Boots similar to my old boots?

A snowHead

I used to ski a lot back in the late 90's / early 2000's and still have my boots from then, they fit perfectly but are knackered. I had a 20 year hiatus from skiing and then started again with the kids a couple of years ago. I have used rental boots since returning and struggle to get boots to work how I want them to without making my feet numb.

My old boots are Lange AC9 ACD Medium fit, the last says 9-9.5 and the sole length is 316mm, there is no mondo point marked on them. I can't find any info on the web.

316mm seems to correspond to mondo 27.5, and I guess medium fit would be a 100mm last?

I am looking to replace them with something similar but more piste orientated (I used them for park predominantly). I'm 80kg and tend towards fast carved turns on stiff short radius skis.

Last year I rented Lange RX 120 in 275 and they seemed a bit sloppy / soft, ended up with them in 270 which behaved more how I wanted them to but my feet were numb after a couple of hours.

I guess that the boots made for rental are probably inferior quality than the retail ones? Would they also be softer and come up bigger due to being used by different feet?

If the above are true then I would imagine that RX 120 or 130 in 27.5, 100mm last should fit the bill ?

I live in rural Dorset and don't want to buy them in resort

Thanks

A snowHead

27.0 is a 27.5 so not sure why they felt different.
The newest model from Lange is the Shadow, a 130 mv would seem to fit the bill but all brands now have a mv model at 100mm in all their lineups.
As usual "go see a bootfitter" is the best advice you'll get....

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

Thanks, I remember when I bought those boots from Snow and Rock and went skiing for a couple of weeks, I came back and both my big toe nails fell off. They had a fit guarantee, and just changed the liners rather than the actual boots and all was well... so I guess they have different liners to make the half sizes?

I don't honestly know, I took a photo of the ones that made my feet numb and they were Lange RX RTL Pro 270, 316, 100

There are sone ex display Lange RX 130, 285, 100 on ebay which is what prompted me to ask the questions... but I suspect they will be too big.

Yes, boot fitter is definitely the way to go, but was thinking of taking a punt on some cheap boots as I will struggle to get to a fitter and always like a bargain!

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The rental boots that felt sloppy may have been 28.0...

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

At the very least measure your feet before buying anything.

A basic guide is here https://www.salomon.com/en-gb/alpine/alpine-advice/how-choose-ski-boots

Rental ski boots are typically going to be a ‘one size fits all’ solution so softer than a performance boot and with a wide last size so they’ll even fit people with wide feet. This often leads to people with narrower feet tightening up the buckles over the feet to compensate which can cut off the blood flow from the vein that runs there leading to numb feet.

The best advice is to see a boot fitter as buying ‘blind’ is unlikely to lead to a good result but at the very least measure your feet so you have some idea what might work.

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Thanks, I was hoping that if I bought newer boots from Lange in exactly the same size then they would fit my feet similarly well to my old boots which fit like old gloves but are knackered and also too soft for the piste skiing that now do.

I vaguely remember that the old Lange boots came up slightly narrower than many of the others available, and they are "medium fit", was wondering if anyone remembered what last measurement Lange boots medium fit of this era corresponded to / if Lange have changed over the years.

My naked feet are L 272mm x 100mm, R 266mm x101mm, but in my experience no two companies measurements ever tally and so thought that using my old boots as a guide would be a better bet.

At some point I will make my way up to Bicester, but in the mean time thought some online discounted boots would be a better bet than rentals that seem to be invariably crap.

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

OK. So definitely nothing larger than a medium last width, typically in the range 99 - 101mm.

The most likely reason your previous boots killed your toenails are that they were probably too large for you so your foot was slipping inside and banging your toes. Not because they were too short.

