 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all,
I think my old boots have reached the end of their life. I am looking to get new ones. I have wide and very flat feet and have struggled with fitting boots in the past. I have a few questions.
1 - Is it worth waiting to go to a resort shop to get boots fitted as they probably fit far more than a shop in the UK? Or are there boot fitters in the UK that people would recommend?
2 - Should I wait to pick up boots at the end of this season? Will I get a bargain or will I get left with the remaining limited stock? Or do I go midsummer when its quiet?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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IMHO, if you are going to a resort with known good bootfitters, then there are many positives getting them there. That said, first the negatives: it will cost some ski time, your choices may be limited unless it is a big resort, and you will likely pay retail, or close to it (unless it is end of season, then see the “limited choices” point).
The big positive: you will get boots that fit and you will be sure of it. There is no substitute for skiing in boots to identify hot spots. Walking around a shop or at home won’t do it. At the resort, you can pop back in to the shop and get tweaks done. That is, of course, possible with boots bought elsewhere, but you will be paying for it.
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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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Hi @turboblackbeard,
First off there is a sticky thread in Equipment Reviews/Questions in which this has been discussed several times: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=20110&start=1240
But to save you reading many pages:
1) Resort v UK has pro's and con's and it's down more to personal choice as much as anything. Read above thread for detailed discussion. Recommended UK bootfitters are Glide & Slide or Backcountry UK, Otley, Solutions4Feet Bicester, Profeet London, Ski Exchange Cambridge, Ski Bartlett, Uxbridge. If you provide location or towns you regularly stay at when skiing people can provide further recs if those don't suit.
2) Best time is early Autumn when full stock is in. Yes, you may get lucky, get a bargain late season. A good bootfitter can advise either way. Just call. Depends a little bit how far you have to travel and how much time you have on your hands.
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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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The danger with waiting to the end of the season (particularly this season) is that there will be very limited stock around. If you've got unusually shaped feet, you want to be offered the right boot for your feet, not just what is left in stock.
Whilst i can fully appreciate wanting to save money, getting the right boot is key to your enjoyment. I went to Solutions 4 Feet earlier this year, and unfortunately walked away empty handed as they didn't have a boot with a high enough flex index in stock and wouldn't sell me something that wasn't right. They explained that if the boot flex index was too low, i'd suffer from burning thighs when i skied, which perfectly described what i have historically suffered from and thought was down to lack of fitness.
I ended up going to Lockwoods in Leamington Spa where i was given the same advice about a suitably stiff boot. They had an appropriate pair of boots in stock which were fitted and i bought. I used them for the first time in Val D'Isere last week, a resort that i've skied loads of times. I found that the thigh burn i'd suffered from in my old boots in the past was dramatically improved. Whereas in the past i'd have to stop 2 or 3 times on a steeper run for my thighs to recover, i could now ski the whole run in one go, had much better legs and comfortably skied a lot more miles each day.
The boots i bought were probably £150 more than i really wanted to pay, but i have got way more than £150 worth of extra enjoyment out my skiing in 1 weeks skiing alone.
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@Layne, @ulmerhutte, @NoMapNoCompass, @lower, Thank you for the tips. I thought there would be a post but somehow missed the sticky. I really appreciate your summary 
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Are stores likely to get more stock over the coming months? Or is the current stock likely the best it will be until the new lines come in during the Autumn?
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That's it for this year, barring any bin ends someone finds in a warehouse and offers to dealers.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| NBH wrote: |
| Are stores likely to get more stock over the coming months? Or is the current stock likely the best it will be until the new lines come in during the Autumn? |
this year has been hell on earth tryin to get stock, very little excess production due to covid shut downs and supply chain issues and when it was available it has sat in customs for anything up to 3 weeks
august for the new deliveries except race which are normally may / june (but my fischer race boots turned up last week)
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Was chatting to the guy in my local ski shop the other day and he said that none of the manufacturers are holding any stock in the UK so hard to get anything over here, so looks like there will be limited bargains here in the UK. One option if you want a bargain (and if you are going anyway) is to pop in to a ski shop or two on the continent in the summer. i did this last summer in France and got some new boots at half the price they are still being sold for in the UK this season. The other bonus is its a lot quieter and you are not loosing skiing time, the fitters normally work in the shops all year so no reason to get poor service.
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FAQ
