The Official: "What is wrong with my boots?" Thread

[paige.]

So I have the Fischer Trinity 110s from a few years back. When I purchased them I got them vacuum molded. I have no pressure points but there just doesn't seem to be enough space around my toes (and potentially over the instep) - my feet go numb within a couple runs every day with temperatures below freezing and my big toenails seem to bruise just from the pressure. I hoped that as the liner packed out this issue would go away, but at this point I have to accept that that isn't happening. My plan now that I'm back in BC was to get them re-vacuum molded, however when I was getting my touring boots fitted last year I was chatting with the boot fitter about it, and he suggested that using more traditional methods often allowed for better results than the vacuum machine (they've stopped using the machine entirely).

Which would you guys recommend? I could go back to AlpinePro where I purchased the boots and get them re-vacuum molded in the fancy machine, with the hope that if I wear thicker socks and an extra toe cap it creates more space. Or I could go to the boot fitter I was working with last year and see how some toe punches go over.

 

[cobra_commander]

Get new boots. Vacuum boots ski like shit anyways.

 

[OregonDead]

So I have the Fischer Trinity 110s from a few years back. When I purchased them I got them vacuum molded. I have no pressure points but there just doesn't seem to be enough space around my toes (and potentially over the instep) - my feet go numb within a couple runs every day with temperatures below freezing and my big toenails seem to bruise just from the pressure. I hoped that as the liner packed out this issue would go away, but at this point I have to accept that that isn't happening. My plan now that I'm back in BC was to get them re-vacuum molded, however when I was getting my touring boots fitted last year I was chatting with the boot fitter about it, and he suggested that using more traditional methods often allowed for better results than the vacuum machine (they've stopped using the machine entirely).

Which would you guys recommend? I could go back to AlpinePro where I purchased the boots and get them re-vacuum molded in the fancy machine, with the hope that if I wear thicker socks and an extra toe cap it creates more space. Or I could go to the boot fitter I was working with last year and see how some toe punches go over.

see if a regular boot fitter can solve it with a little punch

 

[1uka]

what do you boys do to keep your toes warm?

 

[BigPurpleSkiSuit]

what do you boys do to keep your toes warm?

Cold toes is often buckling the 3rd buckle on a boot, or the one closer to the heel on the foot too tight, it constricts bloodflow.

 

[1uka]

Cold toes is often buckling the 3rd buckle on a boot, or the one closer to the heel on the foot too tight, it constricts bloodflow.

who said anything about needing bloodflow, I'm saying that when I don't have blood flow what's the move. hand warmers?

 

[profa_212]

who said anything about needing bloodflow, I'm saying that when I don't have blood flow what's the move. hand warmers?

Blood flow is the only supply of heat to your feet...?

Unbuckle your boots on the lift

 

[OregonDead]

who said anything about needing bloodflow, I'm saying that when I don't have blood flow what's the move. hand warmers?

I have only tried hand warmers in boots that didn’t fit

It is possible to learn to channel more heat to your extremities. Wearing warmer pants can help too. Id consider boot gloves for legit ski in windy artic conditions but you see those guys night skiing in Finland in full tilts and I don’t think it gets much colder than that

 

[cobra_commander]

Heated socks or heated boots. I have Therm-ic heaters in my alpine boots. Once you get heated boots you will never go back.

intuition liners also help if you like the way they ski and fit.

 

[Chris.B]

In addition to what has already been said, you can try to wrap the liner the other (opposite) way. In the past, Andy Parry and Will Wesson both had this problem with their Power Wraps and when we wrapped the liner the other way and re-molded it, it made everything better. Try this out if things don't get better with what has already been suggested.

Thanks for posting this. I had noticed last year that the top of my intuition liners were digging into my shin and I just tried wearing them with the inside part of the liner on the outside and it seems to have solved the problem.

Do you have any recommendations for a really thin ski sock? My liners are really tight with the footbed in them and when I have socks on while wearing them my toes feel pinched. I'm currently using Smartwool free ski socks.

 

[profa_212]

Thanks for posting this. I had noticed last year that the top of my intuition liners were digging into my shin and I just tried wearing them with the inside part of the liner on the outside and it seems to have solved the problem.

Do you have any recommendations for a really thin ski sock? My liners are really tight with the footbed in them and when I have socks on while wearing them my toes feel pinched. I'm currently using Smartwool free ski socks.

I had a pair of darn toughs that were the thinnest socks I've ever had. No clue what model but they were amazing. Pissed I lost them

 

[Chris.B]

I had a pair of darn toughs that were the thinnest socks I've ever had. No clue what model but they were amazing. Pissed I lost them

Thanks for the recommendation, I just checked out their website and they have some ultra-light fit socks that seem very thin. I think I'll buy them. They're made in Vermont too which is pretty cool.

 

[shin-bang]

Boot woes... again....

Ive been professionally fitted, have footbeds, and am still getting horrible toe bang. I lost my big toe nail last season, and it was surgically removed and had a great rest of the season. this year my toe nail is back and got mashed up the first day of riding. My left foot is slightly longer than my right.. and i only get toe bang on my left big toe.

