Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

New boots - how tight should they be?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hello All

Quick boot question... [apologies if this gets asked 100's of times from new skiers and really pees off you experienced bods!]

I bought some boots today from Ellis Brigham. They are my first pair of boots and i was measured and fitted by the sales assistant. At the time i mentioned that they felt tight, but the assistant told me that this was fine as new boots become a bit looser as the inside starts to wear to your foot. I had them moulded and left the shop over the moon with my first pair of ski boots and looking forward to a trip to the snow dome to try them out.

When i got them home i tried them on again and they seemed really tight around my foot, but especially at the toe. When i flex forward i can just about move my toes which is what the assistant told me was right. I understand that the boots will give a little as i wear them in and trust the assistants opinion over my own.

However, what has started to worry me is that the box and boots are marked Womens US 7.5, EUR 38.5. By my reckoning (and with the help of the net) this equates to a Womans UK size 5.5. In shoes and trainers i am a UK womens 7 or even a 7.5 but these new boots are approx 2 sizes smaller than my usual shoes. Is this normal or have i been fitted with the wrong size boot? Is it normal to be measured and fitted with a boot that is a couple of sizes smaller than your normal shoe?

Any help much appreciated. Thanks people.
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
That's the fault of Lange. It's the sticker not the boot, the boot will be one siz smaller than your normal shoe size and therefore 12mm longer than you need. Presevire, it sounds, this time as if the high street heros might have gotten it right. Little Angel
snow conditions
 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?
magic_hat, Yup - SZK gives some good boot advice. My boots are comfy as hell when skiing (when my shins are pressuring the fronts), but stand upright and my toes just touch the ends - not the best feeling for walking about hehehe. They did feel a lot tighter until I'd skied in them a few times and the liner bedded in. Make sure that you only tighten the buckles to a secure 'click' around the toe box. Oh - and have fun snowHead
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Thanks both for the comments.

Yes, SZK, the boots are Lange.

What threw me was that the box and boots are both marked 7.5 so when they felt tight i just thought "but they're a 7 and a half so they must be right". Then at home when i realised that was a US size, i got a bit worried that maybe the sales assistant had made the same mistake and given me boots that were only a UK 5.5!!

I shall try them again tonight - maybe wear them around the house a bit!
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
magic_hat, If you are wearing your boots around the house, then it's useful to adopt a skiing stance, ie: relax the knees so that the shin rests against the cuff. They will be really uncomfortable to stand upright in wink
snow report
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
magic_hat, if you can get your feet into the boots then you're more than halfway there snowHead

The ideal fit is tight, as the boot liners will "pack out" as you ski in them. If you have any real problems after your first trip then there are loads of tricks that bootfitters can use to get the fit right. However nearly all these tricks involve making the shell of the boot a little bigger, as such you are better (belive it or not) having a boot that's a little too small rather than a little too big.
latest report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks again for the replies.

Obviously i want the boots to be "perfect" and last me many many years! I got a bit worried that maybe i had the wrong size. It seems odd to have size 7.5 feet and have a ski boot that is two sizes smaller!

I'll wear them in a bit and have a trip or two to the ski dome. If they are still a bit tight, i'll take the advice above and pay a visit back to the supplier. I'm not skiing again til next season, so i have plenty of time to get it right!
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
magic_hat, By all means wear them in around the house, but if you are in any way uncertain, call back to the retailer and ask them to measure your feet again, before you ski in them.
ski holidays
 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.
magic_hat, I am usually a 9 or 9.5, but have a pair of climbing shoes in 7 and a quarter. Now that is tight Madeye-Smiley
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
My son is in Lange comp 70, he's UK size 7 1/2, about to grow so they are a bit too big, the sole length is 317 and this equates to a 27 in mondo point. The next size down is 308 I think, and another of our kids at club is just growing out of these, he's a size 8 1/2 trainer.

My son's boots were stickered 10.5, but the inners are labelled 9.5. I would have thought you would be looking at a sole length of around 308 for your foot size if they are the blue Lange Comp 70. Totally confusing, but if you really think they are too small then take them back for a 2nd opinion.
snow conditions
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Wear the thinnest socks you have whilst you bed them in at home. Thick socks might overpack the liners. My boots were tight until I had skied in them for 1 day, now the left one is still ok 'cos that foot is bigger but the on right I have to buckle up quite tight. When buying, the best advice I got was to look for the equivalent of a "handshake" between boot and foot. When I do buy boots again I will probably buy them tighter.

The only area you should be concerned about is pressure points, luckily I have none.
ski holidays
 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.
magic_hat relying solely on manufacturer sizing to decide whether a boot is the "right size" is pretty much a big waste of time.

1) Ski boot sizing is like fashion sizing - i.e. there is no standardised sizing system. You'll find that for proper fit you need to wear a smaller "size" in some brands, while you may need a larger size in other brands.

2) Not only that, but the type of "last" (shape of foot) that a particular manufacture prefers to base it's range on varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. e.g Salomons have typically been built on a more generous last.

Moral of the story - stop worrying about the manufacturer's sizing. If the boot fits, wear it!
snow conditions
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Manda, Salomon have 7 last shapes, varing from 106mm to 95mm. Never omit a brand as it didn't work for you. Little Angel
latest report



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy