Guide On: How to Buy Ski Boots

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Prices:

Dalbello NX 7.6 boot: $199.95

X Socks Skiing light sock: $49.99

Conformable Pro Footbeds: $49.99

TOTAL: $336.83

There. For anyone who wanted an estimate on heat molded footbeds, you have your answer. I actually went down to a 27 from a 28.5.
 
dalbello's are really expensive though. I have to try some on cause all the measurements match my foot, like the last and stuff. plus they look pretty comfy flex wise.
 
normally, yes, that's why I went in with a big budget. But mine were 40% off, so that helped. Sure they're not one of Dalbello's more well known models like the Krypton; Hell, I didn't even know there was such a model as the NX 7.6! But who cares. They fit and that's awesome. Plus, my shop does free boot modification since I bought the boots from them over a period of 180 days that I use them to ski.
 
thats the problem for me, if I did that I'd need a really small size, I think I'm a 7. I tried 7.5 and it fit fine but if it packed out and/or I got a footbed it would be too big.
 
Well they should be able to heat mold a footbed that keeps your foot stable. An experienced, proper bootfitter should be able to put all your worries to rest.

See, the reason my boot size went down was because when I was puchasing my old Salomons, my dad wanted me to get a bigger boot size so I had room to grow. My feet are pretty much done growing now so I got the size I actually needed.

by the way, my shoe size is 10.5, and I have since had to go back to the shop and have them stretch the arch area to eliminate some pain I was getting. I'm almost ready to post pics of my feet to illustrate their apparently weird shape.
 
yeah i've been told I have a funny shaped foot too. I think i'm just gonna wait till I go back to Vermont to ski soon, stop in the ski rack and get some boots. The guy that looked at me there pretty much fit me with boots that felt a shitload better than my current ones in like less than 5 minutes. So I figure with some more time I'd be set.
 
sounds like a solid plan. In a shinbang thread I was reading, I noticed a lot of people switched from say, full tilts and spk's, to dalbellos and are quite happy they did.
 
Ok, I'm not happy. My shop has done all they can to make my boot fit, and if this last modification doesn't solve my arch pain, the boots are a write off and I'm screwed. Reason being is because if they continue to hurt, there's nothing further they can do without destroying the boot.

So the manager said he'd give me my money back but that I can't buy another boot from them and then mod it for free as they'd be losing a lot of money because in it's current condition it's unsellable. Unfortunately the boots only cost $199 so if I get a refund I don't have a lot of options.

The boots were a 102mm last and they didn't fit stock! I'm really upset!
 
I have a Conformables heat molded footbed in my boots and Superfeet in my everyday shoes. The pain is on the outside edge of my feet. Here's a picture of how my foot stretches:

myfoot.jpg


It basically hurts on that outside bump as the boot refuses to let it stretch.

But I think my shop solved the pain. They made a cut in the liner foam so it stretches out easier. They hurt at the start of today but the pain was subdued as the boot packed out and as the day progressed. So it basically went from a 5/10 to an occasional 1/10 - 0.5/10. I have Dalbello NX 7.6's by the way...
 
Where your foot splays is quite normal, so don't think you've got anything crazy wrong with your feet- it should end up ok in the end.

Have they made any modifications to the shell? Depending on the plastic in your boot (at $199 it's probably not that great) they should be able to move the shell out for you. Cutting your liner will help alleviate the pressure and allow it to break in faster too.
 
oh no these boots were 40% off so the boot shell is and has been modded. I asked them to stretch the shell on the inside to alleviate the pressure; that's where it hurt the most, particularly on my right foot.
 
ok good, then your boot is most likely a polyurethane boot (which is the good stuff) and they could probably do more to the shell if need be. but good to hear that improvements have already been made.
 
Yesterday I bought my friends boots and rode with them, and they were a half size too big. everything worked out, except for the fact that the little inner shell was too big for my skinny white boy ankles so it killed when I leant forwards. Need to work out my legs some more I guess
 
Okay so I just got some boots. First of all, heat molding is amazing. I've never had that before, but they lock my feet in so nicely. Since they were last years model, what was like 500$ was 250$ so I didn't pend nearly as much and have money for footbeds. The current ones are flat. I'm assuming their are certain brands that are good for skiing. I hear superfeet a lot on here...
 
there are a lot of good footbeds (ALINE, Sidas, Instaprint, Superfeet, et al) it just depends on what is a good match for your foot. a good boot-fitter will help find the right one for you
 
WOW I just found out FT Booters now come in a 102mm last! I thought it was 98! No one within 500km stocks Full Tilts, and I've always wanted to try them...
 
so I bought a pair of lange boots 3 years ago, about at the same time. However, now they feel like they are a bit big. They fit perfectly when I first had them and for the next season, but end of last year and this season it feels like my feet are swimming.

The 2 buckles around my leg and the booster strap are as tight as they can possibly go. The 2 buckles on the top of my foot aren't as tight as possible, but when they are, they create pressure points that hurt my feet. I had them fitted at the snow job in jay vt, just wondering what is going on with my boots, are they just starting to get packed out. BTW i ski and/or tour about 25-30 days per year.
 
When you ski that little it's gonna seem like that. Yeah, they're probably packed out considerably.

