 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all, first post on here so be gentle with me. I have lurked around for a while but now need your advice, but let me give you some history first, please bare with me I will get to the point at the end, honest!
I have skied 2 weeks on a mountain (1 week Tignes, 1 week St Anton) and been to the chill factore a few times and feel quite confident about getting down most reds and some blacks. I have always rented my boots and really struggled with them, lasting an hour if I'm lucky before having to take them off for a breather before carrying on.
With this years trip looming I thought I'd buy some boots to hopefully let me ski for a full day in relative comfort (I know there will always be a little bit of discomfort but I'm sure the pain I've been in the past is just too much). So having researched my symptoms on here and other sites I deduced my problem to be volume (wide, not narrow feet) so I purchased a pair of head edge 10.5 boots off ebay which are supposed to be high volume boots, and hoped for the best. After 30 mins at chill factore the same pain returned so I paid a visit to Ellis Brigham and the lad there confirmed my thoughts that I have wide feet and it is pressure on the side of my foot that is the cause. He said he will blow them out and also adjust the liner to fit as well, all for £10, bonus!
So after a week at Ellis Brigham I picked my boots up and straight to the chill factore for a try out. No joy still pain and not a happy bunny, not completely sure that anything was done at EB, the liner that was supposed to be split and widened didn't have any hints of work on them.
ANYWAY to the main point of my post. I've decided to stop faffing about and get my feet measured properly by someone who knows what they are doing and either adjust my boots properly or buy some new ones. I'm not adverse to buying new boots at all, its all about the comfort at this stage.
Here is my problem, I am in Manchester and realise that a boot fitting may take a couple of trips. I would like to have my boots sorted before I go away (feb29) so was wondering if there was anyone nearer than CEM to me that is any good or do I just take the few trips needed down to CEM and get it sorted properly.
Before you all answer that one there is another option, I am going to Charmonix this year, so option 2 is wait till I'm in resort and see SMALLZOOKEEPER and have the oppertunity to use his skills through my week there to tweak my boots straight off the piste as I'm sure the feedback I can give him will be more relavent after wearing the boots for a morning??
Decisions decisions, can anyone help or just friendly advice is appreciated.
Thanks in advance and sorry for whittering on.
Mooncat.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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boredsurfin 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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CEM, thanks for the swift reply.
That was my initial thought, thanks for the confirmation, will send a PM now, hopefully can get a slot to see SMALLZOOKEEPER,
Cheers.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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CEM
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm ankle flexion,Seems familiar.
Thanks for the advice and fitting this morning.it was well worth the drive.Will let you know how i go on next week.
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Just back from my week in Chamonix and thought it only right to report on my visit to foot-works for my fitting and eventual new boots.
After swapping a couple of PMs on here with Steve (SZK) and booking a fitting with him I was a little aprehensive when I found out a couple of days before leaving for Cham that SZK was on an extended holiday from work at the moment and wouldn't be around for my fitting. I rang Foot-works to confirm that my booking would still be taking place and hoped for the best.
Well when I arrived I was greeted By Seb and shown to the benches I had seen on the website and told to make myself comfy and was offered a beer, it's always a little strange seeing places in the flesh you have already seen in pictures. After looking at the width of my feet and the severe lack of flection in my ankles Seb explained that my choice in a new boot would be very limited. I had already suspected this to be the case and was prepared for this news.
Anyway after 2 hours plus of attention and fitting of new footbeds, heel lifts to compensate slightly for the lack of flection and streching of new Head Edge 11's I was handed my new ski boots. Now as anyone who has had pain and ridiculous discomfort in their ski boots will understand I was preparing myself for the worst but hoping for the best the next day when my boots were to be tried out for the first time. To say that the new boots were a revelation is an understatement. I have never experienced what (relative) pain free skiing was like until then and it was a wonderful experience. Because of the lack of pain I felt I was much more able to push myself onto my edges and perform better than I thought possible.
If there is anyone out there still having trouble with their boots and are going to be anywhere near Chamonix in the future I wouldn't hesitate to tell them to stop everything they are doing and get themselves to Foot-works and let Seb or Angus (NZK, who was also around at the time and offering his opinion on how best to help me in my comfort quest) do their thing, you won't be dissapointed.
My only regret is that I didn't find the time to go back to the shop and thank the lads personally for making my ski experience such a better one (too busy on the piste or on the beer, I'm sure they understand).
p.s. If Seb does get a chance to read this, I hope his American customer who "Was a guy" and insisted he knew exactly how he wanted his boots adjusting and didn't need him to investigate further, had a really big blister all week for not letting Seb just try to help him get to the root of his problem.
Thanks again Guys and like I have said you made one, and I'm sure many many more, of your customers very happy this week and for weeks to come!!!
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I would definitely advise getting your boots sorted in resort as you will only replicate the forces on your feet through skiing, through skiing. I learned the hard way. 
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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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