Report on buying my new ski boots

Hi Tony,
Actually the fitting only cost £40. What made the whole thing so expensive was the special insole (£110), and I expect this would have cost the same wherever I'd got it.

I like hot chocolate (there was also coffee etc.) and in my dentist's (which always costs me considerably more than the boot fitting) they only have free water - although I suppose they might think water is more healthy :roll:

I have discovered another query about boot fitting now. Underneath my boots it says 27.0 - 27.5 and on the back by the heel it says 27.5 and my bill says 27.0 and my feet measured just over 26.5. I phoned them today and they say that actually those boots don't come in half sizes and the only difference is a few millimetres in the lining between a 27.0 and a 27.5.

I am very surprised by this.

And I asked about my nice wheelie boot bag as well. Apparently the staff all use it as a flight bag, so far without problem.

Ally

I bought my boots from Rivington Alpine and had all the same checks and scans although did not get a copy and only paid an extra £60 including the moulded insoles. They were ok although I still got occasional cramp in my feet (the reason why I went for custom fitted) I have to confess that despite my foot being completely healed I am skiing in my rear entries this week as they are the most comfiest boots I have ever worn and a bargain at only 99p off Ebay. Look out for some Head ski boots on Ebay Size 4 next year :oops:

The biggest improvement in my skiing was buying some Dynastar skis which are my fourth pair and with the boots that don't hurt the best combination ever :D

Good report Ally but for those up North get to RA

PSC,
I would say you were amazingly lucky with your eBay purchase :D

Have you tried taking your new boots back to the fitters? I'm sure they are supposed to be able to 'blow up' sections of the shell to accomodate any painful parts of your foot.

My conclusion at the end of the boot fitting was that using a good boot fitter saves a lot of time because they know which size, make, and model of boot is likely to fit the shape of your foot, and that the orthotic insole does work, but that as far as whether the boot actually fits or not you are pretty much on your own - it's your own opinion because only you can judge how comfy it feels.

Ally

a good fitter can make some pretty simple but dramatic changes to the fit of boots, the key is the shape being close in the first place, then adjusting things to suit the individual....your feet are unique, they do not come out a box so why we expect a mass produced product to fit perfectly straight out the box is a mystery to me

Hi Cem,
Thanks for your input. I hope my description of my boot fitting was reasonably accurate. I was a bit tired at the time and, naturally (!) I didn't make notes at the time.

Ally

I've just been to Outdoor Traders, James Choularton, in Abingdon and bought Salomon CS Impact 8 ski boots. I had been Solutions 4 Feet, Colin Martin, in Bicester and tried Head boots, but they were a fraction too narrow and Colin did not have the Impact 8 in stock and not due until late Aug. I am amazed that there are a couple of proper boot fitters within a stone's throw of each other!!

My feet are UK size 8 with a low arch. Both James and Colin measure and assess the feet in much the same way, but James has a dynamic gait machine that is walked across and reveals extent of arch and pressure variation. Boots fitted with instaprint custom foot beds

Boots are size 25 with a "finger" width behind the heel in the bare shell, my previous boots bought secondhand a good few years ago in a bit of a rush were 27.5 and well padded out to reduce volume!! Fit is a "performance" fit and they are well snug and they match the advice at www.ski.com - http://www.skis.com/docs/ski-boots-buying-guide/#DeterminingProperFit
If was after a "comfort" fit, then about another cm behind the heel - or size 26.

OT also had the boots in their sale including fitting and foot beds were £95, so overall a really good deal for a 2 1/2 hour session.

Boots are not made in half sizes - a 25 and 25.5 is the same shell - in fact some shell components may be used on several shell sizes. I have seen cuffs labelled 22.5 to 24.5. A 25 size is achieved by having a thicker foam footbed in the 25.5 shell.

Colin Stone

I bought some boots for the first time a couple of months ago- great isn't it! :thumbup:

They had a bit of trouble because I have strange shaped feet (wide and high instep) but I followed the fitter's advice diligently and ended up buying far more expensive boots than expected (Tecnica Dragons). To be fair, they did try some of the cheaper ones first but they were agony.

I went for the custom moulded soles too and as far as I can tell they are money well spent.

They also remoulded the shell for me(on the outer side by my little toe) which made a big difference. However, I think this needs to be done a bit more because my two 'littlest' toes go a bit numb after a while- and bear in mind i haven't actually ski'd on them yet. Think I'll head off to the snow dome for a test soon- they will make any alterations as part of the after-care so that's a bonus.

I have now tested my new boots out for 3 days ski-ing on the glacier at Tignes.

They are great. They don't hurt my feet at all, they seem to be tight enough (at the moment anyway - let's hope it lasts) and they seem to have corrected my stance so that I can turn equally well left and right.
I have got used to the 'squishy pebble' and I hardly notice it now.

And my new wheelie boot bag was accepted as a flight bag by Easyjet at Bristol and Geneva airports. I managed both this and my wheelie suitcase on the underground etc. no problem.

My boot linings had gone all wet after 3 days ski-ing so I've taken them out to dry. Is there anything I'm supposed to do with them before I put them back in the boots?

Ally