Ski boots

Hi,

I hope someone out there can help me. I have skiied 7 times and every year i have had trouble with boots. I have wide feet but narrow ankles which makes things vey difficult, but to add to that i have Leg Discrepency or heel lift or whatever you want to call it (basically my right leg is shorter by a fraction).

After 4 years i decided to go for it and bought some head boots which were poorly fitted and competely the wrong boot for me so a french boot fitter (and also my poor toe nails) told me.

I took them back and got a full refund. turns out they were also 2 sizes to long!!

I have been skiing since and just hired as i am frightened to waste my money. But this year i am thinking of braving it but i need advice. Does anyone have similar issues or am i a medical disaster?!

Please Help???!!!

Don't despair!
You are not the only one and there are solutions.
I eventually had my boots foamed as I have VERY strange ankles and one leg shorter than the other due to a high speed accident (regrettably not on the snow, so no bragging rights).
There are really good boot fitters out there who will fit you into the boots of your dreams.
On the downside, its not cheap.
I haven't lived in the UK for a long time, so I don't have any contacts, but I hear good things about SnR and had some boots fitted there years ago.
No doubt some other j2skier will have the answer.
Good luck.

*Shouts into the basement...Cem, you there?*

:D

At least 40% of skiers buy boots that are too big and two sizes is about average, as you have also have LLD (not unusual) the best thing to do would be to visit a good boot fitter who is also a Pedorthist. Colin Martin at http://www.solutions4feet.com/index.php in Bicester has an excellent reputation.

I wouldn't go to an outdoor sports equipment retailer as they don't usually have the expertise or the equipment to deal with complicated problems.

If you can make it down this neck of the woods I can recommend the Devon Ski Centre in Newton Abbot, they spent hours with my wife after she had the wrong boots. http://www.devonski.co.uk/
People come from all over to see them (I have nothing to do with the centre).

I have fallen arches, narrow feet and wide ankle bones. Shop hired boots became the bain of my life. I would end up going back every day for another pair.. they were either too tight at the ankle and would cut off the blood supply or too loose - and I couldn't control my skies. NO end of micro tweeking would resolve the problem. Until I bought my own. My feet were put in a hot bed and the sole shaped to my foot, the boot was blown out at the ankle = and I have skied in heaven ever since. I bought mine in Tignes on day 1, so I could go back every day for a minor tweak... they have been wonderful ever since - 4 years on

Wow thank you all. It's good to know I'm not the only one with these problems. :) I may take the advice of Lexiloo and buy some when I go in January as I can take try them on the slopes. I blame my parents for dodgy genetics. Thank you for you help. :)

Have weird shaped feet myself too..I went to a rental shop, got boots fitted and then asked if I could take an identical rental pair out for a test run..they let me take as many pairs as I wanted out for trials and then I bought my favourite pair and they then heat moulded them. they let me do the trials free as they knew I was going to buy - definitely worth a shot if you can do something similar. If you are short on time get them fitted day 1 and take them on a half day trial - dont rush into buying make sure they fit like gloves (bear in mind rentals will be slightly more uncomfortable than moulded) but should still be comfortable. Best purchase ever..comfortable ski boots, goodluck man