 Poster: A snowHead
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easiest way to get boots you like .....is hire in resort .....most decent shops do hire to buy....you can then try various boots ..even on same day ....then choose the best and have the store fit you with a brand new pair ....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| enpiste wrote: |
| easiest way to get boots you like .....is hire in resort .....most decent shops do hire to buy....you can then try various boots ..even on same day ....then choose the best and have the store fit you with a brand new pair .... |
Hi there and welcome.
I'm afraid I'm starting off by disagreeing.
1. A lot of holiday skiers don't know what a good fit should feel like.
2. If they let you try something that has been worn by other people, it may give a false impression.
IMO. There is no substitute for getting correctly fitted into new boots by an expert, where the lining will take the shape of your foot.
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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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| dp wrote: |
| compostcorner wrote: |
| it doesnt matter if they are expensive from pro feet ( who i"m starting to think snowheads has shares in ) or cheap from decathlon. and when your up some mountain in deepest darkest europe you cant exactly take them back to the shop, so i suggest buying your ski boots from whoever you want, because when your on holiday your stuck with them wether they hurt or not. |
I completely disagree.
No, in a shop in the UK you can't recreate mountain conditions. And no, you can't take them back once you've used them (unless you're nevis-whats-his-face). But what a bootfitter should do for you, is:
1. Get you in the right boots to begin with. (see posts above)
2. Get your boot into a reasonable fit which for many/most people will prove to suffice, but for others will mean only minimal work to do in resort.
3. And with good bootfitters - help you understand any issues you've got with your feet/legs, which might affect your choice of ski boots.
Decathlon sell the boxes which you ask for, and thus cannot fulfil any of these traits.
Your point is really like saying there's no point in test driving a car unless you subject it to all the driving conditions that you might encounter, otherwise it's just a hypothetical pointless test and you may as well buy the cheapest car on the forecourt. |
Hello DP,
Anybody can take boots back to Decathlon, not just me, I saw your post on the ski buddies thread, 'Going by myself, staying in town. Would love to meet other snowheads for skiing. I consider myself a 'decent' skier and will be looking for fun reds and lift-served off piste.'
I was wondering if you were the type of internet weirdo that skis on his own once a year, and now obviously you're post has answered my question, you are. Really, a red run skier giving interminable advice and thousands of posts.
Get a life off the internet mate, and try Decathlon, they can help people like you too....
Happy New Year, enjoy your fun reds, the only fun reds I have found are Merlots.... 
Nevis what's his face x
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| nevis1003 wrote: |
Anybody can take boots back to Decathlon, not just me, I saw your post on the ski buddies thread, 'Going by myself, staying in town. Would love to meet other snowheads for skiing. I consider myself a 'decent' skier and will be looking for fun reds and lift-served off piste.'
I was wondering if you were the type of internet weirdo that skis on his own once a year, and now obviously you're post has answered my question, you are. Really, a red run skier giving interminable advice and thousands of posts.
Get a life off the internet mate, and try Decathlon, they can help people like you too....
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You're trying to judge me based on a single post on an internet forum? You what?
Also - if you're trying to be a detective based on snowheads posts - you could at least notice that I'm subscribed to 3 bashes which to my maths counts 4 weeks. 
What's a 'red run skier' anyway? I have to want to cane it down the slalom course backwards to be worthy of posting on here? It's my first week for the season. It's not unreasonable to want to warm up. There's no requirement that those posting on snowheads have to be pro skiers or qualified to any extent.
I enjoy being part of the snowheads community and attending snowHeads bashes. That's the only justification I need to post here. I most definitely don't need your approval. Neither does anyone else that you've thrown your petty and poorly-informed judgement at. But there is no place for your attitude here and it's not wanted. So please either start contributing useful posts, or go away.
And since you're so keen on my ski buddies post, and conveniently located in the French Alps, why don't you pop down to Chamonix whilst I'm there and be a big man in person... rather than hiding beyond the keyboard like you're so keen to accuse everybody else of doing?
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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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@dp, I agree with your posts. From what I remember from the MYaSHbash last year you definitely ski more than one week a year.
