 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all,
First post on here.
As my topic suggests, I am going to be buying my fist pair of boots for this season. I'm a competent intermediate with 15+ weeks of skiing, now at almost 30 I finally have a bit more spare cash to invest in a pair of boots.
So the question is, do I buy in the UK at solutions4feet who are about 25mins from me, or do I wait until I'm in resort? I assume buying in the UK will be kinder to my wallet? But the benefit of buying in resort is I can take them back for alterations during my weeks skiing ensuring a good fit?
If anyone has any advise, guidance, experiance or can offer me any help that would be great. Sorry if this ground has been covered previously.
Thanks for reading,
Tom
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@WillowWilson, Buying in UK not necessarily kinder on the £ - butthe general consensus round here is that from S4F you will have extremely well fitted boots.
Unless you have particular performance requirements or difficult feet, you could easily not need them tweaked after you walk out the shop (and if it's really bad you can always have someone look at them in resort.
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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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If you can afford a pair of boots it's probably a false economy shopping around to save a few quid. Better to buy at full price when the shops have the range in - so that you get the boots that are right rather than the boots that are left. Others will disagree, they were probably the lucky ones.
Solutions4feet will put you in the right boots, but with any boot fitting you might need adjustments - its a good idea to get along to Hemel or MK so you can spot any significant discomfort. If you do go to solutions4feet make sure you book in plenty of time as they get very busy.
Buying in resort will depend hugely on the shop, if you can post which resort you are going to you might get specific recommendations of shops to use / avoid.
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@WillowWilson, if you're close to S4F then go there, it's a no-brainer. Resort fitting is a bit of a lottery, many of them just don't spend the time required, especially if it's a bust time. Also fitting and adjustment takes precious time out of your ski days.
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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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There is nothing to think about - go to Solutions4Feet. You are just lucky to be so close. The only question is whether you can get an appointment before you go.
It's very unlikely you'd need them adjusted in resort after @CEM has worked his magic whether you have difficult feet or not. If you *can* get along to Hemel once fitted, why not for peace of mind, but my boots didn't need any further adjustment until I changed liners.
Not sure which would be cheaper but any small difference pales into complete insignificance next to a well fitted pair of boots, and I would take a single fitting from Colin over any number of adjustments by a random resort shop.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
It's very unlikely you'd need them adjusted in resort after @CEM has worked his magic whether you have difficult feet or not.
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I think I have difficult feet. My most recent pair were fitted by the most excellent team at SOLE in Chamonix (a level of skill on a par I believe with CEM). After session 1, the clear instruction was to ski in them for a day and that if I was lucky, they'd be good but most likely there would be additional tweaking to be done. Which there was.
But yeah, get down for a couple of hours in a fridge after they're done, you'll know soon enough.
P.S. wearing them round the house is not a good idea...
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@under a new name, I had to tweak mine in resort after wearing for a week, but it was just a small blow out required because I have freakishly wide feet. This was predicted by CEM.
@turbosmurf, I think he only takes appointments, not walk ins.
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@Dr John, I am not sure mine are wholly freakishly wide but I have a lump on the outside of each, so typically get fitted quite a slim boot that needs adaptation. And the degree of adaptation is not always evident in the shop.
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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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@WillowWilson, simply, ring solutions4feet now and book an appointment! Also try and get them skied in before you go if possible so Colin can make any necessary tweaks (once they've been worn enough).
The only other thing I'd say is heed Colins advise. My first boots I got too big (not from solutions4feet) as the correct sized ones felt too tight.
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| Quote: |
I think I have difficult feet. My most recent pair were fitted by the most excellent team at SOLE in Chamonix (a level of skill on a par I believe with CEM). After session 1, the clear instruction was to ski in them for a day and that if I was lucky, they'd be good but most likely there would be additional tweaking to be done. Which there was.
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10 years ago I went to those chaps at their former abode and needed to go back three times for stretches. They MAY (or maybe used to) go a bit smaller as a starting point than some other highly reputable fitters (they took me down 2 shell sizes).
I'm only 40mins from CEM but I'm feel torn about whether to go to S4F just because I'd much prefer to get any follow up work done by the guy that fitted my boots. No ideal solution.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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As you have to ski in boots to find out if they really fit I have always bought boots in the resort. Ask at the ski school to find a good boot fitter. Your TO rep may be biased towards the one who gives a kickback.
