 Poster: A snowHead
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Mrs B has a problem with her ski touring boots and we would appreciate some advice.
She bought Garmont She Ride boots 3 years ago and has worn them (only) on the following trips. For resort skiing she uses downhill boots.
- 2008 - Haute Route (8 days)
- 2009 - Arolla (4 days)
- 2010 - Cairngorm (3 days) + Lyngen Alps (6 days)
- 2011 - Cairngorm (3 days) + Silvretta Alps (6 days)
The boots came with (slightly) mouldable inners, which were heated in the shop where we bought them (in Austria).
All went well until the Lyngen trip, when Compeed was needed on 3 or 4 days to cover a "hot spot" on the inside of her right heel. That was no real problem though.
Last year's Silvretta trip was a different issue however as the Compeed failed to sort out the same hot spot and by day 5 her right heel was blistered and red raw - about an inch and a half in diameter  In fact I don't know how she managed to complete the last 2 days. (Admittedly, we were miles behinf the rest of the group on the climbs).
We are hoping to tour again at Easter but are really concerned that previously-comfy boots became heel strippers last year.
Surely the inners cannot have worn so much after only 20 odd days touring, can they? FWIW, at the moment she uses only the flat footbeds that came with the boots, while I use moulded (Conformable) footbeds. She did however try "Cosyfeet" shaped innersoles in Scotland last year but they had no effect on the developing hotspot.
Any thoughts on what she can do or where best to go to get sorted? We live in County Durham.
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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Sorry to say the "She ride" has a notorious proble in this area, perhaps if we can assume the boots are 1 size too big and add in a poor heel retention and an awful option of liners, I think the problem could be solved however costings would push me, if these factors are the case to suggest best starting from scratch with the current huge evolution of boots from this range.
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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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SMALLZOOKEEPER,
Thanks for your response.
However, Mrs B had her feet measured and the boots were nice and snug for the first few wearings.
If they were too big wouldn't they cause blisters from the word go?
Also, I'm not sure what you mean by
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if these factors are the case to suggest best starting from scratch
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Also
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I think the problem could be solved however costings would push me
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Could you explain please? Do you mean "bin a £300 pair of boots that have been worn for 30 days?" Or is there an option of having something done with the inners and/or buying a moulded footbed that might help? Or is it the latter but then you are saying that it would be uneconomical?
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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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No blisters come from excess movement, friction, a smaller boot equals less volume equals less movement.
If the boot is one whole shell size too big, highly likely without a footbed and a custom moulded liner, then the wide open heel pocket will rub the arem mentioned.
We are able to make up alot of volume with a few bits n pieces, footbed but often comes out as 300 euros, should the shell be too big, it's not worth the cost compared to longevity of this solution.
Don't bin them, they'll fit and work for someone.
Try what you can, I know these days when we see this type of boot with this issue then we're happy to suggest a more modern design, they ski so much better and have a more "footlike" shape.
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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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For what it's worth, and I know nothing about boot fitting as such, I do know a bit about blisters, mainly through hard earned experience on long "walks". Might be worth a try and see how it goes.
As mentioned above the cause of blisters is through friction so you can avoid the friction through the boot fit or prevent the friction affecting the skin. Two ways of doing this are by creating a barrier between the sock and the skin by wearing a very thin sock between the skin and your main sock. The outer sock then rubs against the inner sock and not your skin. You can get socks such as these and they are branded "1000 mile" socks and they are very good but I am not sure how these may apply to a ski application. To that end and arguably a better option is to apply Zinc Oxide sports tape to the foot prior to wearing the boots. Once warmed through body heat this tape sticks like sh*t to a blanket and can be worn for days at at time if necessary. It even stays on in the shower. It creates a brilliant barrier and protects well. If you are a hobbit best shave your feet first, and the adhesive can cause allergic reaction just as plasters do.
More extreme and more of a get-you-home approach is to bathe the broken blister in Iodine. It really bloody hurts for about ten seconds but it will take the pain out of the blister for a while.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Basil,
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branded "1000 mile" socks
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Oh these are brilliant - I've never had a blister since I started to use them for walking. I don't find them quite warm enough for skiing, unfortunately.
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Thanks for the advice so far.
I'm aware of the (general) principles of "too big" boots = rubbing = blisters but still cannot understand how the boots were well fitting and non rubbing for the first 20+ ski days.... 
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
SMALLZOOKEEPER,
Thanks for your response.
However, Mrs B had her feet measured and the boots were nice and snug for the first few wearings.
If they were too big wouldn't they cause blisters from the word go?
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My boots weren't snug when I got them, they were bloody tight, almost painfully tight. I'm glad I rode out the numbing as they are now what I would call snug. It maybe a poor fitting, but if there have been previous problems with the same boots then, it could point to the quality of the boot.
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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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Bergmeister, Anything Technical across in the lake district may be your best bet (for touring) or pop down to Rivington Alpine near Bolton.
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Sun 6-11-11 8:26; edited 1 time in total
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non rubbing for the first 20+ ski days....
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Exactly how my first pair behaved having been fitted at S&R, after about 3 weeks they were just awful.
It was only when I made the journey to Rivington Alpine (on CEM's advice) did I learn just how oversized they were.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Couldn't agree with Basil more regarding use of Zinc Oxide tape. I suffered terribly with skin problems on my feet throughout my nearly 30 yrs of rugby playing. The best discovery I ever made wa Zinc Oxide tape I never leave home without it now if doing any kind of sport or outdoor type activity. As long as a blistered area is clean upon application of the tape you can leave on for days as its very adhesive then soak it off in a hot bath. The skin below repairs extremely quickly which I am informed is due to the presence of the zinc in the adhesive. It is magic stuff for me.
(oh and quite importantly you can buy it very cheaply online in all different sizes-way better value than any of the gimicky blister treatments from expensive pharmacies)
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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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Just buy boots that fit and are fitted correctly then we can leave Zinc safely where it should be.
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Bergmeister, SMALLZOOKEEPER is almost certainly correct, a boot which has packed out over 20-30 days will cause blisters especially when skinning up as there is the "want" for the heel to pull up out of the boot, it seems that however much we try to explain this people still just don't want to believe..... just because the foot measures a size does not mean that is the size that is required..... even if the length is correct then volume has a big part to play, a slim foot in a wide boot may feel tight in length but can rattle side to side in the heel after a few days
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You know it makes sense.
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| Bergmeister wrote: |
Thanks for the advice so far.
I'm aware of the (general) principles of "too big" boots = rubbing = blisters but still cannot understand how the boots were well fitting and non rubbing for the first 20+ ski days.... |
No as CEM said, the liner of most boots pack out during the first 20-30 days so something that seems perfect in the shop ends up being not so later on. A good boot fitter can help with this to an extent, but often times it is hard to convince someone to go with something that feels a bit too tight in the shop, so many sales people won't fight the customer and will just sell them the boot that feels the best initially. Problem is that it is easier to increase rather than decrease size/volume (and flex).
Foot beds may help keep the foot in place some, but they also have a tendency to shorten the foot (I assume from adding arch support), so this may be why Zoo does not see this as a long term solution. Another short term fix MIGHT be to re heat the liners, but I have heard mixed things about heating liners in general- i.e. do they help improve snugness or simply make the boot pack out more quickly??
FWIW, I had a packing out problem with my prev boots and got a similar blister touring. I've only toured once in my current, lower volume alpine boots, but had no problem.
Not to thread jack, but what are currently the best lower volume (i.e. 98 mm last) touring boots? Do any of these come in a 30 shell?
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