 Poster: A snowHead
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I posted this on buy, sell & exchange but guess it shoudl be here..........
I have skied about seven or eight times and am a reasonable intermediate. Have had practically no lessons so probably have awful style but like to make the most of my trips skiing rather than in group lessons.
I will give most things a go. I love it but due to the expenses of having children and a wife who is a schoolteacher we can only ski at the most expensive times. I would hope that we will get away once a week every year subject to not getting ever poorer.
I have never had a comfortable pair of hire boots and normally end up changing the boots several times each trip. Normally I end up with a pair that are too big so that they are actually loose around the calf because they are more suited to a giant. However it relieves some of the pain of having the boot too tight around the foot/ankle.
I went to the ski show at Olympia a while back and saw a fitting service where they were making moulds to go into boots as inserts. I was advised that they were (I think) about £60 and only really suitable for wearing inside your own boots rather than hire ones.
All the boots on offer (excluding the top of the range ones) seemed to be in the range of £150 to £200.
As I only get to go once a year I am trying to decide whether I can justify spending that - £200-250 in total? I probably can't afford it but would love to have a comfortable pair of boots. The ankle ache form my Easter trip has only recently gone away!
Can anyone recommend a particular shop/company? Particular type of insert? A reasonable style of boot that does not cost the earth?
I did see a post elsewhere about some boots at Decathalon for £50. I would be delighted to get away with spending that but can't help wondering if they are too cheap and "you get what you pay for".
Do these insoles last for a very long time? If only used once a season would they keep their shape for many seasons?
I am not bothered about having this seasons boot so if anyone can recommend a shop where there are bargains on old stock that would do me fine.
I'm in West London (Ealing) by the way so shops in London or West of London would be good. Will be up in Bolton at Christmas so any recommendations for shops "oop North" gratefully received.
I’m going to Pila in February – if anyone recommends a boot hire shop there with a good fitting service maybe I will hire again. There are 17 of us going so by the time the children are sorted out getting my boots and the attention of a staff member to carefully consider the best boot for me is probably not a good possibility.
Thanks in anticipation.
God I'm long winded.................
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The £50 boots are good boots (Salomon performa - often used as a hire boot and the ones my Oh have been using for 5 years quite happily) - Salomon are a big, and respected, boot brand. Decathlon just get some serious deep discount stock - skis are the same. However what you lose is the FITTING service - if you get lucky, have fairly 'standard' feet (and you know a bit about boot fit) you might be ok - however it sounds like you have problem feet...so you need the help of a fitting service...
If things are really tight however, it might be worth trying the performas from decathlon, I have recommended them to two friends as I know they have used them as hire boots sucessfully, and I know a little about fitting myself to help them, after all the trouble I've had over the years. If you can possible afford it then profeet would be the way forward. However if you are going to decathlon here's some quick steps to see if the boots 'fit' (not a great fit, but a basic hire boot type fit, with an emphasis on comfort not performance..
1) Put on the boot in your normal shoe size(both feet) - stand up - can you feel the end? Can you still feel it if you lean forward a little and pressure your shins into the tongue of the boot (as when skiing). If the latter they are two small. If you can't feel it at all move down till you can, then possibly back up one size.
2) Now remove the liner from both boots in the pair you have selected. Put foot in boot and stand up - does your foot touch the sides/end anywhere? If so then the SHELL is too small in volume (never mind with the liner in) so would need fitting work to be comfortable. Try moving up one size - but no more. If you still touch the sides I'm afraid it's off to a shop with a 'fit guarantee' for you.
3) If you don't touch the sides, slide your foot to the 'end' - comfortably, not squished up. How much space is there behind your heel? Should be 1-2cm. If loads - back down a size, if not much, go up one.
4) While you have the liner out look at what underfoot support there is (usually none) - if you have a high arch you may need to invest in a footbed, but you could do this out in resort once the need is determined. Stand in the liner without the boot and see if it is a 'fit' or if you are pushing it obviously out of shape anywhere...if you do - it's probably a bad sign for overall fit, back to pro shop for you
5) If all the above seem ok, put liner back in boot, put on, do up- boots and wander around the store doing 'skiing' motions for at least 30mins. If it's still all ok and you are feling flush - it's worth a try - they at least probably better than the hire boots you've had..
6)Find staff memeber at decathlon who seems to know what they are doing (the Surrey Quays one has at least 3 that meet this criteria so it's not a lost cause) and ask them if they agree with the fit.
