 Poster: A snowHead
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Don't get me wrong, I do like my new boots. They're shiny and pretty and don't hurt. The whole bootfitting experience has done the trick in that sense.
However, they are an utter pig to put on. Yesterday at Another World, I needed the assistance of three people to heat and pull them sufficiently to open them enough to get my feet in, and even then I yelped with pain as I had to contort and push my feet to get them in. Once on, they are not painful at all, but still feel especially tight fitting. I assumed yesterday was more of a problem than usual as it was so cold, I've only ever put them on indoors before, but it's never been easy.
Is this something that will gradually get easier as the boots get more use, or is there anything I can do to make it easier to put the boots on? I'm conscious of not wanting to hold my ski buddies up on holiday as I yelp and squeeze and curse trying to get my boots on.
Another thing I've noticed is that my previously warm feet are not warm in these boots. I wondered if this was because they are so tight-fitting there is no longer any air circulation around my feet, or maybe they are just made from less insulated materials.
Snobunni has suggested buying warmer socks, which is one option. Just wondered if there are any others. Again, are the boots likely to get 'warmer' as they pack down and lose their tightness?
Forgive me for asking more boot questions... 
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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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Get thinner socks. If your boots were heat moulded then they will be tight to begin with and will relax with time, but you need thin socks to go with them, then your circulation will be better and your feet should be warmer. Buying thick sock may well have the opposite effect to that which you were anticipating.
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Thanks sarah, Dr John. I do think the problem is more cold than circulation. I can still wiggle my toes (in as far as this is possible in tight boots) although I do get some numbness in my feet and legs due to mild lymphoedema from time to time. I'm careful to keep my boots on loose clip settings to allow for calf swelling which I often suffer from when skiing.
Dr John, my socks are quite thin, I really don't think thicker socks would fit in my boots, they are that tight. But maybe thinner socks with better insulating qualities might help. Snobunni mentioned 'smart wool' socks too, which sound great other than the price tag!
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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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queen bodecia, if you have a better perfoming fit then, unfortunately, the boots will be harder to get on. My boots are absolute pigs to get on, or off, if they're cold.
It's a bit hard to explain, but if the boots are really close fitting then you use your hands to open the lower shell, not the cuff. Angle is also everything.
Personally, I'd recommend lots of practice in a nice warm home.
As Dr John says, thicker socks are not the answer and will probably make things harder / worse rather than better. And as he says, the boots will bed in and you'll need a certain amount of patience / humour whilst they do.
The first thing to try for warmer feet is another layer on your core. Boot heaters are also definitely an option - although they can be quite expensive. I have to use boot heaters because my boots are so cold.
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FlyingStantoni, I was toasty warm everywhere yesterday other than my feet. I'm usually not a nesh person and just wear a thin base layer top under my ski jacket and that's it. Yesterday I wore thermal leggings too thinking it might be colder in the UK than an Italian ski resort in March (I was uncomfortably hot in Courmayeur last March).
My feet have never been cold before, it's something to do with these new boots, either the close-fitting-ness or they simply don't insulate as well as my 15-year-old rear-entry Nordicas did.
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FlyingStantoni,
Very good pont about the angle of entry (this is a double entendre minefield); get a pointy foot into the neck, hold the boots open, then stand on the other leg and drive the foot down and forward. Practice makes if not perfect then, perfectly acceptable.
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queen bodecia, that's what I meant, what FlyingStantoni says about opening the lower shell, hand each side.
Re. the socks, they are a bit pricy but they don't get whiffy at all and you can dry them on a radiator overnight if they were a bit damp so really could get away with very minimal supply 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I can't do it standing up, I'd end up in a heap on the floor, lol!
Yesterday I had to go inside the hut and sit on a wooden bench (which had a nail in it that ripped my new salopettes, grrr!) but I simply wasn't strong enough to hold my boots open wide enough and push my foot in. I needed lots of assistance. Heaven knows what they thought of me! 
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Thanks sarah, I will investigate these smart wool socks. Admittedly my current socks are hiking compression socks rather than skiing socks. They were cheap (6 pairs for £20) from Mountain Warehouse but I have had them a few years and they are a bit bobbley now.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Queen bodecia,
sounds like you have brought some great fitting boots..............they need to be warm to get them on. if you are driving to ski have the boots in the pasenger foot well with the top of the boot facing the air flow and the heaating on full blaste! if not driving have boots near a radiator before putting them on! getting them off is less easy!!! brut force of your or your friends I find is the answer!!!
You can buy heated foot beds that are very good, if expencive the do work and may be a good solution for you!
Smart wool socks are good but don't last long!
