I bought some X Pro 110s last year from an internet site and saved over a hundred quid versus the UK shop price but the problem of course is getting them heat/moulded to make them fit properly. I did the first time go to a local shop who stuck them on a hot blower and I stood there for 20 minutes parting with 25 quid for the privilege. I was happy because it was still cheaper than paying the rrp but a year later I bought some for the girlfriend and wanted to avoid the same thing. So here is how you do it courtesy of some detailed research and doing it at home myself...
Salomon Custom Shell moulding at Home
You will need:
Your normal ski socks
Fan oven that goes to 100 degrees centigrade accurately, note I would not use a convention or steam oven!!
Pair of work/garden gloves
Large washing up bowl or large tub 20 cm deep
Some cold water
A minute timer
A magazine
If your oven and bowl are big enough to stand both boots in you can do the whole thing in 20-30 mins, if you have to do one at a time it will take just under an hour.
Top Tips:
Read the instructions twice
Remove the shelves from the oven but place a metal grill in the bottom of the oven so the boots can't touch any heating plates
Practise taking the thermal inserts and Customer Fit liners in and out before you do the heating.
Watch this youtube video http://youtube.com/v/uMWA3ELHwHk it is useful to visualise the process but they do forget to tell you one very important thing!
Preparation: 10 mins
1. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees centigrade, no more or less, meanwhile…..
2. Stand both (or one if both won't fit) boots in the large bowl and fill with water until the level just reaches the ends of the clips, put the bowl on the floor near your kitchen worktop and remove the boots and dry them off roughly.
3. Unbuckle the boots and straps
4. Remove the cushioned Customer Fit liners from each boot, it is easiest to put your fingers down the back of the liner and grip the two slots at the back (near the top) pulling upwards and forwards to remove the liner
5. Next remove the thermal insert/base plate sat inside the shoe at the bottom, it's made of a polystyrene and doesn't like heat!!! To get it out put your hand all the way into the boot and using your fingers grip over the end and slide the insert backwards, it will move back and up at the same time. Don't try and pop it out with a screwdriver….it is shaped with grooves to slide back and out automatically. This bit was missing from the video you have just watched so don't forget to do it!
6. Blow/vacuum any dust or muck left in the boots away
Heating: 10 mins
7. Put the boots standing upright in the 100 degree oven, if you can only fit one just repeat the next sections for each boot and set the timer for 10 minutes. The clips should be open. Don't be tempted to shorten the heating time as the Customer Shell will not get hot enough, don't forget you have them in there either but if you leave them for 12 minutes it will be fine!
8. After 10 minutes, remove the boots from the oven wearing the gloves, the plastic may not feel hot but beware as the buckles will burn uncovered fingers!
Moulding: 4 mins
9. Working without delay and still wearing the gloves, push the thermal inserts/base plates back into the boot
10. Next put the Customer Fit liners back in, toe down first then push the heel down into the back off the boot
11. Put your boots on your feet still wearing your gloves, make sure the shin pad is in your preferred position and then clip up the boots but only tighten the clips to the first catch not to where you have them for skiing. The strap should be also fastened but not tight.
12. Set your timer for 4 mins, adopt the sort of stance you would ski a green/easy blue on and read your magazine. This now allows the Customer Shell to mould to your foot shape.
Setting: 6 mins
13. Now stand in the tub of cold water you prepared earlier, carry on reading the magazine for another 6 minutes, this now hardens the Customer Shell into a more permanent shape.
14. After the 6 minutes remove the boots but clip them back up to one clip only and then leave to cool completely. You can take them out of the water to dry if you wish.
I have done this exercise after every four to six weeks of skiing, if they feel very comfortable you don't need to do it but over time the boot will change shape slightly, the moulding puts them back in line with your feet but Salomon do say don't do it every time you ski!
Companies like Snow and Rock will do the first one for free, but you will pay some way over the top for the boot compared to online.
One final point.....in some other posts I saw some people saying they were told to ski first then do the Customer Fit. Ignore this advice, the Solomon boot is supposed to be moulded to your own foot first. Then you don't get the pain in the first place.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Interesting read, and definitely useful to some, if you know the boots that fit you and are happy to give it a go.
However, if any folk are out there looking to buy their first pair of boots please don't do this! You need to be properly measured and fitted to your boot, buying blindly online will and doing this will almost certainly leave you with a badly fitting pair of boots!
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?
Thanks for the proccedure. I did my boots this afternoon. However, I was unable to remove the base plate insoles from my Salomon X Pro boots so I contacted Salomon direct to check if removal was necessary. They gave the following repsonse...
"only the MTN boots requires the insoles to be removed during the customization process, all other range of boots should have the insole base plate inside the boot at all times".
I also verified the melting point of polystyrene as 160C, way above the 80-100C required for molding of this boot.
Agree, The most important part of any fitting, is an experienced boot fitter looking at your bare feet, measuring them accurately and listening to how you ski and thinking ah yes boot X Y & Z are the most likely possibilities for this person.
Which is why you pay a premium for that service over internet supply only.
You might say yourself £100 on the the internet, but that’s only a saving of you’ve guessed lucky and bought boots that fit and are the right stiffness for you.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:
#theinternetcantfitboots
while that is true the sad fact is that a lot of ski shops cant fit boots either...
While the right answer is likely to be - find a ski shop that CAN fit boots. If that is problematic then you can just be as well paying less on line than paying a full price for poor bootfitting.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
while that is true the sad fact is that a lot of ski shops cant fit boots either...
While the right answer is likely to be - find a ski shop that CAN fit boots. If that is problematic then you can just be as well paying less on line than paying a full price for poor bootfitting.
Agreed!
I have trust issues with most "trades"and have found on balance that people put too much faith in so-called specialists. I'm constantly disappointed, which is why I choose to educate myself and do the job I would like to have done. I find I'm less disappointed this way.
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.
Personally I would like to think that all beginners to a ski holiday would not end up wasting their money on self fitting..saving a hundred pounds on bootscould also mean a ruined 1,000 holiday with foot pain..moulding the boot is perhaps manageable by a few but correct boot shape, size,flex,width, skier ability flexibility muscle strength bone structure ankle alignment..oh boy the permutations.. but that is why you pay a competent boot fitter to get the right boot and then fit that to your specific feet.. my last boots were fitted by a specialist who post on here and it was the best investment I have made to maximise my enjoyment of skiing.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:
Personally I would like to think that all beginners to a ski holiday would not end up wasting their money on self fitting.
Nobody is suggesting they should and I seriously doubt those in that situation would. I'm simply pointing out that there are options for those who feel competent and able. As with most things in life, there's more than one way to skin a cat. You pays you money and takes your choice. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. For every good experience, there's a tale of nightmare incompetency. To catagorically state that there is only one true path is nonsense.
To the original poster - Your guidance is very much appreciated.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
i best just shut the shop and go skiing, i will leave a key under the mat and the oven has a switch on the top, timer is next to it... can you turn the lights off when you are done
#theinternetcantfityourboots #supportyourlocalbootfitter
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
