Boot Fitting Question...and Answer

A snowHead

How do I put this nicely?

I'm sorry but I really do need to raise my voice here:

THERE IS NO, REPEAT NO, BOOT FITTING QUESTION WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ANSWERED PREVIOUSLY!

Please use the Search Function (Jong), and then you will learn that the answer is always:

Go see a good bootfitter, in the UK that is CEM or Profeet, and in Chamonix it is SZK.

THE END!

A snowHead

^ Couldn't agree more Little Angel

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

I have one club foot and one flipper - will I benefit from specialised bootfitting? Footbeds sound like a ripoff but I've got these that came free with a packet of Shreddies - will these be ok?

Much as I'd recommend CEM from personal experience I do feel some of the advice that he is the only option a bit fanciful when you've got Scottish based snowheads asking for advice. Likewise CHX is a fair detour for lots of holiday skiers.

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problem is the search function is pretty average at best, besides how would we fill our evenings if there were no questions

you could say the same protocol applies for snow chains, helmets, skis, and pretty much all other subjects talked about on this forum

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

The other thing is that the answer to a boot fitting question isn't always go and see A or B. Sometimes, just sometimes, the answer is "well, you could try this, see if it works - if it does, then great - if it doesn't, then perhaps go and see someone who knows what they are doing"

I live only an hour from Bicester, but still like to try things for myself and understand the theory behind something before I ring up the man who can and offer to pay him a load of money. Then I have some idea whether his advice is good and supports what I think is going on.

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The search function as CEM points out isn't the best but you can use goodgle to search this site for you, simply put "site:snowheads.com boot fitting" into the search box and magic happens!!! Which as it happens brings up over 4000 threads on this site with boot/fitting/boot fitting in the title!!

But as a well known cigar smoking detective would say just one more thing Twisted Evil

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

Rung /Roga, chill guys. As mentioned above, i think snow heads has been going so long and the forum is well supported that every conceivable (spelling!) question, query, advice has already been asked and answered a million times before.

I'm looking to change boots but scared to death that after 12 years of bashing, bending, heating that they are currently half comfortable. So, should I change, should I do on a Tarmac high street in the warm UK or wait till I'm on the snow where every little bump, twist and turn will get to my feet so much quicker.. It's this Q and A session that I find interesting and may help with my thoughts.

Any advice out there always good, if I looked in the search engine I'd probably find it and yes already written to CEM, but that's 150 miles away. And besides, SnowHeads should be about some fun related to what we all like doing......skiing!

So, I know it's warm at the moment but try and relax and enjoy the banter, the humour and even some advice sometimes!

After all it is free

flog873347, Exactamundo !!!!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

While CEM, Profeet and SZK are are the best of the best. Not everyone lives down in the South East or Cham and most peoples feet don't need to be seen the best of the best. Not many people can afford to be seen by the best of the best.

This forum is more elitist than necessary. Elitism in skiing has seriously bugged me since I was 9.

Heres advice to help the rest of us:

- Don't be put off by scare stories because they're the only stories you'll hear. People who have boots that fit well are just expecting them to fit well so don't have a story to tell.
- Ask your local shop for the most experienced person and if they've had at least a years boot fitting experience then you should to be in very good hands.
- You can get good deals late/off season but its hit and miss with availability so only go with the ones your completely happy with and don't ask "what if we go up a size?".
- Don't stress too much about your toes. Footbeds will hold your toes back and boot toe boxes can be squared out.
- Always get the custom made footbeds.
- If the selection is small and your not entirely happy then be strong say you want to check out other options. It can feel a bit rude after the boot fitter has spent so much time with you but its absolutely necessary.
- If your having issues with your boots go back to the shop because you'll be suprised what can be done to boots.

Hope this helps

J

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

rungsp I don't like your tone, I had a question about custom foot beds and fitting and I could not find an answer via the search forum feature... So like a child taking his ball home I'm not gunna ask it now, your loss , it was going to be immense and spark a 1000+ reply thread but now I just don't feel wanted... NehNeh

snow reports

jammiefreerider, fair points and there is Alain Baxter now based in Stirling for those in the north ... thing is though that there are 2 stickied threads (Boot Fitter Recommendation & Buying Ski Boots) that just happen to be in this very "Equipment reviews/Questions" area and with very little hassle can be found. They have loads of recommendations and its also perfectly possible to ask questions/add comments to these without starting yet another boot fitting thread.

Mac22, ever read the TGR forums and seen what happens there to people who start unnecessary threads repeating info/questions already available?

I agree the search function here is pants but as above there's an easy to find stickied threads with loads of info and recommendations and anyone with questions can ask there rather than starting the 1000th thread on boot fitting!

What I love is all the people (some of whom have 100 odd posts and have been here 5 minutes) denouncing rungsp, many of whom don't post on all those "what boots/bootfitter" threads that pop all the time - some of us do and we do it patiently and try to help but at the end of the day we repeat ourselves time after time and it would be better forum etiquette if people just stuck to threads like the stickied one I mention.

Woah, sense of humour not a forum requirement I see...

