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Hire or buy boots for short lady, narrow heel/ankle, wide forefoot and wide calf

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm a UK size 4 with a narrowish heel and ankle but quite wide across the forefoot and across the little toe area. I'm very short - just 5 feet tall - and have fairly substantial calves that are obviously fairly near to my heels due to my lack of height. Also due to my height I wear high heels constantly so have very tight hamstrings etc and feel as if I'm probably not flexing forward enough at the ankle when I ski. I'm toying with the idea of buying boots or maybe just liners and would appreciate some advice please.

I went skiing many years ago and had a fairly miserable time with my boots. I was never sure if it was me not understanding how they should fit or whether they just didn't fit, but I suffered numb toes, cramped forefoot and uncomfortable calves despite trying three different boots during the holiday. I swore if we ever went again I would buy my own boots, but the following year I had kids and didn't ski again until a few weeks ago on a dry-slope.

Both kids love skiing (one has been on a school trip and one has had dry slope lessons in readiness for a school trip in April) and my husband loved it the first time round and they all want to book a ski holiday next year, so it's just me wimping out. I do enjoy it, though I don't like speed and am always nervous. I think one of the problems is that I never feel comfortable and in control in my boots. Would a better fitting pair of boots make me feel more in control?

At the local slope there are only 3 choices of boot in a size 4. Two are basically HEAD children's boots and far too tight around the calf and forefoot etc and the third is a rear entry 3 clip Salomon which is comfortable, but probably too big I think. I don't stay back in the heel and have this desire to try and tighten the ankle all the time - when actually all the clips except the calf one are on maximum!

Does it sound as if these boots fit OK or are they probably too big?
Is there any way I can make the hired boots fit better?
If I bought a custom liner could I put this in hired boots and would that improve the situation?
Should I just bite the bullet and buy a pair of boots in the hopes that this will improve my skiing experience on the dry slope, perhaps enough to make me as keen as the rest of the family on a holiday next year?
Where should I go for the best range/fitters if I do decide to buy (postcode ie RG26)?

I intend to use the dry slope fairly regularly for a while to help me make the decision as to whether booking a holiday is a good idea and there are lots of sales on at the moment so if I'm going to buy a boot at some point in the next year, now seems a good time, but it will be an awful waste if we don't go!

Sorry, not the most succint of posts, but I just don't know how much difference well fitting boots will make to me and my skiing to judge whether the expenditure is worthwhile, so any thoughts would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Quote:

Would a better fitting pair of boots make me feel more in control?

Yes, and just being more comfortable would be a huge improvement. You also need to stretch your calves though - as you've already spotted.

I will only be the first of many to suggest you do see a good bootfitter. There are no doubt a number of such folk around, and you don't say where you live, but Colin at Solutions 4 Feet http://solutions4feet.co.uk would be a great place to start. If the geography is all wrong for you, he can probably recommend somebody near you.

You will probably need expert advice, sounds unlikely you'll get anything off the shelf. Colin's website has a great section on stretching, too. Do lots.

Oh - and having bought the right boots, buy some lessons with a really good instructor. Lots of options in the snowdomes, to get you going before a holiday.

Don't give up - family skiing is such a pleasure.
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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?
I should have said - am a satisfied customer of Colin's, have no commercial axe to grind.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
Thanks, Pam. Colin very kindly gave us advice about orthotics for my son by email, so I would be very happy to go to him for boots. Altimus in Reading was also recommended by a friend.

The only thing that worries me about both of them is whether they stock enough different boots?

From what I've read the trick seems to be to get a boot made on a last that's as close as possible to the shape of your foot? Surely that means the fitter needs to have access to a lot of boots?

I've already started on lessons again as I seem to have forgotten everything after snow plough turns!!!

Thanks again.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

The only thing that worries me about both of them is whether they stock enough different boots?


When my OH went to see Colin, he measured up his feet, told him the boot he needed, told him he didn't have it, and sent him off to somewhere that did. He won't sell you anything that's not right.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Most fitters carry all the major brands, I wouldn't worry too much about choice in store, pick a recommended shop (I don't know one near you unfortunately) and buy some, it's TOTALLY worth it. Boots start at as little as £100 (before the sales Wink) and make such a difference that give how expensive skiing is anyway I wouldn't even think twice - go buy! aj xx


Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Sun 27-02-11 0:46; edited 1 time in total
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
HelenS, I have had similar problems to you with bad boots/crampy calves etc. Having now got boots that are finally comfortable, it's made a world of difference to my enjoyment of the holiday. So yes, as pam w said, having correctly fitted boots will not only improve your comfort and therefore your enjoyment of the holiday, but will give you more confidence with your skiing. If you're going to use dry slopes in addition to the holiday I would say it is well worth the investment for you.

