Guide On: How to Buy Ski Boots

No, like Cobra said you can usually get into a smaller size with a footbed because 1) the footbed replaces the stock insole and 2) because it supports your foot (holds your foot up), it doesn't allow your foot to collapse and become longer; in essence it shortens your foot.
 
there are always solutions, just sometimes it means starting over from scratch, which unfortunately means it was the completely wrong boot for you... a solution nonetheless, just not a cheap one.
 
I once told a women she was too fat to ski. I said it nicer then that, but I think she got the message.

This was affter a cuff stretch (on a technica mega 10), buckle extensions, and opened intuitions. Her calf was still too big, and she would lose circulation. Her arteries probably weren't helping though.

I guess her solution would be starvation.
 
so true. I've had to cut apart the upper cuffs of practice boots, removing the 4 inches of plastic where the ladder attaches to the cuff, and then bolt that to the customer's cuff so that the buckle could actually catch the ladder.... huge huge calves are such a pain haha
 
that's when you have to move to an atomic B series ladies boot. they have by far the furthest adjustment of an boot on the market. if you can't put a fat legged woman in those, she should either be in a wheel chair or have a walker to support her weight.
 
i fit boots for 6 years and damn i saw some large women. kinda happy i got out and grabbed semi-desk job with a ski company.
 
Does anyone know if the ace of spades or dead money (both nodica boots) fit anything like nordica's all mountain boots. I had a guy look at my feet (the guy in the ski rack in vermont specifically) and he eventually came to the conclusion that the nordica supercharger fit my foot well. I agreed for sure. But I was wondering whether their park boots fit anything like that since I'm an east coaster and I like park, rails specifically. So I figured a good park boot might make my feet more comfortable. my current boots, some techinca's, fit badly and are cold to top it off.
 
Oh I forgot to mention, something I don't like about my current boots is the amount of forward lean they have, i'd prefer to be standing a little more straight up than I am right now.
 
Ha, do you remember who fit you? I used to be the lead boot-fitter there...

The new boots will fit a little bit narrower than the boots that came out of the Beast series (like Supercharger), despite their 101mm claimed width. I would say more like Speedmachine in terms of their fit. The new boots will also have less forward lean, so you'll be good to go there.

They should have the new boots arriving soon, if not already. Give them a shout and definitely try them on first.
 
well it was in march of this year that I went there, I don't live in vermont though . I heard about the store on the ski show and decided to check it out while I was there. I can't really remember who it was. I think he had black hair, maybe a beard too.
 
I take it size 7 boots full tilts are hard to find? Thats what some guy in some shop just told me. I thnik they said they ordered size 8 and up in all of there boots. lame.
 
Hi guys,

Buying my first ski boot so I'm need of some advice. Came across Nordica Sportmachine 90 after trying couple of other models from Nordica and Atomic. These fit nicely but when I lean forward and on purpose try to lift my heel there is some room to do that. I'm not talking much, maybe 0.5cm, if that. When just leaning forward the heel is in place. Just how much room for "travel" can the heel have?

I'm asking this because last years rental boots turned out to be too big and my heel had "lots" of room to travel up. This of course ruined any chance of faster skiing.

Thx for the help...
 
regardless of what boot you buy your heel will always lift if you're trying to lift it.

if you can flex forward and have your heel stay planted, you're good to go.
 
Could you also please recommend some wide ski boot models?

I've been trying out Nordica and Atomic models but they all cause a pressure point on the outside part of my feet, just below the toe...
 
If you are standing in your ski boots trying to lift your heels, your heels will almost always lift a little bit. This is not a problem because you are (hopefully) not doing this motion while skiing. Now, if you are standing in your boots and your heels lift while normally flexing forward, then you have a fit problem that needs to be addressed.
 
true, and I guess ideally your heel would never lift in any situation but the fact remains that you have a flexible structure (your foot/leg) inside of a rigid one (the boot) and your flexible foot will always move before the rigid boot does. Now, if you need to snug up your heel pocket, most good boot-fitters have special foam pads they can custom shape to your exact needs which will help significantly.
 
I just tried on a pair of full tilts for the first time and omg. I tried on the girls ones in a 7 and the booters in an 8.5 since those were the smallest sizes they had. They're so much lighter and the flex felt much more natural than my current boots. I could only imagine a correct size would fit amazingly.
 
if you happen to be around Stowe, Vermont and are looking for a good pair of boot, I highly highly highly recommend Inner Bootworks on Mountain road. They truly know what theyre talking about there and they can perfectly fit a boot by just looking at your feet. I have never had a nicer pair of quality boots that fit as well as these do.

They also can custom fit inserts for your boots for only $150, which can fix a lot of small problems you may be having with boots.