There are loads of other things you can try, but thats the basics as I remember them - however there are some current and much better qualified bootfitters on here so I bow to their greater wisdom 
While pro fitting, and even better places like profeet with all the gadgets are without a doubt the BEST places to buy boots and a must for anyone who has had previous problems, or wants ultimate performance - we should remember many many people hire, buy from all sorts of shops with varying levels of service etc etc and have no trouble at all. Of my 10 or so skiing mates, I am the only one who has needed 'pro fitting' the others have done fine on variously hire boots, self selected boots, boots chosen very quickly by a guy who spoke no english etc etc and not one of them has ever needed a shell stretch or a footbed - so the odds are on your side..
On the other side of the equation, I bought 3 pairs before I found some that fitted (at £200 a go) and even then they needed lots of work (5 visit to lockwoods in the end). So do be prepared that they might not fit when you actually hit the snow..
aj xx
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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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wow - such useful answers and so quick.
As you guessed aj I do have problem feet. Something to do with my gait. I visit a chiropodist fairly regularly and have special inserts to wear in my normal shoes (which I do not do all the time). He has suggested sticking them in ski boots but I think it is the actual width and tightness of hire boots I have had problems with in the past.
I would spend £200 - £250 if I were sure it would be comfortable. Sure it would help my skiing to advance too. Tempted to take your comprehensive advice and check out the Surrey Quays branch of Decathlon and if I don't get a comfortable fit could then try the more expensive option.
Thanks for your help guys. Now getting carried away and wondering if I should buy my own skis too.
May take your advice Fraggle and get some lessons - the last few times though were hopeless. A guy in Serbia didn't get off the mobile phone the whole hour and before in PSV the group was very slow so little of the time was really skiing/learning but just waiting around.
Thanks all!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Don't buy skis! roll the money into getting a good bootfitter to get you the right boots. If you have troublesome feet then £50 off the shelf is never gona work, so you will end up having to get the full treatment eventually, having wasted £50 and a lot of painful days on the slopes!
Groups can be a bit slow, but can also be very good at taking you to terrain you would not think of going on normally. However a 1 on 1 private (or you and your wife) lesson will reap almost instant rewards! Make sure you get an English speaking coach (I had privates from BASS in Chamonix http://www.basschamonix.com/ and they were the best lessons I have EVER had £50 an hour seems a bit  but again money well spent!)
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Thanks Fraggle
I think I had more or less decided that buying skis was unnecessary.
I am going to a small resort in Italy (Pila) next trip in Feb so don't know what the level of instruction will be like but will look into a few private lessons.
I might even consider quick weekend away without the wife and kids to get some lessons in without the distraction of getting children up, dressed, fee and to lessons at sometimes different meeting points before I even think what I will be doing! Main reason why we are going to Pila- hotel is right on the slopes so hoping that will make life less stressful.
May look into Chamonix. Not sure how easy it is for quick transfers for a long weekender.
I have seen a lot of post by easyski who seems to teach in Les Deux Alpes. Maybe I should consider her too. Need to check transfers.
There are a couple of English guys who teach at Sierra Nevada that I wondered about. Ryanair fly to a little airport that is only half hour away I think. Not sure that conditions are great at the resort though.
Funny - started off saying that I wasn't sure I could justify spending a few hundred quid on boots and no talking myself into an additional trip away without the family!
Cheers
Aidan
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Funny - started off saying that I wasn't sure I could justify spending a few hundred quid on boots and no talking myself into an additional trip away without the family!
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welcome to my world mate!
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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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Your world's Wales. 
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True on a literal interpretion, but not in my head, I am elsewhere... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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aidancostello re; cost - you hire boots, right? About £50ish a holiday? So over 4 holidays that's £200.
If buying boots = £200, then = £50 a holiday for 4 yrs.
AND your feet and legs will be happy.
Which means you'll enjoy skiing even more.
I think you know what to do 
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, and a damn fine world Wales is as well 
Just a little short on snowy mountains...
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You know it makes sense.
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Manda, andajhainey,
your common sense is commendable. I think it is profeet for me (suspect I knew deep down that would be the case but wanted someone to tell me there was a way I could save £200). Shame about Decathalon - sounds good. Maybe my wife should buy some there. I could get lucky but suspect I would end up buying something that I would only discover to be uncomfortable in the resort.
Absolutely sure my skiing will improve (not that I'm too bad!) if I am not in constant discomfort.
Not sure that I can afford another trip or that it would be countenanced by my wife so it may be wishful thinking! Probably can't swing the boots and a trip on top of the family trip if I try and put it past Mrs C. The kitchen extension which I keep saying I'm not sure we can afford will no doubt be brought up if I try and justify my solo trip!
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FAQ
never mind anything like 'performance fit' 
Boots that fit improve your sking no end incidentally so not only will you be comfier and happier, you'll also be BETTER 