Welcome to snowHead by the way. Very Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Thanks for the input (and welcome) everyone.

I had hoped that buying my own would be the consensus of opinion really, but it seemed a bit extravagent - OH looked a bit aghast when I suggested it before we've made a definite decision about next year's holiday!!!

After much reading on here I have decided to make the trip to see Colin and hope he has the right boot for me.

If I have to buy the recommended boot somewhere else like Pam's OH, do I take it back to Colin for final adjustments?

Thanks.
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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.
Although the decision seems made I'll chime in on the control front. Having been in hire boots all my
(so far short) skiing life, and having no idea whatsoever as to how a ski boot should really fit, I got myself some ski boots last summer. First time I went to the slope at Castleford with my girlfriend with them, she thought I'd been getting lessons on the sly! Instead it was just that the things I was doing were actually getting to my skis now that my boots fit properly.
Good fitting boots will improve your skiing both by helping you relax and by giving you a greater degree of control Happy
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Quote:

If I have to buy the recommended boot somewhere else like Pam's OH, do I take it back to Colin for final adjustments?


That depends, I suppose. My OH got his fitted at Lockwoods, but he didn't need any fiddling around beyond normal fitting - he just need that exact boot. My own have needed much more fiddling with, as might yours, given your large calves - there are some discussions elsewhere on SHs about this. The best thing would be to go and see Colin, and take it from there - he'll know the best way to tackle it.

Tell your OH - aghast or not - that if he wants you to enjoy skiing with the family and therefore not moan about the vast amount of money you will spend on it over the years, and not nag to go and sit on a beach instead, he'll need to put up with you buying nice comfy well fitted boots. wink
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Lethal_Hamster, that's great news - just what I was hoping!
pam w, Will do!
Thanks again.
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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.
Just thought I'd do a quick update although this post is very old now, in case anyone hits it in a google search etc.

As the skiing holiday never happened last year, I didn't pluck up enough courage to shell (ouch!) out on boots, but I did gradually start wearing smaller and smaller boots at the ski centre which helped a lot - the ones I was wearing when I posted initially were WAY too big. Couldn't get rid of the heel lift though and having finally booked a holiday this year I set off to Colin at Solutions4Feet. I was impressed, but Colin wasn't - he didn't feel there was an off the shelf boot that would sort all my issues. These issues weren't quite what I'd thought though. The wide forefoot turned out to be my foot twisting to try to accommodate a lack of flexion (sp?) in my ankles and creating pressure down the outside. But the true horror of my fitting was a measly 4degrees of flex at the ankle causing the heel lift, numb toes etc. So rather than trying to second guess why boots don't fit, I'd second all those people who mention 'good bootfitter' every time anyone asks about boots! wink

What followed was a very similar scenario to this
http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=91252
without the bus sized instep. And I too am now covered in ink and awaiting my new boots from Austria.

James (OutdoorTraders)and Colin were great and I'll report back on the boots and their effect on my skiing once I've tried them out.

James fits off the shelf boots as well BTW and obviously knows his stuff - weird being told your ski faults just by someone looking at your feet/legs! wink
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I went skiing for the first time in Feb, and by day 5 I wanted to pack the whole thing in because my legs hurt so much. I'm 5 feet 1 and have a wide calf, and my heel just could not press down into the hired boots I was given. As a result, I struggled to even snow plough and turn. When I got back, I spent some time on the forum and decided to try Rivington Alpine in Chorley. Graham Pugh and Andy are the boot fitters there, both top blokes, each with years of experience, which is really reassuring. They seemed much more interested in getting me absolutely the right boot - even though their ideal choice was not in stock and had to be ordered in - rather than making do with what's on the shelf, a situation I suspect you could get at the 'big chain' places. I've now got a pair of Head boots made to measure - and after a lesson yesterday at Snow Dome I left with a big beaming face, in control and in comfort on my skis! I now cannot wait to go on hols with the new boots. I also had custom made footbeds, which are worth their weight in gold. My husband was really impressed with the service I received and, although hire boots have always been fine for him, he decided to have a pair of Full Tilt boots fitted by Graham. He's been out on them several times now and he says they've really improved his skiing, which is at a much more advanced level than mine! Very Happy
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