Having just had my new Ski Boots fitted by Alain Baxter as reccommended on this forum I can say that they are a much snugger fit than any boots I have hired. If I had just bought a pair of boots that seemed comfortable when hired I would have had a pair a bit too large. Already when wearing them around the house I can feel the way that every slight foot movement is transmitted to the boot. I am really looking forward to see how this affects my skiing.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If money was no object, wouldn't you buy your boots in the resort? That way, you can ski them and take them back for adjustment day after day. This is what I did with my current pair and the nice lady in the shop gave me a discount on the sticker price as well. My sister-in-law had a terrible four years of skiing after buying in the UK, finding they weren't optimal, skiing for a week with them just not right, taking them back to the UK shop, getting them adjusted and repeating the whole process. It took her four years to do what an in-resort shop would have sorted in a week.
Or do people feel that in-resort shops aren't ideal compared to a specialist store like S+R? I can see that some of the 'pile 'em high / rent 'em cheap' places aren't going to be a good option. And I daresay you pay through the nose up a mountain. What do people feel?
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| LaForet wrote: |
| What do people feel? |
If you live near(ish) a great UK Bootfitter and have access to a fridge, then buying in the UK makes sense....if not, its worth picking a resort with a known expert Bootfitter.
Saying that, if you've built up a history and a confidence with a UK shop, then do what it takes to use them.
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@LaForet, I got mine fitted in resort. I was talking to admin over dinner and we agreed a concept that whilst many resort shops are rubbish and trade on the captive audience, it is only logical that every resort must have at least one shop which services the instructors, guides and racers. So surely the key is just finding out which shop that is!
So I went into a cafe in Livigno full of instructors. I went to a table of many instructors and asked politely if they might tell me where they recommended for boot adjustments. They told me the best shop they all used, so I went there and got my boots done. The fit was good but not perfect. So I went back and they made them perfect. And that was that.
So that’s what I advise everyone to do. I like and trust CEM, but I think being able to go back every day for a week after actually using them is by far the best way to get a perfect fit.
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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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Going back every day for a week!!! LOL !!!! What !! That shows just how good that boot fitter was!
Come on DP, you must know a better boot fitter than that? Have you tried Decathlon?
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@nevis1003, he said "being able to go back every day for a week", not that he needed to do so. Your constant sniping at @dp is becoming very tedious to me and I am sure many others on a thread which is supposed to be a long term resource. So you borrow your boots from Decathlon and return them when you no longer want them. Big deal and one which I'm sure most of us would find morally unacceptable. Unless you have something useful to contribute, may I suggest you just button it?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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can someone delete this troll
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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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or get them a room?
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| Tubaski wrote: |
| My experience was as a beginner I went to a decent ski shop (Ski Bartlett), told them my experience, my budget... |
+1
Ski Bartlett (Uxbridge) are excellent. Got a new pair of boots last year (after many years of uncomfortable mountain shenanigans) and would highly recommend on levels of service etc. Not the cheapest shop in town but pay peanuts etc etc.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Spin Doctor wrote: |
| Tubaski wrote: |
| My experience was as a beginner I went to a decent ski shop (Ski Bartlett), told them my experience, my budget... |
+1
Ski Bartlett (Uxbridge) are excellent. Got a new pair of boots last year (after many years of uncomfortable mountain shenanigans) and would highly recommend on levels of service etc. Not the cheapest shop in town but pay peanuts etc etc. |
I bought new boots at Ski Bartlett last Saturday having had personal recommendations about them. I have not used the boots yet so there is still a slight caveat, however I think they will be fine when I get on the snow.
You can pre book a two hour slot for a £50 deposit which gets deducted from the price if you buy the boots.
I was very impressed with the service and the friendliness of all the staff. They are maybe not the cheapest but not the most expensive either.
As a bonus you can park for free in the bus lane right outside at most times. The times are stated on their website.
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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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@richjp, I've never had boots from Bartletts, but I get my skis serviced there and buy all the gear I can from them. They are lovely, lovely people.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Would value some opinions/thoughts here
Relatively new but improving skier - skied 12 days in the last two years, expecting to do two weeks annually going forward. Never had issues with ski boots and pain during previous trips. Not necessarily sure I know what a ‘good’ fit feels like though.
Ideally would like ski boots around the £200-300 range with a hope these would last 5 or so years. I was looking at the head advant edge 105 boots from ellis brigham.
Couple of points:
- not sure if these boots are appropriate from a ‘skill’ perspective. Note from a couple of websites these are boots aimed at ‘true intermediates’
- not sure whether it would be preferable to get boots fitted in Val disere/tignes during my next trip. Is this cost effective given the price range I’m looking at?
