 Poster: A snowHead
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What is your opinion on boots?
Ellis Brigham in MK told me that new boots are much more comfortable with soft interiors, lower cut etc than "old" boots due to new materials and designs. Apparently I won't need to endure the hours of pain and multiple fitting sessions that my current boots took until they fit me properly.
So I wondered if a pair of 'new design but worn by other people' hire boots are likely to be "better" than my 18yr old mid-entry Nordicas which fit me like gloves, but certainly wouldn't be described as comfortable.
I think my conformable insoles have also had their day - but not sure if its worth getting a new pair for boots which are, frankly, probably on their last legs - have used them for about 9/10 weeks I think, but which I am loathe to go through the replacement process on because it took me 3 of those weeks to get these ones blown and adjusted to be tickety boo and hiring is cheaper.
I have pretty wide calves (ordinary boots are always an issue) and feet so not convinced that anything will fit "off the shelf"
Any thoughts?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimom,
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I have pretty wide calves (ordinary boots are always an issue) and feet so not convinced that anything will fit "off the shelf"
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I would have thought that this would mean that hire boots wouldn't fit well either? I suspect they would just give you bigger ones than you really need.
I got new boots this season (from CEM), very tight to start with, but after six or seven dry slope sessions they were fine for my first week on snow.
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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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You mean you wore them in to fit you?
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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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skimom, your boots may be too old (plastics age and become brittle), so you might start thinking about getting new ones. While true that the newer boots will generally have better heel retention and flex better, finding a boot that fits is still hard and most will need help from a bootfitter. Renting is not an option IMV, but nowadays it's easier to find a good bootfitter to get your boots to "behave" in less time and with less pain
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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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Rent some save the cash.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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skimom, I have wide calves (and feet and high insteps!) I got a set of Head boots to vitually fit off the shelf with very minor modification. Mind are a pair of Head 8.8's. The bootfitters have posted from time to time that they agree that Head and others can deal with us with wider legs, so yes, I think you stand a chance of boots fitting off the shelf.
On the brittle boots saga I knew someone whose boots exploded on a red-run due to age of the plastic and it really shook her up as well as being dammed inconvenient to get down the rest of the hill. Maybe at 20 years old you owe yourself a new pair?
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I knew someone whose boots exploded on a red-run
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Wow! inconvenient, yes. But what a story to tell. I wonder if the 007 producers are reading this.
On a more serious note my son has ridiculously wide feet and he loves Head boots, rented them many times and when his feet stopped growing we bought him some. Finding boots to fit you will be a faff, but so will renting. Bite the bullet and buy some new boots. You deserve it.
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sanman, I only heard the recount and saw the resulting photos of the boot which was in a bit of a mess, I think she took a bit of tumble with it too.
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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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Exploding boots...scary... hmm - I didn't think I'd used them much, but now I've added it up I realise they owe me nothing, its just the aggravation of getting new ones to fit.
I have a couple of spare hours tomorrow afternoon and will be dropping one kid at Xscape in MK so might go try some new ones on and see how they feel. Loathe to buy this year though because I had a serious ankle injury 3 yrs ago which is why we haven't skied recently and this will be the first 'test' of it - it still aches after going to the gym, swimming or standing by a footie pitch watching the kids although at least now it doesn't seem to swell up (interestingly after a 2hr session at the snozone to 'test' it, my ankle was about the only bit of me that didn't feel worse than normal loL!)
There is probably a 50/50 chance that if I shell out several £££s for boots this might be the first and last time I wear them for a while... the recovery has been very slow and a ski holiday might set me back (a risk I am prepared to take). For those following my apartment size saga, one of the reasons for wanting a 'nice' environment is I have a horrible feeling I might spend a lot of time with my ankle in ice reading a book....
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skimom, beauty of good ( or personal - pick your own adjective) boots is that they help overcome niggles, injuries and such like.
Last week, I lost a couple of days after coming out backwards. Couldn't face the blue sky from the sofa for a third day, so squeezed the boot around the sore calf, and hey presto, reduced pain, (OK I'll admit to slight anxiety), but was able to ski.
However, 10 days later back in the UK, am still hobbling in 'ordinary' shoes. Someone is trying to tell me something... get bacK to that mountain!
Get good boots, fitted by good fitters. Simply put, get it right, and there is no pain: not in the making, not in the usage. Only in the wallet - which of course, is transitory since multiple hires might spread the load, but sure don't give the return.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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With largish calves (definitely recognise the issue) you might well be struggling with hire boots - unless you can get some women's specific boots they will come too high up your leg - men's calf muscles bulge out higher up than women's so positioning is crucial. My Atomic boots (fitted by CEM) are cut below the sticky out bit so haven't caused any issues - I just need to stretch more before I go skiing again... and remember not to walk downhill in undone boots!
