 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
Yesterday i had a bootfitting. Helpful guy, who seemed to know what he was doing, although i was surprised not to get a shell check without the liners and a couple other things. Shop has a good reputation, and has been praised on here. In general (bought a few other things) the place was great.
He put me in a pair of Head S10s. Compared to the other boots i tried they seemed a lot stiffer and more responsive snugger fit. And they were a good deal as had been sat in the shop for a while. He heatmoulded the liner and i had a custom footbed done. I had them on for a long while in the shop and they felt great.
I went to the dry ski slope that evening and was in a lot of pain. While i was actually skiing the boots were great, but when i stopped/was on lift it hurt like hell. When i took the boots off after 1.5 hours, my little toes on both feet and the area about 5cm and 1cm inwards from the little toe, along outside of foot was 100% numb and unmovable. The instep on my right foot in particular hurt a lot too. Also a bit of pain on the balls of ankles.
No worries thought I, thats why i tried them. Went back over to the shop. The fitter stretched the shells a bit to try and fix the pain on outside of front of feet, and put a pad at the heel of the right foot to raise it to stop instep pain. I was sat around for two hours, and he was with me about ten minutes, then disappeared for the day, leaving me with a confused boarder, nice guy but said himself knew nothing about bootfitting.
Long story short - what he did helped a bit but still don't feel happy when just wearing them at home. Had them on at home for about ten minutes just now, took them off and still hurt quite a lot.
While i understand i have bought a high performance boot, and new boots should be tight fitting, this pain seems a bit too much.
Should I try them out again on the dry slope, then take them back again and try and get them to change them again, or will the pain dissappear after a bit like the guy says? I really don't have much more time to spend on this before i go skiing on Tuesday.
Do these Head S10s take a while to bed in, or have i been put in the wrong boot....?
Thanks in advance
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can't help on those specific boots but the advice I got with my new boots bought at the weekend (Atomic Hawx100) was to ski them 10 to 15 hours to bed them in before going back to get any discomfort sorted, they said it takes that long for everything to settle down properly and changes before then might need changing back (if that is possible!) later on.
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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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I'd have gone for a refund on principle - waiting around for 2 hours to get 10 mins of attention, and leaving the job not finished isn't ok with me.
They don't sound much like a well fitted boot - much more like you were the first willing punter they thought they could offload the boots that had been "sat in the shop a while".
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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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Yeah i was pretty pissed off about that, but he did spend a good amount of time with me yesterday. I have a lot to do in the next week and can't really spend another three hours getting to a dry ski slope, or four hours getting to the shop again, especially since i don't have a car and cabs/trains are costing me. Its kind of a wee wee take that i went all the way over there for no result....
He was quite keen on saying that they will get better once they get some use. The shop has a good reputation on here, so i am not sure what to think, but i really never had his full attention over the whole visit.
The guy was very keen about what a great boot it is, and it did initially feel good in relation to the other ones i tried. I think he had me try Tecnica Dragon 90s, a nordica and a lange. He also did seem to know what he was talking about.
monium - i thought about that but I don't think he was trying to 'offload', from what he said to me he has no stake in/profit from or seemed to care about stock etc!
This is really annoying!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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spyderjon - you make a very good point.....i haven't bought fitted boots before, so its a new process and what i knew was from research beforehand. As such i wasn't 100% sure that this was always done.
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as a guess (i rent) so dont know but every new shoe needs to be bedded in and cant see it being any different with a ski boot although probably alot longer to bed in, why dont you wait a day or two for the pain to die down (i know from high heels if you wear them once and they hurt wear them the next day as pressure is in same place even if bedded in will still hurt) then try them again for a long period of time then a short period of time
but dont take anything i say for gospel or usefull info just a thought , like i said i rent!
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no shell check? run away...........
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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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millsy13, Totally, how hard can it be?????
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Just a quick thought, I had a problem a few years back when I developed the bad habit of leaning back when skiing which made me clench my toes resulting in alot of pain across the top of my toes and instep. Prior to that my boots had been great and after much work on getting my stance back on balance the boots are fine again.
