 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all -
This is one for CEM/SZK really I guess, but any advice is great!
I had a bit of a battle getting a well fitting boot, so I'm not looking forward to making a touring boot work. I have a pretty well punched out toebox on my 28.5 SM14s - which of the stiffer (Dynafit Titan-esque) touring boots should I be looking at? Needs to be dynafit compatible but I'm willing enough to sacrifice a little downhill performance for a better fit (and easier time going up).
Cheers,
Dave
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DaveC, I've got SM14's and Titan's (needed a fair bit of stretching up front but perfect now). BD Factors seemed the most natural fit - narrow ankle, more space up front. Try Dalbello Virus as well.
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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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DaveC, How about a Nordica TR12??? Or wait until next year and buy a Hell & Back which IS a Speedmachine that walks.
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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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Take it neither of us, CEM or I will be selling you the boots in question??? 
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, unless you can get out to Canada... unfortunately the only fitter in town I trust doesn't do AT boots, so I'm on my own getting the right shell. I'm pretty much going to have to buy the shell online unseen unless I can track down people here that own the boot to try on.
BobinCH, how come you went Titan if Factors fit better?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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DaveC, Pretty blatant, good luck.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, got any better ideas? It's not like I'm walking into your shop, pissing on your carpet, trying a few shells on and then dashing to the internet. If you don't want to share your knowledge on the subject, fine, but I'm not going to apologise for looking for advice from the people that know what they're talking about.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER, what's your view on the effect of walk mode on beefy boots? think i remember you saying a little while back that it was a real challenge getting a boot with walk mode to flex as nicely as one without. wondering whether you think that issue has been solved?
still enjoying my garmont shamans for when i am not doing serious touring. i like the vibram sole but don't often feel like a walk mode would be a big plus. when i come to replace them, it looks like i will need to get something with a walk mode if i want the vibram, unless i set you loose on some normal boots with your grinder
[/hijack]
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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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Just to add - I'll be tootling along to the guy on the hill that I trust to get shell work done, new footbeds, and probably intutions - so it's not like I'm entirely cutting out your industry SZK. Given that paying for shell work probably eats any saving on the internet price of the boot, it's not like I wouldn't buy the shells in store too if they were actually available.
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| DaveC wrote: |
SMALLZOOKEEPER, unless you can get out to Canada... unfortunately the only fitter in town I trust doesn't do AT boots, so I'm on my own getting the right shell. I'm pretty much going to have to buy the shell online unseen unless I can track down people here that own the boot to try on.
BobinCH, how come you went Titan if Factors fit better? |
Bad feedback on reliability (i think now resolved) and the fitter I was recommended (by CEM) didn't stock BD.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Don't get me wrong I was very glad of the recommendation. He was an excellent fitter (Jules @ Sanglard) who got a Titan to fit my foot like a glove against the odds. Highly recommend.
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DaveC, can you not make it up to Banff (or something)? I know it's not exactly convenient but I don't know if I'd like to risk buying from the interweb...
I ended up with the Zzeuss' and I'm delighted with how they perform everywhere.
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You know it makes sense.
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BobinCH, Makes me happy spending the time, or not. Cheers for the plug Col.
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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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Hi, I think that many boots of this genre could work, the SM has a reasonable volume lower shell like many of the touring shells on the market. There are plenty of good guys that will gladly help you in and around your part of the world,
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Poster: A snowHead
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scotia, not really - I'm on a shoestring budget as it is. There's a guy in Calgary that might be able to help that's recommended on Epicski, but aside from the highly recommended pros, I'm much better off taking a shell that's close/a little too small and taking it to the guys I trust here.
SMALLZOOKEEPER, no worries, just figured you were on the attack/fish. A brief google failed me on finding the SM14's fit to compare to other descriptions, so I thought I may as well just ask the people's opinion I trust. Yourself and CEM have both helped hugely with boot issues that made me want to quit the sport until I got them sorted, for no compensation, so I wouldn't want to sound like I'm entitled to your advice.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DaveC, So if you tell me the size SM you have I can sell you a Rando Boot online and then get your man to fit them over there???? 
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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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bootman, Where is 'Throbbin'? 