You know it makes sense.

^ not at this time of the night/morning it's not wink

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

Just trying to lighten the tone a little, not especially known from my 'denouncing' of users...! Shocked

A snowHead

^ yeah, quite right probably misinterpreted your post but all good now - you're not the only person with around 100 odd posts givin' it a bit of welly at the mo round here - as I say time of night/morning and slight irritability caused by one or two other noobies Skullie

A snowHead

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

parlor, too right!

It is your choice to click on new/repeated threads...
One thing that keeps SH's alive is a really rubbish search engine wink

Q's maybe repeated but they normally have a personal twist and the replies create a sense of community.... that is why TGR is full of a totally different type of user.
jammiefreerider, spot on... and welcome to snowHead

's!

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parlor, LOL waiting for the snow is making us tough as nails over here ... or we're just heading for a nervous breakdown Wink

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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achilles, Boots fitted and guaranteed are the same price at ours as at any other store without fitting. That said our range comprises of pretty much all of the highest end models available, so perhaps that's why people consider us and many other bootfitters expensive. Plus in every case we have to add the cost of a footbed, we will not sell boots without them, simples.

I really, after the above is said and done, don't know where the idea that bootfitters charge for their services. I suspect these are rumors started by shops that neither wish to participate in adding value to their products and services nor have the patience to deal with the complex problems of skiers and snowboarders feet. I don't know of any professional BF's that charge more if the client is paying full price for boots and footbeds.

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

SMALLZOOKEEPER, fair points. I think that Profeet in London make a charge - but maybe that's part of why you need to earn £400k to live there, according to Whitegold.

After all it is free

It's threads like these that popcorn was invented for.

I am a member of another forum where one of the mods combines all threads on a similar subject and leaves a message that says "This question/topic has been dealt with before - please use the search function". It is the most patronising and unwelcome introduction to any forum.

It also doesn't help very much. Scrolling through 10s of pages as each thread descends into the typical drift doesn't help answer your specific question.

The problem is really that most questions are quite specific yet either the poser widens it out so that it doesn't appear too specific or the posters start answering different questions and drift significantly.

parlor, missed an eh at the end of your anti- rant there.

Seems to me that there could be prominent stickies calling attention to the fact that users will get specific advice if they provide specific details and self awareness but quality of the answer and inversely the level of sarcasm may be directly related to the former.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I'm sure I remember reading a very similar thread to this about this time last year, someone complaining about repetitive threads being started about boot fitting. I tried to search for it to provide a link and prove my point but I couldn't find it.

Oh the irony.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

parlor, Hey man....keep my skis out of this you BC softy rolling eyes

So are we done now everyone!
Can we please get back to the question of best booties........... I'm kidding!!!! Toofy Grin

You know it makes sense.

Somebody needs to tell admin that parlor's log-in has been hijacked.

I know parlor, or I thought I did....back in the day he was a hard-charging, hard-living, hard-as-nails kind of a guy.

A season or two in Canuckistan and he is now this super-mellow, piste lovin, hard-as-marshmallow kind of a guy.

Alas poor parlor, I knew him well.....

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

Parlor has clearly been rockin some BC bud.

A snowHead

A snowHead

Alain Baxter???

The only time I have ever spoken to him was in CEM's shop where Alain had come to use some of the grinding and stretching stuff on his boots.

So as you can see....the thread remains true...the answer is always "go see CEM"

Alain Baxter? Pah! Another wanabee!!

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

double post

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Haggis_Trap, Agreed, Colin sucks.

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

Boys, boys calm dooon! Razz

Alain knows what he's doing and is a great option for boot fitting if you are in the north of England or Scotland or happen to be passing and rungsp I think you'll find Colin would concur.

Haggis_Trap, of course there are other bootfitters that are good, prob is many in the UK aren't and although say EB have some great people outside of Aviemore (where everyone local knows who to see) it's very hit and miss who you get and the good 'uns tend to move on quite fast. I appreciate when the issue of decent fitters was brought up on WH you tended to poo poo the whole idea but some of us have actually had years of problems and pain as a result of the majority of poor fitting out there (so much so at one point I stopped skiing) so we actually value trusted fitters and feel it's only fair to share the joy round. Understandably I feel we tend to feel most qualified to recommend the fitters who have done us a great job Razz

I refuse to comment on who can suck their own c@cks though wink

After all it is free

roga, My cock is tiny, that said my mouth is huge. kif kif?

SMALLZOOKEEPER, Shocked

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Yip - the fundamental problem is that competition from the internet is slowly killing off the decent UK ski shops.
They sadly cant compete in price, or selection, with the likes of e-warehouses such as Sport Conrad.

Not good news - because when you want to buy some ski boots, get some binders mounted or skis serviced then your selection of UK stores these days is limited - even in Scotland. (up until the mid 90s the old Nevis Sport in Fort William was perhaps the best outdoor store in Europe).

Anyway - wouldnt be the Autumn without a little preseason banter with SZK.
I am sure he does a great job. Not everyone lives near Cham (or down south) though.

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Boot Fitting Question...and Answer

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