Ski Club 2.0 Home
Snow Reports
FAQFAQ

Mail for help.Help!!

Log in to snowHeads to make it MUCH better! Registration's totally free, of course, and makes snowHeads easier to use and to understand, gives better searching, filtering etc. as well as access to 'members only' forums, discounts and deals that U don't even know exist as a 'guest' user. (btw. 50,000+ snowHeads already know all this, making snowHeads the biggest, most active community of snow-heads in the UK, so you'll be in good company)..... When you register, you get our free weekly(-ish) snow report by email. It's rather good and not made up by tourist offices (or people that love the tourist office and want to marry it either)... We don't share your email address with anyone and we never send out any of those cheesy 'message from our partners' emails either. Anyway, snowHeads really is MUCH better when you're logged in - not least because you get to post your own messages complaining about things that annoy you like perhaps this banner which, incidentally, disappears when you log in :-)
Username:-
 Password:
Remember me:
👁 durr, I forgot...
Or: Register
(to be a proper snow-head, all official-like!)

Buying Boots as Beginner?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I am off for my first week away skiing in March, I currently have about 10 hours of time (in 2 hour blocks) on a dry slope and at least 8 of them I have spent feeling uncomfortable in my rental boots.

Weirdly, the pain is always just in one foot (the same one each time), the other feels completely fine. The boots feel like they are gripping different places on my foot with the buckles at the same position on both. I have never had any guidance on how to do the boots up but have read that the buckles done up in a certain order, so will make sure I do that next time I go. I have tried a few different styles of boots in the lessons and recreational time I have done so far and as I have only been doing a couple of hours at a time I have just dealt with the aching, but I am worried how this is going to be after a day or two of skiing 8 hours a day in my week away.

My question is, where do I go from here?

- Is it possible that my feet (or foot, considering it seems to always be one that hurts) need more time to adjust?
- I was planning to rent Skis/Boots/Poles for my week, is the equipment standard and choice likely to be wide enough for me to find something comfortable?
- Is it worth buying boots at this stage? I am hoping skiing will be something I do yearly from this point onwards so I wouldn't mind investing but would buying a boot now last me for a while or am I going to need something different in the near future as I progress.

I intend on doing a fair amount more practice before I go away, but I thought getting some advice at this stage while I still have time to act on it would be a good idea. Any advice or other things to consider would be appreciated.
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
1) Many people have different sized (and shaped) feet - so you don't have to have the same buckle settings on each boot - adjust each one for comfort
2) Don't tighten up too much
3) See 2

Although you can buy boots as a beginner, the general wisdom (and there are some fine professional boot fitters here) is to wait until you want stiffer boots as an intermediate. As a beginner you generally want softer more comfortable boots which absorb some of the worst excesses of movement.
latest report
 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?
i bought the OH boots before her 1st trip, same problems with pain in 1 foot with boots from Chill factore - great investment as she hardly misses a day and ski's all day with no pain or problems, you'll feel more too and get much better control than with hire boots, she's done 10ish weeks in them now so due for an upgrade but we went for intermediate boots to start with so we didn't have to upgrade too soon.
go see a good bootfitter tho, it'll be well worth it - plenty of recommendations on here depending on where you live.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You already know that apart from foot pain you enjoy skiing and will want to make the most of your yearly (expensive) trip, to that you'll be spending signifigantly longer than 2 hours at a time in uncomfortable boots if you DONT buy new. So buy new so you enjoy yourself.
Check the toenails hanging off threads in the injury forum! You don't want that or blisters, nor do you want to cut off your circulation and risk frostbite from doing your boots up too tight.
Find a reputable bootfitter and tell them what you have told us, if they deserve a good rep then they will advise you of the best boot to go for to last a few holidays. They will probably sell you custom foot beds, they seem pricey but will serve you well.
Remember boots should feel like they are firmly gripping your feet and not like slippers. Slippers will soften up and get sloppy after only a couple of days and then they are too big to hold your foot flat, you won't be able to control your skis, your confidence will nose dive and you may hurt yourself too. Like you mentioned you don't want to buy new boots for next years holiday.
Have a great time.
ski holidays
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:

the general wisdom (and there are some fine professional boot fitters here) is to wait until you want stiffer boots as an intermediate

is that really the general wisdom? I'd say that if you get decent boots, the right ones for your feet, properly fitted and with custom insoles (and yes, go to a proper bootfitter to get them) it'd be a long time before you could "out ski" them. I suspect lots of people who tell themselves they "need" stiffer boots to ski better are actually kidding themselves.
snow conditions
 cran
cran
Guest
Definitely worth getting proper fitting boots, but I wouldn't bother with custom insoles unless you need them in normal shoes.