Things to consider are:

- The Ski boot last width is based on a 26/26.5 ski boot. As the boot gets longer the width size also get wider by around 2mm per step in size.
- The measure you have is typically taken with the foot pronated ( thus flattened). With an arch support or footbed it could be a couple of mm less wide.
- You might think I have a 272mm foot so I need a 275mm ski boot. It's never that easy. The ski boot sizing guidelines are for a relaxed / comfort fit so for someone who likes making fast carved turns on stiff skis it wouldn't be unusual to go a size smaller. i.e. a 26/26.5 boot.

These are all things an experienced boot fitter will sort out for. From what little we know I suspect a 26/26.5 boot is likely to be the right size but I couldn't even start to say which ones would be a good fit. Although if you liked the Langes then that wouldn't be a bad starting point to try on.

Or you could just buy some 27.5s though I suspect they'll be too large and you'll lose your toenails again.

After all it is free

@jmsgld, only 2 things to say here:

1. Go to a good boot fitter
2. Don't go to Snow and Rock.

Personally i'd say take a trip up to Bicester to see @CEM or one of his colleagues, if they have space for an appointment.

Thanks for that explanation olderscot, much appreciated, I have a much better grasp of all at play, and why it is so important to go see a decent fitter. Interesting that boots have grown over the years.

This season we only have 8 days skiing planned, so may just buy a couple of pairs of discounted Lange boots from Sportpursuit and keep the better fitting pair before finding time to get up to CEM.

I am not doing enough skiing atm to need perfect boots but getting something better than rentals would be good.

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This sounds like having had a Ford Cortina and going buying a new Focus expecting it to be similar. Make sure you at least know about shell fit etc before buying.
I'd second CEM, both myself and mrs endo have boots from there, a 4 hour round trip, well worth it.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

I know everyone says go to a bootfitter, and I agree that's the best solution if you ski a lot, are close enough etc. But for some folks that may not be possible for a variety of reasons so, just as some encouragement, I've bought boots for myself, my partner and kids on line as we were in a similar situation to you. I made sure I measured the foot properly, did the instep thing to work out if it was getting into a HV shell territory and did a bit of research on different boot fits, narrow in the cuff etc. They all fit really well and are hugely more comfortable and snug than rental boots.

Again, I'm not saying you don't need a bootfitter. I'm just saying until you do, or you can, you can probably, as you suspect, get a much better fit than rentals at a low cost if you do a bit of research. YMMV, obviously.

snow reports

Fast forward 18m and I still haven't managed to find the time to get up to Bicester (5h round trip), and although I had promised myself to do so this winter, work has been bonkers and it is just not going to be possible before we go to 3v later this month. I would pay a premium for a traveling boot fitter if it were an option.

I can't face another trip in rental boots. I have 3d printed a thing, and taken out old surefeet footbeds. My naked (no socks) feet in footbeds are
R 261, 97 mm,
L 265, 95 mm

Rossi have 50% sale and have "Hi-Speed Elite 130" in a 26.5 x 98mm for £265 delivered, free returns.

I have done a shell check in my old Lange boots and there is good 20mm spare, so presuming that boots have grown as per previous CEM quote, the these should be more than 10mm spare. I can shell check them and return if too small, and if needs be I can find a boot fitter in 3v to alter any tight points but quite honestly I don't think they can be any worse than rentals...and worst case I can try and find some 27.0, though Rossi don't have any in stock.

You know it makes sense.

How about https://www.snowtraxstore.co.uk/pages/boot-lab the other side of Bournemouth, have never had boots from them but have purchased skis and they appear to be of a higher level than S&R. Or how about making an appointment for late after At a good boot specialist in resort?

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

Best thing I ever did was buying boots in resort. Why be opposed to that?

Everyone loves a bargain, but (IMO) there are some things where a bargain is false economy (most of the time).

A snowHead

@jmsgld, there are a lot of presumptions in there!!

