 Poster: A snowHead
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Off the back of the current boots enquiry I went to check how many boot models my favourite local ski shop offers. Their website shows 10 ladies boots across 4 manufacturers. How many boots would a shop typically need available to successfully fit the majority (say up to 90%) of Joe Blogg's skiers that walk through their door. Is 10 different boots available a large range for an independant shop, or if I looked for boots would I better off going for somewhere that could pick for me from a larger selection.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One "large" pair! "Suits you sir" 
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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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Presumably if they're clever they could have a small-ish range of well chosen types so that they can fit most people.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 1-05-12 13:45; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Even when buying a new pair of shoes 10 different types isn't a lot to choose from, I imagine it'd be even more extreme for boots. I'm also interested to find out. *waits for someone who knows what they're talking about to turn up*
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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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Surely it depends on your foot? I don't think they need any choice, just a commitment to sell you a boot which is correct for you and the honesty to decline your business if they don't have a suitable boot. Last four pairs of boots I've bought I've not tried on a choice of boots, just had a detailed conversation with an experienced bootfitter who then decided what boot would be suitable.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
| Surely it depends on your foot? |
In this particular example, it is normally in the posters mouth.....
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www.solutions4feet.co.uk based in Bicester have quite a range, but I have known someone who has had to go elsewhere and source a specific boot because www.Solutions4feet.co.uk did not have the correct boot in stock at the end of the season and they would not sell any old boot they happened to have laying about on the shelves, unlike other shops that sell Ski Boots and allsorts of other stuff!
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Megamum, it is unlikely that any shop will have sufficient stock to fit every problem foot that might come in, however by keeping a range of styles and manufacturers boots in stock there is a better chance of fitting than if they were to only stock one manufacturers boot
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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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all the best boot stores i've been to seem to have around 50 types
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10 ladies boots across 4 brands is a very wide range anyway.
It's far more important to have a bootfitter who knows what he's doing, and what market he serves - the bootfitter I use deals mainly with racers and instructors, so stocks boots accordingly and will out-source anything he doesn't have. He does deal with recreational skiers, but everything is by appointment and many rec skiers aren't willing to put up with his process - if you leave the store in under 3 hours and without spending over $700 you're lucky!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| skinanny wrote: |
| ......the bootfitter I use..... |
Bud Heishman at Snowind Sports by any chance? If so, top bloke.
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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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Megamum: I think I'd ask "if the shop can't supply a boot that fits you and your needs well, will they tell you and so let you go elsewhere" rather than "how many boots do they have" as the answer to the former question is much more useful to you. Even if they had oodles of boots they might still not have a pair that suit you. Many good boot fitters offer a fit guarantee, and I would be careful shopping anywhere that doesn't.
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Megamum, Might be worth disclosing which shop you are talking about and asking if anyone has had any experience of their boot fitting service. It sounds like they have a good selection of boot models, but that doesn't say anything about the quality of their fitting process. My wife had her last boots fitted at solutions4feet in Bicester, which is top notch and highly recommended by many Snowheads.
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You know it makes sense.
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uktrailmonster,
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My wife had her last boots fitted at solutions4feet in Bicester, which is top notch and highly recommended by many Snowheads.
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Quite right, apart geography, I cannot think of a reason to go anywhere else other www.solutions4feet.co.uk in Bicester.
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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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Boredsurfing, geography is precisely what makes CEM difficult for me. I have a marked preference for buying from somewhere that I can easily return to if I have problems.
Even so new boots are bit of a pipe dream at the moment. Whilst the current ones are working, if possibly now not 100% ideal (as they were my first ever boots as a total beginner so it was important that they were comfy), it is still difficult to justify any further expense. I also like the the fact that they are still comfy!! 
