 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok, so a season in the alps beckons. I have accommodation sorted, now for some kit. Where do people think the best places to acquire boots, skis, etc? I've got my clothing, just need hardware really. One thing, I am on a budget, so deals are the way forward. Any little gold spots or am I better going to the big boys in their off season? Grateful for any help as could save me some serious cash. Cheers guys and girls!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You'll pick up some bargins on the high street at the moment but don't expect to have the pick of a huge range. Stock will be thin on the ground until the season gets a bit closer.
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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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Edge&Wax have a clearance sale on at the minute with an extra 15% off some sale kit, just spotted it this morning - http://www.edgeandwax.co.uk/
Give them a call for some advice, really friendly people and highly regarded on snowheads.
Annoyingly Glissshop had a good sale that ended yesterday, but might do something again before the season starts.
Boots - always best to go to a proper bootfitter, especially if you'll be on them all season. The last thing you want is to be struggling with painful feet every time you go out on the hill - it'll ruin your season. And paying for extra repairs in resort can be expensive and a very annoying dent in your season budget.
CEM on here is worth PMing to ask about boots/fitting.
P.S. Where are you heading to?
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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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I do agree with fixx but if you are determined to self-fit, the decathlon are super cheap for boots and unlike the internet stores you can at least try them on.....
Where are you? Less cheap but still bargain-us in the sales would be:
http://www.finchesemporium.com/
http://www.skee-tex.co.uk/
aj
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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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gillie,
If you have never had your own boots then you really need to go to a shop with staff who know what they are talking about.
As you are on a budget I would suggest either the small adds here on Snowheads or fleebay for the skis. If you are going for a season and only ever used hire skis why not get a few different pairs cheap ie a race skis an all mountain pair and off-piste. you will encounter pretty much the full range of conditions in a season plus if you wreck a pair you have others to still play with.
The money saved from buying secondhand skis could be put towards getting properly fitted boots, you can not skimp on the price for good fitting boots for the level you are.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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RAB,
Unless you know what you are doing, and that means biomechanics, you should always get your leg and foot assessed by a trained expert, who is more than good boot fitter.
You cannot go wrong if you see Colin at Solutions4feet in Bicester.
I speak as a former boot fitter and ski teacher.
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gillie, unless you consider yourself to have 'weird' feet i'd wait until you are in resort.
Find the owners or managers and see what happens.
That way you have continued support through your season, you also strike up a relationship with a shop as soon as you arrive (which will be nothing but a good thing later on...)
If you arrive early enough you may also benefit from some great deals on last season's range.
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Sorry, should have been clearer. I own my own kit, but its not good enough to get me through a season. So ive ordered a few pairs of boots from various sources to try on and send back the ones that don't fit correctly. One of the stores asked if I wanted any footbeds. I have done a bit of research and called a good place in London, but they wanted too much money for an appointment, so again I'll source them myself. Any ideas? Should I just order a load, try and send them back? What makes are recommended?
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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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gillie, footbeds are mostly considered a very good idea generally, but really need to be custom fitted to make them most helpful. It's not generally an at home job. That said, I didn't have any for the 1st 20 years skiing. That also said, probably many of my boots didn't fit properly.
Often, the custom moulding is included in the purchase price of custom moulded ones.
And often the whole process is included in the price of the boots + footbeds.
The other big problem is that what you want are boots that fit, not necessarily boots that are comfortable for 30 minutes walking around your living room. I'd expect boots that meet the living room test are not going to met the ski fit test...
YMMV. I do not have average feet.
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gillie, I realize this will not sound helpful at all, but if it were me, id rather skip a ski holiday and have CEM (Colin) fit me a decent set of boots, than spend the next 10 years in pain, out of control and skiing Sh*t because my boots don't fit. Boots are your connection between you and the snow, they do all the work.
boots that don't fit are like having a steering wheel, brakes and tyres made of jelly and seeing a large tree getting ever closer!!
Aside from lack of control, comfort, preventing good technique, a poor boot will without doubt at some point cause you an injury
You also say you are looking for skis - forget it! Spend the money on a decent foot bed and boot fitter!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I have to admit, going to a decent boot fitter revolutionised both my skiing ability and my comfort. Seeing as I got about 30 - 35 weeks of skiing out of my previous pair then it worked out fairly cheap. And my current pair with custom foam liners are even better. What you won't have is the in depth knowledge of the various boot profiles and volumes which may suit your feet. Unless you want to try on 30 to 40 models from many manufacturers you are likely to be missing out on a boot that suits you much better.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Tue 5-08-14 17:48; 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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But... knowing what I do now I would be happy sizing up a boot myself for just pottering about or if I started teaching. The same goes for touring boots.
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| PaulC1984 wrote: |
| gillie, I realize this will not sound helpful at all, but if it were me, id rather skip a ski holiday and have CEM (Colin) fit me a decent set of boots, than spend the next 10 years in pain, out of control and skiing Sh*t because my boots don't fit. Boots are your connection between you and the snow, they do all the work..... |
+1
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You know it makes sense.
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| achilles wrote: |
| PaulC1984 wrote: |
| gillie, I realize this will not sound helpful at all, but if it were me, id rather skip a ski holiday and have CEM (Colin) fit me a decent set of boots, than spend the next 10 years in pain, out of control and skiing Sh*t because my boots don't fit. Boots are your connection between you and the snow, they do all the work..... |
+1 |
10 years!
That's the problem.... you have to wait 10 years until you can afford a new pair!
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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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flangesax, One ski holiday = £400+ = 1 Pair of well fitted boots??
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Poster: A snowHead
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That place in london was profeet? Heinously expensive, most places are massively cheaper - try the two I linked to - they can get close to many online prices.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gillie, lotsof good advice above but if you are determined to do this DIY then as you asked about footbeds, for an off the shelf option you could do worse than get a Superfeet Blue footbed.
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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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FAQ
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