So if you need some hella good boots, Inner Bootworks can do that for you

 
How to tell if your shop is legitimate.
1. it is not a box store 2. they don't sell anything other then skis and boards in winter. 3. they shell fit you.4. they make custom foot beds. 5. they don't rush you 6. they have boots that cost over $500 some times $800 (no that you need them but they are there)7. they carry more then 4 brands 8. they have a boot press9. they are not overly techie (just a personal thing)10. They don't try to "make a boot fit" most people need a punch or two or some posting depending on your theory. But if the over all fit is bad move to the next boot. 11. they have some kind of certs these don't always mean much but it is better then none at all. 12. DO NOT EVER GO TO A SHOP AND ASK THIS QUESTION. "can I try such and such a boot in such and such a size." first off you sound like an idiot and it is rude. And a good boot fitter should then ask to look at your foot and ask you some questions about your skiing instead of getting the boot you demanded. I guess if they just get the boot out it is a bad sign. or they dont' care bc you acted like a dork.
BE chill about this stuff.

 
So, I don't know if anybody knows much about this, but I was wondering if anybody has any knowledge or experience with using AT boots in the park. For instance, a boot like the Black Diamond Factor, Salomon Quest, or Technica Agent AT. I ski backcountry about 20% of the time, resort the rest. When I'm at the resort I don't ski a ton of park, but I want to get better at it this year. Don't do many rails, mainly just jumps. Is there any negative to using an AT boot on jumps in the park? Anybody ski much park with AT boots?
 
the only real difference (so far) between normal boots and park boots is the amount of shock absorption built into the boot and sometimes the geometry (amount of forward lean). A/T boots typically don't have a lot of shock absorption due to their firm boot board, but you can (on the Factor at least) adjust the forward lean for a more upright boot.
 
Hmm I got a few questions... I just spent last season in the most uncomfortable boots I've ever had (shinbang every day, lots of volume in the heel, etc.) Unfortunately, the bootfitter didn't seem to know what he was doing and when I took them back to get them "fixed", the bootfitter (a different guy this time) put so much volume in the heel it now hurts to have my foot in my boot. So I've decided screw it, I'm getting new boots.

Now questions:

1) I'm going to Toronto this weekend (about 5 hours away) and there appears to be a pretty reputable ski shop there. I want to buy my boots and get fitted there, but I'm worried that if they don't fit, I'll be 5 hours away and won't be able to easily go back. Will this be a problem, or do you think that if the guy is a good bootfitter, I shouldn't have to go back?

2) Do boots, for a lack of a better word, de-pack out over the summer? Like would the liner expand again and I would have less room than I did at the end of the season last year? Because I could have sworn my feet stopped growing but when I just tried on my boots again, they felt significantly smaller than last year...

Thanks!
 
1. Being 5 hours away from the shop you bought your boots at will put you at a disadvantage if they offer a boot-fit guarantee where they perform the fitting at no charge. But if they nail it from the start, you might not have to drive back at all. But you will never know until you get out and actually ski the boot... there are things we just can't assess until you make some turns.

2. Boots do not pack out on their own (or change shape) when left in normal room-temp conditions (no super cold/hot areas). Feet do change shape (not just length) rather commonly, so it's not unheard of- all it takes is a few millimeters and a boot will feel differently.

Overall, I would say find the best boot-fitter you can but know that if that person is far away, you might be spending some time driving back for a re-fit or adjustment once you ski the boot a few times (5 days at least).
 
Thanks for the response! So do you think it would be a good idea at all to be buying boots from a place so far away? The closest shop here is about 2 hours away, but I go there a lot more often than Toronto, so do you think I should just wait until the next time I go to my "local" shop?
 
when I do the shell fit for customers I make sure there's 1 to 2 cms max between their heel and the boot
 
People would drive from NYC to get their boots fit where I used to work in Northern Vermont- it all depends on how far you are comfortable driving.
 
I gotta say to get yourself fitted for boots, probably the best decision you can make when buying equipment. For two years I've owned some Salomon boots that caused quite bad pain on the inside of my feet. This year, that pain increased tenfold; it literally felt like my foot was in a vicegrip!

I decided to book a boot fitting appointment immediately at my only local ski shop (Gord's), as my local hill was opening on the weekend. They knew their stuff and had been doing boot fitting for 40 years. I went in with three things: my ski socks, a $450 budget(I keep a separate amount of money saved just for equipment emergencies) and a totally open mind.

I found out I had quite a wide and weird foot with a collapsed arch, which totally do not suit Salomon boots. I've always thought I had a narrow foot, so this was a surprise. I tried on many different boots and wound up some Dalbellos. They were last year's models and were used once (the guy bought them, tried them and they simply didn't fit) so they were 40% off. they fit amazingly and have the softest tongue I've ever experienced. I got some heat molded foot beds made so I'd have better support, and finally some new ski socks which they recommended as my old ones were kind of worn out.

Total price: $415 (was $336, but an extra $80 was needed to re-mount my bindings. I'll post later what each thing cost when I look at my receipt.)
 
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