Tight Boots?

A snowHead

Hey guys!

New to here so be nice! (Hello everyone by the way!)

I have been skiing a while now and just invested in my own boots. Got them fitted at Snow & Rock.

When they were fitted they felt tight but didn't pinch or hurt really.

I bought some thin socks as tried some others and I could only last about 10 min in my boots walking around! New socks are great, feel much better.

I have a couple of questions though.

My little toes go numb after walking around in then for more then 10 min's at home. Normal as I am not skiing?

Some people say they will pack out, and others say they should stay at tight as they are when I bought them.

I really want them to become a little looser around my foot, will this happen after I have skied with them for a day or so?

What do people think? Just a little worried they are too tight.

Thanks.

A snowHead

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

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Thanks guys!

Much more faith now.

I was so pleased with my thinner socks when they came through, boots feel much better.

Very glad about the walking around / skiing bit, Just need to get on the plane in a couple of weeks now!

Thanks again.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

When you take the boot off clip it up to exactly the same number on each clip when you store it overnight, it will learn your feet more quickly. (This will open the debate on whether your feet will be the same size next morning) if they are too tight take them back a turn on the clip and up again later in the day.

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Chrispy, And remember, your sking position is very different to your walking position. As II said Toofy Grin

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

Chrispy, At worst, you can always make a boot bigger, you can't make it smaller.

I think this is a first? A thread where the boots are perceived to be too small!

After all it is free

Chrispy, Welcome to snowHead

If you can manage to fit it in before your trip you should try and have a couple of hours in a fridge.
That way you should know before hand if they will cripple you when you are in them for your first full day.

under a new name, Just wear thicker socks to enable tighter fit or increase thickness of foot bed.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Cynic, Thicker socks are not a good idea.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

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under a new name, They are if it's all you've got to alter the fit. I'm talking of a Falke 2 rather 4 not your walking socks from Millettes!! Cheaper than the thicker foot bed or a pair of zip fits.

I have a similar issue but have bought some thin socks and will be wearing my boots in the house before I fly on the 26th to France.

I am hoping that they will be fine once the liners pack down.

You know it makes sense.

Chrispy,

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

A snowHead

sev112,

A snowHead

Superfeet footbeds could (should) work I reckon.

Off the shelf orthotic - supports the foot so stops it from 'spreading' when you put pressure on it, raises the heel, takes the pressure off the ball of your foot and brings your toes back. Blue if you have a low arch, green for high - £35 available at most UK ski shops.

I have custom othotics in my skiboots but put Blue Superfeet in my super-stiff Scarpa hiking boots and they're now slippers.

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

Chrispy, Sympathy - sitting here in my new race boots,just fitted today - I thought I knew what a tight fit was until now, these are nuts !!! massive difference but in a positive way - can't wait to try them out.As others have said yours will pack out but should still be a snug fit.

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Boots feel toatally alien until I plug them in to a pair of skis, then they are fine. As some one up there said walking and skiing are very different.

Cool

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I had some custom footbeds made but they just cut my circulation off, as did the custom fitted/sold boots! I switched to some gel insoles and some thinner ski socks and now I can use the boots. Only prob is that start of the day the boots are still too tight and when they heat up they get way lose! Half the time when planning to stay on piste I switch back to my knackered 20 year old Nordica Syntech Air's for a rest - now that was a boot! Air cushioned genius!!

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RattytheSnowRat, Do you ski on a Dynastar Course GS gold with the red heart on the end?

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

Chrispy, I just posted a thread which it may please you to know is a virtual duplicate of yours. Sadly this reflects badly on my observation skills as I didn't view this first which of course would have saved me posting mine!

It is odd how my boots definitely feel tighter than at fitting 8 months go. I will defo be getting some better thinner socks. I did spend a few minutes pressed forward into a more accurate ski position which fairly quickly made a difference in comfort to sitting down or walking round.

After all it is free

Hey guys,

I have a custom footbed and the boots were put in the oven to mould to my feet, so the fit should be perfect.

I bought a pair of FALKE socks, and wow, such a difference. They are real thin but my feet feel a lot happier!