Here are a few more:

- your old boots were almost certainly too big, as just about everyone's were unless you were racing and then you had to undo the buckles every run

- there must be a decent shop in the 3Vs? (I have no idea) and a decent sales shop will have decent boots - not sloppy rentals. In Chamonix, f'rinstance you have Concept, Sanglard and Snell, all of whom would sort you out with a decent rental for first couple of days and then fit you nice new boots

- "measuring" your feet is only part of the story. I have very slender ankles for a bloke and normal-ish forefeet. So I need narrow boots at the back. And invariably get them widened at the front

Just cos you had Langes then, doesn't necessarily indicate you want Langes now - and (very) old urban myths that Rossignols were just recoloured Langes, I don't think are or were necessarily true.

A snowHead

This whole thread has me puzzled, TBH. OK I may be slightly influenced by living in a ski resort but to my mind there is no better solution than buying from a physical shop in resort where they can look at your feet, use their experience to suggest the most likely fit and allow you to try on as many different ones as they have, discuss new or reused custom footbeds, then use them for a day or so and come back to have any minor changes done.

I just bought new boots a few weeks ago, did just that including getting one boot adjusted for canting to cater for my different leg shapes (which I've not done on the previous two or three pairs since the difference was there) and I'm happy as Larry now. OK, I managed a slight discount from the shelf price, but that was a Swiss shelf price, so I know I could have got them online for around 2/3 of what I paid.

OTOH I must have taken up about three hours of shop personnelle time, and could still go back for further adjustment if required, so I consider it money well spent.

The idea of trying to get new boots just like your old comfy ones is what drives some people to continue skiing in their old SX92s and straight skis, or like one guy I knew who had bought several pairs of them (I don't recall the specific model) before they stopped making them. Ultimately you're dooming yourself to never being able to improve your skiing, denying yourself the performance and convenience differences that come with modern technology, and still, it seems from this thread, spending a huge amount of time and effort in your ultimately doomed quest.

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

kids

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Thanks, I did consider Snowtrax as take the kids there for the dry slope, but some pretty mixed reviews on bootfitting and they don't have a lot of options in stiff piste boots. I might take the kids this weekend and book an appt. I could even buy the Rossi ones and then just send back if not appropriate.

We have prioritised space over location and are staying in St Martin this year, so would mean driving to Meribel or VT for a boot fitter, I have been towed more than once in Meribel and VT is car free, and with 2 small kids is more hassle than I need. Also if I buy beforehand then I can spend a bit of time in them before going to allow them to bed in a bit before spending 9d straight in them.

But yeah, I appreciate that the correct answer is see a decent bootfitter

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Chaletbeauroc, titter.

My younger brother - who is fit and a good skier, albeit a little dated in his stance - retired 3 years ago and has just done his third month of January with us, trying to ski every day.

Biggest change? Buying new modern boots rather the 20 year old Fischer race boots that were a world of pain (and possibly too stiff).

3 years of 4 weeks consecutive a year helped too.

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Yeah, for sure, if I lived in resort, or was retired and spent a month there, then it would be a no-brainer. However I have a business to run, 2 small kids, and only manage 1 long week skiing per year. It's much easier to find 10-15 minutes here and there to do a little browsing than disappear for a day to see a bootfitter.

Have bought the Rossi boots and booked an appt at Snowtrax, if they don't have anything suitable (which their online stock suggests they won't) then the Rossi boots may fit the bill, if not then I can send them back... Thanks for all the input.

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

Again +1 for a proper boot fitter. My daughter, who is a quick intermediate and learned on dry slopes had a pair of boots my wife bought second hand for her when we weren't sure if her feet were still growing. Daughter was absolutely convinced they were a perfect boot for her: 80 flex Nordic somethings in a 26.5. She only accepted the idea of new boots because I was paying for them (I knew they were far too big and too soft). She got them fitted at Tiso's in Glasgow and got Fischer Vacuum Trinity 110s in a 24.5. Only then did she realise what a properly fitting boot felt like.

After all it is free

@jmsgld, I bought mine from Snowtrax, and they were decent. Certainly worth popping in if you are there anyway.

I'm in Verwood, so not quite rural Dorset, and Snowtrax is only 10/15 mins away, so it made sense for me.

Help!!

Boots similar to my old boots?

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