I just knew I was going to stick with this sport, so this was a no-brainer. Buy, buy buy. But buy smart. Get your boots from a specialist shop, with a good bootfitter.

A good bootfitter will not rush you through the process, just to make a sale. A good bootfitter will find out what type of skier you are, will have you in and out of several pairs of boots, will have you clicked into bindings, will check out any alignment problems and make appropriate footbed adjustments, will ask you to drop back in after you've skied in your boots for a few days for fine-tuning (which is the best reason for buying in a ski town: it might be a bit more expensive, but you get what you pay for).

Where do you find a good bootfitter? - Use the net: ask for recommendations in forums - ask an instructor: these people spend all their working life in ski boots: they'll know who the best fitters are.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Acacia wrote:
Where do you find a good bootfitter? - Use the net: ask for recommendations in forums.


So, anyone know a good (& English speaking) bootfitter in St Anton?!

snowHead
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
BUY,BUY,BUY! Got my first pair 2 years ago & have never looked back. I was very slow off the mark, rented way too many times and arrived home half crippled most years. I got mine in EB, Aviemore and couldn't fault them. The guy wouldn't let me buy the ones I wanted (liked the look of - girlie thing!), went very in depth into my skiing experience/ability and had me try on 5 pairs before we found the right ones. I was there for well over an hour and he told me to call back in the next evening for fine-tuning. On top of all this it was end of season & I got £70 off the marked price. The added bonus was that my skiing improved as well. You will never regret buying a pair of well-fitted boots - you just get extremely anxious waiting for them to appear on airport baggage carousels!!!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Dave Burt wrote:
Acacia wrote:
Where do you find a good bootfitter? - Use the net: ask for recommendations in forums.


So, anyone know a good (& English speaking) bootfitter in St Anton?!

snowHead


Sport Alber next to the Post Keller Bar, 15 Dorf Strasse. Tel 0043 5446 3400.
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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 have one of those all in bags that have a boot section, if my boots don't turn up I am in a lot of trouble.
If you ski every year boots are a must.
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We got our first boots this season from Snow & Rock Didsbury. I felt I'd got my money's worth even before I reached the resort! Mine fitted pretty much fine, Mrs H had some trouble with hers but this was fixed by thermally moulded insoles fitted in resort.

The Snow & Rock return policy is pretty good; they will fiddle around with a boot during a season and if nothing will fix it they will give you back your money less £60 or so.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Thanks DB. God, I love this forum!
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Buy- Very difficult to wreck them, and they dont need servicing or waxing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I have my own - ancient Salomon rear entries. Still very comfortable. Will never rent again. Totally endorse the comments above about the importance of skilled fitting assistance. I was lucky and the fitter took about 2 hours with me (I was also buying skis, bindings and sticks so he had an incentive). Try to pick a quiet time to give them a chance.
Look at your soles of well worn shoes or trainers - very few people wear them out symmetrically so a good fitter will often make adjustments to ski boots to compensate for your uneven stance.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After going 4 times I bought my owns boots (Technic) and the difference is amazing. They were bought and fitted by Freeride in Meribel who also advised me to have a moulded footbed for extra comfort. They made a big difference to my skiing and are really comfy. Put it this way, after a day on the slopes I was still wearing them in a bar at 8.00pm (taking the long route back to the chalet!). No problem! Very Happy

Choose where you buy carefully. I have seen people having boots fitted by people with next to no expertise. My fitting took a few hours. Don't buy boots in a hurry.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
One major reason to buy boots today s to have a thermoform liner, which is pretty much standard on all mid - to - expert level boots but for obvious reasons won't be available on the rental model.

Of course buying boots with a thermoform liner is more of an art than ever, because they will never fit before you get them moulded. You really need to go to an expert boot fitter who speaks good english.

An additional problem is that manufacturers are discontinuing half sizes and relying on the thermoliner to take up the slack... bad news if you fall between two sizes, you'll just have to try on lots of pairs of boots until one fits. Lots of people say I'm wrong on this point and say they find half sizes... but measure the liners and shells and you may be surprised to find that the half sizes are identical to whole sizes, just with a different label!

You should not need to 'blow' your boots once you've bought them unless you have very unusual feet. This is usually a case of a boot that is too large where the owner is then cranking down the buckles to make it fit and so deforming the natural volume of the shell. Four buckle boots don't like too much blowing anyway.
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I'd been swimming about in rear entry Nordicas for years. Working towards ASSI and BASI, instructor enlightened me on modern boot design, I decided to upgrade.
The guy in Chester seemed to know what he was doing, though I didn't really believe him, boots (XWave10) felt way too small. I bought them and for a few days thought I made a mistake. I persevered without changing anything, now they fit perfectly and I hope I don't have to change them for a long time.

Martin
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
MartinH, Was that in EB or Sail and Ski in Chester? My other half went to EB and they couldn't be bothered. This surprised me as I was with her and had spent an awful lot of money there over the previous 6 months. She went to S&S and got superb service. They got her trying on about 6 pairs of boots and then adjusted her final choice. They took so long that she had to go back to have the liners heated. They've been there for years - I remember buying my first ski jacket from there about 20 years ago. I would really recommend them - and if you were a SCGB member, they give discount! The discount on the boots and a pair of skis I bought her for Christmas more than paid the £48 membership fee.
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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.
It was S&S. I'd go there again, though I hope I won't have to for a while.
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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
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
I need some boots, and would have a few hours in resort to kill on the first afternoon. Should I buy in les Arcs or London? Which will be cheaper?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
michael stocking wrote:
Should I buy in les Arcs or London? Which will be cheaper?


