 Poster: A snowHead
|
A lady who has just moved in to the area came to visit yesterday, and before long the conversation turned to skiing (could have been something to do with the ski boots languishing under my coat rack!). She is recently retired and widowed, but used to ski with her husband in the 80s, before he became ill. I suggested she might like to take it up again as there's quite a group of us round here who might well go away together as a party next year. We suggested a trip to Xscape for starters to let her find out if she feels physically up for it again, but she's concerned that she might be unable to use hire boots now, because her feet/ankles are starting to get a bit mis-shapen with arthritic changes and she has pronounced bunions. She's not mentioned having had her own boots in the past, but I assume she did. She recalls her husband being taken down into a boot-fitter's cellar, somewhere abroad, to what sounded like a torture chamber where he had inner boots made to measure - sounded like an unpleasant experience as she said they poured hot wax into the moulds he was standing it, and he had to stand in a BZK position for 20 mins while it set, after which he managed to just about crawl back up the stairs!
The qu then is what is done nowadays to help fit someone with dodgy-shaped ankles & bunions & are today's hire boots likely to be so painful she would not cope with them sufficiently well to discover if she could still ski comfortably enough? 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
NewSkier, it's the same procedure today, only difference is that you have to pay a lot more money for the privilege.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
NewSkier,
| Quote: |
| The qu then is what is done nowadays to help fit someone with dodgy-shaped ankles & bunions |
Stretching of the Boot Shell, heating the liners, to allow for the Foot abnormalities, another alternative is Liner replacement for something like Foam or Zip-fit, together with stretching/grinding of the Boot.
| Quote: |
| are today's hire boots likely to be so painful she would not cope with them sufficiently well to discover if she could still ski comfortably enough? Puzzled |
Hire Ski Boots, are very tolerant of foot abnormalities, as they are normally beginner/intermediate boots, built for comfort, so lots of padding and lacking a close precise fit. The only way to find out if hire boots fit is to try a few pairs on, failing that it's off to the boot fitter for some new ones. A big investment if she doesn't want to take up skiing again though.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
NewSkier, she's a lucky lady, having found such a friendly neighbour already! I have quite a bad bunion, and arthriticy toes (though not ankles) but it's never been a problem with ski boots (it's much harder finding ordinary shoes than finding ski boots). The fitters just look at my foot and go off and find the right boots. As for arthritic ankles, they would be well supported in ski boots, and if she had any particularly lumpy bits which tended to rub, the shop could probably accommodate that by pushing the shells a bit (I had this done in France, for my brother in law, whose ankle bone was rubbing and it did the trick. When mine started rubbing, if I had to skate on the flat, my local ski shop said it was because my boots were too loose and sold me new ones - which solved the problem immediately!). Maybe she could join you on one of your X scape trips and go and play in one of the shops there for a while, and see how she gets on. Or, of course, she may hate the idea of skiing and be using her sore feet as an excuse so as not to hurt your feelings! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Spyderman wrote: |
| ........... failing that it's off to the boot fitter for some new ones. A big investment if she doesn't want to take up skiing again though. |
Obviously she's not going to invest in boots until she knows she that she will take it up again, but I wanted to be armed with enough info to reassure her that her feet COULD be fitted ok if she did. I just hope hire boots wouldn't be so bad a fit that it made her think it was impossible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
pam w, thanks, that is reassuring. She said she did fancy another trip, for the group holiday experience more than anything!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