 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm doing the season in 3V this winter, and although all I've done in the past is snowboarding - i'd like to try skiing.
I'd like to get my own boots, but I'll probably hire skis until I get more experience. If I can get a good pair of last years boots in the sale, then that would be excellent. For some reason if it's got a discount I can get it past my conscience a lot easier!
Soooo - does anyone have any recommendations on the best places in London to get fitted? Preferably someone that would have good stocks of last years kit...
What about places to avoid? Are the high-street chains (ellis brigham, snow and rock, etc.) any good at fitting?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You're probably better off finding somewhere in resort - more choice, more competition - and they're close at hand if you need some tweaking.
I'd suggest Freeride in Meribel:
http://www.freeride.fr/
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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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Won't they be more expensive than in the UK?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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In resort probably more Euro though you might get a seasonnaire's discount. In UK cheap sale and good bootfitting tend not to be words found together - you generally get one or the other. FWIW I saw edge to edge had some of their ex hire boots for sale but they're out at Gatwick.
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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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Chamonix ... and cheaper in the long run too 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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d.brophy, With a clear conscience borrow someone's boots who isn't using them at the time 
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d.brophy, your best place "in London" is actually a train ride away in Bicester - by visiting CEM at Solutions 4 Feet.
As fatbob says, "good" and "cheap" unfortunately don't work very well together. And, whilst not more expensive than anyone else, CEM does things properly and that usually isn't what most people would regard as cheap.
Both Ellis Brigham and Snow & Rock can be hit and miss - you might get a person who knows about boot fitting and, there again, you might not.
Profeet are an option. But again they're not cheap and reviews are mixed.
If you take the attitude that cheap and cheerful will do then a trip to Decathlon might be worth a go - it's 5 minutes walk from Canada Water tube station (on the Jubilee Line).
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Freeride have a good rep - people mark them out as being one of the best, if not the best fitter in the 3v. Only sale stuff on their website, though so it isn't clear what you will pay come Dec. I would guess something in the 300 Euro range, plus footbeds.
Profeet are not offering anything that CEM doesn't. I have had good experiences with them but they are not cheap. Were I to buy in the UK again and not off the internet then I would be going to see him.
Regarding the cheap route - I saved 200 quid this year buying sale boots online (2 pairs). This is a respectable saving but I will still have to get footbeds for one of them, get someone to cook the liner on one pair (others are getting my foam liner) and get a pair of punches done. Probably 100 quids worth of work or thereabouts. Point is that even by being an utter cheapskate you are unlikely to save that much on something that is critical to your skiing.
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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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d.brophy, if you have bog standard feet you might well find you get a "good enough" fit out of the box - quite a lot of people do. If you're a beginner skier, and just wanting to give it a go, then having the best possible fit is not absolutely essential. I realise this is Snowheads heresy, and I have boots beautifully fitted by CEM myself, but I have horrible feet and I ski a lot. Plenty of people manage fine for their first weeks skiing by using hired boots, after all. But it would be sensible to try somewhere with someone to advise you - or you will probably end up with boots too big for you. If they aren't a really snug fit to start with they'll soon be slopping about. Try them with the thinnest socks you can get hold of, too.
Alternatively you could hire boots in resort to start with - after all, you might hate skiing. 
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d.brophy, I largely agree with pam w that you don't need (and probably won't appreciate) the completely dialled in fit that you'd get from a really well fitted set of ski boots. You also probably won't want the inconvenience that comes with really dialled in boots as it's seldom a single shot process.
I have the reverse problem to you - I'm looking to buy some snowboard boots this season. In my mind, if I can buy something at the cost of a couple of weeks rental that fit me better than rentals then I'll be ahead.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| FlyingStantoni wrote: |
| I'm looking to buy some snowboard boots this season. |
Have you retired from Alpine?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Have you retired from Alpine? |
I've learnt everything there is to learn in skiing* my friend and, as I've become such a skiing god, I thought I'd show the boarder dudes how it's done!
* This may not be entirely accurate. Alternatively, a friend has left his snowboard semi-permanently at our apartment and I thought it would be a good craic to have a go at Christmas when thing are a bit too manic on the slopes for my delicate disposition!
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FlyingStantoni,  Best of luck. In my little foray in to the darkside I rather enjoyed it.
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You know it makes sense.
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I need to hit S&R, work out which boots fit and order some from the BASI offer.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Have nothing but good things to say about my Profeet fitted boots. Have wide feet with a high arch, narrow ankles and big calves  and they got me in a pair 0.5 DIN smaller than I'd previously been skiing for 15 years and I've never been more comfortable. Not cheap, but well worth it for close-fitting, stiff boots that don't leave you in agony and undoing your clips on every lift!
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Poster: A snowHead
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I've used Profeet in the past, and I've used CEM too at Solutions4feet.
Both are good, but CEM would be my first choice (just).
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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oz5000, 0.5 DIN smaller?
It seems that every time I now buy boots they get smaller and smaller. My first boots were 28.5 and my current alpine boots are 26.5. My telemark boots are 26.0.
That's nothing, when I was a lad that chopped our toes off and...
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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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FlyingStantoni, Sorry, Mondo of course. Was a long weekend... Yeah, I'm a UK 8 but I went from 27 to 26.5. Think it's probably the footbed stopping my feet from splaying out as much rather than my becoming the incredible shrinking footed man.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If you're going on holiday it's always best to buy in the UK as if you do the sensible thing and purchase well in advance of you're holidays and bed them in at home (and not on your holiday, where you may experience discomfort) you can get any necessary adjustments made because you have a point of reference. You can cut corners and maybe find a cheaper pair abroad but you'll generally get upsized as a new liner will hold your foot for a week or so before you leave for home after which on subsequent holidays it'll turn into a bucket; then where do you go, as you can't shrink hugely oversized boots! However, if you're gonna live overthere either visit a true expert in the UK such as Julian Thorpe at EB (built like a haystack but a good egg!) or Colin Martin (don't know the guy but wrote a column in Fall Line with Jules on new kit and is well respected). Visiting these guys results in less chance of numerous refits, although even the best will have their work cut out on occasions with problem feet, but buy now and you'll have enough time to sort out the most horrible plates of meat!), or buy with confidence in France as you'll be able to pester the poo-poo out of the shop you bought your boots from for a full five months (not a week!!!) if they don't fit right as you'll have the all important point of reference.
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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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millsy13, Colin Martin is CEM... mentioned a few times above already.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If you really want to stay in London, profeet are very good and were excellent at sorting out the OH's horrible feet. I got mine from Ellis Brigham and they're fine - I even went to profeet some years later wanting to buy a new pair and they said mine were fine although the footbeds had collapsed so they just did new ones.
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