I tried having the guys at the boot shop punch out the toe more, but they insisted that punching it out wouldn't help, as i still would be sliding into the end of the boot and smashing my toe. in essence it was like, "stay out of the back seat and youre fine". yes i get avoiding the back seat. but sometimes off jumps and cliffs its inevitable. Its also a hard punch to do, since the toe box is where the binding comes into contact with the boot.

what the hell do i do? im sick of not being able to walk normally or ski due to toe bang. bigger boots + my current footbed? or see if the shop willl stretch the toe box this time?

any other tips are appreciated.

 

[soupcan]

Anybody have any tips on the lowest volume freetouring boot compatible with shifts? I have a set of ultra hawk xtd 120’s and while they feel great touring but I feel like there is something to be desired while skiing. I feel a bit of excess room in the width and height of the boot when really pressing the ski especially in variable conditions. It is a 1 finger fit in the shell so it’s not like the boot it too big length wise it just is too voluminous around my foot. The next thought was either shims to take up room or an intuition tour wrap/pro tour HV liner to help.

For reference the liners and shells have been molded to my feet but they didn’t really change much. With the second buckle absolutely cranked they feel OK but that is the exact spot where I feel I could take away some space.

anybody have any recommendations?

 

[Substitute]

Boot woes... again....

Ive been professionally fitted, have footbeds, and am still getting horrible toe bang. I lost my big toe nail last season, and it was surgically removed and had a great rest of the season. this year my toe nail is back and got mashed up the first day of riding. My left foot is slightly longer than my right.. and i only get toe bang on my left big toe.

I tried having the guys at the boot shop punch out the toe more, but they insisted that punching it out wouldn't help, as i still would be sliding into the end of the boot and smashing my toe. in essence it was like, "stay out of the back seat and youre fine". yes i get avoiding the back seat. but sometimes off jumps and cliffs its inevitable. Its also a hard punch to do, since the toe box is where the binding comes into contact with the boot.

what the hell do i do? im sick of not being able to walk normally or ski due to toe bang. bigger boots + my current footbed? or see if the shop willl stretch the toe box this time?

any other tips are appreciated.

Someone else can chime in as well if they want, I've noticed that if the rest of the boot fits well then bumping the toe is not a problem. Yes, if your boots fit like junk then making more room might not be the solution.

If you have an insole that actually controls your foot and you heel doesn't move all over the place then it should work. I've done this to several customers boots and it works well. There is a limit to how much of a punch you can make in the toe, obviously you can create binding interface issues by going nuts with it.

I'd just bring them to the shop, or maybe a different shop and have them give you a couple millimetres of room, it won't take much in most circumstances.

Good luck!

 

[SlitherySnake]

this isn't really an issue I have but holy hell landing in the flats kills your shins

 

[ZipFit_Liners]

Whats up NS - just want to chime in and say that if you ever have questions about ZipFit or are interested in learning more about our liners, we are here and listening. Shoot me an email at Jeff@zipfit.com if you'd like.

 

[BigPurpleSkiSuit]

Someday when I get that promotion...

Whats up NS - just want to chime in and say that if you ever have questions about ZipFit or are interested in learning more about our liners, we are here and listening. Shoot me an email at Jeff@zipfit.com if you'd like.

 

[f100prerunner]

Maybe I could get some input from some people knowledgeable with the low volume boot lineup...

I currently am in 2018 Salomon x/max's. From my research, these are the same exact shell mold as the new s/max's. With that said, these boots are almost there, but on the big days when I'm skiing hard, I get some pretty good soleus pain afterwards which will effect my skiing the following few days. (I'm pretty sure its my soleus, feels like deep tissue where the soleus is...). I initially had the stock liners which allowed for even more pain than now, however, intuition pro tongue liners have fixed most things except for what I believe is my soleus...If I ski pretty hard for 2 days in a row it's almost impossible to ski a hard for a 3rd day.

With that said, I was talking to a local boot fitter and he mentioned how the technical mach 1 LV kinda changed the whole low volume boot game cause its way lower of volume all over when compared to mine...but from my research, this boot seems to have an even higher instep and maybe even higher volume than the S/max. I obviously have pretty skinny feet/ankles with a low instep, and also wear a size 28.5 boot, so I would think volume definitely isn't in my favor at that size... (due to volume increasing with size). Besides plug boots and irreplaceable soled boots, what boots are the lowest volume of the low volume lineup? From my research it doesn't seem like the mach 1... as supposedly the S/max is even lower volume... (from what I've read)

A couple of questions:

1. At what point does a more performance fit (in terms of volume), stop decreasing muscle fatigue? Essentially, does a more performance oriented fit always mean that I shouldn't be as sore as with a less performance fit? I am skiing big skis in a hard charging fashion...I wouldn't think that this level of soreness should be expected, but I'm obviously already in pretty low volume of boots...

2. With my next boots, I've thought about trying to downsize and then getting the toe area punched to accommodate mylower volume foot/longer length. Thoughts?

