will a 25.5 ski boot shell expand to 26 ?

A snowHead

I have odd sized feet (left is 25.5 and right is nearly 26) and am looking at buying a pair of Salomon Quest Max boots.

Would the Salomon moulding/customising process expand a 25.5 boot to accommodate a near 26 foot ??

A snowHead

Shells are only usually made in full sizes, some brands break on the half.

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

Mind you I don't know about adult boots, but I've been told that T3 Salomon kids boots can be bought in a shell size 26, then, from what I have been told, you can buy them with a 26 liner OR a 25.5 - I wonder if other boots also have different sizes of liner to make the half sizes. Maybe the OP has a 25.5 liner in a 26 shell?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I am asking the question because ellis brigham have some quest max 100 on sale - but in a 25.5 -- which would be too tight on my right foot ; unless the moulding process would expand them sufficiently

Megamum - you are right about shell size -- My brother's Salomon boots are marked 260-265 on the shell with the inner being 260

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I believe that a 26 and a 26.5 use the same shell, but the half size is wider, the difference being achieved by using different inner boots. The moulding process usually only affects the width, as it wouldn't be possible to stretch the sole length, so I don't think it would be possible to stretch a 25.5 into a 26 if it is too short for the foot.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Karin -- makes sense

thanks for the replies....... Smile

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

Scarpa do shells that are half size and the size up and different liners.

After all it is free

albob, I think the thing to do is not set your heart on a specific pair of boots. Rather, go for a good boot fitting and try many different makes. Different manufacturers have very different lasts. And think 'can I get a 26 which I can pack out for my 25.5' as well as the reverse - 'can I get a 25.5 which can accommodate a 26?'.

For example, the atomic three buckle boots are huge. This could mean a 25.5 would fit your 26 and then a 25 liner could be put in the other boot. I play with liners and boots all the time. Lange inners in salomon; tecnica in atomic etc. no reason why you can't have an entirely different liner in one boot. Why not buy a load of cheap boots on ebay and then have a good play. That's what I did about 10 years ago - loads of good but very cheap boots until I found a selection of combinations which worked for different purposes. I learned loads about boots - far more than having a fitting and relying on one pair of boots.

albob, to answer your question....yes certainly a good fitter will be able to make you that bit of extra length to accommodate your bigger foot.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Stephen59,

looking up Scarpa now..

valais2,

"... Why not buy a load of cheap boots on ebay and then have a good play.." -- Now that sound like a good (fun) idea Smile

sarah,

Tanks ! -- I'm going to ring EB at Castleford tomorrow - C what they say

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I'm aware this is my first post but I'd like to correct a few incorrect points made here. Firstly if you measure under a 26 by any stretch, you will be put in a 25 or 25.5. They are identical in shell size and liner size with Salomon (and 90% of other brands). The difference between a full and half size should be completely irrelevant as if you want a properly fitted boot, any volume shims (which is the only difference between a full and half size) will be removed to be replaced with a moulded footbed. This will also likely reduce the size of your larger foot by controlling foot spread. Without any foot bed in, a full and half size are identical in every way. There is no difference in the liner or the shell, the difference is achieved by reducing the volume in the full size by about 1-2mm using either a cardboard shim or a thicker foam standard insole. It is categorically the biggest placebo in ski boot fitting outside of fitting heel lifts.

I currently ski next years salomon quest max 110s and they are a great boot. However the fit is relatively aggressive all round. The custom shell can help the matter but overall it would be infinitely better to get a boot that was the correct shape for your foot. Assuming it was the correct shape, a 25 or 25.5 would suffice, especially as Salomon have ground out the heel in this years shell to create more room anyway. If it is the quest max 100 you're interested in at £195, I'd get in fast. They're nearly sold out.

I am happy to answer any specific questions you have about boots as a professional boot fitter but would urge what others have said, go for a full fit and take any worry out of your hands. I often fit people with two full sizes different in their foot size, it is no issue.

snow reports

It is my opinion that in most cases a heel lift can do more harm than good. Ramp angle is a very delicate thing to be messing with. They're often, again in my opinion, used by inexperienced boot fitters to fix things like toes being too close to the end of the boot. It is very easy to add and little hassle. In most cases, better fixes are available.

I do note however that there is a time and a place for heel lifts. They aren't always negative. I just get frustrated with seeing boot problems where the attempted fix is actually causing more issues.

You know it makes sense.

100% of of our boots get them.

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

Perhaps 98%

A snowHead

Any particular reason why?