- what price range should I be looking at really? I’ve got mates who have skied once a year in excess of 5 or so years using the same boots who feel even £250 appears steep for salomon/volkl/fischer/head, but not sure if that’s just inflation in pricing over the years (or they’re wrong!)
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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@snow_mac, first off, your mates are right, its easy to buy cheap boots, you can get them in sales at the end of the season, on ebay, or off friends.... but... if you are going to get boots its probably for 5 years or more (mine are 8 years old and still going strong), its best to get the best boot suited to you, rather than whatever is cheapest.
That is not to say you need the most expensive boots, just whatever boots fit your purpose and fit you best.
Having said that, most boots out there will most likely suit your skiing for the next few years, you just need to make sure that you get boots that suit your weight, skill level, foot, etc. £200-£300 is a reasonable price to pay over 5 to 10 years.
Instead of trying to buy off the internet I would buy from a skilled boot fitter, my preference would be to do this at a resort, so you can have it tweaked for any small adjustments you may need whilst you are skiing in them.
So if you are off to Val D'Isere, its probably best to find out who the best boot fitters are out there.
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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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| snow_mac wrote: |
Would value some opinions/thoughts here
Relatively new but improving skier - skied 12 days in the last two years, expecting to do two weeks annually going forward. Never had issues with ski boots and pain during previous trips. Not necessarily sure I know what a ‘good’ fit feels like though.
Ideally would like ski boots around the £200-300 range with a hope these would last 5 or so years. I was looking at the head advant edge 105 boots from ellis brigham.
Couple of points:
- not sure if these boots are appropriate from a ‘skill’ perspective. Note from a couple of websites these are boots aimed at ‘true intermediates’
- not sure whether it would be preferable to get boots fitted in Val disere/tignes during my next trip. Is this cost effective given the price range I’m looking at?
- what price range should I be looking at really? I’ve got mates who have skied once a year in excess of 5 or so years using the same boots who feel even £250 appears steep for salomon/volkl/fischer/head, but not sure if that’s just inflation in pricing over the years (or they’re wrong!)
Thanks! |
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2864977
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well I’m well chuffed, walking past Blues ski shop today I popped in to see what they had, walked out 90 minuets later with a lovely pair of Fischer fully heat fitted for £140. Last season model in sales, so no need to spend big unless you are at the top of your game & need the very latest model.
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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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Sorry Jonny996 but you are not entirely correct, this all depends on getting the right fit for your own particular feet, your stance, your ability, your aspirations and your long term aims. You can be lucky and get a good cheapo pair which with heat treated inners will do for a year or two but if the boot itself wasnt right in the first place the inners will relatively quickly distort and not seem quite such a bargain and you may well "outgrow" them. This isnt about make, needing the latest model or any other fancy ideas it is about getting the correct shell and then the right and properly fitted inner. You could spend all the money in the world but if the fitter does a poor job you could quickly come unstuck.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@FFIRMIN, well after today’s experience I’m cuffed with my new boots & at my time of life I don’t think I will out ski thembe
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@Sack the Juggler, @mooney058,
thanks both for your responses - very much appreciated.
As an update, i actually ended up buying a pair of Tecnica Mach1 110 MV boots from Ellis Brigham this weekend, having spent 2-3 hours across both of their Manchester shops trying different brands on.
It was an incredibly informative experience and, whilst time will of course tell, i feel like i've come away with a pair of boots which will set me up well for ski adventures over the next couple of years.
I'll be sure to update on how the boots performed following my trip next month.
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| Jonny996 wrote: |
| Well I’m well chuffed, walking past Blues ski shop today I popped in to see what they had, walked out 90 minuets later with a lovely pair of Fischer fully heat fitted for £140. Last season model in sales, so no need to spend big unless you are at the top of your game & need the very latest model. |
Hope they work perfectly for you, but really price is the last thing on my mind when choosing ski boots. For me it's all about getting the right fit. I've certainly had the wrong fit a couple of times in the past and seriously suffered for it on occasion. I've also learned to appreciate the many benefits of a professionally fitted boot, they are more or less priceless.
Skis and ski clothing on the other hand can be bargain hunted very successfully in my experience, so that's where I hunt for savings to offset a relatively expensive boot fit.