3. Any thoughts about the entire situation??

Thanks a lot guys....

**This post was edited on Jan 21st 2021 at 11:09:48pm

 

[onenerdykid]

Maybe I could get some input from some people knowledgeable with the low volume boot lineup...

I currently am in 2018 Salomon x/max's. From my research, these are the same exact shell mold as the new s/max's. With that said, these boots are almost there, but on the big days when I'm skiing hard, I get some pretty good soleus pain afterwards which will effect my skiing the following few days. (I'm pretty sure its my soleus, feels like deep tissue where the soleus is...). I initially had the stock liners which allowed for even more pain than now, however, intuition pro tongue liners have fixed most things except for what I believe is my soleus...If I ski pretty hard for 2 days in a row it's almost impossible to ski a hard for a 3rd day.

With that said, I was talking to a local boot fitter and he mentioned how the technical mach 1 LV kinda changed the whole low volume boot game cause its way lower of volume all over when compared to mine...but from my research, this boot seems to have an even higher instep and maybe even higher volume than the S/max. I obviously have pretty skinny feet/ankles with a low instep, and also wear a size 28.5 boot, so I would think volume definitely isn't in my favor at that size... (due to volume increasing with size). Besides plug boots and irreplaceable soled boots, what boots are the lowest volume of the low volume lineup? From my research it doesn't seem like the mach 1... as supposedly the S/max is even lower volume... (from what I've read)

A couple of questions:

1. At what point does a more performance fit (in terms of volume), stop decreasing muscle fatigue? Essentially, does a more performance oriented fit always mean that I shouldn't be as sore as with a less performance fit? I am skiing big skis in a hard charging fashion...I wouldn't think that this level of soreness should be expected, but I'm obviously already in pretty low volume of boots...

2. With my next boots, I've thought about trying to downsize and then getting the toe area punched to accommodate mylower volume foot/longer length. Thoughts?

3. Any thoughts about the entire situation??

Thanks a lot guys....

**This post was edited on Jan 21st 2021 at 11:09:48pm

First, the S/Max is definitely lower over the instep than a Mach 1 LV. But it is wider in the forefoot than a Mach 1 LV. The Mach 1 LV is a great boot, but it's nothing revolutionary in terms of its last (that's no knock against it)- there are lower volume boots for sure. You don't exactly need to get a world cup race boot, but a commercial race boot that uses the same mold but a "wider" internal last could be a viable option for you. These boots will be roomier than a legit race boot but still lower volume than your current boot.

It's kinda hard to say for sure what is causing your calf pain/achilles pain. Ideally your boot-fitter would perform an ankle range of motion to test to determine how flexible/inflexible you are and this usually helps understand the pain you experience.

But let's imagine the volume of the boot is your issue. If you want to secure your foot, you should fit the boot to your instep & heel pocket and then make room elsewhere as needed. So, depending on how big the 28 fits you, you might look into 27s and punch out the toe box to gain length. This does depend on how much space the current 28 has, so do a shell fit: remove the liners, step into the bare shell, slide your foot forward so your toes just touch the front, and examine the space behind your heel. 2cm = normal, average fit; 1cm = high performance fit that will usually require a toe punch to be comfortable. You should probably go the 1cm route. Most of the time, a 1cm fit will not feel good just standing in it before boot work is done.

All of this should be double checked by a boot-fitter. But, from what you have told us, I would guess that you could be in a size smaller boot with some boot work done to make it comfortable.

 

[f100prerunner]

First, the S/Max is definitely lower over the instep than a Mach 1 LV. But it is wider in the forefoot than a Mach 1 LV. The Mach 1 LV is a great boot, but it's nothing revolutionary in terms of its last (that's no knock against it)- there are lower volume boots for sure. You don't exactly need to get a world cup race boot, but a commercial race boot that uses the same mold but a "wider" internal last could be a viable option for you. These boots will be roomier than a legit race boot but still lower volume than your current boot.

It's kinda hard to say for sure what is causing your calf pain/achilles pain. Ideally your boot-fitter would perform an ankle range of motion to test to determine how flexible/inflexible you are and this usually helps understand the pain you experience.

But let's imagine the volume of the boot is your issue. If you want to secure your foot, you should fit the boot to your instep & heel pocket and then make room elsewhere as needed. So, depending on how big the 28 fits you, you might look into 27s and punch out the toe box to gain length. This does depend on how much space the current 28 has, so do a shell fit: remove the liners, step into the bare shell, slide your foot forward so your toes just touch the front, and examine the space behind your heel. 2cm = normal, average fit; 1cm = high performance fit that will usually require a toe punch to be comfortable. You should probably go the 1cm route. Most of the time, a 1cm fit will not feel good just standing in it before boot work is done.

All of this should be double checked by a boot-fitter. But, from what you have told us, I would guess that you could be in a size smaller boot with some boot work done to make it comfortable.

