Boot fit issue. I know it's critical, but how critical?

A snowHead

Hi all.

I'm a low-intermediate skier, until this year I've been using rentals.

A few months ago I was went to a store to pick boots for the first time, and I guess the guy who took my measurements made a mistake, and fit me as a size 9(US), which corresponds to a Mondo of 27. That's my street shoe size (though I should probably be much less than that because I like having "wiggle room" for my toes at the end of my running shoes). I didn't end up buying then (they didn't have what I wanted in stock), and eventually I came across a great deal online on last year's Salomon Performa 6, which I ended up ordering in size 27.

I stopped by at the store today to look at skis again, and decided to have myself measured for boots again just in case. This time I came at much lower, prompting the guy to suggest size 26. I tried on a Dalbello 26.5 and some Salomon freeride at 26. Both fit fairly snuggly. However, I was still able to lift my heel a little, and I was still able to wiggle my toes into a curl.

Now, I know that boot fit is critical, but I'm not sure at my level how critical it is. I can try returning the 27s I bought (thought I would have to ship them which is costly), I can try returning and getting 26 instead (they dont have 26.5), or I can just stuck with them and maybe find if I can put something at the end to improve the squeeze.

Until now I've been using rentals for street size 10US (not sure why, probably because when I started out I didn't know how to get into a boot properly), so even a 27 (for 9US is a step in the right direction).

So how much problem is it really? (beyond the boot fit mantra). Am I risking myself? (that's my main issue, rather than performance. If I risk breaking something, I'm better off spending extra money). I have to say that I don't find the Salomon's particularly comfortable (they press on different location) but that could be something about the model. I have not tried Salomons before.

A snowHead

i'd say return the boots and go and see a decent bootfitter. They'll tell you whether you need a narrow or a wide fitting boot as well. A salomon performa is pretty much standard rental issue so you may want to step up to a slightly better boot. Also the performa fits very wide and dalbellos in general will fit much narrower, especially in the heel. I wear a size 10 (US) street shoe and a 26 ski boot. and this boot fits with no custom work at all. I think I could size down to a 25 but it would need a little bit of work. Bottom Line, Go see a certified bootfitter. I think there is a US association which would be a good place to look first. Boot fit is crucial sometimes you have to pay a higher price for the right equipment.

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

You're size 10US and you're using a size 26 boots? That would correspond to an 8 street size. I'm surprised there is such a variance in fits.

I'm relatively a low-intermediate, mostly doing blues and some blacks here in Western PA (not real mountains). The rental equipment I've looks much worse than the performa. Nondescript gray blobs in a horrible state.
I'd rather improve my technique before I invest in high-end boots...

Considering that I've gone with a 28 boot in the past, how much trouble is the 27 going to be ?

I am only worried about safety, not performance.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

uricmu, the only thing to do is go seea good fitter, there is a list over on epic ski which should have a good guy near you, the liners in most ski boots are made short for the boot so they don't crush when being shipped, this normally ends up in people ending up in a boot too big. take the liner out the 27 and place your foot in the shell with your toes lightly brushing the front, for your level of skiing i would want to see between 12-22mm behind youe heel, any less than 12 and you are in a high performance fit any more than 20-22mm than you have got a bucket... so what is the effect, well other than possibly ruining your skiing experience they will not last as long as the liner will pack down very quickly and your ankle could move in the boot which could lead to injury

in short, it sounds like they may be too big check and see, then trust a good boot fitter

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Personally I think you'll know yourself when your boots are bad. As my skiing has progressed I've gone down with bootsize - I know for myself when my boots aren't keeping up with me. I've gone from a size 8 boot to a size 5 (I'm a size 6 shoe, feel my pain!)

For example last year I was in a pair of boots I bought 2 seasons ago tight, but I'd lost a lot of weight and my skiing had gone up a notch or two - after 2/3 days I realised that my skis weren't as responsive as I needed them to be on that terrain (what I mean is I was turning my foot and because the boot was big it was taking a split second to respnd and also I was curling the balls of my feet to try and grip throwing my stance backwards) - if I'd been cruising they'd have been no problem.

But as far as confidence & learning goes I think you'll be far better off in a boot which doesn't make you weep with pain. And lost toenails are never pretty in sandals. rolling eyes

You'll need to Register first of course.

Thanks for all the feedback.

