Custom Fit or Straight Out the Box? Survey!

J

(Jonesy)

Active member
Alright, so let me start off by saying that this has been a debated topic around my shop for a while now, and i thought that by assembling the Newschooler masses that i might be able to shed some light on the subject. So the question is this...

when skiing mostly park, is it better to have a shell size smaller than you measure at and punch the boot to make it fit?

or is it better to buy a boot that fits more traditionally, and packs out to give you room?
 
I distinctly remember making a newschoolers.com rule in regards to boot threads. I think it went something along the lines of NO MORE BOOT THREADS.

This is a perfect example of why that rule needs to be strictly enforced, with penalties ranging from banning up to, and including, being murdered in order to keep the gene pool from getting diluted with your stupidity.
 
hey asshole, guess what? in case you can't read the second sentence of any thread title, it says "SURVEY". thus this is not a individual question, but rather one to address and educate a larger audience than the newschoolers population. also, this thread may well prove handy in the assistance of park skiers making the correct choice in a boot.

so keep on being a prick. i'm sure it will eventually work out great for you.

 
The point here, everyone is that YOU BUY THE BOOT THAT FITS, and that the boot "that fits" depends a lot on the person wearing it and their experience in ski boots. Raced for a bunch of time? You'll like your boots slightly smaller. Not raced so much? A little more room is acceptable. Want something in between? You can find that too. Of course, whatever boot you buy will require shell work, because no one fits a boot out of the box, no matter what you think.

There is, of course, no "better". "Better" depends on whom the boot is going to be skied by.
 
Because talking about boots online is pretty much a complete waste of time. I just posted pretty much everything anyone needs to know to buy boots semi-intelligently a couple of posts up. it's really this simple: You buy the boot that fits. How do you know? You, along with your competent bootfitter, will know, and that's it. You'll get the shell work done, ski them, then go back once or twice to iron it out, and you're done.

Talking about it online is a waste of time, and just causes carpal tunnel syndrome thanks to typing.
 
Dont Listen to Jibthis....he is just grumpy :(

Good question though. This is a tricky topic that has a few variables.

First, it depends on if you have a custom footbed. If you are going to have a boot that is 1 size smaller than your actual size, you definitely need a footbed in order to shorten up your foot and help it fit within the smaller liner.

Second, it depends on how much park vs. performance fit they want. In the park, you basically just need to pad up the boot to prevent shin bang, but you don't need a performance fit because you aren't pushing the limits of the boot normally. If it is the majority in the park, go with the size bigger because too small can cause major black toe nailage....trust me.....im lookin' at my nice big black toe nail right now.

Finally, it really depends on how big you need the toe box. You generally want to start with the boot that is going to be the least amount of work. If the bigger size is actually too big, but the smaller one has a little toe box pressure, go with the smaller one and punch out the toe box.

Personally, I would say the bigger boot is better. This is from a season of skiing in the Head S-11 (a very narrow liner, more like a race fit), and it was TORTURE for the first 8 days. After a few kinks worked out, and a lot of attention at the shop (I am a boot fitter there as well, so I get a lot better attention than normal), we now have it perfect...but it was a pain.

I vote bigger one!
 
Jib_This got it right. go to a shop and try on a bunch of boots, and get the one that fits snuggest without being uncomfortable. you may have to go through 10 pairs to find the right one, but you'll know the right boot when its on your foot. regardless of what you're skiing, a loose fitting boot is never good.
 
my boots didn't pack out as much as expected cuz i'd never had such a low volume shell... how much on average does it cost to get 'em punched out???
 
im with you 100% on this one, this thread should be gone, talking about boots online is a complete waste of time. I cant even count the number of times I have seen threads asking about boots. "what boots the best", "what boot will work for me".
 
this is a ligit question, it is not one "which boot is good for park riding" thread. those are crap. my sugestion is to do a standard boot fit and then wait for it to pack out, (just wear them around the house for a few days. then if there are still too tight in the tows or arch, punch them out, I dont think you should modfy the shell untill after the boot has packed out a little becuase you never know how much a liner will pack out. always strech or grind presure points though.
 
im roking lange comp 120 fr and my are 1 size too small an im punching out the sides its a work in process because i have narrow feet except for one point of width it s at where my pinky toe joins my foots widest point and man it kills my feet so im getting em punched but i really like the tight boot feel i do have custom footbeds that help tho
 
Well, my cousin used to be a tech at a shop and is now the manager. He's also very experienced in skiing. When I bought my boots he believed it was better to buy a boot that may be too small, because in the worst case, you can always stretch it or punch it out or whatever. But If you buy a boot to large, you cannot customize it at all.

So I think the smaller boot customized would be the best choice.
 
I highly doubt taking a boot TOO small is good for you. It's supposed to fit snug, but too small just means it's too small for your foot. Punching out in lenght is also very sketchy, cauz you're playing around with the toe and heel release wings. The best option to get a really good fit it measuring your foot and match it with a specific last from a company. Most of them offer their measurements on their site or in their catalogues. once that is done get a custom sole, punch out any imperfections, but when you start playing with the shell too much you might cauz more trouble then you need too.
 
you can punch a boot out to almost a half size bigger. custom insoles are also another good idea, becuase they will make your foot a little shorter and narrower.
 
see whoever thought this thread was pointless is a dumbshit, I think someone could've learned something from someone here. People are way too negative on these forums. If you think you've seen every type of thread on this site to the point where you think you can just be like omg lololol roflmao another this thread stfu.. then go find another website. You guys want to hate on "newbs" for asking questions, there's a word for that.. mean.
 
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