Awesome, thanks for all this info. I actually am in a performance fit now (about 1cm of room) without any punches....I actually have never even had any work done to these shells. With that said, I talked to a few of my buddies, and they think a commercial race boot may be the call as well. I’ll try to find a shop around here that can maybe touch basis on the ankle mobility that you mentioned as well! Thanks man!!

 

[BigPurpleSkiSuit]

Maybe I could get some input from some people knowledgeable with the low volume boot lineup...

I currently am in 2018 Salomon x/max's. From my research, these are the same exact shell mold as the new s/max's. With that said, these boots are almost there, but on the big days when I'm skiing hard, I get some pretty good soleus pain afterwards which will effect my skiing the following few days. (I'm pretty sure its my soleus, feels like deep tissue where the soleus is...). I initially had the stock liners which allowed for even more pain than now, however, intuition pro tongue liners have fixed most things except for what I believe is my soleus...If I ski pretty hard for 2 days in a row it's almost impossible to ski a hard for a 3rd day.

With that said, I was talking to a local boot fitter and he mentioned how the technical mach 1 LV kinda changed the whole low volume boot game cause its way lower of volume all over when compared to mine...but from my research, this boot seems to have an even higher instep and maybe even higher volume than the S/max. I obviously have pretty skinny feet/ankles with a low instep, and also wear a size 28.5 boot, so I would think volume definitely isn't in my favor at that size... (due to volume increasing with size). Besides plug boots and irreplaceable soled boots, what boots are the lowest volume of the low volume lineup? From my research it doesn't seem like the mach 1... as supposedly the S/max is even lower volume... (from what I've read)

A couple of questions:

1. At what point does a more performance fit (in terms of volume), stop decreasing muscle fatigue? Essentially, does a more performance oriented fit always mean that I shouldn't be as sore as with a less performance fit? I am skiing big skis in a hard charging fashion...I wouldn't think that this level of soreness should be expected, but I'm obviously already in pretty low volume of boots...

2. With my next boots, I've thought about trying to downsize and then getting the toe area punched to accommodate mylower volume foot/longer length. Thoughts?

3. Any thoughts about the entire situation??

Thanks a lot guys....

**This post was edited on Jan 21st 2021 at 11:09:48pm

I've tried on S maxes and techincas and the Smax is the lowest instep boot that I have found to date.

 

[Film.]

So I recently got some Dalbello krypton Ax 120's. This came after a long and sweet run with my old atomic waymaker carbon 120's. Those boots were great but unfortunately after 4 years they got packed out and I started moving around in them. So I went back to the same boot fitter who did my insole on them and we tried on 3 pairs of boots, a roxa which was pretty much the same as krypton, the last was a classic 5 buckle Nordica cant remember which one. But all 3 felt great in the store I went with the Dalbello and so far it has not been fun. Been wearing a thin smartwool pHd sock and even with a custom footbed and heat mold I'm still getting shin bang, and ankle pain.

The boot fitter knows what he's doing because he has fit me and many of my friends up for quite some years and this has only been his first miss. So NS what do you think is the problem? I really disliked the last "3 piece" boot I had which was the full tilt classic. Are my feet just not made for 3 piece boots? I'm going back into the shop tomorrow to either get work down to the boot or I may end up buying the classic 5 buckle Nordicas I was looking at prior.

Thanks

 

[onenerdykid]

So I recently got some Dalbello krypton Ax 120's. This came after a long and sweet run with my old atomic waymaker carbon 120's. Those boots were great but unfortunately after 4 years they got packed out and I started moving around in them. So I went back to the same boot fitter who did my insole on them and we tried on 3 pairs of boots, a roxa which was pretty much the same as krypton, the last was a classic 5 buckle Nordica cant remember which one. But all 3 felt great in the store I went with the Dalbello and so far it has not been fun. Been wearing a thin smartwool pHd sock and even with a custom footbed and heat mold I'm still getting shin bang, and ankle pain.

The boot fitter knows what he's doing because he has fit me and many of my friends up for quite some years and this has only been his first miss. So NS what do you think is the problem? I really disliked the last "3 piece" boot I had which was the full tilt classic. Are my feet just not made for 3 piece boots? I'm going back into the shop tomorrow to either get work down to the boot or I may end up buying the classic 5 buckle Nordicas I was looking at prior.

Thanks

Even if you are in the right size shell, good socks, good footbeds, etc. sometimes a boot just doesn't work for you. It sounds like this could be the case for you.

If you liked the Waymaker Carbon 120, you should check out the Hawx Prime XTD 120. Very similar last shape (the Hawx will fit a little more snugly but can easily be made wider through Memory Fit or traditional stretching), tech inserts, and ski/walk mode.

If you don't need tech inserts or a walk mode, go with the regular Hawx Prime 120.

 

[RIP_leos_shack]

Asking for a friend here:

He has Dalbello Krypton 110s and claims that he can't get them tight enough without cutting off circulation to his feet and causing a lot of pain to his calf's. He has really skinny legs too so it's hard to get that tight. It's not that the boots are too big, since he says his toes basically touch the front. Any ideas? Don't say "get full tilts" because he already tried that and apparently they were terrible.

