 Poster: A snowHead
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Solutions 4 feet
My feet don't seem to fit into standard boots too well and I have had all sorts of problems over the last 50 years, so I need a good boot fitter. Colin at Solutions 4 feet was recommended to me by a friend who is an instructor. I followed my friends recommendation and whilst the cost wasn't insignificant, partly because I opted for Zip Fit Liners, the service was great and the fit has been absolutely perfect from day 1.
I have previously had boots fitted by snow and rock and Colin advised me the last boots they had sold me were too big, masked by the fact that they were foam injected.
I am thinking that I should be looking to replace my boots soon and I will not go anywhere else.
A friends son has just been there on my recommendation and is skiing in France this week. He has reported back that his new boots are a great fit.
So if your budget allows go and see Colin.
These are wise words from John Ruskin which seem more relevant than ever in this modern age where we are all looking for the best deal:-
“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.
The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot - it can't be done.
If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| Boot fitters will only try to sell you what is in their shop because as well as being 'boot fitters' (whatever that is) they are also salesmen/woman. In the end of the day you tell the boot fitter if the boot fits. |
Having just come back from solutions for feet without a pair of boots, frustratingly, I can confirm that a proper boot fitter won’t sell you a pair of boots that aren’t right for you.
Having tried on a pair of boots that I ‘m sure would have fit well, Colin had the difficult task of telling me he didn’t have a stiff enough boot in stock to sell me. I had a 2 hour round trip that would have been wasted if it wasn’t for the fact that I went with a friend with unusual feet that they were able to sort, and Colin had to turn down a £500+ sale. But he wasn’t prepared to sell me the wrong boot just to get a sale.
When I quizzed him on the consequences of skiing in too soft a boot, he described exactly the thigh burn I have always suffered from in my old boots that I assumed was down to bad technique or poor fitness.
Even if you can select a boot that fits, do you have the knowledge to know if it’s the right boot for you in other ways?
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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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Thigh burn = lack of fitness , boot fitter was being polite.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| Thigh burn = lack of fitness , boot fitter was being polite. |
Was he? I'd never mentioned that i suffer from thigh burn.
I just asked what the consequences of skiing in too soft a boot would be, and and explanation of why thigh burn happens in a boot that doesn't give adequate support was the answer.
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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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The fact that you've had years of uncomfortable rental boots suggests you have problematical feet. Loads of people have no problem with rented boots. If you have problematical feet, a random boot bought online is unlikely to be right for you, no matter how much fettling you get done.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| Thigh burn = lack of fitness , boot fitter was being polite. |
believe me i wasn't being polite! if the boot doesn't support you properly you put excessive strain on the quads... try standing in a deep flexed skiing position even with your trainers on and see how long you can stand it without feeling any muscle fatigue
you seem to hate boot fitters for some reason, maybe you had a bad experience in a chain store, maybe you are just trolling, in either way the information you are sharing with the forum is for the most part incorrect
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That thigh burn issue is very interesting.
I had always put it down to lack of fitness/over weight/bad technique & I suppose it still could be. I get it & even thou I got my boot fitted (not proper, 30 mins in a shop).
At the time I never thought to question the flex but in reading that I feel the 90 flex may be to soft for me at 175cm & 105Kg.
I bought a pair of nearly new Scarpa Maestrale RS off a friend of a friend as a favour (i know not the best way to buy boots) & they are 130 but even thou they are comfortable & snug when on they are a nightmare to get on, a real struggle.
I never got the oppertunity to try them last visit but will try them half term for a day (if I can get them on) to see if that helps with the thigh burn, in the meantime I will try and eat less cheese.
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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| Thigh burn = lack of fitness , boot fitter was being polite. |
Actually thigh burn is rarely caused by a lack of fitness. The most common cause is poor technique, especially not using ankle flexation and leaning on the rear of the boot cuff. The second most common cause is boot fit and selection, but they are often one and the same thing. A badly fitted boot (especially one that does not support the calf in the proper position) will make it hard to get weight forward - a common issue with teenage boys who are unusually tall with unusually big feet as there are few options of junior boots that are big enough and adult boots do not support their generally much thinner calves. I have a 13 year old who is neatly 6 feet tall with size 10 feel and legs like sticks, it is not an uncommon issue. A poorly selected boot (too soft), will mean more muscle effort is used to support balance that would otherwise be the case.
If you are super, super fit you can probably manage to ski for longer periods with poor technique than if you were unfit. But that does mean poor fitness is the cause of thigh burn.
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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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I can tell you the worst thigh burn I ever got was from some bindings with a big delta angle where it felt like I was riding way out of the back seat. Fixed the delta, wedge behind the inner boot for more forward lean and problem solved.