With ankle issues, good insoles would be a must for me - they give so much more support - but if you already have well fitted insoles for general use, you may be able to put them in a ski boot - OH uses his podiatrist made custom insoles for skiing (and i use my ski boot insoles for walking!)
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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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I already have conformables, but they weren't "blocked" and I suspect over time have lost the support they were giving.
On our test run I had an hour of 'foot agony' before my feet went numb and they felt ok - which is why I am considering getting new ones - in the past I have been so pleased with them not hurting I have been very precious about them, but tbh I got a rub on my shin and my "good" foot as I call it was too tight on the little toes went numb.
I know since I bought them I have put on about 4 stones, so its no wonder they no longer fit - my feet will be fatter, my bad ankle means I'll be favouring one side and my conformables probably aren't giving any support - added to which the thing that tightens round the ankle and the auto-loosens in walk mode is knackered and the velcro power strap is peeling.
(LOL! can you tell I am already thinking I might just get a new pair tomorrow - what's a couple of hundred pounds on the holiday - and I can always get the £10 back I've just spent on hiring a pair to help pay for them)
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18 years? Better start looking for its replacement.
My second pair lasted about 19 years, when the plastic a buckle attached to cracked. Fortuantely while I was taking it off. That's about the time frame when plastic starts to get old and britle.
I had the same thought when my boot broke: the thought of painful hours to "break in" new boots. Fortunately, I found a new pair that fits almost right out of the box! It was so much more comfortable I kept asking the boot fitter if it might have too much volume. The boot fitter probably heard the same before. So he kept reassuring me new boots can fit snug without discomfort.
And he was right!
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm managing to convince myself that new boots will probably support my dodgy ankle better...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Just go to Snow and Rock, EB and loads of shops find a boot that you like and that fits, get a good price and Unless you have funny feet or sticky out bits, thats all there is to it. Get a foot bed made if you are a sport skier, although some experts don't believe in them, added cost say £50 on top of boot price. No need for any more costs.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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skimom, I did niotice on our last visit to MK, EB didnt seem to have much in there for women. we kind of had a half ar$ed look for boots for mrs ricfrench.
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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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skimom, I think you owe yourself a treat - if there are painful spots I get the impression that the decent boot fitters can usually sort these out.
Let us know which ones you pick 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Went today - tried on some Atomics and some Head - both fit ok, hurt in the same place as my old ones on right little toe. A lot more supportive (much better fit round the ankle). Had the same problem though - 20 mins of flexing and my right arch went into cramp -did the same in my current boots on our Snozone trial run, and often does it at night...so not sure any new boot can solve that?
Bloke checked my conformables and said they were still ok
With the atomics he only had the mens so has ordered the womens to try.
The problem with this afternoons experience is that it has me worried about my ankle. Just the time spent flexing in the boots has caused my ankle to ache (worse than it has been for a while) so I am now really not sure I am going to be able to do much skiing. I therefore think I have a plan
1. Have paid for hire boots - will try them as they will be much newer than my own and I'll stick my conformables in them - in theory they should provide better support. The only problem will be what the store have in stock - I'll need about 104mm last.
2. Will take my own boots in case my experience with the hire ones is awful
3. Will take a whole pile of library books and dvds and our 19" telly with built in DVD just in case I am "house bound"
4. Assuming all is ok on the holiday will buy on return
Much as I loved the new boots, they weren't that much more comfortable than my own so I think they would need to be blown and I don't have time to try them out before the holiday, and a brand new pair of boots sitting in an apartment when I can't ski would just be rubbing salt in the wound. Especially if turned out I can't ski again for a few years.
So will be trying to resist the temptation - but will got back and try on the female Atomics so that if I decide to buy I will know what to get when I get back.
Have to say the guys in EB were very helpful and no high pressure sales which was good.
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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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Also an option is to pop into sone shops in resort and just try on some more boots. If you find something that fits close, you can get the tweak it and ski them right away. Re-tweak and re-try for the rest of the week till it's perfect.
I don't like to buy away from mountains for that reason. What feels good in the shop isn't quite the same as on the slope with skis attached.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@abc - might well do that, as long as the ankle isn't swelling...no point getting a boot that fits it when its swollen.
At least having been this afternoon I have an idea of prices and what is likely to fit.
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Silly question as I know nothing about your ankle injury, but has it reduced the flexibility in that ankle - i.e. less flexion available? If so some kind of heel lift in a boot would help massively!
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skimom, As well what Randomsabreur, said, I have a heel lift in my left and mine was put in to assist fit around my wide calf, so there are clearly all sorts of things that the bootfitters can do. Could you manage to get the CEM or one of the other recommended boot people?
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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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LIke Profeet Fulham Road.
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FAQ