Like I said, since this is my first set I'm planning to use them for not much more than a season since I hope to progress to something beyond beginner-low intermediate boots anyway (the performa 6 are supposed to be at the bottom rung). That's why I tried to go for a cheap option, and I guess I made a mistake not making the original boot fitter check his measurements (not sure how he got it wrong by so much with the device that measures your legs). I figured that anything beyond the skill-neutral gender-neutral generic boots at our local resort (whcih I was using at size 28 and were probably stretched by half the city) would be good. I guess I'll try and see if I can swap for a pair of 26 salomon, though it's possible that the salomons are bad for me.

Any idea why I was able to curl my toes even in the 26?

The boots don't really hurt, at least not in terms of the length (the top part is uncomfortable but that may be better once I'm actually standing on a slope). I've also been getting the same level of movement in a pair of 26 which makes me thing there's just something weird about my legs.

Is there really a risk of injury over such a difference in boot size? I understand the mechanics of the injury but it seems to me like that would require a much bigger length difference? I used the 28s and never felt like my foot was moving that much.

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

uricmu, its all about the volume of the foot in respect to the boot

I could wear a boot 5 sizes to big if there was a low enough volume in the boot i would be held...with the correct length and nthe wrong volume my foot would be swimming

After all it is free

You ask about the safety. So here's my thought. The way the bindings work is assuming your feel is secure inside the boot. So it releases when the boots were twisted a certain way that corresponding to your legs twisted the bad way to a pre-determined degree.

But with your feet "swimming" inside the boot, it might confuses the binding into NOT releasing even when it should...

Ok, I'll return the 27s and see if they can ship me something smaller (the 26 is the smallest they have right now).

They also have the performa 8 at 25.5 but the performa 8 may be too stiff for my abilities (low intermediate).

I've also not been able to find much at 25 for men and not much at 25.5 actually.

Also, since I kept bothering the same guy at our local ski store so much (even though I have the boots from elsewhere), I ended up buying my first pair of skis there: an Elan Flow 6.2 at size 160 (I'm 171cm). Can't wait to try them out.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

You seem to be missing part of the point, dude. The fitting is *much* more than just overall stated "size". There are many different shapes of feet, and many different shapes of boot. I would never buy a boot that hadn't been fitted for me as even within brands there is considerable variation in the shape of individual models, and you need something to fit your foot. You can still get a low end boot, but get one that has been fitted to your foot.

Even with a boot that fits well, it's likely that you'll need to go back to the shop for modifications as you find pressure points etc. Most shops will do this for free if you get your boots from them, another reason I'd never buy boots online (even if i knew the exact model I needed)

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

uricmu, CEM gives good advice.
If you go to EpicSki to look for a bootfitter, PM Philpug. He's in the Philly area and knows a lot of the people in the industry.
Heck, you can pm him here, he's FlexonPhil, on Snowheads, but rarely checks in here.

snow reports

Guys, I understand that and why a perfect fit would be great.

But consider the specifics of the situation: I'm on a very tight budget, I'm going the next step from crappy unisex rentals, I only started doing blue and black trais in my last few sessoins (and that's PA trails, on a real mountain walking to your car would be more challenging), my turns are not parallel by any geometric definition. And after all, what I bought are "Performa 6" which have a flex of 65 and are probably as beginner as they are.

My goal for this year is to become comfortable enough on all trails so that I can assess my ability and where I want to progress, and buy an actual intermediate gear at the end of the year. I will probably scrap/sell these.

Wouldn't I get significant performance shift from using brand boots in 26 rather than generic unisex 28? Wouldn't the difference from a custom fit (that would probably cost a fortune in addition to buying new skis) be marginal compared to that?

Trust me, before I go for a real mountain I will go and get "real" boots. In my situation owning my own equipment is barely really economical anyway.

Should I really go into all those troubles at my level in the game?
I would assume many of you got to a much better level than mine on baseline rentals.

the wrong brand boots in 26 could be worse then generic unisex 28. A good bootfitter will put you in the right boot for your foot shape, your current skills & your desire to improve.

That doesn't have to be an expensive custom fit, a good boot fitter will find the right off the shelf for you, and also should tweak it for you if needed.

Honestly, take the advice, get a full refund on those boots, find a recommended fitter in the area, and they should work within your budget.

regards,

Greg

Help!!

Boot fit issue. I know it's critical, but how critical?

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