 

[onenerdykid]

Asking for a friend here:

He has Dalbello Krypton 110s and claims that he can't get them tight enough without cutting off circulation to his feet and causing a lot of pain to his calf's. He has really skinny legs too so it's hard to get that tight. It's not that the boots are too big, since he says his toes basically touch the front. Any ideas? Don't say "get full tilts" because he already tried that and apparently they were terrible.

Well, the cuff volume is too much for him. His boot-fitter should shape some foam pads that can be placed behind his calf muscle and/or sides of his legs. This will take up the excess space and allow him to buckle the boot on a normal tension.

 

[shin-bang]

Local shop is sold out of boots my size. seems like i need:

BSL:307-310mm

Last: around 102mm

flex: 130

medium to low volume instep

soles: iso 5355, ive got multiple pairs of pivots that cant accommodate grip walk.

6'2, 210lbs, good ankle mobility. i have some custom footbeds.

any suggestions that would fit the bill?

been checking out the lange rx 130 at a 306mm bsl.

 

[ThaLorax]

Local shop is sold out of boots my size. seems like i need:

BSL:307-310mm

Last: around 102mm

flex: 130

medium to low volume instep

soles: iso 5355, ive got multiple pairs of pivots that cant accommodate grip walk.

6'2, 210lbs, good ankle mobility. i have some custom footbeds.

any suggestions that would fit the bill?

been checking out the lange rx 130 at a 306mm bsl.

So you're a 26.5? That's the size boot widths are measured in. You're going to have to get the RX punched to be wider, but that'll work and would be a good option if you have a low instep. You're not going to find a 102 last boot that is also low volume instep. 102 last boots are generally high volume boots. However, punching the RX out to 102 is easy. Especially if it's just a spot punch. I'd stay away from the Atomic Hawx Prime or Dalbello Lupo/krypton. Those both have high insteps. Nearly any low volume boot will fit the bill, as long as they match the BSL range of your FKS.

Which leads me too: Be weary of those FKS bindings. They have a very narrow range of adjustability, but I assume you know that based upon your narrow BSL range listed.

 

[shin-bang]

So you're a 26.5? That's the size boot widths are measured in. You're going to have to get the RX punched to be wider, but that'll work and would be a good option if you have a low instep. You're not going to find a 102 last boot that is also low volume instep. 102 last boots are generally high volume boots. However, punching the RX out to 102 is easy. Especially if it's just a spot punch. I'd stay away from the Atomic Hawx Prime or Dalbello Lupo/krypton. Those both have high insteps. Nearly any low volume boot will fit the bill, as long as they match the BSL range of your FKS.

Which leads me too: Be weary of those FKS bindings. They have a very narrow range of adjustability, but I assume you know that based upon your narrow BSL range listed.

yep, def a 26.5 but as you know each manufacturers 26.5 is slightly different in length.

ok so if you want the whole story:

i was put in a 26.5 k2 recon MV from a year or two and theyve blown up twice now, both in different spots. first time the company warrantied them but now im pissed.

so the 303mm recon fits my right foot perfectly, except needed some punching on the little knuckle by my pinky toe. it feels great but could be a tad wider. its just over a 1 finger shell fit.

on my left foot, its almost a full cm longer than my right. so the first day of skiing every year i lose my big toe nail on my left toe. also still needed some punching on the pinky toe side knuckle.

so im trying to jump up roughly 5cm to try and prevent me losing a toe nail every year on my left foot, as well as the k2s have a large crack in the bottom half of the shell near the heel. hopefully jumping up in boot length, while still maintaining good instep height to keep my toe from bashing the front of the boot.

PSA: dont EVER buy k2 boots. lol

 

[onenerdykid]

Local shop is sold out of boots my size. seems like i need:

BSL:307-310mm

Last: around 102mm

flex: 130

medium to low volume instep

soles: iso 5355, ive got multiple pairs of pivots that cant accommodate grip walk.

6'2, 210lbs, good ankle mobility. i have some custom footbeds.

any suggestions that would fit the bill?

been checking out the lange rx 130 at a 306mm bsl.

First, don't get hung up on BSL - it's an external measurement and it tells you nothing about how long a boot actually is on the inside. For example, our a size 26/26.5 Hawx Ultra has a BSL of 300mm and is longer internally than our 26/26.5 Hawx Magna with a BSL of 309mm.

Second, any fixed-cuff alpine boot (read: no ski/walk mode) that has GripWalk soles can be equipped with ISO 5355 and vice-versa. Don't get hung up on this as everything 130-flex with replaceable soles is going GripWalk next year. Just speak with your boot-fitter about swapping back to ISO 5355.

If you want your foot shape to be held properly in the boot, you fit to your instep height and heel pocket and then make the boot longer and wider as needed. All of the boots you will be looking at in the 130-flex world will use nice plastics and allow for this kind of modification. Your primary concern then is finding a boot-fitter who can do this type of work on a boot, not finding the brand that fits you out of the box.