Another way of looking at it is that 2 pairs of poor fitting "sale" boots costs about the same as 1 professionally fitted pair. So if you get it wrong just once then you are no better off anyway unless you are prepared to put up with foot pain or sloppy fit, which I certainly wouldn't.
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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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Yesterday was my first day on a real mountain in my new boots. They were fitted in UK by a bootfitter. Did a few snowdome sessions in them before coming out. Slight foot ache after first run, undid clips on lift. Never had to touch them again all day once clips re done up. Skiing vastly improved, thigh burn minimal, moving the foot actually did something when I wanted it to. Very pleased I listened on here and got them done the way I did. Previous 2 pairs of " fitted boots" didn't really fit at all!
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so the general advice on here is that if your boots fit comfortably in the shop, then they will more likely be to big, which is probably what happened with my last pair, a question i remembered being asked was, "can you waggle your toes without feeling the front of the boot when you flex forward" so i said yes and that they felt comfortable. so perhaps i need to feel my toes hit the front of the boot if what the snowheads on here are saying is correct, because the boot will pack down creating more space.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| compostcorner wrote: |
| so the general advice on here is that if your boots fit comfortably in the shop, then they will more likely be to big, which is probably what happened with my last pair, a question i remembered being asked was, "can you waggle your toes without feeling the front of the boot when you flex forward" so i said yes and that they felt comfortable. so perhaps i need to feel my toes hit the front of the boot if what the snowheads on here are saying is correct, because the boot will pack down creating more space. |
Not quite that simple I don't think, but yes they should feel very (uncomfortably) snug in the shop with zero heel lift. But there should be no obvious pressure points, especially on the top of your foot and enough room for your toes. Toes actually against the front of your boot are a recipe for painful black toenails (ask me how I know?). But I'm not a boot fitter myself, just an experienced skier who has been through the fitting process with varying degrees of success. For sure if they feel like slippers in the shop and you can lift your heel in the slightest then they are not going to work for you. Likewise if there are obvious pressure points in specific areas of your foot then those will need addressing too.
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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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Hi,
I have just purchased a new pair of Salomon X PRO100 ski boots.
The boot fitter moulded the liner and then the shells. After a few weeks of me wearing the boots at home there was still pressure around the toes so the boot fitter stretched the boots using a combination of a heat gun and hydraulic pressure.
A few days later I noticed that the plastic had changed from the original mat black finish to a smooth polished finish in the areas where they were heated with the heat gun.
Certainly, the aesthetics of the boots has been damaged but I am unsure if the boots have been "structurally" damaged by the heat the boot fitter applied and am I likely to experience problems in the future? Should I return the boots? I would not want to have problems in the future that I blame on the boots when in fact the issues was the boot fitting.
[img][/img]
I would gratefully appreciate any advice provided.
Thanks
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@MaxVertical, Pretty standard on some matt black models. I've had the same on my Salomon boots, the plastic is holding up perfectly.
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You know it makes sense.
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This has made me think about how tight or "comfortable" I have my boots when I am skiing. My boots are a great fit, I can get them on and off relatively easily (compared to hire boots), but they have been formed to my feet really well and sometimes in the past after we have stopped mid piste for lunch or a drink I have forgotten to do them up again when we go off skiing and I only realise they are undone when I'm getting on or off the next chair lift.
In Are and Les Gets this season when skiing blues or reds I started leaving my boots fairly "loose", i.e. the two clips on the foot are on their lowest setting and hardly any pressure at all, and the two clips on the ankle I also leave on a low pressure, i.e. on the first or second ratchet. I'll leave the velcro strap as loose as possible.
If I'm going to do a black or a "dark red" then I'll tighten the two tops buckles over but without straining to close the buckle, and the bottom two I'll just move one more over so they are not loose.
I used to always try to tighten my boots as far as I could at the start of the day and then again during the day as they loosened up, but I'm now converted to leaving my boots looser so I can feel my weight distribution on my foot better (albeit it that my boots do fit snuggly anyway, even though they still feel like I've wearing slippers).
Maybe I'm not explaining the feeling right, but does anyone else tighten their boots this way?
