 Poster: A snowHead
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Three years ago I bought a pair of Salomon Performa 7 ski boots - my first pair.
The guy in the shop who fitted them made sure that with my toes just touching the front of the shell, there was about 2.5cm to 3cm of space behind my heels.
Once the liners were back in the boots could be done up to about halfway on the 'ratchet clips' and my feet felt as though they were being 'hugged'.
That was three years ago...
Since then I have spent 10 weeks skiing. I have in that time progressed from a beginner/intermediate to someone who is happy on all blacks unless the snow is truely horrid, in which case with caution, I'm fine. I have still to get really happy off piste as crust or deep/heavy snow still causes a degree of challenge, but I am starting to have a serious degree of fun.
Back to my boots - as you can see I am probably asking a fair degree more from the boots in terms of how I am starting to use the skis (K2 Axis XPs).
After 30 mins of skiing, I now have to do the boots up to their tightest settings and still feel a degree of heel lift especially if I lean forwards when stationary.
Questions:
1) Do these boots sound like they are too big ?
2) Is there anything I can do with the current boots ?
3) Is a visit to Profeet that much better than Snow and Rock in terms of the quality of the fit 'vs' the £100 extra it seems to cost.
Many thanks !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hodsonb, probably all you need is a new liner - go to profeet (or S&R) and get a Zipfit or similar one.
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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?
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Before going for a new liner try a new insole possibly with a heel lift. These will reduce the volume in the boot slightly which should make for a tighter fit
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Cool - I was slight concerned about the ammount of space behind my heel. Although thinking about it logically my heel should not be forced back into the heel pocket by pressure on the front of my toes.
As such it seems reasonable to assume that it is the fit around the rest of the foot and especially the anke that will affect this most.
I'm only about 30 mins from S&R so I'll pop in...
Thanks guys.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Has anyone ever used [url=http://www.ellis-brigham.com/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/710004||accessories~@c~@b|0|user|1,0,0,1|106|] one of these [/url]?
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Never seen one before, but looking at the picture and the description I'm not sure how it works: I would have thought that this device would just compress the liner and create more space for movement? 
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I've just bought new boots (sorry to deviate). Should I "wear them in" a bit before I use them for real? Wear them doing the hoovering maybe?
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That might help you get used to them but I don't think it'll compress the liners much. IMO it takes about 5 years to get ski boots nicely worn in.
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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.
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maggi, interesting idea I wonder how well it works
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D G Orf, I was hoping someone could tell me!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My wife had similar heel lift problems,caused by slim ankles in an otherwise well fitting boot.Solved,by the boot fitter at Lockwood's,by bonding small pads on the outside of the liner,so that the shell pushed the liner in around the heel/ankle area.Result-perfect fit.
Just be sure you consult a boot fitter,not a salesman 
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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.
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maggi, I have a lace-up liner in the Atomic boots, very similar to what is shown as the laces thread through external stitched-on-flaps not the entire thickness of the liner: works great and noticeably improves the ankle, instep, and lower front shin area. I can now buckle the boots tighter than I could before, especially the second buckle from the top.  £17.50 sounds less than what I paid the shoemaker to put the flaps on.
AdrianV, I struggled with the same conceptual issue. I now think that having a small void between liner and boot is far less significant than having a void between liner and foot. The boot shell doesn't get hot spot pains, you see.
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hodsonb, It doesn't sound as though your boots are too big, but the liners do expand with wear. You could get new liners or just use a thicker pair of socks. Do you have conform'able insoles? they take up more space than the regular ones that come with the boot. A certain amount of heel lift is normal in any ski boot - of course if you keep your weight on the front of the foot, then your heel will be "light" anyway. Mine can lift at least 1cm if not more (obviously I can't measure it), but I don't experience any problems while ski-ing. Find the best bootman in resort when you're on holiday (ask around) and get him/her to fit as per snowskisnow's suggestion. you may have to go back several days in a row to get it right, but a good fitter can correct the slackness.
maggi, I haven't used one of those, but my Dad used to use a home-made version of it. I had some ankle things that were similar. None of them work all that well unless it's just your ankles and lower leg (achilles area) that's a problem.
snowskisnow, quite right a proper bootfiltter is the thing.
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You know it makes sense.
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| maggi wrote: |
| Has anyone ever used [url=http://www.ellis-brigham.com/cgi-bin/psProdDet.cgi/710004||accessories~@c~@b|0|user|1,0,0,1|106|] one of these [/url]? |
Yup, I use them on boots that may well be a tad big - wide forefoot, narrow heels tho, and I find it hard to get a good fit - also a bit of extra padding around the ankles. Works quite well for me. Tried a heel lift and that didn't really help.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thanks for your comments everyone. Still thinking about trying one as I have "duck feet" - wide forefront with narrow ankle and lower leg and boots don't seem to be made like that. I don't want heel lifts - I already have a custom made footbed but lately my boots feel looser than they should. And I prefer to try stuff "of the shelf" if possible. With bootfitters I get a bit - well, like I get with the optician. You know, when they say, "Is that better, or worse?" twenty times as they swap around the lenses. Until everything seems blurred. Well, I get like that when being fitted for boots 
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Poster: A snowHead
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snowbabe, it's not a bad idea to walk around in the boots, as it will make skiing later more comfortable. Still, you are likely to have some foot pain anyways for the first few days of skiing, unless they are an absolutely perfect fit.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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skinutter, I'm on my third pair of boots (in 7 years) already! First (Salomon) were too big all round - I just didn't understand the principle of the liner bedding in. Second (Lange) were agony from start to finish. Third (Rossi) were fine at first but now I've got the loose heel problem.
