 Poster: A snowHead
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I LOVE my new Daleboot ski boots – Warning long post
I have just returned from my 2nd week in my new custom made, custom fitted Daleboot STs.
A little bit of background – I was born with Club Feet (feet turned in and shortened Achilles tendons) Following a second surgery aged 16 to correct the tendon length I was told by the surgeon that I’d never be able to ski. At the time it didn't really bother me but when I started working and had friends that skied, his comment began to resonate and I wanted to prove him wrong. I have now skied for 21 weeks! 
I will never be able to ski particularly well as I have no forward ankle flexion (can’t get my knee over my toes at all without my heel lifting), I have exceptionally wide feet and a very high instep. However, I have never let competence get in the way of confidence and I can get down most groomed pistes, grinning from ear to ear. In my second year I bought a pair of Salomon rear entry boots and for a while they fitted ok but were at best mildly uncomfortable and at worst excruciatingly painful. The year before last they gave up the ghost and I rented boots (Atomic Livefits) and although I could get them on they were uncomfortable and left my feet numb by the end of each day.
Taking the decision to buy some custom fitted boots, I took recommendations from SnowHeads to visit Colin at Solutions for Feet in Bicester. 5 minutes with Colin and he very quickly identified that he wouldn't be able to help me and the only likely way of getting me into a ski boot would be a custom made ski boot. He referred me to James at Outdoor Traders in Abingdon.
James confirmed that with the combination of the three major problems I have, Daleboots would be the only, albeit expensive, option for a comfortable and properly fitted ski boot. Proving a point to that surgeon still means a lot to me so I went ahead and was fitted for a pair of Daleboot STs. James took all the necessary information and measurements to have a pair of shells custom moulded at the factory. 2 ½ weeks later the shells were in and I returned for fitting. The boots come with Intuition wrap liners so the boots and shells were heated, my feet were padded in all the necessary places and together with some custom footbeds the fitting completed.
After a couple of half day sessions at Hemel they got their first real test at Christmas and again at half term in the 3 Valleys. WOW - what an absolute revelation! Comfortable from the outset and, due to their design, very easy to get on and off. They have really taken my enjoyment of this sport to a whole new level. I am no longer in a rush to get my boots off at the end of the day and could probably happily stay in them all evening. I believe my last week has been my best and most comfortable week skiing ever!
So to anyone with very difficult feet I can’t recommend Daleboots and James at Outdoor Traders enough.
Thank you James (and thank you Colin for referring me).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Mark B, Great to hear that you were able to find some suitable boots for you and that you are now enjoying skiing more than ever. May you have many more weeks of enjoyable skiing! (And if you still have contact details for your surgeon you could send him a short video of you skiing.....  )
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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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How good to hear this story.  I have a friend who had found rented ski boots v uncomfortable on her few trips but she was keen to persevere as her partner is a keen skier. I invited them to visit me two years ago and pointed her at Colin who pointed her at James to get Daleboots fitted.
Their visit was not a huge success as they arrived the day after I'd fractured my pelvis, in heavy snow (one of my fantastic friends drove to Geneva to pick them up on my behalf). She had a private lesson booked on the first day but the snow made things exceptionally difficult. The ski buses - usually reliable - couldn't run and she wasn't able to cope with skiing over the mountain to the lesson. Her partner, a good skier but hopeless navigator, took her up the wrong chairlift and she freaked out on the way up, in almost zero visibility in a blizzard, as she didn't think she'd be able to ski down. The week went on a bit like that (I'd planned to ski with her on the easiest slopes and make only as much progress as she was happy with, but it's not easy in very bad weather when you don't know the place at all).
However, although she didn't ski a lot, she pronounced the boots more comfortable than anything she'd used before.
Last year they couldn't afford a ski holiday as they did a big New Zealand trip.
This year they are coming out to stay with me again, on 10 March. Fingers crossed that this time she can actually enjoy the skiing, thanks to the Dale boots.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Mark B, interesting as a friend has exactly the same situation as you except that his rear entry Salomons have not completely died yet. But they will one day...
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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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@Mark B, great news that you have found your perfect skis boots. I have a Club Foot, and have been sking now for 28 years, thanks to foam liners. I can recommend Atomic Waymakers as a particularly high instep boot.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My husband and I both have Daleboots from Outdoor Traders. Life changing- absolutely fantastic. Cannot imagine skiing in anything else! Can't recommend James and Daleboots highly enough.
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Ditto, while not having the unfortunate fitting issues of the OP I am diabetic and have to have good fitting boots.
I was very happy with Dynafit 3F foam boots that I had used for the last 25 years, and wasn't looking forward to updating them. I visited James at Outdoor Traders in Abingdon and he introduced me to Dale Boots. They are light and very comfortable boots. Together with James' custom boot and footbed fitting I was also cured of a pronation knee pain that I had endured for 10 years.
I'd highly recommend both James and Dale Boots.
Steve
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I absolutely agree. I have Daleboots (the VFF Pro) from James at Outdoor Traders, and I was also sent there by Colin from Solutions4Feet. I have one foot two sizes bigger than the other (yes, really), I have very little ankle flexion, and my knees are windswept (one is bow legged, the other is knock kneed!). The boots for me are more like a prosthetic than a boot! Before the Daleboots, I rented and I always had my left boot too loose and my right boot too tight and was always in pain and blisters, I was constantly falling over and skiing was a disaster. I absolutely love them -- they dramatically improved my skiing, over the past two years I've used them for some six weeks (and have another two weeks lined up this season) and I wouldn't be able to ski properly without them.
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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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@Szymon, I went along to Colin for a fitting a couple of years ago, but after seeing my feet then scratching his head a bit he told me also to nip up to Abingdon to get some real custom boots.
I still haven been yet.
I was quite dissapointed really as I'd got quite worked up about getting some proper boots fitted.
I could not go on that visit as I went by train rather than drive.
Do you know they do the announcements at Biscter station in Chinese?
Anyway what do you think its going to cost me for DaleBoots fitted?
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I don’t remember what I paid back then, but it was worth every penny. I last used them the half term before the pandemic, in Les Arcs, and they were as awesome as ever. Just do it. You invest so much in your skiing, it’s worth spending this bit extra to make it comfortable and fun (like it is for non-deformed people — like I said for me this is almost a prosthetic!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@DrLawn
I'm being pedantic and off-topic I know, but that's not quite it.
There are two stations in Bicester: 'Bicester North' and soi-disant 'Bicester Village' as branded in 2015. (It used to be Bicester Town, but there we are.)
The soi-disant 'Village' station actually adjoins the high-end-branded shopping centre of the same name. Think Gucci etc.
Rich London Chinese often go on day trips to Bicester Village from Marylebone, and then trek back to Marylebone with high-status goods by the armful. They are the ones who get the long announcements in Mandarin welcoming them to their destination, and telling them to cross the bridge and walk down the platform to enter their shopping Nirvana.
Those who arrive at Bicester North with commuters get a short announcement in Mandarin, telling them in effect that as they're at the wrong station, it's a bus/taxi ride to get to shopping Nirvana or a significant walk.
Wearily, I commuted to/from London via Bicester for 8 years and saw it all happen. Probably listened to those announcements a thousand times.
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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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Thank you Szymon,
I'll send them an email.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've just written to James at DaleBoots, the first step is always the hardest.
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FAQ