I had custom insoles made, and not only did they cost a lot, they hurt my feet, and I threw them away Sad
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
cran wrote:
Definitely worth getting proper fitting boots, but I wouldn't bother with custom insoles unless you need them in normal shoes.
I had custom insoles made, and not only did they cost a lot, they hurt my feet, and I threw them away Sad

Sorry,but that's nonsense! I can only assume that they were not properly moulded.The inside of a ski boot is flat...your foot is not! Custom beds support the foot,esp the arch,and are,in the opinion of most,essential.Without them,the foot will tend to pronate,leading to all sorts of problems...and pain Sad
Any decent boot fitter will 'virtually' insist on them.Regretfully,many see this as a sales con,which it is not.

blawford,Hire boots are a lottery,wherever you go.You don't want to be wasting part of your holiday sorting this out,you want to be skiing.And its quite possible you have a foot issue that can only be resolved by a good boot fitter(not unusual BTW).I firmly believe in having your own boots.You can faff around as much as you like with skis etc,but the boot is the essential link,and it must be right.
Whereabouts are you? Sure that someone will be able to point you in the right direction Very Happy
latest report
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Thanks for the replies. I am assuming the ski bindings are universal so I wont have a problem hiring skis for my own boots? Any idea on an average price estimate I would expect to pay for boots plus foot beds?

I am in Woking, Surrey, I work in Chertsey and know there is a large Snow + Rock there, although no idea of the general level of expertise I would find going there for boot fitting, prices seem on the expensive side also. No idea of what else is around my area.
snow report
 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.
Quote:

I am assuming the ski bindings are universal so I wont have a problem hiring skis for my own boots?

Yes, the hire shop will adjust the bindings to your boots, and to your weight/ski ability etc (be sure to tell them you are a beginner - they have a tendency to crank them up a bit high, in my experience).

You are not far from CEM in Bicester (solutionsforfeet.com) who is a specialist and highly regarded by many here, including me. Telephone him and ask. But boots and insoles are expensive. Think £300 plus.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
cran wrote:
Definitely worth getting proper fitting boots, but I wouldn't bother with custom insoles unless you need them in normal shoes.

I had custom insoles made, and not only did they cost a lot, they hurt my feet, and I threw them away Sad


I don't understand this. Your custom insoles hurt your feet and you didn't go back to the shop? Any reputable boot fitter would be doubly annoyed - first at himself if he had got it wrong in the first place and then at you for not giving him a chance to put it right.

By the way, blawford, when you do decide to get your own boots, my advice is to get them at home, not during a 6 day stay in a resort where you won't have time to go back for any tweaking that might need to be done. At home try them out if you can at a dry slope/snowdome, clump around the house in them .... and go back for any adjustment.
latest report
 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
blawford, ccl +1, although where cran is right is that custom footbeds don't need to be a priority for a beginner.

The downside with renting is that it's a lottery and if you tend to have problems with boots then buying a pair of boots is almost certainly sensible.

Personally, though, I wouldn't rush out and spend £300+ on a pair. Instead I'd by a pair of boots that you can (metaphorically) throw away after 2-3 trips knowing that you got good value out of them.

Decathlon, if you can get to one, is a good place to start and they currently have lots of stuff available between £75 and £150 at the moment. For that money you'll end up with pair of boots that's better than rental and you can wear them around the house to get used to them. The staff in Decathlon aren't the worlds best boot fitters, but they're not terrible

If you can, then take along someone who has bought ski boots before to help you.

CEM is certainly up there with the world's best boot fitters and very good value for the service he provides. But, personally, I'd save a trip to him for your next pair when you have a better idea of what you're buying.
latest report
 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.
FlyingStantoni wrote:
blawford, ccl +1, although where cran is right is that custom footbeds don't need to be a priority for a beginner.

The downside with renting is that it's a lottery and if you tend to have problems with boots then buying a pair of boots is almost certainly sensible.

