 Poster: A snowHead
|
It is one thing to know whether your own boots are OK, but another to know for someone else.
As a parent, hiring for the children in resort, how can I know that the shop is supplying the correct boots for my children. What things should you look for, what questions should I/the boot fitter be asking the children to ensure that they are the right ones?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Great question Ray I am sure you and I are not the only ones who are going to have to deal with this this winter.
Maybe Smallzookeeper can help on this one?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
JimW, thanks for bringing this back to the top. I had almost given up.
My question stems from the fact that in a typical hire shop situation on arrival day, the shop workers are often very rushed and may not have a good command of English (my command of other languages is pretty much non-existent). In that situation, I become responsible for ensuring that the boots for the rest of my family are right for them. Yet in truth I don't know really know what to look for myself. Beyond "are they comfortable" and "are your toes touching the end", there must be other questions that I can ask my kids to know that they have the right fitting boots. What should those questions be? And more importantly, perhaps, what are the answers?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Ray Zorro, Your are dead right, how many parents end up back at the shop with a blistered kid that accepted the 1st pair of boots because they were bored in the shop. Perhaps we need to talk to the kids more about the importance of what they are about to do in the hire shop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
One obvious thing when checking where the toes are - I've seen plenty of people asking their kids if the boots are ok when they're sitting down, or if standing up, not exactly leaning forward.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
Frosty the Snowman, PG, spot on.
In my experience kids want their ski boots to be larger than they actually need. Doing shell checks is quite difficult because they're shouldn't be enough room for an adult hand in the shell with your childs foot in the boot.
Depending on the age of the child I always try to have a very good chat with them before I let them put a boot on, not easy in a busy hire shop in a school holiday, so take a few minutes before you get in the shop to explain how the boot should fit. Give them a little good skier good fitting boots chat so they understand a little more.
Then do a shell check anyway. Wobble the shell around his/her foot, you're only looking for enough space between the foot and shell for the liner. While the liner is out of the boot get them to stand in it and check for yourslef how much room there is, if it fits the linner should encompass the foot. I think Head (someone does) make a kids boot that has a little window in the liners so you can see!
Socks are a massive factor when it comes to boot comfort, cheap nasty ski socks = nasty pressure on the foot. If you're wedged (or the child is bigger/ has people to hand them down to etc) then get them real ski socks. Kids feet don't sweat, they only need 1 pair (?) for a week anyways. Otherwise they'd be better off in their school socks, if they're long enough to come out of the boot. Thickness is rubbish, I ski in socks thinnner than I wear for everyday socks, comfort (read shape & fit) is key.
Oh, and rather you than me 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ray Zorro, Hi I just wonderd where you are skiing this year? Maybe someone could recommend a good rental shop.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Childrens feet are nice and squashy, so just choose a boot that's two sizes too small for them, for a nice snug fit. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
real problem this. When I took my 9 year old nephew on ski trip, I found that his boots hurt like hell when he was about to go off on his ski lesson, but had miraculously become extremely comfortable when he was trying to persuade me to take him down a red slope in the afternoon. Oh, except when he fell over on said red slope, then they hurt again.... but on last day, when he had had a great ski lesson in the morning, he felt no pain even after a big crash. When, at 15, he was learning to snowboard last year he insisted his feet were fine, despite obvious blisters and only reluctantly agreed to wait long enough for me to apply Compeed before dashing off into the blizzard. Though they did hurt a lot in the evening, it seems, when I asked him to take a pile of stuff down to the recyling bins...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
clive ward, We are going to Tignes at half term, but we are going with group that has their own equipment, so the fitting has the potential to be less professional than even the busiest hire shop.
PG has mentioned toe fitting, and standing up, Parlor has also given some useful advice. What about other areas, what about the heel, how should that feel, fit or move? What about tightness at the top of the boot? Any thoughts there?
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
Ray Zorro,
A couple of things we have tried with varied success.
Go to a dry slope before hand and ski there and find out what size works for them, you can occasionally hire boots for the holiday from some slopes if they fit that's great.
I usually do as Parlor says and take out the inner boot and get them to stand up in it and you can fell where their feet are.
I slightly disagree with the only one pair of socks in my experience kids get wet feet with snow in them ( and occasionally pee if young) and wet socks help create blisters I think they should start out with dry socks and preferably inner boots each morning.
For girls woolly tights often work better than socks and don't wrinkle.
I think for children comfort is more important tnan a really close fit a child with sore feet won't ski well and may be miserable.
As they go up levels I find instructors are usually very helpful with working out how tight to do up the boot.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