 

[ThaLorax]

If you want your foot shape to be held properly in the boot, you fit to your instep height and heel pocket and then make the boot longer and wider as needed. All of the boots you will be looking at in the 130-flex world will use nice plastics and allow for this kind of modification. Your primary concern then is finding a boot-fitter who can do this type of work on a boot, not finding the brand that fits you out of the box.

This is a more articulate version of what I was trying to say.

 

[shin-bang]

First, don't get hung up on BSL - it's an external measurement and it tells you nothing about how long a boot actually is on the inside. For example, our a size 26/26.5 Hawx Ultra has a BSL of 300mm and is longer internally than our 26/26.5 Hawx Magna with a BSL of 309mm.

Second, any fixed-cuff alpine boot (read: no ski/walk mode) that has GripWalk soles can be equipped with ISO 5355 and vice-versa. Don't get hung up on this as everything 130-flex with replaceable soles is going GripWalk next year. Just speak with your boot-fitter about swapping back to ISO 5355.

If you want your foot shape to be held properly in the boot, you fit to your instep height and heel pocket and then make the boot longer and wider as needed. All of the boots you will be looking at in the 130-flex world will use nice plastics and allow for this kind of modification. Your primary concern then is finding a boot-fitter who can do this type of work on a boot, not finding the brand that fits you out of the box.

Best information I’ve read all year. Thanks a bunch

 

[snowpig]

I have the Tecnica Cochise 110 with custom insoles. Was ok last season, but this season I got a terrible pressure point on top of the feet, around the instep, when the 1st tarsal begins, more on the right foot. I did start doing some park this year, so some jumping etc, also more aggressive skiing as I am becoming less lame. It does seem to be ok if I am just cruising and then start hurting once I hit the park.

Am I not buckling enough? Or I should grind the footbeds? Or throw them away and buy FT ?

 

[ThaLorax]

I have the Tecnica Cochise 110 with custom insoles. Was ok last season, but this season I got a terrible pressure point on top of the feet, around the instep, when the 1st tarsal begins, more on the right foot. I did start doing some park this year, so some jumping etc, also more aggressive skiing as I am becoming less lame. It does seem to be ok if I am just cruising and then start hurting once I hit the park.

Am I not buckling enough? Or I should grind the footbeds? Or throw them away and buy FT ?

-When you flex the boot, do you feel the pain more?

-have you tried adjusting the velcro on the tongue of the liner to different positions?

-is your custom footbed thick?

 

[snowpig]

When I flex my foot actually goes slightly lower in the footbed actually and it feels ok - no pressure from the top of the boot in that case. The pain seems to increase when I am not skiing on slopes, so either in the park, or when I take a break for lunch.

The insole is not very thick, I believe. It is a custom moulded Sidas.

I haven't played much with the buckles and velcro. I get the 2 vertical buckles tighter, but the velcro not so much.

I will try visit my boot fitter next week, but if I can make it better for this weekend skiing it will be great, as I am starting to get some bone spur it seems. I was thinking to cut a donut-shaped foam piece and put around the tarsal bone that gets painful?

 

[ThaLorax]

When I flex my foot actually goes slightly lower in the footbed actually and it feels ok - no pressure from the top of the boot in that case. The pain seems to increase when I am not skiing on slopes, so either in the park, or when I take a break for lunch.

The insole is not very thick, I believe. It is a custom moulded Sidas.

I haven't played much with the buckles and velcro. I get the 2 vertical buckles tighter, but the velcro not so much.

I will try visit my boot fitter next week, but if I can make it better for this weekend skiing it will be great, as I am starting to get some bone spur it seems. I was thinking to cut a donut-shaped foam piece and put around the tarsal bone that gets painful?

-That's actually good. I was making sure you weren't overflexing the boot. If you overflex the boot, it can put pressure on your instep.

-Sidas is good. One thing to check is to make sure it's not causing your foot to pronate more (fall inwards). This can make the pain worse where you describe it. This is an alignment thing, and not a molding issue, although you can somewhat address for pronation with a sidas footbed if you know what you're doing.

-Most people don't realize it, but the stock liner on the cochise has a piece of velcro where the tongue attaches too the rest of the liner with. it literally detaches and you can move it a few cm in either direction. play around with the positioning of the this and see what feels best for you. Sometimes this fixes the issue, sometimes it doesn't.

Another thing you can do is to grind down the bootboard to make space for your instep, as well. Some boot boards are easy to grind and others are impossible. The cochise is pretty easy though. Definitely have a boot fitter do this or you will snap it, and render your boot an expensive piece of plastic.

Sounds to me like the issue is persistent, you just notice it more when you take breaks, etc. Skiing park has more down time than skiing piste, too. Plus, when you're taking a break, you're foot is warmer and can actually become larger, causing more pressure and you to notice the issue more. Also, skiing park and hanging out, you tend to lean back more often, causing you to put additional pressure on your instep/the area you describe. I bet that's part of it.

 

[snowpig]

thanks! I will see if I can improve things this weekend and book a visit with a boot fitter next week.

