Surefoot or Pro Feet

A snowHead

I'm lucky enough to live in Fulham which appears to be ski boot fitting capital of the UK with a choice of specialist fitters (Surefoot and Pro feet) as well as more general winter sport retailers (21 degrees North and Ellis Brigham) all within a couple of minutes drive.

I know there have been a couple of similar threads, and that the individual boot fitter is probably the most important aspect of the process but I was wondering if anyone knows the specific differences between the analysis/services that surefoot and Pro feet offer. Money isn't really a factor, I just want the best fitting boots!

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

A snowHead

No experience of Pro Feet
But I went to Surefoot in Courchevel a few years back as my boots were shot (about 12 weeks) they told me the shell was fine and a good fit (thanks to the Boot Doctor in Cham) and suggested I just get new innards
After two hours stood in hot boots clamped tightly – I came out with a good fitting boot – that was about 6 weeks skiing ago and they are still going strong
Can’t remember the cost but I guess £250’ish (that was in Courchevel 1850 as well)
I was more than happy with the service and would return
John

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

I've used ProFeet and would highly recommend them.

Not the cheapest and not the quickest but then you do realise what you're paying for, someone who will take as long as it takes to get you in the best fitting boots they can not just roll you through as quick as possible and on to the next customer.

From memory the process at ProFeet was:
1. Foot examination for the fitter to get an idea of your foot size and shape.
2. Stand on a machine that analyses how you spread you body weight through your feet.
3. Fitter re-appears with a couple of pairs of boots that they believe will be the best match to your foot shape to try sans-liners.
4. Ask you to do a few things in each shell to see how much room.
5. You pick best fit, then they tell you the price and you decide if it's a go/no-go.
6. Footbed moulding, liner in and out a few times for both shell and liner to be tweaked.
7. Instruction on how to correctly put your boots on for best fit.
8. Pay and leave with a lifetime re-adjustment service should you not be 100% happy with the fit at any time, now or in the future.

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You're absolutely right about the boot fitter being the most important element.

I have difficult feet; super low volume, collapsed arches, and narrow; a boot fitters nightmare. However I have found truly excellent service and advice by following the recommendations for individual boot fitters by other Snowheads members. I have equally had terrible experiences and witnessed the outcome of my friends' terrible experiences, attending boot fitting/outdoor shops with a good reputation but ending up with the "wrong" member of staff.

I would recommend considering travelling further afield to ensure you end up with a good boot fitter, my recommendations:

Colin @ Solutions 4 Feet, Bicester
SOLE Boot Lab, Chamonix
Ellis Brigham, Covent Garden (but only if you can find their "resident ski-tourer", a french guy with long hair who's name I've unfortunately forgotten)

BTW there are good boot fitters everywhere, but guaranteeing you get one is tough.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

jonboy_21,
They are both excellent......my son has used Surefoot (he is a ski instructor, so comfort is paramount) and my husband used Pro Feet and was equally pleased.

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

Well, I recently wrote about my experiences at ProFeet in a thread here a few days back. I have been to both (although SureFoot was in Oslo), and ProFeet was far and away much better...

After all it is free

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I've used Profeet on a number of occasions and would certainly use them again. If you are given the option, ask for Michelle.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Hi all, thanks for the advice, a friend visited one of the people mentioned above and his boots were really painful, but I've heard good things about Surefoot and profeet.

Given the recommendations for profeet above I'm booked in there for next week... Its also the most convenient being 100m from my flat!

mishmash, yes, I did mean 47 degrees, my mistake!

snow reports

I had my bots fitted by Surefoot in Whistler. Since then have done c.35 days on them. Absolutely delighted with the service & result.

Having found this thread useful when needing new boots at the beginning of last season, thought I would relay my experiences of both shops. First off, visited Surefoot to purchase a new pair of boots for the Mrs. The boot fitter ran through the usual questions regarding ability and measured my wife's feet. My wife also emphasised that although she is a very experienced skier, her number one priority was comfort, as all of her past boots have left the tops of her feet swollen and bruised at the end of the day.

Surefoot recommended the Lange RX80, which was fitted with their custom footbed and foam liner. All-in-all, this has proven to be a very successful fit (bearing in mind her difficult feet). My wife did have a problem with the boots being very tight around her calves, but this was solved with a set of Allen keys and moving the shin buckles back one notch, after our first day on the mountain. They are still a little tight across the top of her foot, but she can now ski all day, with only minor discomfort at the end (which is a huge improvement on her prior boots).