The question was more hypothetical and I just wondered as a result of the other boot enquiry running at the moment and didn't want to trash their thread. My local shop had the 10 models available, and I just wondered how many a shop needed access to in order to fit the majority of their clients.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 1-05-12 17:29; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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uktrailmonster, I asked that when I got my first boots, and the shop had good reviews then and I've been happy with what I was sold.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Megamum, we have 14 models of womens boots in stock...however pretty much all of those are really unisex models in womens colours, there are not many actually women only ski boots out there, (head dream thang is about the only alpine boot without a male counterpart) so depending on size of foot there could be a whole lot more (our mens boot range starts at 24 in some models and 25 in everything else)
could we have less models? yes not a problem, but we would then have less options in terms of flex as well as fit so would limit what we could offer, because we see a wide range of skier levels from early intermediates up to racers and instructors we have to cater for that spectrum
there are probably less than 40 current ski boot lasts on the planet and millions of skiers so it is all about the closest thing and then making adjustments to suit the individual
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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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CEM, I would imagine you could reccomend other bootfitters that are closer to Essex?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Boredsurfing, lots of shops that do boot fitting, i goes it all depends what you are looking for no specific fitters that i know of though
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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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CEM, Interesting - thank you 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
www.solutions4feet.co.uk based in Bicester have quite a range, but I have known someone who has had to go elsewhere and source a specific boot because www.Solutions4feet.co.uk did not have the correct boot in stock at the end of the season and they would not sell any old boot they happened to have laying about on the shelves, unlike other shops that sell Ski Boots and allsorts of other stuff!
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I think we were sitting in there in October about three years ago when just this happened - and I have just recently taken my three year old boots, that I wear nearly all winter, back to CEM, for a tiny adjustment over the top of the foot. Its a bit like my dentist who I would go to John o'Groats to see, once you have had boots fitted really well you don't want to risk anywhere else.
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spyderjon, I do know Bud, but I use Jim Schaffner at Start Haus, mainly because I used to work for him and I think he does a good job.
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Megamum, I used a bootfitter in Essex, Alpine Room. Not sure I'd recommend them myself as I ended up with boots that are too small, but I have seen a good many recommendations from others.
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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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queen bodecia, I was distinctly unimpressed with Alpine Room when I took skis to be serviced. I wouldn't be rushing back even though it's only a few miles from me.
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My first boots were fitted by Skeetex. When I looked for recommendations I was told that their bootfitter had years and years of experience and had a couple of good recommendations for them, my resulting first boots were slightly big, but comfy for a beginner, and they did a good job of tightening them up for me with extra padding after a couple of years use. They are what I still use.
They have a Winsteiger service centre there for skis, have had decent waxes for them, but once asked for the bases to be skimmed and they didn't come back totally without marks remaining.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
They have a Winsteiger service centre there for skis, have had decent waxes for them, but once asked for the bases to be skimmed and they didn't come back totally without marks remaining.
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Wouldn't worry about there being marks left on the skis after base grinding. It's indicating that the shop ground off the minimum amount of base material, which is a good thing. Grinding off any more would probably have shortened the life of the ski.
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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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queen bodecia, you keep saying you have boots which are too small, has a shell check been done? if not why not and if so how much space is there behind the heel..... in 24 years of fitting boots i think i have only come across 2-3 people who have boots which are physically too small, lots who need some work or are in the wrong shape but for them to be too small you would have needed a gun at your head to leave the shop... to simply have someone measure your foot and tell you that they are too small because your foot measures above the boot size on a "FOOT" measurer does not cut it, all boots are different and a shell check is the only way to tell if there is enough space in the boot for the foot, length, width, height, volume all come into play
(when i say too small i mean properly too small, if your foot is not sitting in the correct place due to calf muscle size/tightness, biomechanics or poor technique a boot the correct size will feel TOO SMALL)
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You know it makes sense.
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| Boredsurfing wrote: |
uktrailmonster,
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My wife had her last boots fitted at solutions4feet in Bicester, which is top notch and highly recommended by many Snowheads.
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Quite right, apart geography, I cannot think of a reason to go anywhere else other www.solutions4feet.co.uk in Bicester. |
I got my boots from here as well, I had no choice in all the pretty colours or popular brands. CEM selected the correct boots for my feet and I couldn't be happier.
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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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Kelskii, That is very useful information thanks - I didn't really know what the bases were supposed to have look like after the treatment, but had been told that they should have been perfectly smooth.
