 Poster: A snowHead
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In need of a bit of SH wisdom...
I
purchased ski boots from a well known chain store last year and trusted the bootfitters as it was my first time buying ski boots having only hired really badly fitting and oversized boots in the past. It should be noted they seem to have done a good job finding the correct boot and correct size for my husband. Anyway, I skied in them for 2 weeks last season and by the start of the second week I was getting a lot of movement in the boot, especially my foot sliding sideways at the heel. Ended up skiing with them cranked down as tightly as possible, but this doesn't solve everything as it gives too much tightness over the arch area and there is still some play at the heel. They were however lots better than the boots I had previously hired.
We were going to head to the back to the shop this weekend to have some foam added to help deal with the looseness. However we've just done a shell check and I have 1-1.25inches at the back of the heel. The shell is a 24.5 with a 24.0 liner. So not hugely loose, but, I do notice issues when skiing. We're assuming my options are:
1. Get a foam shim around the heel and just man up and deal with it.
2. Point out that the store offers a fit guarantee and try and get them to honour that and put me in the right size boot (although they may argue that it is the right size for a "recreational" fit. Issues with this are that I've just had bindings fitted for this boot so would need to get the skis redrilled by spyderjon. Also, I had problems when first using the boots I have, and needed the shells blown out after a couple of hours testing them at the snodome, so would potentially need to do that as well.
3. Get some new liners.
Obviously I could buy new boots, but we're off for a week of skiing in 2 weeks, then have 2 weeks planned at the end of January, so it's frustrating to have a big outlay on boots at this stage (and the issues related to option 2 apply). At the moment first option seems the best in the immediate future. Once this season is over (we have 3 weeks of skiing planned, maybe a 4th if we're lucky) I might be able to justify new boots...and see if something fitted a bit tighter does reap benefits.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ducastaing, welcome to SHs  Can I ask why you didn't go back to the shop last season after you had skied in them and found the problems? Just that the fit guarantee they offer if I remember rightly applies until the end of the season in which the boots were purchased. That said I would still go back with them and see what they can do, though I'd be surprised if they'll fit you in a new boot. Where are you? As SHs will be able to recommend boot fitters who may be able to help you if the chain store doesn't. Good luck with it!
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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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Hi Sarah. Thanks for the welcome and reply. I don't have a good reason for not going back, we just totally ran out of time to do it, and suddenly it's skiing season again. We also just thought it was the liner packing out and/or me being annoying. It was only doing the shell check today that we realised it might also be the boot fit. I hadn't realised the guarantee was only until the end of that season and, to be honest it seems wrong to blame the fitters..oh well, I'll have a go. I'm really not expecting a new boot, well, not unless I pay for it.
I'm based in Oxford. In future I think I'll be going to solutions for feet.
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ducastaing, Your tale is familiar to most skiers, myself included. I ended up trying foam shims around the heel and ankle, I found that my boots were cranked up so tightly that an 80 flex was pretty much held solid and blocked any pressure I tried to apply to the ski. I resorted to drilling holes all over the tongue and grinding bits off. I then went to a really good bootfitter who put me in a boot I would never have entertained. Sudden Nirvana... but this was after 5 years so I had improved quite a bit.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Funnily enough I have suffered the exact same thing. Trusted a boot fitter to fit my first pair which seemed ok to start with but became obvious after two weeks skiing they were too big. Never got round to visiting the original fitter (and this is now 1 year on), figured maybe I was just being awkward and not knowing how it should be. I had an appointment at solutions4feet last week and it turned out the boots were waaaaay to big, i decided just to bite the bullet and get a new pair fitted there and then and not mess around with the old ones. I haven't got much hope of getting anything out of the old fitter but I think I will go in there and politely mention it to them. Its been a painfully expensive mistake to make, but I definitely won't make it again!!