Aye, and there's the rub... as Shakespeare said taking off his ill-fitting ski boots.

You have already started on the wrong tack... ask not 'which is cheaper' oh skinflinted one, Madeye-Smiley, ask 'who will sell me the best boot for my needs'.

Unless Les Arcs has changed recently (maybe Mr PG who lives there can help us?) they don't have a particuarly good set of ski shops so maybe, cough, splutter, snow and rock or somewhere would do better.


Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 24-02-04 10:35; edited 1 time in total
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
If it's towards the end of the season, you can get some good deals in the resorts. I got a great deal on skis/bindings and boots in Courmayeur one March. Couldn't say about London.

You could try and find if any shops in les Arcs have websites and if they have prices or phbone numbers on them? That way you could check prices before you go.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Buy your boots in resort the minute you get there. You then have a week to get them right. I think this is pretty much expected in most places. Precision ski in Val D refused to sell boots to a friend of mine on last day because they woudln't have the chance to make sure they were right.


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 24-02-04 16:03; edited 1 time in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I nearly added a postscript which would have read "assuming bootfitters of an equal standard", but I stand corrected and humbled. It's not the price, it's the value...

I did think there might be some late season deals in les Arcs, but was thinking of going to Profeet in Putney. Anyone any experience of them?
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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?
michael stocking wrote:
It's not the price, it's the value...

I did think there might be some late season deals in les Arcs, but was thinking of going to Profeet in Putney.

where value == fit.

The only significant thing against the buying in the UK is if you get thermofit liners (which are increasingly common). These will sometimes need to be rebaked after 3 or 4 days use... such adjustments would be easier in resort. Although you could rebake them in the appartment oven if you are daring and some shops will rebake linings bought elsewhere as a service.

I await boot shop suggestions for les Arcs though. I didn't notice any particuarly good shops when I was in 1800.
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sherman-maeir wrote:
michael stocking wrote:
Should I buy in les Arcs or London? Which will be cheaper?
Unless Les Arcs has changed recently (maybe Mr PG who lives there can help us?) they don't have a particularly good set of ski shops so maybe, cough, splutter, snow and rock or somewhere would do better.
Spot on, I posted elsewhere that I'd just gone to Val d'Isère (Precision) to buy a pair cos the club here couldn't name a really good bootfitter in Les Arcs... There's a good one in Tignes too (can't remember the name) and in 3V (Freeride). Rumour has it that one of these may open up in Arcs 1950 (anyone who buys an apartment there can probably afford the best equipment and service...)
So unless you can take time out to go up the road to Val, as SM says, cough splutter, looks like you'll have to buy at Profeet or whatever it's called in London...
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Wear The Fox Hat wrote:
It is reckoned that a standard boot liner is good for about 30 days of skiing, after that it starts to degrade. If the boot shells are still in good conditon, consider getting zipfit liners, or similar.


Ooops, I never knew that, mine are about that now and I do notice that I'm having to tighten the clips up a little more every trip. Great, off to the shops then. Smile

Remember to try various makes as well as models, I'm pretty sure I have "Nordica" feet as they seem to fit well straight out of the box. Salomons aren't as nice a fit for me.
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OK, London it is. Thanks for the advice on les Arcs. I have long, narrow, low volume feet, and was fitted for a Kneissl boot, but they didn't have my size and then Kneissl went bankrupt. So now I'm looking at Lange, as they are meant to be good for narrow feet also.

BTW I went to S&R in Kensington and they were running low on stock as it was "near the end of the season". No Langes at all.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I`d like to buy a pair but its a space issue when flying. I`m already packing 2 snowboards, snowshoes and snow board boots. Not to mention shovel, probe, helmet and Pieps.

Sometimes its nice, if conditions are crap for boarding, to just rent a pair for a day along with some skies.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
michael stocking, try Profeet. Haven't actually used the personally, but they come highly recommended by pros (probably hence the name!)

They're not overly cheap though, but I suspect they have the very latest technology... Website is something like www.profeet.com or maybe .co.uk
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
michael stocking wrote:
OK, London it is. Thanks for the advice on les Arcs. I have long, narrow, low volume feet, and was fitted for a Kneissl boot, but they didn't have my size and then Kneissl went bankrupt. So now I'm looking at Lange, as they are meant to be good for narrow feet also
Funny you should say that - I have the same shape feet and was advised against Lange in Precision Ski Val d'Isère, told that there were several models of Rossigols that would be ideal, and just one Salomon model - the Salomon Pro (kind of transparent lime-green colour). I opted for these (the colour's not as bad as it sounds..!)
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My son was given some Head boots by someone who had bought them on the last day of a holiday and they had proved too narrow to ski in. My son has long narrow feet (they go with his long narrow body) and got on fine with them. I'd agree withmarc, about Nordica feet. They fit me and me generous friend straight out of the box.
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