The only thing now is that my little toes go a bit numb after a little while, but I think that's due to me not skiing and just walking around or sitting down in them.

I fly out to Les Deux Alpes on Friday for a week. I am just hoping I don't get any boot trouble! Fingers crossed!

PS, the boots I bought were Salomon Ghost, anyone have any views on these? The guy at snow & rock loved them and really rated them.

Chrispy, Don't have them myself but know lots of people that do, deffo a good choice by all accounts - if Fattes13 sees this thread he'll give you all the insider goss...enjoy.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Oh I reckon there is such a thing as too small and tight with ski boots!
That said, it sounds to me that you have got the right kind of tightness and that S&R did a good job. Thin socks are definitely the answer (and if that made a significant difference then a bit of packing-out will help a bit more). SKiing position does push your heel back and take pressure of the toes. You may well find that the boots do need a little more work (stretching the shell in one or two places) but you won't know until you ski in them for a couple of days. You can always pay a boot fitter in resort to make some adjustments if you'd prefer not to wait until you get home.

Footworks in Chamonix (home of Small Zoo Keeper of this manor) fitted my boots about 5 years ago. They pride themselves on getting a "snug" fit and took me down two shell sizes. The shell needed to be stretched three times to get the fit right. To be honest, it is only quite recently that they have packed out to the point of being all-day comfortable. Your boots sound to have a little more room than mine had...

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Chrispy they will definitely pack down. It might take about a week. Mine were hell for a couple of days (particularly the two bits either side of your achilles that keep your heel tight. But they were fine at the end of the first week and now (3 weeks later) I'm choosing to tighten them.

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Hey guys.

Just got back from a weeks skiing and wow. I am so glad I paid out for my own boots.

First 2 days were a short trip to hell and back but told myself I needed to stick it out. Day 3, it was like putting on a different boot! They are now spot on, a little loose if anything! (Started doing them up on the second clip!)

I still find its nice to flick off the buckles on the lift up to let them breath a bit, but all in all, an amazing boot (Salomon Ghost) and I am over the moon.

Now..... some ski's! (rented some Head i.Supershape Magnum and loved them, might look into those more)

Thanks for all your help and advice. Great forum.

Woo and indeed hoo!

Which S&R did you get 'em from/

You know it makes sense.

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

Chrispy, hello! Glad your boots worked out well in the end, it makes such a difference from the hire ones. After all, it's all my fault that you bought them!!

Now get some cash spent on skis..

wink

A snowHead

JaMMi:

Its not really "Hell" tbh. What made the big difference was the socks. I used the socks they gave me in S&R which were quite thin when the boots were fitted.

I then went to the snowdome and used some socks I had which I THOUGHT where the same thickness, but after 5 mins I had to take the boots off, it was like someone was trying to break my foot inside the boot! I am 100% they are thicker then the ones I used in-shop.

I then did some research on here into socks and bought a pair of FALKE SK5 Austria Race Socks, which were about £25. These are the things that in my eyes made the difference.

When the socks arrived, I put them on, then the boots and walked around for about 10 mins on the loosest setting on the boot. They were aching after this but I did that prob 6-7 times before taking them on holiday. By that time I was happy-ish with the boots. (still after 10 mins I had numb toes and was happy to take them off)

Day one of skiing (about 3 hours in the afternoon) They were starting to hurt a fair bit (felt like someone was gripping my feet really hard) but I undid the boots fully and just skied some greens.

Second day was much better, just hurt less everywhere. (was still happy to get them off at the end of the day though!)

Come the 4th day it was bliss. Everything felt the way it should. I still however flicked the buckles off while on the ski lift, just to let them breathe a bit.

By the end of the holiday I was actually strapping up the boots on the second click as they were really starting to bed in.

I would just really try hard to get through the first couple of days and leave them undone if you need to, I was amazed at how much the boots loosen up after a few days skiing in them.

Hope this helps! If you have any more questions please let me know! I am no means a pro, just showing the experience I had with my first pair of boots!

BTW, the Boots were from Snow & Rock in Portsmouth.

Piccadilly - My bank manager would like a word with you..... Laughing

A snowHead

Really good info there, thanks alot; very reassuring Smile

Help!!

Tight Boots?

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