Looking for Boot Fitters to Interview

MTshreds

MTshreds

New member
Howdy! I’m a graduate student at Northwestern University and I'm doing my thesis project on improving the process of fitting ski boots. I've spent the past few months getting to understand the process from the customer side, but now I’m interested in interviewing boot fitters to learn more about the boot fitting process from their perspective and get some feedback on my prototypes.

Interviews are around 30 minutes long and are over zoom (unless you happen to be near NU). Participants can get a $20 Amazon gift card for their time.

If you are a boot fitter and you are interested in doing an interview, send me a DM with your name and email and I'll reach out to schedule.

Otherwise drop a comment and tell me a horror story about a bad boot fit, some weird technique you saw at a shop once, or anything you think I should know about boot fitting.

Cheers!

**This thread was edited on Jan 25th 2022 at 6:51:58pm
 
Horror story:

Boots break first day of a 5 day trip in Colorado over NYE. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, only fitting options are in the ski town.

Limited selection of boots, on hand skis need an alpine boot sole, at home skis need pins.

Pay over msrp for Cochise 130s, also pick up footbeds. Fit is skiable, but pressure points, cold feet, over pronating, etc etc etc.

Spend the next 2 seasons dialing in the fit. New liners molded at home by a fitter I trust. New footbeds made at home by a fitter I trust.

$1600 later I'm more or less happy with them.

Moral of the story? Don't buy Full Tilts, the soles don't hold up. Second moral? Don't trust Blister to recommend shops. Third moral? Make sure your boots aren't gonna break before you head away from shops you trust for a trip.
 
i don't know about bootfitting but i have a foot fetish

maybe i can provide some valuable insight
 
topic:MTshreds said:
Howdy! I’m a graduate student at Northwestern University and I'm doing my thesis project on improving the process of fitting ski boots. I've spent the past few months getting to understand the process from the customer side, but now I’m interested in interviewing boot fitters to learn more about the boot fitting process from their perspective and get some feedback on my prototypes.

Interviews are around 30 minutes long and are over zoom (unless you happen to be near NU). Participants can get a $20 Amazon gift card for their time.

If you are a boot fitter and you are interested in doing an interview, send me a DM with your name and email and I'll reach out to schedule.

Otherwise drop a comment and tell me a horror story about a bad boot fit, some weird technique you saw at a shop once, or anything you think I should know about boot fitting.

Cheers!

**This thread was edited on Jan 25th 2022 at 6:51:58pm
Click to expand...

You're at Northwestern?

Go. To. Viking.

Some of the best bootfitters in the Midwest. People drive for hours to get there. Not exaggerating. Are you familiar with the shop???
 
14386557:FruitBootPro said:
You're at Northwestern?

Go. To. Viking.

Some of the best bootfitters in the Midwest. People drive for hours to get there. Not exaggerating. Are you familiar with the shop???
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip! Yea I've heard really good things about them from a couple people now but I haven't been there yet. I'll make a point to stop by and check them out tomorrow.
 
Horror story:

A few seasons ago I went to a known bootfitter in the county and took him some new boots that should have been up to my size. He told me that due to the new type of liner that was going to be placed in the shell, that the boots were almost a size larger (or were for a size larger). So I figured that I could just switch the boots with the exact same boot in the right size that were in the shop (where i had purchased from a few weeks prior) but he said that the "paperwork" for the exchange would be too much and that my feet would be ok in these boots that were basically a size too big.

Fastforward 2 months into the season, 2 toenails on each foot had fallen off due to my feet slamming into the front everytime I landed, my feet would literally slide out without having to undo the buckles the entire way. It was the worst half season I have ever had on a pair of skis. I went back to the shop and the dumb-dumb who had sold me the boots had already freakin dipped and because he had left they couldnt do anything about.

Morale of the story: go to multiple bootfitters and get different opinions
 
Hey thanks again man, really stoked to see where this goes!

For any other people out there ( [tag=154780]@tomPietrowski[/tag] [tag=134699]@onenerdykid[/tag] I’m looking at you) definitely take part if you’re a fitter!
 
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