 

[WisconsinBadger4]

I am so sick if reading contradictory heel wedge info. If no one replies to this, maybe I’ll make my own thread.

Basically, I’ve read that it helps people with limited ankle flexion (like me I guess, I can’t touch my toes) lean forward easier. But I’ve also read the opposite, that it can put you backseat, which rings true to me as well because when getting liners molded they put a board under your TOES to get you to lean FORWARD. Which is it?!?!

At the end of the day, even though I can’t touch my toes, I feel like the wedges are messing up my takeoffs and landings, and are actually putting me more on my tails, but most fitters are in the camp of the former, saying that less flexion benefits from a wedge— man, is the wedge just for people looking for comfort on groomers? Surely no one good at skiing has them?

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2021 at 4:57:36am

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2021 at 4:58:33am

 

[onenerdykid]

I am so sick if reading contradictory heel wedge info. If no one replies to this, maybe I’ll make my own thread.

Basically, I’ve read that it helps people with limited ankle flexion (like me I guess, I can’t touch my toes) lean forward easier. But I’ve also read the opposite, that it can put you backseat, which rings true to me as well because when getting liners molded they put a board under your TOES to get you to lean FORWARD. Which is it?!?!

At the end of the day, even though I can’t touch my toes, I feel like the wedges are messing up my takeoffs and landings, and are actually putting me more on my tails, but most fitters are in the camp of the former, saying that less flexion benefits from a wedge— man, is the wedge just for people looking for comfort on groomers? Surely no one good at skiing has them?

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2021 at 4:57:36am

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2021 at 4:58:33am

Heel lifts can do a few different things depending on the problem that needs to be solved.

-a small heel lift will raise someone's heel just enough to pull their toes off the front of the boot.

-heel lifts help take up volume

-heel lifts increase the ramp angle of the boot, not the forward lean of the cuff

Depending on the thickness of the heel lift, it can be semi-noticeable or horribly wrong or perfectly fix the problem.

Why do you have one in your boot? What was the boot-fitter's goal with adding one?

Also, assessing dorsiflexion is done differently than simply bending over and touching your toes. And lifting the toe during a liner mold is something else entirely. You are mixing too many things together that don't belong together.

 

[WisconsinBadger4]

Heel lifts can do a few different things depending on the problem that needs to be solved.

-a small heel lift will raise someone's heel just enough to pull their toes off the front of the boot.

-heel lifts help take up volume

-heel lifts increase the ramp angle of the boot, not the forward lean of the cuff

Depending on the thickness of the heel lift, it can be semi-noticeable or horribly wrong or perfectly fix the problem.

Why do you have one in your boot? What was the boot-fitter's goal with adding one?

Also, assessing dorsiflexion is done differently than simply bending over and touching your toes. And lifting the toe during a liner mold is something else entirely. You are mixing too many things together that don't belong together.

About 1cm thick. I’ve had them for 6 years and 2 boots, can’t remember exactly why the bootfitter put me on them, but it was probably because my old boots had a much higher instep so had to take up space— new boots are better on that front so I probably don’t need them for that anymore, it just felt like I should keep them in... though current bootfitters have said that since I can’t touch my toes, the wedges help.

I have molded intuition powerwraps so taking them out now gives me too much room, but I think that would be solved with a wedgeless re-mold, just want to weigh the reasons before committing to ditching them

 

[onenerdykid]

About 1cm thick. I’ve had them for 6 years and 2 boots, can’t remember exactly why the bootfitter put me on them, but it was probably because my old boots had a much higher instep so had to take up space— new boots are better on that front so I probably don’t need them for that anymore, it just felt like I should keep them in... though current bootfitters have said that since I can’t touch my toes, the wedges help.

I have molded intuition powerwraps so taking them out now gives me too much room, but I think that would be solved with a wedgeless re-mold, just want to weigh the reasons before committing to ditching them

a 1cm heel lift is beyond too big in the correctly sized boot for you. The maximum anyone should normally use is 5mm. Even that would cause issues if the shell was right for your foot. It honestly sounds like you've got bigger issues with the fit of your boot than weighing the pros and cons of a heel lift.

 

[WisconsinBadger4]

a 1cm heel lift is beyond too big in the correctly sized boot for you. The maximum anyone should normally use is 5mm. Even that would cause issues if the shell was right for your foot. It honestly sounds like you've got bigger issues with the fit of your boot than weighing the pros and cons of a heel lift.

good to know. I have a

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2021 at 5:22:30pm

 

[WisconsinBadger4]

good to know. I have a

**This post was edited on Mar 14th 2021 at 5:22:30pm

Dammit, guess LTE at mid station Jackson isnt very good.

was gonna say, I have a

 

[WisconsinBadger4]

Dammit, guess LTE at mid station Jackson isnt very good.

was gonna say, I have a

WTF. Wish I could delete these lol. Got ahold of a laptop.

SO, as I was saying: I have a

 

[WisconsinBadger4]

WTF. Wish I could delete these lol. Got ahold of a laptop.

