Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Guys,
This is my first post so please bear with me!
The title kind of says it all. I have extremely wide feet (especially my right foot) and finding a ski boot to fit has always been a nightmare! I'm currently using my 3 year old Atomic B-Techs as they are the widest I could find but now my feet tend to go numb withing 10 minutes and I lose feeling in my foot after an hour or so. And with being an instructor it doesn't help when you're trying to keep kids active and I need to stop to unclip my boot every so often.
Now when I say wide I really mean wide! I went into my local ski shop to see if they had anything that might fit and when I had my foot measured it couldn't fit on the scale... The guy at the shop said he hadn't seen such wide feet.
Now the only thing I can think of is going for Salomon Customs and getting the shell moulded for my feet.
I know this sounds like a good option but I have a feeling the flex will increase after they've been moulded so they might not perform as well on double blacks.
I'd really like to see if there are a few options out there for me and I'd love to hear from you guys! Hopefully there are a couple other HOS's (Hobbits on Skis) out there!
Thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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I would go, with your B-techs, to a boot fitter than can help. Are you sure the numbness is because of the width? I have pretty wide feet, and the B techs have worked for me for a long time.
You may find it is not the width causing your problem, as I discovered when someone very helpfully pointed out that the canting on my boots was all over the shop, and with a bit of a tweak the pain I had in the outside of my foot disappeared completely and my skiing improved quite dramatically overnight.
Scotland is a big place, so suggest you give us a more precise location and someone should be able to point you in the right direction. With respect to your local ski shop, the guy you spoke to might be the greatest boot fitter on earth, or they might not.
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Sorry I stay in Aberdeen (North East) but I'd go further a field to get this sorted!
When I wear my B-Techs they actually make my foot arch horizontally if that makes sense? Would the canting make a difference? Only happens on my right foot and I know my right foot is wider (I go through a lot of right shoes that burst on the outside step.)
I got my B-Techs when I spent a season in Tremblant, QC, and we tried custom superfeet to try and increase space without getting a custom boot but it really made little difference.
I've never heard of Daleboot? Would there be much difference between them an getting custom mould Salomons?
Thanks for the feedback!
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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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Skudd wrote: |
I've never heard of Daleboot? Would there be much difference between them an getting custom mould Salomons?
Thanks for the feedback! |
Daleboot will make a shell to fit rather than moulding an existing shell.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Quote: |
Daleboot will make a shell to fit rather than moulding an existing shell.
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Ahhh. Well that would be a much better option! A trip down to Oxford wouldn't bother me to be honest.
Any idea of prices?
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Skudd, I don't know about pricing, I'm afraid. I've not used them myself, but had heard nothing bu good reviews by those I know who have used them, including a few SnowHeads. Search the forums and it might turn up a bit more info
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If you're prepared to travel to Oxford, I'd go and see Colin at Solutions for Feet. He knows what will suit a Daleboot and what he can do in house with off the shelf boots, send him an e-mail and he'll help where he can. If you are travelling down, I suspect a visit to both companies is sensible and see which takes you.
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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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Skudd, not sure the Salomon custom shell would go enough if the B Tech is not wide enough...... a good fitter should be able to push a shell 5-6mm each side with the correct tools and a bit of time, at this level of stretch then there is an amount of distortion in the boot shell.
is it the width as someone has already suggested, pressure across the foot can be caused by a few things including lack of flexibility in the ankle joint/calf muscle, a poorly made footbed, a biomechanical rotation of the foot, badly set up cuff adjustment or a boot which is too narrow
notice a boot which is too narrow was at the end of the list!
for a (slightly) more local place you could have a chat with Alain Baxter who has a boot workshop in stirling 01786 448335 www.alainbaxter.co.uk he has a small stock of boots but can work on your existing ones or at least tell you that there is no hope of saving them.
good luck getting sorted
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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scarpa have a few wider models - I have wide clownfeet (also curiously moreso on right foot), and have found a couple of scarpa models that suit me well currently (after a good fitting etc.) Others that have worked in the past for me are Technica and Salomon, not current models though so thats probably worthless.
Given your location, Baxter is a good shout as above as his shop is in Stirling, or another within reach is Braemar Mountain Sports in (funnily enough) Braemar. They tend more to touring & tele boots but these days boots is becoming boots so a possibility for sure (and they're good lads over there).
Again as CEM says, prior contact with explanation of comedy foot features probably a good idea
Good luck, I sympathise
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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 for your help guys!
Gonna get in contact with a good bootfitter and see what they can do before I go buying custom shells etc.
Might save me a bit of money!
Thanks again!
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Going to the bootfitter on sat but thought I would measure the width at home.
I feel like I must have something wrong...
I measure 111mm ish.
Now I have never had any major problems when renting before. Had a pair of good rentals for a full season in fact with no real issues. What am I doing wrong? Im measuring the widest point at the top of my foot.
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You know it makes sense.
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parkesy, Maybe you really are a hobbit.
This thread might help a bit, what size shoes do you take ?
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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parkesy, the rentals have probably been too long for you, once the boot fitter is done you'll find that the length is bang on and the whole thing should fit dramatically better than previous boots. 111mm is wide, but not huge - I am about 104mm and my size 10 feet are wide but not extreme, a size 11.5 which is 111mm wide can't be that huge.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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a 104mm boot (measured in a size 26/26.5) will be around 110-112 wide in a size 27/27.5 so shouldn't be a problem for a boot fitter, so if you need a longer boot than that you will quite probably get into one with a narrower last. a 102mm or maybe even a 100mm last, make sure the fitter shell checks the boot and you don't buy something too big
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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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Suggest you look at the strolz boot www.strolz.co.uk I supply strolz and have produced boots for many happy customers in the shire
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I had the same problem and had looked at all the usual makes - my wide feet were eventually sorted by a pair of Head boots which I got heat-fitted and I got the insole insert changed to give me a bit better support. The fitting wasn't the cheapest, but I've been skiing pain free for the last two years.
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