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the biggest problem is that when you put people in a smaller boot (that they possibly should be using) they don't want this and they insist on going to the bigger size, more and more we are seeing this with recreational skiers especially as the manufacturers are making the shells longer and longer to make them feel "lovely out the box" what this means is that you often need to go to a size below what you measure, which if tight in resort you often get told is too small as your foot measures X and the boot is X minus 1
volume of the boot is almost more important than the length, if the rear of the foot is well held at the back of the boot then having slightly more space at the toes is although not ideal, is not a disaster for a recreational skier IF the foot is well retained at the back
adding padding around the heel is a fairly temporary solution but it can work if the padding is dense enough that it doesn't compress rapidly, new liners are another option which depends on the actual size of the boot v foot, some boots run short some run long, so for example if you are in a long 24.5 you might find that a shorter lower volume 24.5 is fine, in which case a zip fit liner might work just fine, but if you scrape into the sizing and might need to drop a shell size then it is not ideal as it will pack out use like the standard liner (although not as quickly)
you can make boots bigger with ease, but making them smaller is harder to do in more than a temporary way
on the appointment front, we are now full till after christmas, a nice problem to have, but a problem none the less
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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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Thanks for the replies everyone! I may well head to Solutions 4 Feet some time in the new year and will make do with temporary measures until then. Glad you have all found boots that fit now. I feel such a punter for getting caught out with this, but you live and learn.
We went to the store where we got our boots today. Ended up with a new guy who had never dealt with too large boots before. However there were some other fitters there with more experience who helped out at times. In the end we walked away with some foam at the back of the liner and on the top of the forefoot. However the current foam pushes my foot forward quite a lot, so I end up with my heel still in a region of the boot with a reasonable amount of space at the side, plus the foam on top of the liner is causing too much pressure on the top of my foot. It just wasn't going anywhere trying to get it altered in the store to be honest. We asked if we could take away some foam and adjust accordingly at home/when out skiing, but we weren't able to take foam as they said it was expensive and would null any warranty - so we're probably going to buy some and do that anyway.
We did find my original fitting form and that said 23.5, so it does indicate I was moved up into the 24.5 boot for the "recreational fit" I wasn't sure I asked for. I don't recall the boot being a larger size than I was measured for, and swear I ordered in a 23.5 (they didn't hold stock of the 90 flex that I am in, I didn't want the 100 flex that was in stock and that I tried the first time I visited), but the shell says differently (and I guess I didn't check it at the time). In all honesty though, this is partially my fault because when fitted the boot did feel snug...not uncomfortable, but snug. Plus, as CEM says, most people want a comfy fit, so it is probably fair that I was lumped in to that. It could have been tighter, but, as a climber, I am aware of the issues of going for overly tight rock shoes on long days, so assumed that something feeling snug but not uncomfortable was okay. Equally it means I can be very tolerant of tighter shoes while they stretch etc - but wasn't aware of the amount of packing out a liner would go through - and will be more aware of this in future.
Thanks for the advice CEM. I may be in touch for an appointment once the season is over. I'm going to see if I can get through this year by playing with foam. Then at least I've saved money relative to hiring boots, and my skiing did improve last season - it's just frustrating to feel my foot move in my boot and when it gets bumpy or I'm skiing more aggressively it can be a bit off putting.
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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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Thanks charlie.wilkinson!
sarah, I felt sorry for the guy to be honest. It was (unsurprisingly) a busy day, and he was stuck with grumpy old me - and I wasn't going to make him any money (everyone else was buying new boots). He was very much out of his depth with it...and at one point I had two thick layers of foam all round the back of the liner such that I could barely do up the two upper buckles and my (rather low) ankle bones were pressing hard against the boot. The lump of foam at the top is either coming off or being reduced at the very top (and leaving some of the stuff along the side), and the foam at the back we plan to remove the bit that is pressing against the achilles and just leave some of the stuff at the sides. Once we have the additional foam I can play around a bit more. I'll have a look in to volume reducers as a replacement for the foam on the top...thanks for that, I'd forgotten about them as a concept (have previously used them in mountain boots).
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Ducastaing, the pad on top of the foot probably should have been on the front of the tongue to push the foot back, the piece round the back sounds like it should have been 2 pieces, one either side or if they did you a full yoke then it should have been ground thin at the spine of the boot to stop if pushing you forward
boot fit foam can be expensive, but it doesnt have to be, the more expensive stuff does last longer, and can be ground better and has better adhesive, but for the most part it is a temporary fix so this is not so important, we tend to use cheaper foams for trying stuff if we are unsure if it will work then use high grade foam for the finished job
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FAQ
I would try another way of taking up the excess volume on the boot by putting a volume reducer in the shell under the liner, I think this will be better than a lump of foam on the top of your foot. You can get specific ski boot ones but you may well be able to use just a cheap off the shelf normal shoe insole. I have done this with a pair I had which were too big and with junior boots and it works well. Have a look at how they have placed the foam around the heel too you may be able to improve that too to avoid it pushing your foot forward which is not what you want 