Keep going back till they are comfortable but give good control without having to clip them to the pain level.
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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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"Ask at the ski school to find a good boot fitter"
No.
Ask here 
Although in fairness, not every station has a very good, technical boot fitter.
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The location is much less important than the standard of the Bootfitter....so my advice is the same as almost everyone else's ie. See Colin and then try them in a Snowdome.
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You know it makes sense.
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Used to recommend getting boots in resort as UK fitters were not very good, but these days i think its better here than in resort !!! Although the shop in kitzbuel was pretty awsome
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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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Solutions4Feet + snowdome.
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Poster: A snowHead
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My advice would be not to get them in resort. My wife did this in val. boots crippled her day 1 and she got them adjusted that night. Same problem next day and they had now bruised her legs enough that she couldn't ski again. We were only there 4 days. Get them fitted in the uk and hit an indoor slope a couple of times. Much less risky than potentially ruining your ski hol.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Go to Decathlon and save a fortune. If they don't fit they change them even if you have used them. Try that at Solutions for feet!!
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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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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| Go to Decathlon and save a fortune. If they don't fit they change them even if you have used them. Try that at Solutions for feet!! |
Ive no idea of your logic here......
So Decathlon will change them if they don't fit??!! Of course they wont sodding fit, a standard shell, no custom footbed, not selected based on you foot shape etc.
Yep you can save yourself a few squids, but jesus why ruin your holiday, be in pain and waste your money.
No chance on this planet would I ski without a correctly fitted boot (and no chance would I got anywhere other than solutions 4 feet!)
Me personally, buy in the uk around late summer, ski in domes / dry to bed them in ready for the winter and iron out any problems/tweaks if any - in 14 years (edited from 17years) I have never had to visit Solutions for Feet for tweaks only new boots!
Personally I prefer to know my boots before I ski on a mountain rather than spending my holiday and valuable mountain time sitting in a boot fitting store 
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 6-12-16 10:59; edited 1 time in total
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@PaulC1984, out of interest, how many pairs of boots have you gone through in 17 years?
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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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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| @PaulC1984, out of interest, how many pairs of boots have you gone through in 17 years? |
Ive edited to 14 years, now ive had to think of each pair of boot.... (god that's sad)
had 5 sets of boots now, 4 race 1 all mountain in that time. May have had the odd extra set of Zip Fit liners on top of that. 3-4 years out of a boot aint bad.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| nevis1003 wrote: |
| Go to Decathlon and save a fortune. If they don't fit they change them even if you have used them. Try that at Solutions for feet!! |
Looking at their site, the nearest boots to mine are £269.99 and I bought mine at the end of last season for £400 including fitting and fettling. If I get it wrong once, I'm out of pocket.
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@PaulC1984, "years" doesn't seem like the right measure for boots, unless you ski in them every day of the year...
I have reckoned for a long time that ~150 days was about right for a liner. Shells totally different and rather less predictable and often replaced before necessary.
I am on shell 4 since ~1998 and they themselves are starting (I think) season 5 or 6?
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| under a new name wrote: |
@PaulC1984, "years" doesn't seem like the right measure for boots, unless you ski in them every day of the year...
I have reckoned for a long time that ~150 days was about right for a liner. Shells totally different and rather less predictable and often replaced before necessary.
I am on shell 4 since ~1998 and they themselves are starting (I think) season 5 or 6? |
If I counted sessions id be lost.
Given I currently ski about 3 times a week on uk slopes/domes, used to race and train a fair bit, now attempt freestyle (and I stress attempt! - little ones choice not mine ), I can only use years.
Roughly (and very roughly) in sessions id be on circa 546 sessions per shell, roughly 2 hours a session. Convert that into 7 hour ski days and your talking 156 days, so comparative to what your getting
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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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Wow, thanks for all the replies guys - much appreciated! I think I'm going to go with the majority here and get an appointment at S4F. I plan on doing a week at some point in March, I hope this is enough time to get an appointment and get over to MK a couple of times to iron out any issues.
Again, thanks for the quick responses.
Tom
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@WillowWilson, good choice. Go as soon as you can to get the largest selection. First time I went was in Feb, he did all the measurements but refused to sell me anything because he didn't have suitable in stock. Top man.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Got an appointment booked for New Year's Eve. Happy days.
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