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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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| Sack the Juggler wrote: |
Maybe I'm not explaining the feeling right, but does anyone else tighten their boots this way? |
I leave the toe clip very loose, the next one up pretty loose too (as you don't need or want much pressure on the top of your foot), but then I really crank up the upper 2 clips as tight as I can plus the power strap as tight as I can get it. I think that's what most fitting guides suggest too but interesting to hear how others do it.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Once I am fully clipped and strapped in... if I then unbuckle, nothing much happens. Things only loosen when I unstrap and fully open. Occasionally I've caught a buckle and it's come out and I don't notice for a while. I presume the boot is just kind of "set".
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Sack the Juggler, do boots loosen up during the day? Genuine question, I was forever cranking up the tightness during what was a warm week.
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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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Shout out for Mountain Air in Verbier. Went to get my wife fitted out, the best boot for her foot/reqs was not available in the right size, and no longer in stock so they gave up the sale, suggested we get it online if we could find it, and they would do the fitting. Suspect we’ll be customers for life now
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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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Hi All,
As explained to me many years ago, I belive still holds true. The bottom two buckles over your feet are only there so the shell will open up a bit to let you get your foot in and out of the boot. Otherwise it would be almost impossible to get your foot in/out around the rigid ankle bend. I was also told that those bottom two buckles should only be tightened with just enough pressure to hold the shell closed. What the really do is bring the shell down on the rubber insert that is often there to form a seal and stop water getting into the boot. Thats all they do. They are not there to hold the fore foot down. If you have that much space in the boot you have the wrong boot.
The upper buckles are the important ones for holding your feet in. Always start by tapping you heal into the back of the boot then tightening the lower buckle first then work your way up to the power strap. These buckles and the power strap are the really important ones for power transmission. Last, lightly do up the bottom two buckles.
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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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2 more days on mine in about every available snow condition. Set them in the morning, never even think about them during the day. Perfect.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Penry wrote: |
| @Sack the Juggler, do boots loosen up during the day? Genuine question, I was forever cranking up the tightness during what was a warm week. |
that's a good question, normally, I don't adjust my boots during the day (unless we are doing something quite steep or icy) but we were in Les Gets last week, and on our last skiing day, the Saturday, the sun came out and it was really hot, and I had overlayered for some reason, so was skiing very hot, and at about midday I found my boots were really loose and had to tighten them up quite a bit.
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Plastic will soften/expand with heat so you may need to tighten as the day goes on depending how your boots were when you first put them on. I also believe the flex will be affected by temp as well.
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| Penry wrote: |
| @Sack the Juggler, do boots loosen up during the day? Genuine question, I was forever cranking up the tightness during what was a warm week. |
I really notice the shells softening if it gets very warm in spring skiing. I may also go one clip setting tighter in the upper 2 clips only, but otherwise I very rarely need to re-clip boots during the day. Having to regularly crank up the clips during a day is a good sign that the fit is too loose. I once had a pair like that and binned them soon after. Basically your foot should not move at all within the shell and there should be no slop between your shins and boot cuff.
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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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| MaxVertical wrote: |
Hi All,
As explained to me many years ago, I belive still holds true. The bottom two buckles over your feet are only there so the shell will open up a bit to let you get your foot in and out of the boot. Otherwise it would be almost impossible to get your foot in/out around the rigid ankle bend. I was also told that those bottom two buckles should only be tightened with just enough pressure to hold the shell closed. What the really do is bring the shell down on the rubber insert that is often there to form a seal and stop water getting into the boot. Thats all they do. They are not there to hold the fore foot down. If you have that much space in the boot you have the wrong boot.
The upper buckles are the important ones for holding your feet in. Always start by tapping you heal into the back of the boot then tightening the lower buckle first then work your way up to the power strap. These buckles and the power strap are the really important ones for power transmission. Last, lightly do up the bottom two buckles. |
+1 That's exactly how I've been advised too. If anything has changed, I'd really like to know about it. My current boots are a great fit, requiring virtually no tension on the lower 2 clips. As you say just enough to seal the boot. Then I crank away on the upper clips and powersrtrap to get the best power transmission from shins to ski. Boot flex is obviously critical too and I believe it should be matched to your natural range of ankle flex and not just your ability.
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I've just checked - by using the search facility on here - how long I've had my current boots and it seems I've had them for eight years, translating to three or four weeks in the mountains per season and a day's coaching at Hemel every five weeks or so during the whole year. Just last season I found I needed to tighten them occasionally during the day, but until then I didn't touch them from the beginning of the day to the end.
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FAQ