You saying they hurt after visiting the dryslope reminded me of my problem so I thought I'd mention it. I'm not suggesting you are a bad skiier so please don't take offence.
Good Luck
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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shell check - looking back on it that was/is my biggest concern. It didn't flag because the place comes well recommended etc
Dorset Andy - don't worry, I am no expert skiier so no offense taken! That actually might make sense, the session on the dry slope was first time skiing in two years, and i had never skiied a dry slope before (surprisingly crap!), so its not out of the question that I may well have been tensed up. Doesn't explain the pain felt when just stood around in them at home, however
Having dedicated all of Monday and Tuesday to this whole thing, I just do not have time to try them out again, or go back again before I leave for the trip. Think I am going to drop a call/email to the shop, explain my reservations and tell them I will see how they feel when I am out there. Given that I tried pretty hard to get a good fit (spent ages, didnt rush anyone, very patient, lots of research beforehand, went back with a diagram of where i felt pain after the session) I think I would be well within my rights to ask for some consideration if I have to rent i.e a refund and a we are sorry discount on a new pair with a proper bootfitting. Right now however I can't tell if it is just new boot pains. Will also drop into a resort shop to see what an impartial source thinks of the fit
Does this sound fair?
SmallZooKeeper you seem to be one of the guys in the know around here - does this particular boot (Head S10, 27.5) (or boots in general) often give a level of discomfort for a while. Some further web research has put it into my mind that I may be panicking and the problems will go away once broken in......
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Wed 3-03-10 23:09; edited 1 time in total
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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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mylespe, Many reasons why a particular ski boot can hurt, the solution is to work from the feet up and out. No particular brand in my experience is any worse than another.
Lange however have a policy within pretty much all their range that can often cause problems stemming from flexion of the ankle as they use a standard delta angle of 17° throughout their range, however should this be the best fitting boot, a bootfitter should be able to remedy that without you even knowing.
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I had very similar problems with my new boots (Fischers) after about 45 mins on the snow slope - mainly numbness at the front of the foot. The shop were very good - had me walk in them for 15 mins then inspected my feet. Turned out that the custom liner hadn't been cut quite to size so wasn't sitting properly, so reducing the height over the front of the foot.
At the same time, the boot fitter identified that my ankle was being pushed forward by the ankle padding. He reheated the inner and made me flex a lot while the boot cooled on my foot. It's now a lot better. I was probably in the shop for about 45 mins but something was happening all the time.
Best wishes for sorting out your boots.
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You know it makes sense.
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I had some new boots fitted the other week (from somewhere recommended on here), at first when I got them home they were pretty uncomfortable after 15mins or so sat in them. Had a couple of hours on an indoor slope and they were similar to how you have described them, quite painful at one point. However they seem much better after another session and now I can sit in them at home without any problems, so I'm hoping they just needed a few hours on the snow to bed in. The boots I had fitted were Lange.
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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 had new boots fitted last week, of higher performance than I've had in the past. The whole process took the best part of three hours, and the process was very thorough. The boots felt very snug without feeling any pinch points. They were also a size smaller than I had in the past, with one boot heat stretched at the big toe as one foot is slightly larger than the other.
Anyway, I tried them for the first time on Friday in Megeve and on Saturday in Verbier, and on Sunday I almost went back to my old boots. I was getting a lot of pressure on my (trimmed) big toe nails, causing a lot of pain, and when I tightened my boots further to try and relieve the pressure on my toes, I ended up getting a lot of numbness. I'd expected a bit of discomfort at first, but nothing like this, and I could not get comfortable in them at any stage.
Anyway, on Sunday I thought I'd give them another day before going back to the shop and I'm glad I did. Those dozen or so hours I'd spent in them the previous two days had made all the difference, heat moulding the boots to my feet and stretching the liner at the toes, and the next three days were fantastic, with only a few minor tweaks here and there in the clips needed.