Personally, though, I wouldn't rush out and spend £300+ on a pair. Instead I'd by a pair of boots that you can (metaphorically) throw away after 2-3 trips knowing that you got good value out of them.

Decathlon, if you can get to one, is a good place to start and they currently have lots of stuff available between £75 and £150 at the moment. For that money you'll end up with pair of boots that's better than rental and you can wear them around the house to get used to them. The staff in Decathlon aren't the worlds best boot fitters, but they're not terrible

If you can, then take along someone who has bought ski boots before to help you.

CEM is certainly up there with the world's best boot fitters and very good value for the service he provides. But, personally, I'd save a trip to him for your next pair when you have a better idea of what you're buying.


Apologies but I totally disagree.
Spending £150 on a pair of boots that in essence you will fit yourself is a total waste of money, and one which might cause you more pain, and or injury. A friend of mine bought a "cheap" pair of boots from a ski "warehouse", only to be put in a pair of boots 2 sizes to big and to be told by a reputable boot fitter that these boots were so big they could've caused a broken leg!

If you're going to buy boots, spend the money on a pair of properly fitted boots / insoles from a reputable boot fitter, it's worth every penny, and will last you years.
ski holidays
 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
blawford, .. my 2p worth.... Dry slope rental boots are generally at the bottom of the pile in terms of comfort and fit - because the get used for an hour or so by many different people, who, as begineers a) walk about in them a lot - and b) usally have sub-optimal posture, so the liners get compressed in all the wrong places.

You will find the boots you rent on snow will be a step up in term of quality and fit. Couple of things worth remembering - only one pair of (good quality) ski socks are needed at any one time, and - if the boots don't fit - take them back and change for another pair. You'll find the hire shop a lot less busy on the 2nd or 3rd day of your holiday..

Have a good time !
snow conditions
 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

You will find the boots you rent on snow will be a step up in term of quality and fit

that's certainly true. Even small resorts will have a good range of places renting boots and skis, and the boots are often very new.
snow conditions
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
My point about buying your own properly fitted ones was that unless you are an incredibly fast learner and want to do the kind of skiing which requires super-stiff highly technical boots, you won't "grow out of them" quickly in the way you would grow out of beginner skis.

Someone in my family who had once teetered down a red slope, taking absolutely ages, and freezing before practically every turn (I was there and had reluctantly agreed to take her down it) bought her own boots and told the shop assistant she was a "red run skier and improving". She got sold some stupidly stiff boots and then moaned about them.

Lots of very good French skiers just go into the hire shop and hire what comes off the shelf. And ski very well in them.
snow report
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
pam w wrote:
My point about buying your own properly fitted ones was that unless you are an incredibly fast learner and want to do the kind of skiing which requires super-stiff highly technical boots, you won't "grow out of them" quickly in the way you would grow out of beginner skis.

jellemr wrote:
Apologies but I totally disagree.
Spending £150 on a pair of boots that in essence you will fit yourself is a total waste of money, and one which might cause you more pain, and or injury. A friend of mine bought a "cheap" pair of boots from a ski "warehouse", only to be put in a pair of boots 2 sizes to big and to be told by a reputable boot fitter that these boots were so big they could've caused a broken leg!

If you're going to buy boots, spend the money on a pair of properly fitted boots / insoles from a reputable boot fitter, it's worth every penny, and will last you years.

I'm a great believer in properly fitted boots. But I'm also a great believer in people skiing in equipment that is appropriate to their ability level and not buying equipment that is unnecessarily expensive.

I am not, repeat not, suggesting the OP buys ski boots from complete cowboys. Decathlon are not cowboys.

Buying an appropriately priced pair of ski boots is neither a waste of money not dangerous. Just in the same way that buying appropriately priced clothing isn't.
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
My 2 cents is to buy a properly fitted pair now.

I did not, learned on plastic slopes, rented the first ski trip, and only then purchased. It did make a huge difference to comfort and control. The boots will last a long time, I am on my third pair in about 17 years. And they have all had a lot of use. At the start I skied about 3 weeks a season and now I am lucky enough to live in the mountains so can much more.

If I was starting again I would buy and not wait, and get a foot bed as well as the boot.

Also allow enough time for the fitting, say 2 hours. Don't try and squeeze it in during a lunch break and don't turn up at closing time.
ski holidays



Terms and conditions  Privacy Policy