A snowHead

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

as you point out, delta/ramp angle is very delicate, every foot and person has an individual amount of available Dosiflexion/plantar flexion, boots out of boxes are not tailored for this.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

job 1 is always dump spoilers first, at least at our place

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I completely agree that in dorsiflexional issues that helping getting a skier centred on the ski and avoiding excess strain and pressure on the balls of the feet is a good use of a heel lift. However I would personally choose to lower the front of the boot board to get the same effect. That way you don't risk causing negative effects over the instep or causing pressure on the SPN or DPN. I guess a lot of the time it would come down to if the boot was already owned by the customer. Sorry for swaying a little off topic.

You'll need to Register first of course.

no it's fine, and yes instep height of boot needs to be considers or a liner change too, dropping the front of the base board isn't always possible and permanent, heel risers aren't and alow us to throw the client to one extreme or another to save time in finding a solution.

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

we are in resort so guess we have to and can experiment with this very quickly, or at least over a couple of days, it's not rare for us to see 16mm go into alot of boots, Tecnica sells very well as a result.

After all it is free

Rob988 wrote -- "...If it is the quest max 100 you're interested in at £195..." that is the exact one Smile

I used them for a couple of weeks before Salomon kindly gave me a set of the 14/15 Quest Max 110s. They're great boots but out the box they're very upright and due to them being custom shell boots, the plastic comes up very soft. They still transmit power well due to the oversized pivots but I would budget in for a booster strap to really get the most out of them. Also don't expect them to stay white for long!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

And if you have any form of bulk around your navicular, you'll want it punched in shop as it's where they fit most aggressively.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I initially read NAVICULAR as NAVEL, and thought, "I'm not fat - and I don't need punching...! Wink

snow reports

I'm no boot fitter but I'm unsure why you've set out to buy a specific pair of boots when they may not even be right for you.

I had a pair fitted yesterday and the sole reason reason I left with the first pair I tried was that I took my old boots in so the fitter had an idea of what I was fitted with previously (at the same shop).

You know it makes sense.

Completely agree that a proper fit is the best option to identify what clog will be best. However it is relatively easy to make a narrowish boot like the quest max for a wider foot. The other way round is where it's not possible. By no means does this mean you should have that attitude to ski boot fitting, finding the best starting shape off the shelf is your best bet.

Kaprelene (sp?) seems to be soft at the best of times. Even when cold. However with most boots moving towards a lower ramp angle and less forward lean, it indicates a movement in ski technology. No longer are we seeing angles of 17 degrees to help skiers get the tips of the skis in to initiate turns. A much more central, upright stance has been the main feature of most of the boots we stock. Next years atomic hawx 2.0 hugely different to this years, seeing a much more upright stance and overall different feel.

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

The ones I got yesterday are the x pro 120's and I thought they had more flex than my old x wave 10's. Apparently ski boots have become more relaxed of late and these are one of the stiffest, I wouldn't have wanted to be in anything less TBH.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Exactly. My 110s ski like 110s but have to comfort of a 90 flex boot. It's ideal.

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

I recently bought some Head Raptor 150 boots as my old Lange XR9 Race liners were completely shot and noticed forward angles are a lot less these days, but the flex on the heads even at 140 is stiffer than the Fischer RC4 Vacuum Soma 150 pro boots which felt about the same as my old Lange's, so flex ratings are not unified between manufacturers.

I think all manufacturers do need to adopt a standardised flex rating.

But Rob988, do racers on the WC still use more aggressive forward lean angles ?

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I'd say it's all tailored to personal need. Some skiers will like more and some will prefer less. The Raptors are probably the stiffest boots we stock, probably truest to traditional flex too. As far as a standardised flex rating, it sort of is, it's just that flex is no longer the correct word. It should be power transfer. All 100 flex boots should transfer power in about the same way, but that may not be through just flexing the boots in a traditional manner.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

You'll need to Register first of course.

Agreed. There is little need for it with modern ski shaping.

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

Funnily enough, I took the spoilers out of my boots for a full month which gave me 16 degrees of forward lean. But I felt so much better when I put them back in and got an extra 2, it just felt more comfortable to me and I seemed more connected to feeling the skis. This was on both skinny SLs and wider skis. Definitely pays to play round and see what suits your particular anatomy and preference.

After all it is free

It is my experience that all manufacturers indeed do use the same tests to give a flex rating to their boots, at present that is only Lange and Head that I've not seen the testing, the only reason you feel a difference when testing in a store is because of the difference in temperature, than that used at testing. race boots are often and more often more upright, but a recent discussion with a brand stated that the WC guys prefer a more agree sieve angle, my question therein is to whether they have a greater range of motion, thus have the ability to flex a stiffer boot with a more agree skive forward lean angle

And fit makes so much difference. Crank up the buckles too tight on a loose boot and you may well block any movement.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

CH2O, You are an agree sieve Stavros and I claim my £5 Toofy Grin

Help!!

will a 25.5 ski boot shell expand to 26 ?

snowHeads Forum Index >>> The Piste