It may therefore be worth persisting with them for a couple of days on the holiday
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Poster: A snowHead
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if the process after my second visit had felt thorough I would right now be thinking that going with them for a couple days would be worthwhile
however i have just spent 20 mins watching the England game whilst stood up walking around in them, and then about 5 mins flexing them. After this time my right little toe is already tingling a lot and was pushed into and under the next toe in. Most of the time they were not buckled tight at all. This is the problem i went to rectify.....
I have just done a 'shell check' of my own (probably way off) and it feels like what i think is the area of foot around the metatarsal is touching the shell, even after they were 'stretched' in what should have been this area. The rest of the fit seems good though, length wise is ok. I have a theory that this area is being pushed in, and so raising the whole foot causing the pressure on the instep.
I am going to phone the shop tomorrow and see what they say. I just don't have enough confidence in the process that the guy went through to take them out on holiday and try them out. I really really want to think that they will be ok after some use, but i cant get myself to believe it!
Think i am just going to have to make the time to go back to the shop and be angry, and get them to give me something to make up for my 7 quid train fare and hour and a half sat around. After the research i did i should have known better when there wasn't a shell check, i realize this now
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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i know from high heels if you wear them once and they hurt wear them the next day as pressure is in same place even if bedded in will still hurt
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I knew there was a reason why I don't wear high heels.....
mylespe, sympathies, sounds miserable when you're just off skiing. Some shops (including Snow and Rock I think) do a "comfort guarantee" and if you're not happy after your holiday they'll give you a refund, less a hire charge. Maybe ask, when you phone them tomorrow, if they will do the same, given that you've been through their full fitting process. Then you could at least know that you'd only have wasted a small sum - and you could hire some more on holiday if your feet keep getting very painful.
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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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that is a terrible story.
it sounds to me like you have gone 'beyond the call of duty' regarding your visits and revisits to the fitter. from what you say above, it sounds like the boot is possibly too narrow for you (though this boot isn't all that narrow at 103mm?). i'm still convinced that high performance boots often are not the right choice for most recreational (not sure if this applies to you) skiers who need something that fits properly (obviously), but is also ultra comfortable and probably a bit more forgiving (e.g., in flex, extra width etc). It really is possible to get both, and you don't necessary need to buy the 'haute gamme' (top of the range) boots to get it. High performance boots are not meant to be kept on for seven days on the trot, five hours per day (but certainly more than 10 minutes!). And most people who are not sufficiently athletic will struggle if the flex is too high (it will prevent proper ankle and knee flex unless you've got the physical strength to work the boot - in my opinion anyway). Not that any of this may be relevant in your case -- as I say, it sounds like the fitter just did a bad job particularly as you weren't offered a shell fit (which presumably, would have identified the issue straight away). I'm surprised you didn't notice that your right toe was buckled under during the fitting?
If I were you, I'd take the boots back. Get a refund (before you leave), then rent decent fitting (comfortable) boots during your holiday. While you are there, you might want to try out a few on the snow if you find a decent boot shop.
The fitter is responsible under the consumer legislation (Sale of Goods Act) to ensure that the services and products sold are of a satisfactory standard (for the purpose for which they were bought). Clearly, this was not the case here -- despite YOUR best effects to provide the fitter with an opportunity to rectify the problem.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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hey all
the shop were good enough to give me a call after i dropped them an email, and the link to this thread!
they were very nice, very apologetic and have set me up with an appointment on Saturday to see their most experienced guy who will be back from holiday
i'm not going to bother naming the shop as they have been more than helpful and apologetic, and I have high hopes for a better fitting pair on Saturday. If i get a better pair then I would only recommend the place, despite the inconvenience, since their reaction has been spot on.
Thanks for all your suggestions!
Charlie - I am, of course, a recreational skiier, but am 6'2, 80kg and pretty aggressive so want something fairly stiff. I did worry that they were a bit high performance, but they were great when actually skiing, just bloody uncomfortable. l
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