Boot sizes - bedding in time?

A snowHead

First post, please be gentle!
I've done a bit of homework and realise there are heaps of post about boot fit so hope some in the know will be willing to comment on my situation.

I'm a reasonable on-piste skier with 15 years or so experience, absolutely love it so this year decided to get my own kit.
I bought a discounted brand new pair of boots - Tecnica Phoenix Air-Shell 12 - in a reputable ski shop where I was given plenty of help / advice with fitting.
The thing is I take a UK size 11 in all other footwear, but the sizing tool thingy in the shop made my feet seem more like 10. The boot in question is a 28.5, which although tight, fit nicely. I said I was concerned that my toes were pressed against the front when standing up straight / walking, but the assistant assured me that as long as they weren't hard against the front when forward in a skiing position (they weren't) then the boots were the correct fit. I tried some other boots for comparison and sure enough the Tecnicas were a better shape for my feet. So I took their word for it.

This weekend we skied both days at Aonach Mor. The boots seemed very tight to start with, OK when skiing admittedly, but any time walking or standing I felt like my toes were jammed against the front. I was only wearing thin socks BTW. So by the end of Saturday I was convinced they were too small, got on the ipad in the hotel and decided from what I could see that a size 11 should definitely be a 29.5 or possibly 29 at a pinch. Thought I'd just have to put it down to experience, sell them on and buy a bigger pair.

Thing is, on day 2 they were MUCH better! Still very tight to get on in the morning but really pretty comfortable when skiing and the toes not bothering me nearly as much. Still thin socks though and not clipped up very tight. I'm in a real quandary now - I like the boots and they obviously hold me in a good position because I ski as well as I ever have on them. But we have a big holiday in France coming up at Easter and I'd like to be as sure as possible they're right.

So quite simply is a 28.5 just not going to be big enough for someone with - ostensibly - size 11 feet?

Or should I give the boots more time to bed in? I notice the very front of the liner is a neoprene foam type material which will presumably compress over time. In the shop they said boots could effectively become 20% bigger with use, and I don't want to end up with them all slack after a couple of years. OTOH I'm not sure if natural stretch can possibly make them longer?

Would a boot fitter be able to help when what appears to be needed is more actual length?

If it makes any difference, the shell size appears to me 325mm

Thanks in advance for any comments.

A snowHead

I'm a size 11 or 11.5 in shoes and have recently bought a new pair of boots in size 28.5 from Solutions for feet. They're a snug fit and a killer walking about resort, but definitely still bedding in. Stick with it!

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

Sounds the right size from what you say. But are you putting you boots on and doing up the buckles correctly?

It is important that your heel is located right back in the boot, this pulls your whole foot back and will give you more toe-space. To do this, put one boot on - don't do up any buckles yet - and then bash the back of the heel of the boot on the floor to force your foot back into the boot; then do up the 2nd buckle down one notch at a time until it is tight - this pulls your foot even further back into the boot, creating more toe-space. Use the micro-adjuster on the buckle to fine-tune it. Then do up the top buckle similarly so that there is no gap either in front of your shin or behind - when you flex your ankle, you need the movement to be transmitted to the boot (and thence to the ski).

Finally, do up the bottom two buckles but only loosely - you should not be clamping them down as that will flatten your foot and make it longer, reducing toe-space and cutting off you blood supply leading to cold feet. Repeat with the other boot...

Also you don't mention a footbed. Did the shop make one up for you or are you just using the one they came with - a custom footbed will help support your foot in the correct position.

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

I'm a UK 11 and wear 28.5 boots too (Head Vectors). Other than having to get them widened a couple of mm at the front they're absolutely fine.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

From your description of toes touching the front when standing but pulling away when in a ski stance they sound about right. You can do a shell check if you're not convinced but whatever you do, don't put much credence on conversion tables you find online.

You'll need to Register first of course.

I would not worry. Difficult to tell just from comments but actually sounds like you have the right size. What is comfortable initially is often soon too big. I find it takes a least a week for boots to bed in and 3 weeks for them to fully bed in. They should not be painfully but they should feel really tight initially. They can always be expanded if they are still too tight after they have bedded in.

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

Brilliant advice, thanks very much!
I feel much better about it now. I'll stick with them for this holiday, if they become a problem I can always take them to a fitter in the resort.
Footbed - just the one that they came with. I don't have much knowledge of these things, just what I've learned up on this past few days. Is the footbed like a technical insole. i.e. does it go inside the liner?
Thanks again,
R

After all it is free

Special thanks due to RobW.
Feel a bit daft to admit but I've never been told how to buckle them up properly. They did say in the shop to do the heel-bashing thing but never mentioned the buckle sequence.
At hire shops they clearly don't have time to advise but as a raw novice I took lessons, would have thought they might have started with how to put your boots on!
Anyway I just tried them on now (I know, I should be working, one of the problems of being self-employed) with a brand new pair or technical ski socks, did them up with this method and they really feel pretty good. Toe-touching feeling almost completely gone even when standing straight.
Very glad I came on here, you've almost definitely saved me from ending up with boots that were too big!
Cheers,
R

@ruaridhmaccallum, snowHead

sounds good. You might not need custom insoles, but if you do, they go inside the liners instead of the "carpet tile" sole which comes with the boots. Any shop in resort would be able to make them for you if necessary.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@RobW, that is good advice which I only happened upon after many years skiing. Also good to get your boots properly done up before you set off rather than at the last minute on the gondola before skiing which I used to do. Both help to get the foot properly set in the boot before skiing.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

My new boots gave me numb toes the first holiday I wore them. However, after three weeks of use they've bedded in absolutely perfectly. Keep the faith!

snow reports

@ruaridhmaccallum, IGNORE ANY CHART WHICH TRIS TO CONVERT UK SHOE SIZE TO MONDOPOINT SKI BOOT SIZE

or just buy red ones

if you want a boot which holds your feet securely after week 3 then you have to bed things down a bit in week one, alternatively you buy the big one and it feels great out the box, but like a bucket pretty soon

FWIW i am a size 11 in all day to day shoes trainers etc, i wear a 28.5 ski boot and in some models (salomon X max for example) i can wear a 27.5 yes folks that is marked up on the chart as an 8.5 so it is plain to see the chart is err well em Shocking!

You know it makes sense.

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

sorry missed that CEM had posted - he is an expert!

A snowHead

Great, thanks for that, all good info.
I think the key thing is to get the heel as far back in as possible using the 3rd buckle (or 2nd from top) and whatever else works before tightening the other buckles. Bashing may work for some, flexing for others? The revelation for me is knowing that there's a proper buckle sequence at all! And understanding the importance of setting the heel in.
Cheers R.

A snowHead

@Lilledonmarco, I can thoroughly recommend heated boot bags for the putting cold boots standing up in a car park scenario. I thought they were a bit of a toy but first time I used it in the car park situation I was thinking why did I not buy this before as opposed to the previous protracted cursing as I tried to get my boots on.

thanks @jedster, will try that don't think people should get over obsessive about exactly how you do it but think it is important to take a bit of time to make sure heel is properly set as previously I found weight at start of day was on front of foot which was both painful and hard to steer.

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

Help!!

Boot sizes - bedding in time?

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