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Poster: A snowHead
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CEM, I've had a second opinion from a professional bootfitter and the boots are too small. I also have the evidence of lost toenails and bruising. I don't feel any pain due to lymphoedema which causes swelling and lack of sensation, so my only evidence is the physical results to my feet and numbness in my toes. The second bootfitter checked both the shells and the liners, both are too small. My toes are crunched up in the liners alone, this is worsened once inside the shell. I also find the boots extremely difficult to get on and off. I've had the boots stretched twice, I've persevered with them for 3 seasons, now enough is enough, I want my feet back. I've never had an issue with larger size boots before, whether my own or hire boots, so I'm currently saving up for new boots next season. I think the reason the bootfitter tried me with smaller size boots is because my feet are very narrow and I also need boots with low cuffs to allow my calves to swell. As far as I am concerned it was a gamble that didn't pay off. Lesson learned.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I went boot shopping yesterday and was offered a choice of - wait for it - two! I don't have massive or tiny feet either. Neither boot was right so I didn't buy in the end. A choice of ten sounds OK to me.
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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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jamesson, last time I bought a pair I was offered a choice of .......one pair!!
I had a chat with the fitter about what I was after, he looked at my feet, measured them; then he told me what I should have.
Who am I to second guess him?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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As long as it was the right boot for you, then great. But if you've tried on two different ones and neither fit you properly then it would be nice to have some more to choose from!
The boot fitter I dealt with didn't say that either pair was right for me, nor did he say explicitly that he didn't have the right pair and that I would be better trying another stockist so I thought better of it.
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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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There's such a thing as too many. A bootfitter in a St Anton shop lost me when he offered 5 or 6 different models. (The next day, I ended up just with foam inners from another guy).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| jamesson wrote: |
| As long as it was the right boot for you, then great. But if you've tried on two different ones and neither fit you properly then it would be nice to have some more to choose from! |
Probably reasonable to assume that a good bootfitter, especially one working as an independent, will carry a wide enough range of boots so they aren't turning many customers away because they don't have the correct fit boots. A wide range of boots by itself is unlikely to guarantee a good fit and correct level of performance for you.
I've never found trying on boots in a shop to be especially useful in terms of trying to get a feel for comfort and performance. I have almost no idea what the boots are going to feel like when I ski them. The differences between a shop environment (room temperature, mostly static, no forces being applied to my boots/feet) and a ski environment (cold, dynamic, lots of forces) are so great that the boots are likely to feel completely different. I need at least half a day skiing them (a snowdome will do) to feel what the boots are going to be like. As a result, trying on several pairs of boots in a shop is just a waste of time for me. I just want a good bootfitter to advise what's best.
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| jamesson wrote: |
The boot fitter I dealt with didn't say that either pair was right for me, nor did he say explicitly that he didn't have the right pair and that I would be better trying another stockist so I thought better of it. |
that my good fellow was a boot seller not a boot fitter
Queen bodecia, that may be some of the problem, a long narrow foot needs to be in a long narrow boot, vast majority of boots in the mid range are not so narrow so shops may try and compensate instead of admitting they don't have the correct model or explaining what the compromises are, there are loads of fitters out there who will happily tell you a boot is too small if it potentially gets them a sale and an equally large number out there putting people into bots too big, too wide to soft, too stiff for the individual...the key is "for the individual" but that has to be balanced with feedback between the fitter and the client, it is knowing when to use the smaller or the larger boot based on the skier in front of you, what they are expecting and what they hope to achieve, then knowing how to manage those expectations...... eg. the smaller boot which is technically the correct size could cause you to be in pain if you a) sit back, b) have tight calf muscles, c) don't do them up properly etc etc. but the bigger one that feels great stood here in the store will most likely a) allow heel lift, b) give less control, c) pack down to feeling too lose in a few weeks, d) cause lost toe nails as you slide back and forth inside them etc etc
everyone is different and each person requires a different solution, maybe the fitter wasn't listening to you or you weren't giving the right feedback who knows
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| jamesson wrote: |
| As long as it was the right boot for you, then great. But if you've tried on two different ones and neither fit you properly then it would be nice to have some more to choose from! |
Probably reasonable to assume that a good bootfitter, especially one working as an independent, will carry a wide enough range of boots so they aren't turning many customers away because they don't have the correct fit boots. A wide range of boots by itself is unlikely to guarantee a good fit and correct level of performance for you.
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Basically what I said in post 3 but using more words
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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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CEM, I understand your points entirely. I think the big problem is that I am unable to give much feedback as I have so little sensation in my feet. I can't tell if boots fit or not by how they feel, whether standing, walking or skiing in them. The one tool at my disposal is the resultant damage to my feet which obviously I was unaware of at the time. I live and learn! Thanks for your advice.
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Profeet Fulham Road near Essex.
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FAQ