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER, I appreciated your advice as I told you at the time. Unfortunately you'd left your old place and didn't stock anything at that point and paying full price elsewhere and then paying you again for shell adjustments didn't make sense. I'd previously bought 2 pairs off you and very happy with the Service. Not sure you help yourself by jumping on everyone you perceive to be abusing your advice.
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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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BobinCH, appreciated, gets a bit tiring at times, perhaps an over reaction. If you we're to know how often this happens (upto 3 times a day - 6 yesterday!!!) perhaps it would be easier to see why and how quickly it gets my shackles up. Peace Mr Inch.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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SMALLZOOKEEPER & CEM,
I too would like to thank you for your help / advice but I'm too far away from the both of you to use your services (otherwise I would). What else can we do in return other than pluging your services to others and sending you a blowup sheep?
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DB, no need for the sheep here thanks, SMALLZOOKEEPER might have a need for it, i can't be sure..... but, if you are sending it to him can you make sure you give it a good clean 
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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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DB, While we reboot this mutual appreciation society, I would like to say how proud I am for having introduced CAP to the forum and bringing him on board for our Bootfitting Camps. It has done him no harm what so ever, wish only from a business point of view we'd had a centre in the UK to make all the cash from the spin off trade.
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Ok so that's a blowup sheep for SZK and a packet of jammy dodgers for CEM 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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DaveC, I'd trust the guys at Top Shelf too, no problem.
People recommend Bootfitters that they've used and are happy with, simple as that, doesn't matter if they post endlessly on snowHeads or not, if they're good, they're good.
I've bought boots in the past from S & R, direct from Lange and now exclusively from CEM. If he gave it all up, I'd be getting myself out to Chamonix to see Jules LARGEZOOKEEPER at Sanglard, as I was seriously impressed by the work he did on my boots in Tignes.
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Spyderman, yeah, it's just getting the right shell to them in the first place. They don't carry AT boots. I'm on the verge of just getting hold of some 28 shell Titans and hoping they can make it work... any insight into this being a bad idea from any boot fitters would be appreciated 
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You know it makes sense.
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DaveC,
Guy in Calgary is probably Lou. Excellent I understand, but not for those on small budgets.
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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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gryphea, yeah, that's exactly who I'd like to go see, but even getting to Calgary to see him is an issue, and I can't go back for tweaks anyway.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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BobinCH, that's really handy, thanks - bit worrying too, since my SM shells are super punched out in the toebox (literally hard to see the toe lug), but fit perfectly everywhere else - from your pics, I can't see how it's possible to get the same amount of room up front that my SM's have. Really don't want to go up to a 29 shell though... hmm.
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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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DaveC, Do you really want to be super scrunched up in touring boots. I don't think I'd want the same fit as alpine boots, a bit more room if I've got to hike in them perhaps.
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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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Spyderman, that's the thing - my feet aren't scrunched up at all in my alpine boots, did a 4 hour tour on them last week and besides the obvious lack of walk mode my feet didn't suffer. Calves did! Really don't want to lose any locked down heel feel or responsiveness, but I guess I'm probably out of luck getting into a 28.5 dynafit if they start off shorter than the SM shell already - I'm sort of thinking of going to Dobermanns or a plug for my own skiing and then Titans for touring and teaching low end/coaching on a race course since I feel like I'm overpowering my SMs.
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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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DaveC, I think the measurement stamped on the shell is a bit misleading, after all that only the sole measurement, it's the internal measurement that counts.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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^^^ yep - the shell measurement on touring boots is usually a few mm shorter for a given mondo size. don't know why
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Lots of difference in the internal length between models of even the same sole length, the only thing to do is to shell check them with YOUR feet in them
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Well, I donated some beers to try some options on - Titan seemed way too tight over the instep, and short of volume everywhere - BD Factors felt close, and Technica Agent BC's also reasonable but probably a bit narrow in the forefoot and softer flexing in the shop. I've ordered some Factors in (shop didn't have my size), hopefully will get the revised model with the fixed walk mode. Can't say I'm thrilled about buying a boot with a solid rep for exploding and $80cad Dynafit lugs but we'll see...
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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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DaveC, They're fine now, the problems were minor and a simple fix, other said issues with boots may have been solved by fitting.
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Turns out I went way too small with the 28.5 factors, so back to the drawing board we go - not even sure there's a beef touring boot out there for my foot right now. 29.5 factors felt pretty big...
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