Surefoot London

A snowHead

I see from the Surefoot website that they have opened their London store. Has anyone tried them in London?

I realise CEM in Bicester is popular on this forum, but I am going to Breckenridge in March, so I am thinking of using Surefoot because they have a shop in Breck. I will get them fitted initially in London, then try them at MK snowdome, so that I have a chance of being ready to ski as soon as I get to Breck. If, after a day or two on the slopes in Breck, I need adjustments I can get them done under the Surefoot guarantee. But it would be reassuring to have a report about the competence of their London fitters.

(I am an experienced intermediate, looking to get a custom boot because I was hobbling for a few hours after using my current ones at Milton Keynes Snowdome for 3 hours, recently.)

A snowHead

koru, I think it's like any ski shop, their bootfitting service is only as good as the people who work for them.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

I agree completely. That's why I would be interested to hear of anyone's experience specifically at the new store, or reports about the individuals who Surefoot have hired.

That said, Surefoot are a little different from most ski shops, in that they are not a ski shop with a full range of ski gear. Their whole raison d'etre is to do boot fitting, using their own line of ski boots. As far as I can tell, they do little else. I therefore feel it is likely they are going to make sure they hire some top notch fitters, though I would rather not just assume this.

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koru, Interesting to know who though. We've got CEM in Bicester, Lockwoods, Profeet, Martin @ S&R Hemel, Bartletts and a decent guy at EB up north. Have Surefoot headhunted any of the staff from our favorites, not that I've heard. Puzzled

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Come on SZK... we are waiting Toofy Grin

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stoatsbrother, MacDonalds is a very sucsessful business. Cool

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Surefoot is a chain and so is MacDonalds, but being a chain does not have to mean that the product/service is poor. I am still hoping someone can tell me about the specific fitters.

After all it is free · Last edited by After all it is free on Tue 8-01-08 23:18; edited 1 time in total

SMALLZOOKEEPER, so I should go to Surefoot if I want my boots burgered up?

Koru - as you correctly point out - it must be the individual fitters who determine the success. See difference of opinions here. You can get an idea in a ski town by asking the natives, the instructors, other shops etc who they trust. Surefoot is new in London, and its website has no details of who the fitters are (unlike SZKs site) and in fact they appear to be advertising for staff.

koru, No, but you're asking about a chain store. As has already been pointed out the quality is about the person doing the job. I do not wish to say the product is poor, nor the service, but any bootfitter can pre select a shell and injection mould it to give a good fit, the question is; do you need to pay over the odds for a product given a wider selection of shell and an expert eye? This is becoming common place, i don't see this as a problem, because time is money and injection fitting is almost 100% sucsessful, but why pay for that if the solution is cheaper and more basic? Over to the consumer. I'd love to injection mould everyone, the margins are huge. Cool

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SZK, if I understand you right, you are saying that Surefoot opt for the easy (but expensive) approach, rather than using expertise to do the minimum that will resolve the customer's problem. That seems a good point, although I am not sure MacDonalds are the best analogy, as MacDonalds are about hitting a minimum price point with a product that is just about tolerable if you are more concerned about your budget than great food.

Perhaps a better analogy is one of the "designer burger" chains that seem to be springing up, which deliver a pretty decent burger, but in a standardised way and it only has fancy, expensive options. If you actually want your burger to come with brie or pesto or polenta, then fine, but if all you want is a nice cheeseburger you will get one much cheaper at a non-chain specialist burger joint.

Judging by Surefoot's website, they are willing to work on your existing shell if it is suitable and do not necessarily insist on giving you the "works", if all you need is, say, an orthotic. But I guess you would reply that if you get an inexperienced fitter they may tend to default to giving you the "works".

Thanks to the other poster for the link to the thread on epic. Very useful.

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koru, Ok the MacDonalds comparison actually came from someone who works for Surefoot. The Analogy was that you take something complex like cooking or Bootfitting, refine the process and take out the skill and the judgement, ie, the cooking skills or shell/foot analysis now you can charge over the odds for an efficent service and pay just about anyone to operate the controlled environment. I have heard many good reports about Surefoot over the years, but have seen some real shockers too. Same could be said by any other bootfitter about any of our work i'm sure. We're just like chefs, squabbling over the correct recipe for Lobster Thermaddor.

snow reports

It seems to me that the point here is that nobody has any experience of Surefoot in London. However there are a small number of people that can be recommended to you i.e. the guys at Lockwoods or Colin in Bicester. If you want to go to Surefoot then feel free but people are making some pretty good recommendations here and you would be daft not to listen to them

See what you mean. The analogy is the follow-the-manual approach, not the nasty product.

While we have been having this discussion, I note a distinct lack of anyone jumping in to mention that Surefoot London have recruited any bootfitter who has a good reputation. I would guess that it is not in their business model to pay a premium salary for someone with premium skills (just like my local chain sports club, which will not pay for yoga instructors who actually know what they are doing).

You know it makes sense.

DME, I think I had come to the same conclusion. Indeed, it was always how I felt. I was just wondering if anyone had any information that would give me specific reassurance me about SF London. Looks like the answer is no, so they remain an unknown.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

koru, I think they've been pretty successful in what they've done. However i'd only recommend 6 or so Bootfitters who have their integrity and hearts in the job.

A snowHead

"It seems to me that the point here is that nobody has any experience of Surefoot in London."

My boyfriend lost his toenail after buying boots at Surefoot in London. I don't know if this is a reflection on the fitter, the position my boyfriend stood in whilst being fitted, or the boots themselves (nordica shell). all i can say is the follow up service was great - as we bought the boots (£700 !!!) right before our ski trip, and this misfortune occurred whilst we were away, we reported back to them upon our return and they were happy to wait until our next ski trip (10 months / a year later) before re-fitting them. bizarrely though, whilst away skiing and visiting a local ski shop (in Zermatt) to find a quick solution for the problem, sitting alongside my fella was a guy with exactly the same "big toe" problem... and guess where he bought his boots... yes, Surefoot in London!

A snowHead

rosiedec71, sounds like he got a "performance fit" wink

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

yeah but as their website says......."Available in twelve models and a variety of colors"

and Colour is soooooooo important Toofy Grin

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I can't comment on the London store but my wife had some boots fitted in Surefoot in Corcheval. She has problem feet and we have yet to find boots that don't reduce her to tears after 10 mins, very high instep but I won't bore you with our tale of woe.

To cut a long story short we pitched up, feet measured, length (not volume) sadly. Tried some generic boot off the shelf, no good, customs made, computer generated footbeds using a raising plastic pin system to map the sole. In boots, no good. Foam injected liner, lots of pain.....no good. Boot boiling, feet back in and strapped in hard, standing in snow to cool.....no good, removing bits of foam from instep of liner.......no good. Week waisted back and forward to the shop.

Now don't get me wrong, they were nice blokes and very keen to help but they struck me a boot sellers not boot fitters, when the foam injection option didn't work they were stumped really. We did get our money back for the boots but not the 200 euro footbeds. I'm no expert but the whole ethos seemed to hinge on the foot beds and foam injection working. I think they place to much importance on the electric mapping and foaming.

Also they didn't have a very large range of shell sizes, again it seemed like they used the injection foaming as a cure all that for us it was not. Also I believe that the boots they advertise as their own are not; but Lange with Surefoot stamped on the shells. Hope this helps.

Help!!

Surefoot London

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