I know people go on and on about choice but in reality there are about 6 ladies boots in the shop in your size. Two are "expert" which I can't flex. One is complete beginner. One is far too narrow/wide and you're left with an actually choice of 2! It's then a matter of whether "most comfortable at the time" will be rubbish after a few weeks, or "think they're a bit tight really" will bed in before you give up on them completely
Maybe I should just take up boarding......
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maggi, hire until you find the boots that exactly fit and then buy them. All hire shops will sell their stock.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I agree with the 'hire until you find boots that fit' school of thought. I rented boots for years longer than all my friends. So many people bought boots, didn't get them fitted properly & spent most of their holiday complaining. That put me off buying any. Over the years, I worked out that Rossignols were the best for me.
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Sorry to change tack slightly, but after painful hire boot 'hot-spot' experiences, I bought some Tecnicas which are supremely comfortable and very snug, but...
After 3 weeks of improvement in my ability, I'm noticing that my calves are either unusually thin or just start higher up my leg than most people's. I have a tendency to sit back a little and I lose shin-to-boot contact. I have to articulate my ankle quite a bit before flexing the boot in either direction, there's so much slack. Is it worth getting a bootfitter to pack out the liner/shell gap at the back of the boot? If so, will this help me flex the boot more easily and get me out of the back seat? How much is it likely to cost?
Oh, and maggi, as a reformed boarder I can assure you that what you lose in boot comfort, you gain in less catastrophic and painful falls and greater mobility (and less effort) on the flats and small inclines
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Stevo, pack under the heel will get you to lean foward more, or have packing added arround the ankle will give a tighter fit
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Stevo....do your boots have a velcro strap at the top? If they do these should help to reduce the amount of room you have at the tops. If they don;t you can get a boot fitter to rivet a pair onto them without to much trouble, should have change out of £25 i'd have said.
Failing that you probably have two options, you can sometimes get a wedge that bolts onto the back cuff of the shell which is able to reduce the space u have, some sit flush with the top of the cuff and other actually extend upwards a little higher. The only thing to be aware of is that which the extended height of the shell means that if u do spend time with your weight over the back of the boot the acceleration as u lean backwards with increase...
The other option is to reposition the top buckle of the boot. If may already have an extra lug which helps to combat those with a thin lower leg/calf.
As ur location is London, pop into slush and rubble or brighams or a similar independant ski shop who have the right tools and people and they should be able to solve this for you.
Good luck
David
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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.
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Thanks. DG Orf - I already have a heel lift (part of the original fitting). skinutter - yes, the boots have a velcro strap and, if I crank the top buckle very tight, it simply distorts the shell, loosening the lower buckle. It seems like my best bet would be a wedge of some sort.
Cheers
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Give profeet a call or go to their q&a channel on ifyouski.com -
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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 Several posts have mentioned that different makes may use different 'lasts' or tend to greater volume in the boot/different foot shape etc. Is there any knowledge about named makers producing boots with specific characteristics?
I may have to buy new boots (repair needed) and don't want to spend the first day of my week's hol. trawling around all the shops in resort. I'd like to narrow the choices down and I'm too far from any UK shop which is likely to have good stock and be knowledgeable! Thanks, Richard
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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.
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drachir, look here to give yourself some idea with 2003/04 models; there is also a 2005 review on that site but no true sizing evaluation help for the current series. More reviews at Ski Presse but, again, no comparative sizing chart.
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drachir, View the time you spend on boots (even in resort), as an investment. My last pair lasted over ten years, with a lot (4-5 weeks each yr snow, 5-8 hours a week plastic) of use. That's a lot of payback for the 3-4 hours it took me to find them.
The only thing that really matters is that they fit properly. Your feet (and a boot fitter) will tell you this. Catalogues can't.
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You know it makes sense.
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I tried my boots on last night, they are very comfy! Mmm. Had the custom footbeds done and all that and I am really looking forward to going away now. Roll on Friday... 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Thanks comprex and 'ski', these are two sites which had not been thrown up when I did a google. Excellent info. As others have already written, finding a competent boot fitter rather than a salesperson is the key to long-term satisfaction! Best Regards to all.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@SNowbabe: is there a farnborough in Kent? I am in Farnborough Hants - where are you off to? I guess with the mega dumps over the last few days it wont matter 
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