How to know if your boots fit properly

freshfreshpowder wrote:Ok thanks for those replies.
I am reasonably confident with the fit. The only thing I'm not sure about is I really can't tell whether or not my big toe touches the front of the boot when I put it on. I have tried on some boots and it felt obvious it was touching the front because there was pressure. With mine, I know it sounds stupid, but I honestly can't tell if I'm touching the front before standing. I think it could be really kissing the front.

They're too big. Take them back.

^^^^ sounds about right, when you put the boot on your toe will touch the front, it will stay there until the boot is clipped properly and you flex forward.

answer the following and i MAY be able to give you a clue as to if they are close BTW internet bootfitting is risky but we may get an idea

1 what size shoe do you buy
2 is your foot narrow, medium, wide , very wide
3 do you have a high, medium, low or flat arch
4 what size is the boot (mondopoint size 27.5, 28.0 etc)
5 do you have a off the shelf or custom footbed in the boot or just what came with it?
6 take the liner out the boot and place your foot in the empty shell, with your toes lightly brushing the front how much space is there behind your heel
7 what is the boot make and model?

please no one else answer these questions yet let the OP give the answers and i will come back with my thoughts

The biggest mistake I see people making in ski shops and I've seen it in rental shops over the years is that they think the tighter the fit the better, and you see them using two hands to force the buckle down on the boot and wonder why later on they can't feel their feet and end up with bruised shins.

I agree with bandit, a firm handshake is a good guide on how well they fit you.

Can I ask, in the shop you bought them from did they heat up and mould the inners and foot beds once you decided the ones you wanted?

When trying on ski boots its very much similar to when you buy a normal pair of shoes, by this I mean standard things with do the boots fit your feet, is you toe at the end of the boot? How fitted around your feet the boots are, too narrow or too wide etc. You should then take a good 20 mins just walking around the shop letting your feet settle into the boot and so you can gauge how tight the boots are on your shins, they should be nice and snug and not feel like they are constricting your legs, you should also be able to do the clips up easily and a good test of this is that you should be able to close the boot clips over using just your finger, and not a considerable amount of force with two hands (I see a lot of people doing this!) Also one thing people don't realise is that if you put on weight between buying your boots and using them it can make a big difference to your calf and more so your foot, i.e. even half a stone weight gain will increase the width of your feet. Also I agree with someone else on this forum that the boots will take a good week to bed in, and don't make the mistake of putting them right next to a boiling hot radiator to dry them out as this can make the liner expand and distort the fit, depending on whether you had them custom fitted.

just another point....the BOOT needs to fit ie. the shell and liner, the buckles are just "the laces on the shoe" they are there to snug things up they should not be all the way to the last notch on a new boot they shouldn't be close to it, having to tighten the buckles down like this is just a sign of a boot with too much volume, it may be the right length but if there is a 1/2 pint foot in a pint size boot then there will be loads of room to move around, especially when the liner has packed down a bit

Thanks Cem, I'd greatly appreciate your efforts.

1 what size shoe do you buy
10 (UK) / 44-44.5 (European)
2 is your foot narrow, medium, wide , very wide
wide
3 do you have a high, medium, low or flat arch
high
4 what size is the boot (mondopoint size 27.5, 28.0 etc)
28.0
5 do you have a off the shelf or custom footbed in the boot or just what came with it?
just what came with it, and it was heated and reset with my foot in it
6 take the liner out the boot and place your foot in the empty shell, with your toes lightly brushing the front how much space is there behind your heel
3cm (between back of boot and heel from the furthest back point of the heel)
7 what is the boot make and model?
Head- AdaptEdge 90 link: http://www.head.com/ski/products/boots/all-mountain-comfort/adaptedge-90/2693/?region=uk

Anothing couple of things I think could help:

8 when I put my foot in the liner when the liner is out of the shell, I am aware of my all 5 toes touching the front with even, medium pressure, but I don't know how useful that info is as when the liner is in the shell your foot is held further back by the shell.

9 When I put my foot in the boot (with liners in) and do the boot up, the bottom two buckles are on notch 4/5. Is this a reason for concern?

Jbakes87- The staff were friendly and patient whilst me and my friend took the best part of an hour trying on different boots and their prices compared well with online stores for the products I checked.
Yes, they did heat up and mould the inners and footbeds to my feet. I anticipate a slight weight gain between now and January as I am injured and out of the gym atm.

based on what you have said, everything was looking about right till you declared the 3cm behind your heel, they ideally should have no more than 2cm occasionally we need to go to 2.5 if the foot is very high volume but this is rare. the edge is one of the widest boots on the market, great boot for the right foot, but you almost certainly need a footbed to fill that arch cavity and most likely a smaller or at least lower volume boot, the footbed in the boot that is supplied is not heat mouldable it is merely a auto adapt foam which will compress under load, it does not fill anything or give any level of support.... the front clips on a new boot really do not want to be ratcheted over too far when the boot is new.

when you put a boot on the correct size the toes will feel jammed into the front until you have done the boot up properly (top 2 buckles first and firm, then flex before doing the others loosely) at this point when you flex the toes will pull back a little and the whole thing will settle down. the biggest problem with this and many other boots is that there is lots of lovely soft foam which holds your foot very snugly when it is new and makes a big boot feel small

what is your ability level i have a feeling that boot will be just fine by the description of your foot 3cm is to much for a hp boot but that boot has a high volume liner if it starts to pack out a bit move to a little thicker sock. socks are king! feel like your boots are to tight go spend the 20 on a new set of light weight "ski socks" froot of the loom tall socks do not count!