Encouraged by the Mrs' positive experience, I then attempted to purchase a pair of boots from Surefoot for myself. Same shop (Fulham) albeit different boot fitter. Unfortunately my experience was not a positive one. The initial consultation followed the same lines, measurements, questions about ability etc. The boot fitter then produced a pair of Lange RX100s for me to try. A clearly used and very battered pair of secondhand RX100s that is. At this point I protested, questioning the state of the boots. The boot fitter told me these boots were the best boots for my needs, they had only had one day's usage, and after getting me to try them on, advised that with a few minor adjustments, they would be a great fit. Now I'm not saying that I know better than a boot fitter when it comes to the fit of ski boots, but I do know when somebody is taking the p#ss! If these boots had only had one day's usage, then then disgruntled customer who bought them the first time around, had dragged them all the way back from the Alps, on a rope, attached to the tow bar on the back of their car! As an enticement to continue with these boots, Surefoot at this point (and only at this point) offered to sell them to me at new "wholesale" price. Again I protested, requesting a new pair of boots.

Surefoot then offered me a pair of RX130s to try. Now, as I have a Snow & Rock near my office and I occasionally drop in, I knew the RX130 boots being offered were an old model (but at least they were a "new" old model, as opposed to a used old model). Before even trying them on, I asked whether being an old model, they were discounted (as they were everywhere else at the time). First off I was told they were not a prior season's model. After pointing out they were clearly different from the display model (the current season's model), I was then given some fictional story how Surefoot buy their stock on a two year pricing plan, so are unable to discount old stock. In a final attempt to give Surefoot some repeat business, I asked what new, current model, suitable boots they had in my size. Their reply was that the only suitable boots they had in my size were the two pairs they had already shown me. Not wanting to give up on Surefoot, I left my details, asking them to contact me when they had new stock in my size.

After three weeks, Surefoot had not contacted me, so I accepted that they didn't want any (more) of my money and made an appointment with Profeet. What a refreshing change. The consultation was a consultation in the true sense of the word, in that various options were discussed, with the pros and cons being clearly explain, before two different boots were recommended. Of Profeet's recommendations, I went with the Lange RX130LV. Interestingly, not only was this a narrower fit than the Langes Surefoot had suggested, it was also a full size smaller.

I purchased these boots with Profeet's custom foots beds, just prior to my first trip of the 13/14 season. Now although the boots skied very well, I found the fit uncomfortably tight, even after a couple of weeks. I also found the footbed put a lot of pressure under my arch. Two return trips to Profeet were made for boot adjustments and ultimately new (free of charge) custom footbeds. Now, after five weeks skiing in the boots, I am delighted with them, they are still very tight, but not uncomfortably so and offer great control. Profeet's after-sales service really has been of the highest standard.

For those of you I haven't bored to death already... I would conclude in saying, both my wife and I are very pleased with our ski boots. But when they need replacing down the line, we'll both be going to Profeet. When that happens, we'll get our respective back bottoms in to gear and try them out on a dry ski slope before we hit the mountains, as even with the best boot fitter in the world, it's likely minor adjustments will be required.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks for the comprehensive report ! (and welcome to SnowHeads...)

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

Interesting thread bump. Has anyone had experience of Profeet's free boot MOT service?

It is advertised as a free consultation, but I am always wary of what this actually means....

Anyone had an MOT where the answer is "your boots are great, you don't need any more from us, just ski better and you will be fine!"??

A snowHead

Oddly enough I went in to ProFeet just yesterday to take advantage of their free boot MOT! I bought my boots there 5 or 6 years ago and the liners are on their last legs and not holding my feet and ankles too securely anymore. Rather than trying to sell me the latest greatest injection moulded liners they said there's a bit if life left in them, they added some more heel-lift to the shell, added a bit of padding round the ankle etc and everything's now a lot more snug again.

In summary, they are more than good to their word of a free boot MOT, I was very impressed. They didn't try and flog me anything and spent a good half hour working on my boots and liners to extend their life. When the time does come to get new boots/liners, there's only one place I'll go back to!

A snowHead

Profeet are great.

I will be buying my next boots from them.....and I live in Norway!

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

"I purchased these boots with Profeet's custom foots beds, just prior to my first trip of the 13/14 season. Now although the boots skied very well, I found the fit uncomfortably tight, even after a couple of weeks. I also found the footbed put a lot of pressure under my arch. Two return trips to Profeet were made for boot adjustments and ultimately new (free of charge) custom footbeds. "

It's this that puts me off profeet - I have heard it too often. I don't want to waste 2-3 weeks being uncomfortable, thats 1-2 years!

jess

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I cannot recommend Surefoot enough, we always get our boots from them and have never had a problem at all, great fitters and very thorough.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Had very good service from Proofeet some years ago. He even gave me a contact of his mates shop in Whistler if I needed any minor adjustments (which I did), all in all very good service.