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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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I suspect that your sitting position your problem. Sit down to get the boot open and your tootsies in as far as they will go, then you need to stand up in order to get the correct angle to get your heel down and through the boot cuff. Trying to do this sitting down give completely the wrong angle to get your heel down and you're fighting physics, a battle you cannot possibly win. Get your friends to steady you while you stand and drive your heel down yourself. Either way don't sweat it, ski boots are a pig and new ones especially, but you'll get the hang of it, and you only have to go through the palaver once a day.
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You know it makes sense.
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queen bodecia, I saw K2 decent racing socks in TK Maxx yesterday for £5 they were adult socks on the childrens section, didn't get them as I don't need socks. But something like that would probably be an improvement on your current socks.
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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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I recall julesb struggling to get on his new boots at Sunshine, Banff. We sat in the lodge at the bottom of the mountain for nearly an hour one morning, using the handryer in the loos to warm them up. He has no luck with new equipment. On his first day on his first pair of skis, he disappeared of the edge of a piste, skis ending up all over the place. Fortunatley it wasn't a cliff he disappeared down.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Helen Beaumont,
I'm reading your post with the theme tune to Laurel and Hardy running around my head. Not sure why...
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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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queen bodecia, decathlon have some silk socks in at the mo which should be super warm and are very thin, probabaly also nice and slippy to help getting in the boots . . . think they were about £6 a pair so not so expensive, might be worth a try . . .
Bones, the boots were in the pick up bed, which is covered but not heated or insulated like the cab so the boots were very cold, i had the same trouble with my boots, Mr SB had to hold them open whilst i forced my feet in feeling like i was going to break my ankle in the procees.
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Thanks for all the advice folks. If nothing else I'm glad I'm not the only person who finds new boots such a pig. I think snobunni's OH had a quiet chuckle to himself watching us trying to get out of our boots yesterday sprawled around in the snow behind the car.
snobunni, the silk socks in Decathlon sound like a perfect compromise. Might slither down there in the car this afternoon. I'm going to take my salopettes to the dry cleaner/repair place too. My attempts at patching them up might not be sufficient.
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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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queen bodecia, gaffer tape! As we discussed yesterday its all you need in life . . .plus WD40, baler twine, a potato peeler and clean knickers . . . with that lot you can survive the apocolypse so its more then enough to fashion a repair on your salopettes!
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queen bodecia, Clearly if you can get the boot warm the plastic will give a bit and they might be easier to put on. With this in mind it might be worth investing in a boot fryer/warmer to leave in them over night, also if you are driving any distance IIRC it is also possible to get one that can be powered from the cigarette lighter socket in the car. Another thing I notice with my wellies which are also on the tight side of things is that they are harder to get on if I have socks on that are slightly warm/damp from being in other shoes. Changing into your ski socks as close to putting on the boots as possible so you have nice dry feet/socks might also be helpful.
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queen bodecia, I do feel for you reading all this - my boots are new this year, zipfits, footbeds etc all done by the renowned CEM and for the first week of so they were so very difficult to get on, and that was in the privacy of our own place. Took a good ten minutes of sweating and cursing. They are absolutely fine now, but I always put them on warm from the boot warmer thing we have. Even if we are heading off in the car somewhere I put my boots on in the chalet and then I am done. OH used to then have to get his on when cold even after putting in the footwell, but this year he has a new car with socket thingie in the rear so he has bought warmers for the car - not huge expense about £20 on ebay I think - and he now has warmer boots when we arrive somewhere.
I sit down to start off putting my foot in - and then stand up to complete the process. Also put my foot in at a sideways angle and that seems to help. I am not getting cold feet either when skiing in them. I am sure that after a few more attempts they will become easier, but warmth will definitely help.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Megamum, that's a good point. My feet were a bit damp yesterday trying to put the boots on. That won't have helped with the cold problem either.
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Thanks Pamski, going skiing in the car is pretty much limited to UK excursions either to snowdomes or Another World like yesterday. Under normal circumstances I'd be putting my boots on in a locker room in resort somewhere. They're usually pretty cold and sometimes still damp from the day before. Don't really see a way of avoiding this. Most locker rooms aren't heated all that well, nor are there plug sockets to use boot heaters.
Hence my worry. Cold, potentially damp boots every morning could be a bit of a mare.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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OF course you can avoid it. Take the liners out of your boots each evening, and take them up to your room to dry out. Wipe the dampness out of the shell with some tissues, and once all the snow has melted off them, sneak them up to your room so that the shell is nice and warm for the morning. IF they are warm and dry each day, your feet will be too.
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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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Oh, and don't forget to remove the footbeds from the shell, and allow them to dry out too.