Address this to your shop of purchase is the best answer I can provide..
 
no. i just happen to like the three piece design. It's not even that the shops didn't have those, they did. They didn't have any boots in my size which I was very surprised at.
 
It would for sure help out our bottom line, but you don't need to unless you ski over 100 days a year (rough life expectancy for any ski boot). Things can last a bit longer (or die quicker) depending on how well you take care of them, but expect a ski boot to last around 100 days of skiing. By that point, it's usually the liners that die or soles are too worn or it's just beat to hell.
 
yea. I mean hopefully i can just get a new liner...not sure how easy that is, but like I said, I ski about 35-40 days a season, and this is my third season on the boots.
 
a lot of companies stopped producing just liners, but it depends on the company and model of boot you have (have your shop check for you). But if your shell is still ok, you could always pick up an Intuition liner.
 
intuition liners are alright, just make sure the shop knows how to properly mold and size them.

also shops that sell intuition and custom liners often have a pile of stock liners in the back.
 
onenerdykid, here's an image of my foot:

12132010173.jpg


Beast legs, I know. It measured about 4" across compressed. Based on what you can see, what is a good last or even a boot for my foot? Like I said, my Dalbello NX 7.6's are a 102mm last.
 
From what I can see, you don't have anything abnormal going on with your foot... I'm surprised that your shop can't stretch the shell to accommodate the lateral part of your foot. But sometimes, it just comes down to it being the wrong boot for your foot. If shops just can't make it work, it might be that.

If you need new options check out our B-120 (104mm with a narrow heel), Live Fit 120 (102-6mm, adapts to your foot width), Tecnica Phoenix 100, Salomon Mission RS 12, the SPKs... they would be good to check out and see what is the best match for you.
 
I think the manager's concern was that any further stretching would ruin the boot's structural integrity or something. I mean, they can do it, but the manager was really concerned about my foot swimming and me being stuck with an unfixable boot.

I'm a little disappointed, I wanted the shell stretched, even just a little would help..

Also, they're still causing pain, but it does dissapear in little time.
 
You can really beat a PU boot to hell before it breaks, so I'm not sure what the manager is worried about.. Does he also think that it's already too wide?

If the shell can't be further worked on, you mentioned they cut the liner... is there any reinforcement (extra layers of fabric or material) around that part of your foot? Removing stuff like that helps too.
 
I think that's the concern, I'll send him an email pleading to stretch it. Umm I'm not totally sure, I'd need to check...
 
I think I know the issue: I'm getting a lot of work done on them for no cost to myself. At this point he's probably losing money working so much on my boot. If that's the case, I told him I can pay for the cost to have them stretched...

I want my boots to fit, I know it can be done.
 
My advice: Don't skimp on the most important piece of equipment you'll own. If you don't have a good fit on your feet, you won't enjoy skiing to the max or, worse, you won't even want to ski. Get a pro fit including footbeds. I recommend Surefoot. Sam in Whistler is the man for the best fit.
 
So I've skied my new boots twice. First off, properly fitting boots are so great. I can control the skis so much better. My right foot fits fine, but after skiing them I notices that the bump near he little toe on my left foot is pressed into the side of the boot. I think it's because I stand on the outside of my left foot for whatever reason in the ski boot. It feels like that foot doesn't sit flat. A footbed could help that right?
 
Fucking iPhone... Any way you want to get a good supportive flexible footbeds made and then have the shell modified so your foot will sit naturally in it. For a suponater I usually like to punch the inside heel and forefoot, while also adding room on the outside in the right areas, this way the boot won't be trying to change the way your foot sits in it.
 
but then you're giving the foot more room to move around. once the foot is stabilized you shouldn't have to worry about making more room for it unless the foot needs more room based on its shape.

punching the navicular bone and/or forefoot is the most common thing i ever did in a bootfit. you should never punch out a heel except in very rare cases. heels should only be ground out when theres a protruding bone spur on the heel. punching the heel will give relief in the short term but will eventually lead to poor heel hold.
 
i finally found a good boot fitter with good stock while here in colorado. i was in an REI in denver, the guy in there seemed pretty good, did all the fits, had some heel lift things, example footbeds, all the works. I was put in some dalbello's, the cross, rampage and il moro. put on that il moro and my god it was foot based heaven, and they weren't even heat molded.

i want to try and hold off on buying to see if they go down in price (and acquire some cash). but i'm worried that i might not be able to find 25.5's after awhile. and that i've yet to see anything about the normal Il Moro being made for next year in the event that i can't get this years. only saw the T Hall so far which is really expensive. anyone know if they're still making it or should i make the jump? i mean, my ski season ends superbowl sunday cause i'm going back to school so i can wait.
 
\Wow cobra commander got murked by the iphone.

But I tried green superfeet insoles in my boots. It definitely changed the way they fit, I just wish I could try them while skiing. They seem like they'd help. But i agree with pipe munky. I think the footbeds will help after they shape to my feet, removing material would just make it too wide. DIdn't buy anything yet.

And wow, with boots that hold on to your heel you can actually flex the noses of your skis. Read as "I tried nose butters and dub ejected on the first try" But I actually got pretty close later

 
Lack of heel hold: Will new liners (Intuition) help? Or go to Surefoot and see what they say (will they charge me for such advice? Anything I can do without spending my hard earned booze money?
p.s. Boots fit length and width of my feet and have foodbeds.
 
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