Would definitely use them again.

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I like the idea of surefoot, but their prices here in Oslo are insane. For a full fitting, with beds, custom liner and shell, you are looking at around £950

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

I had my first ever ski boot fit at Profeet last year, so I can't compare them to anyone else, but my experience was excellent - here's my blog post about it, if you're interested:
http://www.skipedia.co.uk/2014/11/ski-boot-fit-with-profeet/

* Disclaimer - I received a discount for my boot fit for writing about it

After all it is free

I like the service that Surefoot provides, unfortunately can't say the same about their boots which generally have a nickname "Sorefoot". They do work really well for some people but I definitely wasn't the only customer coming to the shop for tweaks close to tears.

+1 For Profeet - very helpful!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I have had terrible experience with Surefoot. I'm pretty sure i was sold the wrong shells in Whistler. I was back every day for a fortnight getting them blowout and ground down in losts of spots.
Just had the liners remade in London and they are, if anything, worse. I'm in the minority, an instructor recommended surefoot to me. I guess I've been unlucky.
Also, service in Fulham store was dire.
It's my fourth pair of boots so I have a reasonable expectations. Previous experience with Snow and Rock has been much better.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Im wholly against custom insoles. Never did my feet any good and too much money. You are better off buying some off the shelf insoles instead for 1/10 of the price!
Custom insoles just hold your feet in the position that caused your problems anyway so wont work. A good place to buy some proper insoles is nuovahealth, that where I get mine form and they are fantastic!

https://nuovahealth.co.uk/product-category/orthotic-insoles/

snow reports

@nosnowballz, @MattEe, Go to www.solutions4feet.co.uk but be sure to book an appointment for proper fitting of ski boots.

Profeet were fantastic and fitted me the first comfortable pair of boots I've had for years. I have big protruding ankles and had tried two other boot fitters until they did the job.

You know it makes sense.

I too am a happy recipient (twice) of ProFeet's services and would happily recommend. Admittedly they're not cheap but what price comfortable boots on what is usually a fairly expensive holiday. Well worth it in my opinion

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

Up until now I would have recommended Surefoot - I bought custom fitted boots from them a few years ago in Whistler and they have been great. But recent experience with the Surefoot London store has been really poor. Wanted to get a minor adjustment made to my boots - checked opening times on website and headed down on the train from oop north where we live, only to find the store closed when it should have been open. No explanation, just a big closed sign. Response from Surefoot after I contacted them has been dismal ... so am going to try Pro Feet in the future. Not much indication of Surefoot really caring about their customers ! (or at least not this customer)

A snowHead

I have a dreadful experience with Surefoot Fulham. I have high arches, but was assured, despite the boots feeling cramped in the shop, that the numbness would subside. Literally unwearable. And that was just at the cafe for breakfast, even before skiing my foot had gone dead. Took them back to the shop in Verbier to tweak. Not much better. Back in Fulham I went in to have them re-moulded. While I sat there, 2 other people, both with high arches came in with the same complaint. Ruined the first few days of a second holiday by which time I gave up and rented a pair. They wouldn't refund but offered my daughter a pair as a good will gesture (second hand but to be switched out as she grew.. But she has high arches so her feet went numb/agony too. So we gave up.

A snowHead

I bought a pair of boots 4 years ago from snow and rock in Covent Garden.From the first use I had really painful arches .Out of desperation went to Profeet 18 months later and it turned out the salomon boots I had been sold were crushing my arches every time I tightened them up and the top of my right foot was numb for about 3 months .The service advice and fitting from profeet was first class and rather than asking you which boot you want ,they tell you which ones you can have.Have not had any problems since.

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

@archy,

you should have kicked off.
They have miss-sold you a product. Its their liability. If you paid by credit card, then do a section 75

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Update to an earlier post on appalling customer service from the London (Fulham) branch of Surefoot. Was lucky enough to get back to Whistler over the New Year and took my boots into Surefoot there for the minor repairs I had singularly failed to get done in London. Surefoot staff in Whistler absolutely brilliant, friendly, helpful, fixed my boots perfectly in less than an hour, no charge - and managed to do this when they were pretty busy too. I mentioned the bad service I’d experienced in London and the guy serving me said ‘Yep, we hear that a lot from our Brits customers- really sorry’ . Daughter has recently had a really good experience with Profeet in Fulham so maybe the advice is Profeet if buying in London but avoid Fulham Surefoot branch

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Surefoot or Pro Feet

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