 Poster: A snowHead
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My boots are now getting on a bit - 10 year - and need replacing.
As boot technology has moved on in the past 10 years, what advice would you give in buying a pair?
Also when are the sales in Snow & Rock?
Are there any useful stock at sales time or just the remnants from the season?
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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My experience is that it is best to buy them in a resort at the beginning of your hol and spend the first half of every evening in the shop or the bar next door, waiting for them to be messed about with.
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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 agree, buy them in a resort..........I was worried about my xwave 7's but they were great in Wengen
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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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hibernia, tell us more about your 10 year olds. How are they doing in school?
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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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If I buy them in the resort presumably I can test a pair out by hiring them on the first day. But that will take some time to fit them, etc.... eating into valuable skiing time. Is it really a good idea?
Inga - how long did it take and what was your experience in Wengen? Did
you lose a half day pfaffing about going back to the boot shop trying various models or did it go smoothly?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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hibernia, Mrs H got a pair of Strolzs in Obergurgl - took about 1.5-2hrs, didn't need to do anything else with them. In that time she did try on a couple of other pairs but decided to go for the moulded doodah stuff. Both people she dealt with spoke English perfectly well. She did take time out from ski=ing started about 2pm, but her old boots were getting a bit impossible to ski in so it wasn't really time wasted.
Not sure that they'll talk in terms of hiring for a day, my guess is they'll do their best to get you into the right shell in the first instance and do fettling thereafter to perfect the fit (but I stand ready to be corrected). I got my boots at S&R in Manchester which took an hour and a half or so, I'm happy with them - I subsequently tried conformable footbeds (in resort) but it made little difference to the fit.
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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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I've bought 2 pairs of boots in the UK and one in resort, to be honest you are much better buying in resort, as others have said. It takes around 3 full days of skiing to start to bed in and feel any niggles/bumps in the boots which if you buy in resort can be sorted there and then.
regards,
Greg
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hibernia, it should only eat into your drinking time, unless they're so uncomfortable that you have to go back for a refit during the day. Make sure there's a bar near the shop, which is almost certain is it not, and away you go. It's well worth the hassle to end up with a pair of boots which are just right.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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hibernia, sorry, I can see how my post has confused you..it's v badly written!!!
I actually bought them at the end of a week's skiing in Val D'isere last May (yes May!)...so I had a couple of days using them there and then a week in Wengen...I would say I have "worn them in" pretty well already...I still have a bit of stiffness down my shin but that eased by days 4-5. The reason I recommended buying boots in a resort is because the staff generally know the subject better (in my experience anyway because Jersey has a shortage of ski shops as you can imagine!) and if you buy at the end of the season you can get some serious bargains...I can't remember the exact price of my boots but I do remember that they were approx £150 cheaper in the sale 
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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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hibernia, there are three things that are vital when choosing new boots: fit, fit, and fit.
Find a boot fitter that understands how to fit boots (many in resort areas do, most in non-resort areas don't). If they don't do these things, they don't know what they are doing:
- Ask you about your skiing, your current boots, what you seek, etc.
- Have you remove shoes and either wear shorts or pull up your slacks above your knees
- Tell you the boots that they have (or know about) that will fit your foot/lower leg
- Measure your feet (both of them!)
- Remove the liners from the boots you are to try, then place your foot inside them with the toes barely touching the fronts of the boots. They should check for 1-2 finger widths between your heel and the back of the shell. Less space for higher performance, more for a more plush fit.
- They should also check for an approximate equivalent shape between the inside of the shell and your foot. They may/should know this from 2, above, but checking is a good thing.
- Put you into the boot with the liner in.
- Ask you how they feel, and make some recommendations
- (and this is very, very rare) When you find the right boot, balance you in them by building a custom footbed, checking for knee flex tracking, checking fore/aft balance, checking canting necessary (ideally on-snow), etc.
Yes, really, that's what should be done by a real boot-fitter. Gotta put that into the equipment FAQ, eh?
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thanks ssh . I've cut and pasted your detailed reply
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You know it makes sense.
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hibernia, if you been happy with your Nordica's and want another pair (but newer models  ) Europa Ski Lodge in Tolworth do them. I'm like you , i also have a pair of Nordica boots and have never expierienced any of them problems that people seem to get
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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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Beware that lasts have changed in the past decade. Just because a Nordica fit you 10 years ago doesn't mean it will be the place to start, now. That said, I think that Nordica makes one of the best products out there today.
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Poster: A snowHead
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re Nordica - been very happy with, them, never any problems in 10 year, but need to upgrade. S&N apparently do not stock them anymore ( Chertsey branch ). Europa Ski Lodge in Tolworth is only abot 5 minutes drive from where I live so I'll check them out on Saturday.
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