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@BobinCH, I think this is a case of bold statement made with no technical expertise or understanding. Contradicted quickly by those with both!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Jonny996 wrote: |
That thigh burn issue is very interesting.
I had always put it down to lack of fitness/over weight/bad technique & I suppose it still could be. I get it & even thou I got my boot fitted (not proper, 30 mins in a shop).
At the time I never thought to question the flex but in reading that I feel the 90 flex may be to soft for me at 175cm & 105Kg.
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As a frame of reference, Colin told me i needed a boot with a flex index of 120-130. I'm 180cm tall and 90kg.
However, I do have particularly flexible ankles and short hamstrings which i'm sure will affect the type of boot i need.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Mon 24-01-22 17:50; edited 1 time in total
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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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The boot doesn’t know how good a skier you are but it knows how much pressure you apply. If you are heavy / stronger skier you will apply more pressure so want more support/resistance. If you are light / ski slowly you will apply less pressure and can get away with a lower flex boot.
When you try and ski hard in soft flex boots (eg touring boots) you have to work much harder on balance and have much less margin for error as the boot doesn’t support you as well. If in doubt go stiffer!
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You know it makes sense.
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Well to go full circle on this thread, I'll update you on my progress.
Went to EB in MK and had a 3 hour appointment along with my OH for a couples boot fitting. After having feet measured and analysed in a variety of skiing positions, and a brief summary of skiing abilities and developments area's, we tried on a number of boots selected for us with the criteria above. My OH landed on her second pair, a lovely pair of K2 Anthem 85's, which she was over the moon with describing it has the most comfortable she has ever felt in a ski boot. I on the other hand tried on about 6/7 pairs until landing on the Saloman S/Pro 120 (completely undirected by myself), which were the only pair that didn't appear to pinch my right ankle (previous injury, leading to strange ankle roll when in flex position). From there custom footbeds, liner mouldings and sight shell mouldings finished the job.
Must say I was pleased with the service and the time and effort from the EB staff. The proof will be in the pudding when we actually get them on the slope, but their free adjustment service will be used if either of us are not happy with performance.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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@Roscoe, surprised this hasn't been asked already, but do you happen to know if you have what might be called normal feet, or if they are particularly wide/narrow/flat/whatever? If "normal" then you have a much better chance of getting a decent fit in S&R, EB, or other UK shops (keep in mind that if they're comfortable in the shop, they are almost certainly too big). If your plates are a bit wonky then would definitely recommend getting a specialist fitter.
Having said that, I would advise getting fitted in resort for all the benefits that @BobinCH spells out. The downside is that it might eat into your skiing and/or apres time if you have to go back for repeated fettling.
*EDIT* Hadn't noticed your EB fitting post. Hope all goes well.
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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 treated myself to a new pair of ski boots this year from EB in London. I thought their whole process was quite well done and included a proper assessment of my ski ability and goals, feet measurement, suggestions on boots to try, shell check, a proper Q&A on the feel and any pressure points and customisation of the liner. They looked at the custom insoles from my previous boots and were happy to use them and trim them to fit.
I’d say my feet are an easy job for a boot fitter with nothing that particularly stands out or needs adjusting for. If the shell needed customisation for example or there was something else that had to be compensated for then I would have headed straight to CEM for an expert job.
Ps. My boots this time around are full size smaller and on a narrower last size than my last pair. So no thanks to Snow and Rock for my previous pair of boots that were clearly too big.
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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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Drove from Glasgow to Bicester and back in a day several years ago to see Colin and would do it again tomorrow if required. My boots and liners required a lot of work due to oversized calves and this was not available at most boot sellers.
You get what you pay for and boots are arguably the single most important piece of equipment to have right for your needs to make your skiing both productive and enjoyable.
My only gripe was finding out that Colin was also from Glasgow and but for the vagaries of life I could've been walking down to Bellahouston to see him instead of a 10 hour round drive in the snow! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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My first purchased boots were bought in resort, but because I knew absolutely nothing, they weren't fitted at all and just unwrapped from the box and handed to me!
I skied with those boots for 10 years or so. They certainly took me up a number of levels (1-2 weeks per year skier).
I then got a properly fitted pair (from S4F) and the difference was incredible. It made the previous pair feel as loose as a pair of wellies!.
Rather than going in with a specific make/colour in mind.. I just bought different sallopettes and Jacket to work with the colour of boots that Colin selected!!!!
So, Roscoe, in my experience... The first pair of purchased boots will improve your skiing, if only because you get used to them and aren't forever using different boots each time you ski. If you can afford it, then go for the best fitment/quality of boot you can.. but don't beat yourself up if that investment has to wait until your second pair of owned boots.
You've got to remember that most people on this forum are dedicated to their snowsports and therefore are further along the journey than you are right now... they don't mean to come across as patronising, it's just that sometimes its difficult to recall one's early days!
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FAQ