SO, as I was saying: I have a

Holy shit. I think my problem is the left "less than" bracket I'm typing @NS tech support...

@onenerdykid I have a LESS THAN 1cm/1 finger shell fit so I don't think the wedge is needed to take up space in this boot...

On another note, my self-measured foot measurements are 29cm length, 102mm last, 28cm instep, I'm in a 28.5 FT First Chair 8-- booster straps, custom footbeds, molded intuition powerwraps. I'm still in a ton of pain. It feels like when I tighten to the point where the liner adequately hugs my foot everywhere, the forward flex has now become a solid rock. If I loosen, I get some flex back but then don't have the liner contact/control that I like. Would be ideal to have a boot that's tight, yet soft/flexy/forgiving, if that's even a thing. My type of skiing is moguls and trees all day, lots of jumping off of sidehits and rocks.

What I really want to know is, given my measurements, does it sound like I should continue to try to make these shells work? Or should I look at brand new boots?

 

[PacificRimJob]

Holy shit. I think my problem is the left "less than" bracket I'm typing @NS tech support...

@onenerdykid I have a LESS THAN 1cm/1 finger shell fit so I don't think the wedge is needed to take up space in this boot...

On another note, my self-measured foot measurements are 29cm length, 102mm last, 28cm instep, I'm in a 28.5 FT First Chair 8-- booster straps, custom footbeds, molded intuition powerwraps. I'm still in a ton of pain. It feels like when I tighten to the point where the liner adequately hugs my foot everywhere, the forward flex has now become a solid rock. If I loosen, I get some flex back but then don't have the liner contact/control that I like. Would be ideal to have a boot that's tight, yet soft/flexy/forgiving, if that's even a thing. My type of skiing is moguls and trees all day, lots of jumping off of sidehits and rocks.

What I really want to know is, given my measurements, does it sound like I should continue to try to make these shells work? Or should I look at brand new boots?

If you really want softer boots (why, I couldn't fathom but alright) then just get some softer tongues from FT...

If they fit well, but your only complaint is theyre too stiff, then yeah just get some softer tongues.

 

[onenerdykid]

Holy shit. I think my problem is the left "less than" bracket I'm typing @NS tech support...

@onenerdykid I have a LESS THAN 1cm/1 finger shell fit so I don't think the wedge is needed to take up space in this boot...

On another note, my self-measured foot measurements are 29cm length, 102mm last, 28cm instep, I'm in a 28.5 FT First Chair 8-- booster straps, custom footbeds, molded intuition powerwraps. I'm still in a ton of pain. It feels like when I tighten to the point where the liner adequately hugs my foot everywhere, the forward flex has now become a solid rock. If I loosen, I get some flex back but then don't have the liner contact/control that I like. Would be ideal to have a boot that's tight, yet soft/flexy/forgiving, if that's even a thing. My type of skiing is moguls and trees all day, lots of jumping off of sidehits and rocks.

What I really want to know is, given my measurements, does it sound like I should continue to try to make these shells work? Or should I look at brand new boots?

Without being able to see you in the boot, I would bet that removing the heel lift is the right approach and then remolding the liners without the heel lift.

And as others said, if your FTs are too stiff you can get a softer tongue. But I would start with removing the lift and remolding the liner before you do anything else.

 

[ASSholebomber22]

Getting a pinch feeling at the bottom outside of my lowest pinky toe joint. Felt like a sock that's bunched, but socks are fine. Probably 110 days on the boots, only happens on left foot. Footbeds look ok, nothing seems to be folded or sharp. Boots are dalbello pantera 120 with intuition liners. Any ideas before I try shit rando shit like duct tape?

 

[onenerdykid]

Getting a pinch feeling at the bottom outside of my lowest pinky toe joint. Felt like a sock that's bunched, but socks are fine. Probably 110 days on the boots, only happens on left foot. Footbeds look ok, nothing seems to be folded or sharp. Boots are dalbello pantera 120 with intuition liners. Any ideas before I try shit rando shit like duct tape?

Could be that you started packing out the liner and now your foot (pinky toe) is overhanging the footbed a little? Or you've compressed in the liner in this point and it's lost its cushioning so you're banging into the shell a bit. Does either of those sound like it could be the issue?

 

[ASSholebomber22]

Could be that you started packing out the liner and now your foot (pinky toe) is overhanging the footbed a little? Or you've compressed in the liner in this point and it's lost its cushioning so you're banging into the shell a bit. Does either of those sound like it could be the issue?

I think you nailed it, I bet the liners are packed to the point where the foot falls off the footbed and gets pinched between the bed and the liner. The pain gets worse if I carve really hard, makes sense because if my foot's sliding around it'll slide around the most then, right?

Any solution I can try to eek out the rest of the season, or are new liners and/or boots my only real option?

Also, with 110 days ish on these boots the shells aren't in the worse shape but def not in the best. A liner + new heels and toes are nearing half the price of a new boot in general, worth it in your experience to re-liner, or go with a whole new setup?

Thanks for the advice and in advance