blah blah boots still too big, what else can be done?

A snowHead

I bought a pair of boots from the best localish ski shop I could find last march, have skied about 45 days on them since. I went back after about 10 days as one boot felt too big, they put an insole in under the liner which helped a bit but still felt too big. Have been back a couple more times and nothing else they have done has really helped. They put a butterfly shaped bit of material behind the heel which took up all the space but pushed my foot really far forward and made skiing feel awful. I guess the boots aren't awful, I have 20mm shell fit, and they are fine on easy slopes on pistes and in nice snow but the minute the snow gets a bit manky I can just feel my foot moving. The other foot felt ok until recently, I think both feet are similar length but I have a bit of oedema in that leg so I guess it takes up more room within the boot, but I now feel movement in that boot as well, liners gone now?

So my question is given that I already have padding under my foot, and didn't like padding behind the heel, is there anything else I can expect to help the boots fit right. I want my foot pushed back in the boot, not forward. I told the shop I just felt the boots were too big the last time I went but the guy disgreed, this is my third pair of boots and I am just annoyed that I spent €400 and still don't have a pair of boots that fit and not really sure if it's worth making the trip back to the shop if there is nothing else they can do. I'm skiing in August so would like to try and get the boots better before then.

A snowHead

Having followed a number of threads on this topic I expect the consensus of opinion to be; a, consult a recognised boot fitter, and b, be prepared to buy a new pair of boots Sad

. I expect one of our tame boot fitters will be along anon.

Chris
snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

There's no way your liners are kaput after 45 days. A 20mm shell check is ok; not great but ok. Certainly not so big that you should be needing extra heel padding. Are you sure you've got them done up tight enough? Might sound stupid but you should be doing your boots up to the point that your feet go numb and then backing them off 1-2 micro turns to restore circulation. The most important clip is the ankle clip - that's the one that holds your heel back in the boot. If you've skied 45 days I'd expect you to have tightened the two lower leg clips by 2-3 notches more than when you first bought the boots (as the liner beds in) to get the same response. Have you done that?

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you could try new or a different set of liners.

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Sounds like they are too big...

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

AFAIK the bootfitters can make small boots bigger but not big boots smaller.... Sad

After all it is free

Thanks for the replies, I'm loathe to try new liners, seems a bit like throwing good money after bad. The boots are a 98mm last so shouldn't be massive, I would say I have pretty ordinary feet width wise. I do buckle them up fairly tightly, 2nd or third buckle for top two, second buckle at toe. It feels better at first if I use the second buckle over the instep but my foot ends up going numb so it it is a bit of a compromise between comfort and fit, if my foot is numb I can't ski well either, sounds like there isn't uch else I can expect from the shop so probably not worth another visit.

lynseyf, try really cranking the buckles over your shins up as much as possible, should hold your heel back in the pocket. Don't worry about the clips over your foot, just tight enough to be 'closed' is enough.

Foam injected liner, maybe? Could fill up some space, sure there are people on here who know more about that than me though.

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What are the boots, brand and model? Also, what actual BSL/Size?

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Boots are Technica Crush in a 25.5, BSL is 295

I do wonder if a better liner would help but I am loathe to spend more money for a maybe

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boot has a very high instep and appaling liner, boots at this level should be fitted precisely and not with 20mm shell check 10 is plenty.

You know it makes sense.

lynseyf, when I had a boot too big problem my boot fitter fixed it for a number of years with a neoprene ankle support shaped like this one http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/trekmates-ankle-body-protection-p108826?gclid=CPC8g4_BtrgCFWbJtAodcSIA3Q which he pulled on over the liner.

The fitter used a specific product made for the job by Salomon, which I don't think you can buy any longer, but if you tried a mans size I bet any cheap stretchy neoprene ankle support would fit over the liner - you can even get them for 99p from 99p shops! I liked the feel of what he used as it just generally took up a lot of the vacant space around the boot generally. If you could get a set for under, say, a fiver, it might be worth a try?

I hasten to add that I know nothing about boots, I just thought the suggestion was cheap and cheerful as something else to try. You could even cut away lumps of a cheap ankle product if it tightened things up in undesirable areas. You could even use more than one layered up if they looked like helping.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Megamum, That is one of the nicest quick fit ideas I've heard in a while, thanks for that. I have super tiny ankles but a wide'ish forefoot, gonna have a play...

A snowHead

dulcamara, Very Happy

It just seems one of those won't cost a huge amount to try ideas, and I can't see it doing any real harm, esp. as it mimics an official solution that Salomon themselves used to make. If it works, you've gained, if it doesn't sling 'em in the back of the car and lay 'em down to kneel on when you next have to use snowchains!! Laughing

A snowHead

Thanks Megamum, certainly worth a try!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I can see that helping where the boot is too wide at the ankle, but can't see how it can help if the boot is too long?

Given you skied 45 days last year I'd be very tempted to spend the summer finding a decent bootfitter and getting yourself a proper pair fitted. You can probably resell your old ones on ebay for a good price if you wait until pre-Xmas/Half term

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kitenski, Well it does provide some padding behind the ankle so it does help a bit. I found they made quite a difference and my boots were on the long side. In any event its a practical suggestion that will cost relatively little to try. If it helps, it helps, if it doesn't then there is relatively little lost in the attempt IMV.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I don't see "too long" being an issue if the rest is held tight, never wanted to stop my foot sliding forward with my toes wink

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lynseyf, 45 days from March to June is pretty impressive... Twisted Evil

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

volume is equally important to length, you could easily get away with the 20mm shell check IF the boot was super snug around the rest of the foot, and holding the foot solid asdulcamara said, that boot as has been said mahusive around the heel instep perimeter so has little change of holding much unless you have a really high volume foot

as a temporary fix to hold your foot back consider padding on the tongue and on the liner but IN FRONT of the ankles to push you backwards in the shell rather than lumps of foam around the heel which will push you forward in the shell and make the boot feel short

After all it is free

under a new name, March 2012 so not that impressive, 51 days while working full time was much more impressive, will be hard to beat unless I do a season Smile

Thanks CEM, may take a trip back to the shop at some point then

Help!!

blah blah boots still too big, what else can be done?

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