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I can't get the liners in or out of the boots. Nor do I really want to carry them about with me after skiing (we normally walk back to the hotel via a few bars, hic!). In fairness, the locker room in Courmayeur had boot heaters last season, but that's a bit of a rarity I think.
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You know it makes sense.
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queen bodecia, you should be able to do so quite easily with a bit of practice. It certainly solves my problem of cold feet. Do it when you get back to the hotel, why would you need to carry them around with you?
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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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queen bodecia, Another thing worth trying is take your ski jacket off before you put your boots on , this allows you to be more flexible whilst standing to insert the foot. I find that this does make a difference when the boots are difficult to put on.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Sorry, didn't make myself very clear. I and my ski buddies tend to use equipment lockers at the lift base station as accommodation is invariably a long walk or even a bus ride away. No one wants to do that in ski boots and carrying skis. These lockers are very convenient, but often not particularly heated (the boot heaters in Courmayeur were the first time I've seen this facility). So the usual routine is to keep après boots in the lockers all day, then switch at the end of the day, walking or bussing back to the hotel via a bar or three. Not really conducive to carrying boot liners about, but if I was strong enough to get the liners out of my boots, it may be worth a try.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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queen bodecia, I would never, ever, leave my boots in a locker overnight. Unless there are heated boot racks available, mine go by the radiator in my room to dry out and stay warm. Cold damp boots will always be a nightmare to put on, and leave you with cold feet all day. I've always apres skied in my boots (is there any other way?  ) and worn them back to wherever I'm staying.
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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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| queen bodecia wrote: |
| Sorry, didn't make myself very clear. I and my ski buddies tend to use equipment lockers at the lift base station as accommodation is invariably a long walk or even a bus ride away. No one wants to do that in ski boots and carrying skis. These lockers are very convenient, but often not particularly heated (the boot heaters in Courmayeur were the first time I've seen this facility). So the usual routine is to keep après boots in the lockers all day, then switch at the end of the day, walking or bussing back to the hotel via a bar or three. Not really conducive to carrying boot liners about, but if I was strong enough to get the liners out of my boots, it may be worth a try. |
You are right, this is not a good situation for your boots being warm and dry in a morning  I think there are some things you can put in them to dry them, they are not powered IIRC, they absorb moisture, see if I can find them, that would be better than nothing. And maybe the heaters too as you could whack them on to full power for a few mins to pre-heat them. Decathlon were selling them off cheap at the end of last season. Keep your eyes open.
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RachelQ, I don't think I could manage a 20 minute walk in ski boots, plus I think most hotels don't allow boots in your room, although some seem to have equipment rooms or garages. In Courmayeur last season, the hotel was a 3km bus ride, plus a gondola and a walk to the main lift area. Definitely not feasible to do all that with equipment. This season my hotel is a 20 minute walk or 5 minute bus ride from the main lifts, so it's a bit better. And it might be feasible to take my boots liners out and stash them in my pockets if I can get the knack of doing so. So far every attempt has not succeeded. It's the same problem as getting my boots on, I'm just not strong enough to open them sufficiently.
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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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queen bodecia, hmmm, I agree, a 20 minute walk is a bit serious in ski boots. We've not had a problem in hotels with boots in our room, we take them off at the entrance and just carry them up - I don't see how they can complain at that? I'm not sure that just taking the liners out but leaving the shells in a cold place overnight is going to work - I think it will be much harder getting the liners back in if the shells are very cold and less pliable.
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queen bodecia, walk in them or leave them?
Is carrying them in a nice cozy -warm- boot bag completely out then?
| queen bodecia wrote: |
However, they are an utter pig to put on. Yesterday at Another World, I needed the assistance of three people to heat and pull them sufficiently to open them enough to get my feet in, and even then I yelped with pain as I had to contort and push my feet to get them in. Once on, they are not painful at all, but still feel especially tight fitting. I assumed yesterday was more of a problem than usual as it was so cold, I've only ever put them on indoors before, but it's never been easy. |
Pull the tongue of the boot out to the side, not straight out.
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I'll just have to see what the facilities are like in resort this season. You never know, I might find heated boot lockers again.
The idea of carrying back to the hotel in the boot bag is not a bad one either, although I'd have to be very careful not to have too many glühweins on the way back and forget them!
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sarah, I think these are what you were referring to. I don't know how good they are, but could well be better than nothing.
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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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Butterfly, that looks useful, thanks. I like the way it says it's good for drying motorcycle leathers too!
Has anyone used these things?
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Cat litter in an old pair of tights will do the same job.
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FAQ
Or silk socks? Maybe they slide better?
If you are certain that it is definitely cold then the Thermics/Hotronics heaters help.
If you put cold boots on your feet will be cold all day, warm boots on feet stay warm. 